NFL free agency will kick off in early March and it’s a group that is loaded with talent. One of the positions that has a lot of top-end talent is at running back as Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, and Miles Sanders are all expected to hit the open market.
Another player that is scheduled to become a free agent is All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs. It’s still up in the air as to if the Raiders will bring him back despite leading the NFL in rushing yards.
In a recent article by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, he wrote about five players that teams should be cautious about in free agency. That list included Jacobs, who is coming off a 393-touch season. Here is a snippet of Spielberger’s concerns in regard to signing Jacobs to a long-term deal:
“In addition to the pitfalls of paying a running back big money covered in the Barkley section, Jacobs also saw a huge workload in 2022, setting up the possibility of decline due to the attritional nature of the position. Jacobs had the kind of season that deserves a big financial reward, but any team ready to pay it should be wary.”
It’s always dangerous to sign a running back to a second contract and that’s why the Raiders declined the $10 million fifth-year option. But it does appear the Raiders have some interest in bringing him back. Keep an eye on Jacobs and the rest of the running back market as teams are being more cautious about giving running backs big contracts.
