Raiders should franchise tag Josh Jacobs, avoid temptation of long-term deal

The Raiders should remain firm on their stance to franchise tag running back Josh Jacobs and not cave by giving him a long-term deal they will later rue. 

The Athletic's Tashan Reed believes signing last season's rushing leader to the franchise tag, a one-year, $10.1M contract, might bother Jacobs and persuade him to play elsewhere in the future, so Las Vegas should show him the money.

"Signing running backs to extensions is frowned upon in the modern NFL, but Jacobs is worth it. And, given the Raiders can do so while avoiding hamstringing their future plans, they should pay him," wrote Reed.

The Raiders might save a small amount of cap space since they could stretch salary out over a hypothetical long-term Jacobs deal, but it's not enough to justify the risk. 

Overwhelming data proves signing an RB to a multiyear deal isn't worth it. Per OverTheCap, from 2011-20, 62.7 percent of RB deals with a minimum of three years were terminated early. 

The production of RBs decreases quickly due to their high usage and the position's physical toll. 

For example, Ezekiel Elliott averaged 4.6 yards per carry on 1,169 attempts during his first four seasons. Over the past three seasons, he averaged four yards per carry on 712 attempts. 

After signing a six-year, $90M deal in 2019, Elliott might have to take a pay cut if he wants to stay in Dallas, per NFL Network's Jane Slater.  

Only 25, Jacobs has some mileage already. Last season, he had the league's second-most carries (340). 

So Las Vegas should give Jacobs the shorter franchise tag and wait before it determines if he's an exception to the rule.