Setting the stage
Rookies report today. However, veterans don’t report until Wednesday the 20th. Competition for carries in the Raiders’ backfield will be fierce. There are certainly those who are looking forward to seeing Jacobs and White go carry for carry. It has all the drama of The Program. Just picture it: Jacobs portrays the older warhorse who has been through the fires and sees the young buck (White) coming in to capitalize on all his hard work and take his job.
The NFL is a business, straight up, no room for feelings. Players are expected to perform at the pinnacle of their abilities all year round or face replacement. Production doesn’t always ensure longevity either. By all accounts, Jacobs should be a 1,000-yard season away from securing a lucrative second contract.
The two main factors working against him are his injury history and his price tag. The shelf-lives of NFL running backs are usually 3.5 years, and the late Bill Walsh often said, “It’s better to move on from a player a year too early than a year too late.”
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