Oakland Raiders: Josh Jacobs could be a training camp holdout

The Oakland Raiders are dealing with a difficult situation as rookie running back Josh Jacobs is reportedly a threat to be a training camp holdout.

The Oakland Raiders figure to be one of the most interesting teams in the NFL this season. They made aggressive moves to improve their roster (trading for Antonio Brown and signing Trent Brown just to name a couple) and came away with an impressive haul in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Armed with three first-round selections, the Raiders were in a great position to stock their team with young and talented players in the 2019 draft. Adding defensive end Clelin Ferrell, running back Joshua Jacobs and safety Johnathan Abram gives this team a solid group of young players to build around on both sides of the ball.

Unfortunately, one of these impact rookies may not be taking the field for the Oakland Raiders anytime soon.

Jacobs is the only Raiders’ draft pick who remains unsigned at the moment. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the two sides may not have a deal anytime soon. “(Jacobs) is the only Raiders draft pick still unsigned and league sources say the negotiations have not been going well,” Tafur wrote. “There is a growing sentiment that Jacobs will not be at camp when rookies report on July 23. (The official start of camp — when the veterans report — is three days later.)”

No matter how you look at it, this is not ideal for either side. The Oakland Raiders appear ready to make Jacobs their featured back in 2019. After Isaiah Crowell went down with an Achilles injury, there simply is not another back on the roster who can seriously push Jacobs for snaps. The Raiders will be relying heavily on the rookie running back in 2019 so any lost time can drastically hurt the team.

While Jacobs is clearly a talented back who should be able to come in and make an immediate impact, it is never easy for a rookie to make the transition to the NFL. He needs as many training camp and preseason reps as possible in order to get ready for the regular season. Any sort of holdout that leaks into training camp will not be good for Jacobs’ growth as a player.

NFL rookie contracts are pretty straight forward. As Tafur mentioned, this all comes down to minor bonuses. These bonuses are unlikely to make a major impact on the Raiders’ cap situation going forward. Both sides simply need to sit down and meet in the middle. A length holdout situation would not be good for anyone involved here.