3 Raiders players who won’t be on the roster after training camp

Raiders who won’t be on roster after training camp No. 1: Josh Jacobs, RB

Okay, so this might be a bit controversial.

Make no mistake, Josh Jacobs has proven to be one of the best running backs in the league for the Raiders. Just last season, he totaled 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per tote and adding 53 receptions for 400 yards. He’s now been over 1,000 yards rushing in three of his four NFL seasons and has averaged 10 rushing scores per year.

However, with the franchise tag drama involving running backs having Jacobs at the heart of it this offseason, the Raiders face a difficult conundrum. Jacobs has not yet signed the tag, thus meaning he can hold out of training camp without facing fines. For a team that has a new quarterback and so many new pieces, that’s less than ideal.

Furthermore, with how poorly contract negotiations have seemingly gone with Jacobs to this point, who would truly have faith that the Raiders and the running back would be able to get a deal done after playing this year on the tag? No one with any sense about them, certainly.

At the end of the day, the ultimate outcome for Jacobs seems like it will be the running back leaving Las Vegas and the franchise getting nothing in return. So wouldn’t it then make way more sense to try and find a trade partner during training camp to try and recoup any possible value? Yes, yes it would.

Let’s be real — the Raiders aren’t going to contend this year, not in the AFC West and not with this roster. So planning and garnering assets for the future is pivotal. On top of that, they can also get a better look at second-year back Zamir White, who flashed in the preseason and in limited work.

For the long-term outlook in Vegas, trading Jacobs and getting him off the roster might be the best possible outcome. And it shouldn’t shock anyone if it’s the course of action that’s taken.