Las Vegas Raiders: Josh Jacobs earned more than just a franchise tag
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have to figure out what to do with Josh Jacobs, as he is entering free agency, but also could be franchise tagged.
NFL teams were told the franchise tag numbers for this offseason this week, and for the Las Vegas Raiders, it was seemingly good news. Josh Jacobs is a free agency priority for the Silver and Black this offseason, and at only $10,091,000, that would be a steal if the team could get Jacobs to play under that number.
However, after being a first-team All-Pro, making the Pro Bowl, and leading the NFL in rushing and yards per scrimmage, he is likely slated to get more.
Looking at all the running back contracts from 2022, Christian McCaffrey leads the way at $16,015,875, followed by Ezekiel Elliot and Alvin Kamara, who both make $15,000,000. From there, Dalvin Cook makes $12,600,000, which is around where the Raiders should land with Jacobs.
Raiders should give Jacobs a new contract
In January, our Micah McDonald predicted what a new deal should look like for Jacobs, stating the team should give him a 4-year/$52 million contract with $30 million guaranteed. That would put him in the top-4 in the NFL in terms of salary, which is right about where he should be.
Jacobs has said that this is where he wants to be and that he wants to be a part of the change within the organization, so that should help the team get a deal done. They also have to do right by him, so making him a top-5 earner at the position makes a lot of sense as well.
Some people will say you do not pay running backs, but when it comes to Jacobs, he is still young enough to be well worth the $12 to $13 million the Raiders invest in him on a new deal. They need to get this done, as it will be more enticing for a free-agent quarterback to sign when they know they have one of the best wide receivers and running back tandems in the NFL.