Josh Jacobs, a running back, will not be eligible to test free agency if the Las Vegas Raiders decide against using the
franchise tag on him in the near feature. This might imply that he will be free to explore his options in free agency.
The organization doesn’t seem to be planning to offer him a contract before he becomes a free agent.
While there are many teams in need of a running back, Jacobs must be among the best. At just 26, he led the NFL in
2022 with 1,652 rushing yards. Additionally, he has not had to cope with any severe injury problems. Although there
is a chance the Raiders will re-sign Jacobs, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox projects the player to sign a three-
year, $30 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys.
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“Jacobs might be interested in accepting an offer from a team other than the Raiders, such as the Dallas Cowboys.
Pollard didn’t provide the results Dallas was hoping for in 2023, and Jacobs is precisely the kind of dual-threat,
every-down weapon the Cowboys enjoyed in Ezekiel Elliott’s best years,” Knox said in a column published on
February 28.”
Dallas has ways to swiftly create cap space even with a $3.2 million cap shortfall. The 2024 numbers of Dak Prescott
and CeeDee Lamb might be reduced by extensions, while $9.5 million in cap space could be saved by releasing
Michael Gallup with a post-June 1 designation. Zamir White probably impressed the Raiders sufficiently by the end
of 2023 that they decided not to spend for Jacobs.
Running back is needed by the Cowboys because Tony Pollard is a free agency. The Dallas offense would gain a lot of
juice from Jacobs. In the event that the Raiders choose not to re-sign the running back, this is a very real possibility.
This offseason, a number of highly regarded running backs, including Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry,
and others, will become free agents. Although there are many alternatives available for teams in need of a running
back, it appears that two stand out above the others.
In a March 5 X article, Dianna Russini of The Athletic stated that Barkley and Jacobs are without a doubt the best
two choices available in free agency. The Raiders will have competition if they choose to re-sign Jacobs because it
sounds like there other teams interested in him.
The Raiders’ intentions at running back are a major factor in why they might decide not to bring Josh Jacobs back.
Tom Telesco, the general manager, has stated that he would rather see the team use a variety of running backs rather
than relying too much on just one.
During his news conference on February 27, Telesco stated, “The way we’re going to play, and the way a lot of teams
play, is you need more than one back.” “I don’t really see anything akin to a lead-back. It is necessary for you to have
multiple. You must own two; you must possess three. Each of them plays a distinct function on the club. It’s difficult
to place the entire blame for the way this game is played on one person. Although Jacobs is talented enough to
potentially change their goals, it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money on him if the team intends to reduce his
workload.
