Maybe you've seen the recent stories where Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden have said that Josh Jacobs will be used more in the passing game this year. Or Jacobs himself saying his goal is to catch "at least" 60 passes. (He caught just 20 a year ago.) Please do not believe any of them.
Jacobs caught 48 passes for 571 yards and 5 TDs in his committee role at Alabama. He can catch, and the expectation was he'd get those chances with the Raiders. But it didn't happen as a rookie. In 13 games he saw just 2 targets per game (27) and caught 20 passes.
The Raiders extended Jalen Richard (pictured) in the offseason. They drafted Lynn Bowden, a wide receiver primarily in college, and announced him as a running back. They signed Devontae Booker, a third-down back with Denver. And now they've signed Theo Riddick. Theo Riddick! From 2014-2018 in Detroit, Riddick averaged just under 200 rushing yards and nearly 450 receiving yards per year. You don't sign Riddick for any other reason than to come in in passing situations and catch passes.
Jacobs last year had 61 percent of the team's rushing yards. Only seven of the league's running backs had a higher percentage. But he accounted for only 4 percent of the receiving yards. That was 3rd among running backs on his own team, and not just 3rd but a distant 3rd. He was a non-factor in that area.
| RUNNING BACK RECEIVING, PERCENT OF TEAM, 2019 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | I.Yds | T.Yds | %Yds |
| Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 1,005 | 4134 | 24% |
| Austin Ekeler, LAC | 993 | 4648 | 21% |
| James White, N.E. | 645 | 4153 | 16% |
| Dalvin Cook, Min. | 519 | 3729 | 14% |
| LeVeon Bell, NYJ | 461 | 3443 | 13% |
| Leonard Fournette, Jac. | 522 | 4023 | 13% |
| Tarik Cohen, Chi. | 456 | 3573 | 13% |
| Miles Sanders, Phil. | 509 | 4063 | 13% |
| Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 533 | 4431 | 12% |
| Aaron Jones, G.B. | 474 | 4017 | 12% |
| Chris Thompson, Was. | 378 | 3205 | 12% |
| Saquon Barkley, NYG | 438 | 4070 | 11% |
| Duke Johnson, Hou. | 410 | 4083 | 10% |
| David Johnson, Ariz. | 370 | 3797 | 10% |
| Nyheim Hines, Ind. | 320 | 3314 | 10% |
| Jaylen Samuels, Pitt. | 305 | 3214 | 9% |
| Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 420 | 4902 | 9% |
| Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 410 | 5049 | 8% |
| Jalen Richard, Oak. | 323 | 4110 | 8% |
| James Conner, Pitt. | 251 | 3214 | 8% |
| Royce Freeman, Den. | 256 | 3401 | 8% |
| Kareem Hunt, Cle. | 285 | 3847 | 7% |
| Mark Ingram, Balt. | 247 | 3350 | 7% |
| Nick Chubb, Cle. | 278 | 3847 | 7% |
| Joe Mixon, Cin. | 287 | 3994 | 7% |
| DeAndre Washington, Oak. | 292 | 4110 | 7% |
| Rex Burkhead, N.E. | 279 | 4153 | 7% |
| Chris Carson, Sea. | 266 | 4110 | 6% |
| Melvin Gordon, LAC | 296 | 4648 | 6% |
| Jamaal Williams, G.B. | 253 | 4017 | 6% |
| Ronald Jones, T.B. | 309 | 5127 | 6% |
| Kyle Juszczyk, S.F. | 239 | 4029 | 6% |
| Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 234 | 3994 | 6% |
| Phillip Lindsay, Den. | 196 | 3401 | 6% |
| Devin Singletary, Buff. | 194 | 3476 | 6% |
| Dare Ogunbowale, T.B. | 286 | 5127 | 6% |
| J.D. McKissic, Det. | 233 | 4187 | 6% |
| Latavius Murray, N.O. | 235 | 4431 | 5% |
| Derrick Henry, Ten. | 206 | 3956 | 5% |
| David Montgomery, Chi. | 185 | 3573 | 5% |
| Boston Scott, Phil. | 204 | 4063 | 5% |
| Patrick Laird, Mia. | 204 | 4117 | 5% |
| Damien Williams, K.C. | 213 | 4690 | 5% |
| Kenyan Drake, Ariz. | 171 | 3797 | 5% |
| Raheem Mostert, S.F. | 180 | 4029 | 4% |
| Tevin Coleman, S.F. | 180 | 4029 | 4% |
| Todd Gurley, LAR | 207 | 4669 | 4% |
| Adrian Peterson, Was. | 142 | 3205 | 4% |
| Kenyan Drake, Mia. | 174 | 4117 | 4% |
| Dion Lewis, Ten. | 164 | 3956 | 4% |
| Josh Jacobs, Oak. | 166 | 4110 | 4% |
| C.J. Ham, Min. | 149 | 3729 | 4% |
| LeSean McCoy, K.C. | 181 | 4690 | 4% |
| Ryquell Armstead, Jac. | 144 | 4023 | 4% |
| T.J. Yeldon, Buff. | 124 | 3476 | 4% |
| Darrel Williams, K.C. | 167 | 4690 | 4% |
The Raiders have said a shoulder injury contributed to Jacobs' lack of usage in this area, and that things will be different in 2020. But talk is cheap. Richard has averaged 62 targets and 52 receptions for the Raiders the last two seasons. Either Bowden, Booker, or Riddick is going to be a factor in this area. Not all of them; unlikely that both Booker and Riddick make the roster. Probably just one of them.
But take any talk of Jacobs being a three-down back and getting an expanded role in the passing game with a grain of salt. Time and again, the team's other moves this offseason contradict it.
--Andy Richardson