The Las Vegas Raiders and their star running back Josh Jacobs have agreed to terms, a one-year deal no less. All of the offseason drama can be put to rest now. That notwithstanding, business has been handled by the Raiders’ brass, GM Dave Ziegler included.
Ziegler isn’t absolved; let’s make that clear. The man has made some mistakes, but none so egregious as to warrant his firing, as so many trolls claim. In fact, he’s done a notable job of reloading the roster via the NFL Draft the last two years at the helm. From finding a potential stalwart at right tackle in the seventh round to completely shifting the makeup of his defense with one broad draft class, Ziegler has, as the kids say, “been cooking as of late”. That being said, the man did tell Raiders fans recently he was going to handle the Jacobs situation, which he now has.
Onto the regular season for the Raiders, Josh Jacobs, and Dave Ziegler…
It was only two months ago—maybe even a month ago—that some in Raider Nation were heading for the panic button. There were concerns that the team’s new starting signal-caller, Jimmy Garoppolo, wasn’t going to heal in time for the season. As we all now know, Garoppolo is doing just fine, going four-for-four in preseason action against the Los Angeles Rams. The emergence of Aidan O’Connell also helped to cool down some apprehension—all of a sudden, Ziegler appeared to have been onto something when he picked his Day 3 quarterback.
Then we have Tyree Wilson. The vaunted pass rusher from Texas Tech is an imposing figure, literally and figuratively. Alongside Maxx Crosby, the expectation was that the two could form a scary tandem. That was until issues surrounding Wilson’s foot came to light as early as the draft pick was announced. While he missed most of the Raiders’ offseason program, Wilson appears to be ready to go for the season. It should also be noted he hasn’t seen preseason action since being cleared. Naysayers are likely punching the air knowing that the selection has worked out thus far–no more of that “Wilson will miss the season” talk.
Mark Davis chimed in…
Back to Jacobs for a second. Raiders fans are no doubt elated, obviously. However, they can take solace in knowing that owner Mark Davis is in the same boat as them. While sharing a conversation with Davis, ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez mentioned that Davis expressed his genuine love and appreciation for No. 8.
#Raiders owner Mark Davis happy @iAM_JoshJacobs returning, reiterates his feelings to me: “I love him, I love Josh. He’s phenomenal. He was the heart of our team. He came to play every day. Tough, tough, tough guy…If we had 22 Josh Jacobs…, with that mentality, amazing.”
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 26, 2023
While Davis is indeed the man up top, he’s made it clear that he’s given Ziegler full control over personnel. Still, you know it bodes well for you when the owner holds you in such high regard. Of course, there are those who will never be satisfied, no matter what the Raiders do. We’ll leave you with a few gems from X, formerly the Twitterverse.
Now extend him beyond this year
— jt (@jt__sd) August 26, 2023
However, his love wasn’t enough to offer Jacobs a long term deal.
— Adalberto Valadez (@javaladezm) August 26, 2023
This man earned a contract longer than 1 year. Do Better. Show this team that the team will take care of their own. A running back by committee will not do what this man does. Period
— Sean McKenna (@SeanMckenna81) August 26, 2023
*Top Photo: RaidersResistance