Starting on Tuesday, teams can officially place the franchise tag on pending free agents. The Raiders have been no stranger to the franchise tag as they used it on Josh Jacobs just a year ago. Coming off an All-Pro season in which he led the league in yards, the Raider made sure to keep arguably their best offensive player.
But will they do that again this season? Once again, Jacobs is a pending free agent and could leave next month. Instead of letting a former first-round pick from the 2019 draft walk, could the Raiders tag Jacobs for a second time?
In a recent article by ESPN, they predicted which players could be tagged this week. While Jacobs was mentioned, he is not expected to be tagged by the Raiders. Here is what senior writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about the possibility of a second franchise tag:
The Raiders went down this road last season by tagging the reigning All-Pro, and he responded by not signing his tag and sitting out Las Vegas’ entire offseason program, training camp and the preseason before agreeing to a one-year deal worth $11.791 million, $1.7 million more than the original tender.
Jacobs had the worst season of his career (805 rushing yards, 3.5 yards per carry, 6 TDs, 13 games), so the Raiders might not have to use the estimated $12.4 million tag on him and could probably get him back on a cheaper deal. Especially since he said he would be all-in if the Raiders made Antonio Pierce the head coach, which they did.
The Raiders would love to have Jacobs back for a sixth season, but it has to make sense financially. Paying him top dollar again after a year where his production dipped and struggled to stay on the field doesn’t make sense. But the Raiders might not want to lose the asset either.
Expect Jacobs to avoid the tag this month and hit free agency in March. But don’t be surprised if he returns to Las Vegas on another one-year deal. That is probably the best outcome for both parties.
