Tag: rushing champion

ESPN NFL Nation reporter Gutierrez predicts the Raiders to franchise tag Josh Jacobs

ESPN NFL reporter predicts that the Las Vegas Raiders will franchise tag Josh Jacobs again in 2024

In just the last five years, the Las Vegas Raiders have relocated cities, hired and fired head coaches, changed starting quarterbacks and faced loads of off-the-field turmoil. However, the one consistent piece during all of this change has been former Alabama running back [autotag]Josh Jacobs[/autotag]. Although the Raiders and Jacobs’s relationship has been rocky, he has been the lone bright spot on a team that hasn’t won a Playoff game since 2002.

The Raiders declined to pick up Jacobs’s fifth-year option back in April of 2022, so in the off-season of 2023, they had to franchise tag him to prevent him from hitting the free agency market. Now, ESPN NFL Nation reporter Paul Gutierrez is reporting that he thinks Jacobs is in line to receive the tag again this off-season.

Gutierrez says of the situation, “The Raiders went down this road last season by tagging the reigning All-Pro, and he responded by not signing his tag and sitting out Las Vegas’ entire offseason program, training camp and the preseason before agreeing to a one-year deal worth $11.791 million, $1.7 million more than the original tender. Jacobs had the worst season of his career (805 rushing yards, 3.5 yards per carry, 6 TDs, 13 games), so the Raiders might not have to use the estimated $12.4 million tag on him and could probably get him back on a cheaper deal. Especially since he said he would be all-in if the Raiders made Antonio Pierce the head coach, which they did. “

As a fan of Jacobs, I would definitely like to see him stay in Las Vegas because it is a place where he was the NFL rushing champion in 2022 and has found a ton of success. But, I also know that running backs don’t last long in this league so hopefully he can sign a long-term deal and secure generational wealth even if he has to leave Vegas.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Former Alabama RB Josh Jacobs voted as the 12th best player in the NFL

Las Vegas Raiders ranked No. 12 in the NFL’s 2023 Top 100 player rankings

Despite only spending three seasons in college with the Crimson Tide, Josh Jacobs became a fan favorite and Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. The Raiders have had stability at the QB position for the most part with Derek Carr and some other Pro Bowl-level talent like Darren Waller and Devantae Adams, but Jacobs has been the piece that makes the offense tick.

Jacobs is coming off of an explosive 2022 campaign where he was crowned the NFL’s rushing champion as he led the league with 1,653 yards. Jacobs ran angry last year as he was in a contract year after having his fifth-year option denied by Las Vegas. Going into 2023, Jacobs would be playing on the franchise tag with much to prove, if he decides to play. Recent reports state Jacobs is unhappy with the organization and is not currently with the team.

In the NFL’s top 100 players list of 2023, Jacobs skyrocketed all the way up to No. 12 in this year’s rankings. Jacobs was the top back on the list which is voted by players followed by Austin Ekeler who was ranked No. 21.

With Carr out of the picture and question marks at the QB position, all signs indicate this will be one of the biggest years of Jacobs’ career. He had 340 carries a year ago, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him close to 400 in his last year on his current contract.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Josh Jacobs looks to become the third player in NFL history to complete this feat in 2023

Can Josh Jacobs repeat as the rushing champion again in 2023?

[autotag]Josh Jacobs[/autotag] was crowned the 2022 NFL rushing champion for leading all running backs in rushing yards with 1,653. In 2023, Jacobs looks to become only the third RB to win the award in back-to-back years alongside TCU legend LaDanian Tomlinson and former Alabama Heisman Trophy winner, Derrick Henry.

The Raiders‘ offense lived through Jacobs last season as he had nearly 400 touches between 340 carries and 53 receptions. Yet, Jacobs’ usage might be even higher in 2023 after the departure of veteran quarterback Derek Carr and Pro Bowl tight end, Darren Waller.

The receiving unit in Las Vegas is strong between future Hall of Famer, Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. However, Adams and the Raiders haven’t seen eye to eye this off-season, especially regarding the QB situation. Carr, Adams’ former college teammate, will be replaced by a Super Bowl-caliber QB in Jimmy Garoppolo, but due to it being his first year in the system combined with a history of injuries, Jacobs will still be the bell cow of the offense.

It will certainly be a battle for the Raiders to make the playoffs this season, but if they have any aspirations to get there, Jacobs will need to see the ball close to 400 times again. In division alone, the Raiders face the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, the now Sean Payton-coached Denver Broncos, and the Los Angeles Chargers who have one of the best young QBs in the NFL with Justin Herbert. The AFC West will be an absolute gauntlet, let alone the AFC as a whole.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Jacobs as he attempts to make NFL history.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Adrian Peterson thinks he can catch Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith for rushing record

The soon-to-be 36-year-old free agent RB needs another 3,536 yards to claim the crown. His recent numbers suggest that will be a tall order.

Adrian Peterson is still chasing Emmitt Smith. And the soon-to-be 36-year-old running back says he has no plans to stop short of catching the NFL’s all-time rushing king.

In an interview this week with TMZ, the Palestine, Texas native says it’s his intention to play- and put up big-time stats- for another four years at least. “I want to live to be a 40-year-old back out there rushing for 1,500 yards and amazing people still,” the seven-time Pro Bowler said.

“I’m going to keep playing, trying to chase the championship,” Peterson continued, “and, God’s willing, within the process of doing that, I’m able to catch Emmitt and pass him.”

Smith has 18,355 rushing yards on the ledger. The vast majority of those came while wearing a Cowboys uniform; he broke Walter Payton’s longstanding mark (16,726) in 2002, at the age of 33. After amassing 17,162 yards, Smith was released by Dallas. He played another 25 games over two seasons in Arizona, finally retiring after the 2004 season.

Peterson is fifth on the all-time list, with 14,820 yards. He needs another 3,536 to pass Smith. That will be a tall order, especially given Peterson’s productivity over recent years. He totaled just 604 yards last season in Detroit. The year prior, in Washington, he hit 898. And while he did barely break the 1,000-yard mark in 2018, he compiled only 529 the season prior while doing stints with both the Cardinals and Saints.

That’s 3,073 yards over four seasons. On four different teams.

The “1,500 yards” he referenced wanting to put up as a 40-year-old? The Oklahoma product hasn’t hit that milestone in a season since 2012, when he was named the league’s MVP. When he was 27.

Clearly, Peterson is still physically impressive and is more than capable of churning his legs, dishing out punishment, and chewing up yardage. And he remains one of the league’s most durable players, even at a high-impact position. But to catch Emmitt, he would have to turn up the pace considerably. He would probably need to stick with one team for the next several years, and be that team’s unquestioned bell cow back just to get enough carries to even move the needle closer to Smith’s figures.

And, of course, there is the matter of Peterson not currently being on a roster.

The free agent will almost assuredly land somewhere for 2021. Plenty of teams can find a use for a veteran change-of-pace runner or a dependable backup in the running back room. It’s not difficult to imaging Peterson latching on as a role player with a club who makes a championship run, giving the future Hall of Famer his elusive Super Bowl ring. But unless Peterson suddenly falls into a situation where he is once again “the guy” for an extended period of time, basic math suggests that he’ll have a serious uphill climb if he truly expects to pass Emmitt Smith on the mountaintop of all-time rushers.

[listicle id=663608]

[vertical-gallery id=663648]

[listicle id=663606]

[lawrence-newsletter]