The Las Vegas Raiders headed into NFL free agency with high hopes of making some substantial moves in order to keep this storied franchise headed in the right direction under new head coach Antonio Pierce.
One of the biggest question marks for the Raiders heading into free agency was what the immediate future held for star running back Josh Jacobs. Unlike last season, the Raiders chose not to franchise tag Jacobs, which would let him test free agency, and that’s exactly what he did.
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, Jacobs’ playing career in the NFL will continue elsewhere. According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, he agreed to a deal with the Green Bay Packers shortly after the official tampering period got underway on Monday.
Clearly, re-signing Jacobs wasn’t a priority for the Raiders or a deal would’ve gotten done, but now he’ll be joining forces with Jordan Love in Green Bay, which is interesting because he’ll be sharing the backfield with longtime starter Aaron Jones. It’ll be interesting to see how that dynamic duo works out, but if it does work the way the Packers are hoping it will, they may have the best backfield in football right now.
As for the Raiders, the team will likely turn to second-year running back Zamir White as the team’s starter moving forward. The team recently agreed to terms with veteran Ameer Abdullah, who will probably be the backup and share some carries with the young running back in Las Vegas.
Even though the Raiders have White and Abdullah in the fold, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that the team will pursue veteran backs like Derrick Henry or former Los Angeles Chargers star Austin Ekeler to bolster the backfield. It remains to be seen what these two veterans are asking for in free agency, but the Raiders might be able to swoop in there and grab one of them at a discount.
Along with the Raiders letting Jacobs walk in free agency, the team recently agreed to re-sign center Andre James to a three-year extension and made a major splash in free agency with the addition of former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
Raiders Sign DT Christian Wilkins To Massive Long-Term Deal
The Raiders seem to be emphasizing upgrading the defensive side of the football in NFL free agency, with the team agreeing to sign former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
Adding Wilkins alongside Maxx Crosby and Tyree Wilson makes for an intimidating defensive line, which could be much improved from last season.
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