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Josh Jacobs has been holding out of Raiders camp after the team opted not to give him a lucrative, long-term extension during the offseason.Now, it appears that the NFL's leading rusher from 2022 will be back on the sidelines in short order. reported on Monday that Jacobs "is expected to report to the Raiders before their season opener."Jacobs' exact timetable for return isn't exactly clear, but Las Vegas is set to kick off its season with a matchup against the Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 10. So, it seems likely that he will be with the team at some point over the next two-to-three weeks.But why did Jacobs hold out in the first place, and exactly what will his presence bring to the Raiders? Here's what to know about Jacobs' contract dispute and looming return.MORE: Jacobs was holding out from the Raiders because the two sides were unable to agree to a long-term contract.The Raiders had slapped Jacobs with the franchise tag during the 2023 NFL offseason after he led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards during the 2022 season. Jacobs, 25, was hoping to sign a long-term extension to make him one of the NFL's highest-paid running backs, but the two sides couldn't come to an agreement on a deal.Once theJuly 17 deadline for franchise-tagged players to ink an extension pa sed, Jacobs refused Adam Clendening Jersey to report to Raiders training camp. That left the Raiders without their star running back while wondering when exactly he might return to action.Ironically, the Raiders could have avoided this type of drama had they exercised Jacobs' fifth-year option during the 2022 offseason. Instead, they declined it after the 2019 first-round pick logged a career-low 872 rushing yards and nine touchdowns during the 2021 season.It's hard to blame the Raiders for their decision at that time, but it still turned out to be an ill-fated move, especially compared to what he is set to make in 2023.Jacobs hasn't officially signed his contract yet, but once he does, he will be playing on a one-year deal worth $10.091 million for 2023.Because the franchise tag extension deadline has pa sed, Jacobs' only options at this point are to accept that one-year contract or refuse to sign it and sit out into the regular season. Given the rumors that he is ending his holdout, it seems that he is Carl Soderberg Men Jersey willing to accept the eight-figure deal despite his displeasure with contract negotiations.It's sensible that Jacobs would accept this deal. After all, it will make tie him as the sixth-highest-paid running back for 2023 in terms of average annual value (AAV), per .RankPlayerTeamAAV1Christian McCaffrey49ers$16million2Alvin KamaraSaints$15 million3Derrick HenryTitans$12.5 million4Nick ChubbBrowns$12.2 million5Aaron JonesPackers$11.5 million6Saquon BarkleyGiants$10.1 millionTony PollardCowboys$10.1million9James ConnerCardinals$7 millionDalvin CookJets$7 millionFrom the Raiders' standpoint, retaining Jacobs on a one-year deal is a solid value. However, had they accepted Jacobs' fifth-year option, they would be paying him just $8.034 million for the season. That difference Victor Soderstrom Men Jersey of $2 million may not be major, but it would have given the team more financial flexibility. But more importantly, it would have also bought them more time to a se s whether Jacobs is worth signing to a long-term extension.It also would have, potentially, left their relationship with the running back in a better place than it is now.POWER RANKINGS: Regardle s of what Jacobs is making and where his relationship with the Raiders stands, he will be able to make an impact on Las Vegas' offense. He handled a league-high 393 touches during the 2022 NFL season and it seems likely that he will repeat in his role as a high-volume rusher in 2023.Why is that?Because it may take time for the team's new quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, to get acclimated to his cast of supporting weapons. As such, Josh McDaniels may lean on his veteran running back to carry the offense as that transition occurs.Of course, it's worth noting that McDaniels expre sed Sunday that he would like the 25-year-old to log plenty of practice time before getting on the field for regular-season action."I think that its important for every player," McDaniels said of practicing, per the Journal-Review. "This is the National Football League, so its not easy to go out there and just play games and do it at the speed and level that you want to do it at, Oliver Ekman-Larsson Women Jersey unle s youve really kind of had enough opportunity to get yourself ready to do that."With that said, it's po sible that Jacobs could be eased into action, especially if McDaniels isn't pleased with his conditioning. That could limit his upside in the early stages of the season while giving his backup Zamir White a chance to operate in a more equal role along side him.All that's to say that Jacobs probably qualifies as a boom-or-bust pick for fantasy purposes this year. He has the potential of a high-end RB1 but could end up being a low-end RB2 if he experiences any sort of performance regre sion or shoulders a limited workload in the early stages of the season.Ultimately, Jacobs' ranking of 23rd overall and ninth among running backs in seems about right. However, if you draft him, you should probably have at least one more high-end running back on your roster to help offset any potential slow start from the reigning rushing champion.DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Below is a look at the Raiders' running back depth chart, which currently runs eight deep.RankPlayer1Josh Jacobs2Zamir White3Ameer Abdullah4Brandon Bolden5Sincere McCormick6Brittain Brown7Damien Williams8Darwin ThompsonThe Raiders will probably only keep half of these players on the active roster when it's all said and done and when healthy, Jacobs will be the unquestioned backfield leader.Behind Jacobs, White appears to have emerged as the team's top backup. Las Vegas selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft but he handled just 17 carries and generated 70 rushing yards as a rookie. He figures to handle at least a few Clayton Keller Women Jersey carries a game in the early stages of the season as Jacobs is eased back into action.Meanwhile, Abdullah will serve as a third-down back for the team while Bolden will primarily be a special teams ace for the squad. They seem likely to make the final roster given their experience and the fact that they played for the team during the 2022 season as well.McCormick, Brown, Williams and Thompson all seem more likely to battle for practice squad spots than roster spots. Of the bunch, McCormick seems most likely to find a way onto the roster given that placed him ahead of Bolden for the team's second preseason game. Even so, there's no guarantee that he will be able to unseat the veteran.It's also worth noting that the Raiders have a fullback on the roster in Jakob Johnson. So, five roster spots will likely be dedicated to players that normally occupy the running back room (though Johnson could also spend time with Las Vegas' tight ends).
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Опубликовано 2023-10-23 06:52:46
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