Oakland Raiders RB Josh Jacobs may not sign before training camp opens

Few NFL teams were as active this off-season as the Oakland Raiders, who hope to bounce back from a rough 2019 season in which they finished 4-12 and ranked in the bottom 10 in total offense and defense. Only three teams have spent more than the Raiders' $175 million doled out in free agency so far.

The top priority for the offense was to add weapons for QB Derek Carr, and they made major strides for 2019 by trading for five-time All-Pro wideout Antonio Brown and taking running back Josh Jacobs in the first round of the NFL Draft.

But the progress made for Jon Gruden in his second season back in Oakland has hit a snag. Jacobs has yet to sign his rookie deal, and now reports indicate he may not do so before training camp begins for rookies on July 23.

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With a rookie wage scale in place, draft holdouts aren't common anymore. In Jacobs' case, however, there appears to be a discrepancy as to when bonuses are paid out and other issues with guarantees in place.

That's not good for Oakland. Jacobs is widely considered the favorite to win the starting job by Week 1 over the likes of Doug Martin, Jalen Richard and Chris Warren. Jacobs was also third on the list in odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

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The hope now is by the time the Raiders and Jacobs come to an agreement, the rookie RB will have the time needed to be the force Oakland expects him to be in 2019. 

"The do-it-all running back should be pumped carries and targets with little competition at the position in the Oakland offense," Pro Football Focus noted. "Where he'll likely shine is around the goal line. Jacobs had the highest percentage of carries that resulted in first downs or touchdowns of any running back in college football last season."