Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs fired off a cryptic tweet on Saturday, implying that he’s looking for a trade. After declining his fifth-year option, the Raiders watched as Jacobs led the league in rushing yards during what would have been his contract year. Rather than let him hit the free agent market, the team used to the franchise tag to secure his services, but it doesn’t sound like the two sides have made progress on a new contract. If talks continue to stall, Vegas could decide to part ways with their former first-round pick, and Josh Jacobs should have plenty of interested teams.
Sometimes it’s not about you. We gotta do it for the ones after us 🤷🏽♂️
— Josh Jacobs (@iAM_JoshJacobs) June 10, 2023
Top 6 Josh Jacobs Trade Destinations
Dallas Cowboys
Tony Pollard has played incredibly well in a committee approach, but is he ready to handle a three-down, 300-touch role? The Dallas Cowboys clearly believe in the value of the running back position, and a Josh Jacobs trade would make sense for all parties involved. Like Jacobs, Pollard is currently playing on the franchise tag, and perhaps Jerry Jones and company could decide to make Jacobs their running back of the future. In the short term, Pollard and Jacobs could form one of the deadliest running back tandems in the league before Pollard leaves in the 2024 offseason.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings parted ways with Dalvin Cook, leaving Alexander Mattison to be their unquestioned starter. Mattison is a fine player, but you can certainly do better out of a starting running back. Josh Jacobs is unquestionably a better talent, and is even superior to Dalvin Cook at this point in their respective careers. If Minnesota can structure a contract that minimizes Jacobs’ 2023 cap hit, then they should go after him. The NFC North is wide open with Aaron Rodgers out of town, and a Josh Jacobs trade could be enough to give Minnesota the divisional crown for the second consecutive season.
New Orleans Saints
Star running back Alvin Kamara will probably face a significant suspension in the 2023 season, and the five-time Pro Bowler has started to show some signs of slowing down. With Kamara likely sidelined for a good portion of the year, the NFC South favorites will have to trust a rookie Kendre Miller and an aging Jamaal Williams to lead their backfield. Or, they could trade for Josh Jacobs and ensure they have one of the deadliest backfields in football.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are heavily linked to Dalvin Cook, but perhaps they pivot and go after a younger player to be the face of their backfield. Miami desperately needs an improved running game to take some pressure off of Tua Tagovailoa, and Jacobs is the best guy available for the job. Adding him to an offense that already has Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle should give the Dolphins all the firepower they need to go blow-for-blow with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in the race for the AFC East crown.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens could decide to swap one disgruntled running back for another. J.K. Dobbins is looking for a trade of his own, and perhaps the two teams find a way to send Josh Jacobs to the Ravens in exchange for Dobbins and some additional draft capital. Dobbins won’t cost nearly as much as Jacobs, so it stands to reason that it wouldn’t be as hard for the Raiders to strike up a deal with the current Ravens running back.
Kansas City Chiefs
This one is the longest of long shot, but the Kansas City Chiefs deserve a mention just due to how perfect the fit is. The Chiefs have the best offense in football, but their starting running back is a seventh-round pick that doesn’t catch passes. Jacobs has the three-down skillset that Andy Reid craves, and the running back would make this offense all the harder to defend. It’s hard to imagine a world where the Raiders trade Josh Jacobs to a division rival, but anything could happen in the wild NFL. The Raiders are going to be bad in 2023, so if the Chiefs are making the highest offer, then perhaps they embrace the tank and watch the rich get richer.
Main Photo: Gary A. Vasquez – USA Today Sports
