The Las Vegas Raiders are back at work this week; one notable absentee is All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs. With the NFL Draft just days away now, there have been other interesting developments that could affect the Silver and Black. Among those developments, All-Pro and Pro Bowl defensive back Budda Baker is available. So, naturally, the Raiders are getting named as suitors, which is the tradition whenever a big-name player becomes available. Let’s take a closer look at our latest edition of Raiders Notes.
Josh Jacobs, where art thou?
As most Raiders fans will recall, owner Mark Davis publicly expressed his gratitude for Jacobs. With Davis in his own corner, we all assumed Jacobs would sign his franchise tag. Well, that hasn’t happened yet. Instead, he won’t be reporting to the team’s offseason workout program. It’s somewhat shocking that the NFL’s leading rusher and a player who’s become an integral part of the Raiders be without a long-term deal. Then again, it’s been a rough offseason for running backs, regardless of “big name” status.
As The Athletic’s Vic Tafur pointed out, the team has until July 15th to sign Jacobs to a commitment that extends past 2023.
Depending on your optics, this could be business as usual; Jacobs will eventually sign and play again. On the other hand, this situation could get ugly this offseason as well. Is a trade in the works? Ziegler and Co. have made it clear that they’re not afraid of parting ways with any Raiders player.
Do the Raiders and Dave Ziegler “need” to trade for Budda Baker?
While the trending conversation surrounding Budda Baker revolves around the Philadelphia Eagles, the Raiders do make sense. They need help all across the board, especially in the defensive backfield. However, it could come with a big price tag; thankfully, Ziegler has deep pockets. Also, there’s the issue of draft capital. So far, the Raiders have been reluctant to part ways with their draft picks. Do we really expect that to change?
For Baker’s part, he’d definitely be an upgrade over anything that the Raiders have fielded recently. Thus far, it really does feel as though Ziegler will be rebuilding his defense via this year’s draft. Keep in mind that Baker’s cap hits ($16.9 million in ’22 and $18 million in ’23) are another factor that wouldn’t be attractive to Ziegler. In any case, this will be a situation worth keeping an eye on.
*Top Photo: Fred Vuich/Associated Press
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