The Las Vegas Raiders have been a bad decision factory for nearly two decades now. It cannot be understated just how much these poor choices have built on each other, as the Raiders are constantly hiring the wrong coach, drafting the wrong guy or making ill-advised free agency moves.
It would be mind-numbing to run through all of the prominent examples of these miscues, but some have certainly hurt worse than others. Failing to make the most of the draft capital they got from trading fan favorites like Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper set this franchise back exponentionally.
Selecting Clelin Ferrell was a big part of that mess, but the Raiders were able to bail themselves out by landing Maxx Crosby. Losing Josh Jacobs was another key component of that mess, and hopefully, Ashton Jeanty puts that firmly in the rearview. But, reportedly, the franchise isn't there yet.
Some in Las Vegas reportedly wish they still had Josh Jacobs
On Tuesday, The Athletic's Michael Silver responded to a social media post that included a video of Jacobs, now with the Green Bay Packers, talking about how he has toughed through several injuries and managed to play well. Silver then took a shot at the Raiders.
"This is guy is so much better than the guy the Raiders drafted with the sixth overall pick this year. Sorry," Silver wrote.
In terms of production, perhaps that is true, at least right now. Jeanty is obviously a bit younger and learning at the NFL level, and he has a ton of upside. But his 966 all-purpose yards and 8 touchdowns are far less than Jacobs' 1,160 all-purpose yards and 14 scores.
Jacobs, of course, has the advantage of playing behind a good offensive line and for a competent overall offense, led by a stout play-caller. But when someone responded to Silver calling his take ridiculous, he clapped back with a strong statement.
"There are people inside the Raiders' facility who don't think it's a ridiculous statement," Silver wrote.
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Obviously, it is unknown exactly who those people in the building are. But Silver has long covered the Raiders and the NFL, so it is fair to take him at his word. In a way, pitting Jeanty and Jacobs head-to-head is an apples-to-oranges comparison, but it is an important thing to recognize.
Had Las Vegas done the smart thing years ago and picked up Jacobs' fifth-year option, they likely wouldn't be in this predicament. If Mark Davis hadn't hired Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, perhaps another coach, who would still be here, would have recognized the value Jacobs had. It's cumulative.
If Jacobs had his fifth-year option picked up or signed an extension with the Raiders, then Las Vegas might have had $12 million less in salary cap space. But they also could have taken a player like Armand Membou or a strong offensive lineman in this year's draft to fortify their league-worst unit.
By not keeping Jacobs in the building, it opened a can of worms. The Raiders had the worst rushing offense in the league last year, which caused them to splurge on a running back with the No. 6 overall pick. But they didn't build up their offensive line, so that running back is still struggling.
Each poor decision that Las Vegas makes has a ripple effect. It is impossible to look at things in a vacuum and simply compare things like the talent of Jeanty versus Jacobs. But Silver's point, what some in the building are apparently feeling, is not necessarily remorse for picking Jeanty.
More likely, they are watching Jacobs star behind a good offensive line and wondering why they didn't just simply make the same investments up front and keep their talented player in the building. This is no hate to Jeanty, who I believe will turn into an excellent player for the Silver and Black.
But it's hard to argue that letting Jacobs go hasn't been disastrous for the franchise in several ways. The Raiders rarely hit on first-round talents like Jacobs, and they just let him walk right out of the building for no compensation. It's no wonder that Las Vegas is in the mess that they are in.