Oakland Raiders: Josh Jacobs success will hinge on his role

The Oakland Raiders have a bonified weapon in rookie running back, Josh Jacobs. Correctly defining his role within the offense will be crucial to success.

The Oakland Raiders have wrapped up mandatory minicamp and calm has once again returned to Alameda, California. The team will reconvene in July for the official start of training camp and the start of their last season in Oakland before heading east for the bright lights of Las Vegas.

There is no doubt that the Raiders will look to improve on their 4-12 record; the question is how head coach Jon Gruden plans to make this jump a reality. The addition of deep threats, Tyrell Williams and Antonio Brown, and the drafting of multi-skilled running back Josh Jacobs is evidence that Gruden’s focus is on improving an offense that ranked in the bottom half of the league in every category last season.

A New Wide Reciever Corps

Placing skilled weapons around quarterback Derek Carr is merely the first step of a long journey, the second — and arguably the most important — is putting these weapons in a position to succeed.

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Far too often, talented players enter into situations that don’t work, and the effects are painfully obvious. Adrian Peterson’s 2017 season is an example of a great player failing in a bad situation.

Williams and Brown are proven pass catchers who excel at running deep routes. Gruden isn’t going to ask them to change.

If anything, the head coach would like to see his quarterback let the ball fly a bit more and take a few more risks downfield. If this is indeed the case, Williams and Brown are treading in familiar waters.

Rookie Josh Jacobs

Jacobs, on the other hand, is a talented back who carried the ball a mere 251 times in three years at Alabama. The Raiders are going to need him to do a bit more than that as a pro. Jacobs is a stout back with quick feet and competent hands.

His skill set shows flashes of Marshawn Lynch combined with the pass-catching ability of Joe Mixon. His ability to produce from the line of scrimmage is not debatable. The question lies in how he will adapt to his new role.

For the first time since high school, Jacobs will be the featured back and will receive a workload befitting such a role. A three-down-back with 15-25 touches a game will be an adjustment for the rookie. During his last year in Tuscaloosa, he reached double-digit touches just four times.

Establishing The Right Role Early

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A heavy workload in the run-game can wear on anyone, but for a rookie with limited work in college, it may have a higher level of difficulty. Lucky for Jacobs he is a prolific pass catcher with a gift that allows him to produce without having to negotiate space between the tackles.

The key to Jacobs’ success will be the balance of his run/pass workload. Gruden’s play calling will need to keep his rookie runner in favorable situations until his comfort level and experience dictate otherwise. The Raiders coaching staff will need to ease Jacobs into his new role and be mindful of how they define this role within the offense.

The Raiders have one last season to right the ship in Oakland. With talented additions to the offense, Gruden and his boys look to be on the right track.

Raider Nation has waited long enough for their beloved Silver and Black to make good on their famous “Commitment to Excellence.” That wait may soon be coming to an end.