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Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs saw quite a lot of playing time in the first quarter of the preseason opener Thursday night. Jacobs had 30 yards on five carries and added 14 yards with two catches.
Head coach Josh McDaniels made the decision to play the starting back while other starters sat out. He wanted to help him get used to being hit and tackled before the regular season.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, however, believes Jacobs may have been put in the game for another reason. He believes it was to draw attention from other teams for a possible trade down the road. The analyst expanded on this theory in a recent article. He said that, in a contract year and with McDaniels’ coaching style, the running back may not get the workload he’s used to.
"The decision to use Jacobs so extensively in the preseason opener becomes a signal to the rest of the league. Jacobs is available. Given that the position entails car-crash contact that inevitably results in injuries, it’s just a matter or time before a starting tailback with another team exits for weeks or months or the rest of the season.
"That’s when the Raiders quite possibly will get a call. And when Jacobs quite likely will end up in a place where he can get more chances to show what he can do."
The Raiders have a high-powered passing game and Jacobs could complement that if he stays with the team
Jacobs has over 250 touches in each of his three NFL seasons and two 1,000 rushing yard seasons to boot. It would seem he would be a back Las Vegas would like to hold onto. McDaniels, most likely, will bring an offense to Las Vegas that is similar to what he ran as a coordinator with the New England Patriots. Therefore, Jacobs may be better utilized elsewhere.
The Patriots are a pass-heavy team that turns to the run mostly in goalline situations. It’s possible the Raiders could take this direction as well, especially considering the success of the system McDaniels is used to running. Jacobs’ value may have gone down with the arrival of the new coaching staff.
Of course, this is all speculation. Perhaps, McDaniels truly believes Jacobs needs to get some reps in to prepare his body for the regular season. With Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller on offense, Las Vegas has a lethal passing game. It makes sense that a running back of Jacobs’ caliber could only serve to complement Derek Carr and his receivers.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Pro Football Talk and H/T Sportskeeda.
