Word last week was that Raiders running back Josh Jacobs will not be reporting to training camp if he does not strike a deal with the Raiders on a long-term extension and it looks like that report will be put to the test.
Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the feeling around the team is that the gap between their offer and Jacobs’ desired contract is too large to bridge by Monday afternoon’s deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign multi-year deals.
That’s no surprise given the overall trends for running backs around the league. Jacobs and other backs have bemoaned the lack of value teams place on running backs, but there’s been little sign that other tagged backs — Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard — will sign contracts and a number of veteran backs remain unsigned with camps opening around the league in the next week or so.
Jacobs is not under contract if he does not sign the tag, so skipping camp would not come with any penalties from the team. It would call into question what path the Raiders want to take at running back if Jacobs isn’t assured of being back in time for the regular season, however, and we’re close to finding out what the next steps will be for all involved.