Oakland Raiders: 3 trades that could send Ezekiel Elliott to Oakland
Trade 2: 2020 First (CHI), 2020 Third (CHI), and Josh Jacobs (RB) for Ezekiel Elliot and 2020 Fourth (DAL)
With the number of touches that Elliott is capable of taking on, it would be hard to believe that they would limit his usage to make room for a second talented running back.
In this proposed trade, Dallas gets back what they’ve been wanting out of the running back position — a controllable asset that can be inserted into games and potentially get the job done.
Expecting that Josh Jacobs will immediately be as proficient as Elliott is misguided, but the two players might end up being equally impactful in the same system.
Jacobs was the top selected running back in the most recent NFL Draft. He’s considered a high-character guy and would likely be a menace behind the Dallas offensive line, especially when paired with fellow rookie running back Tony Pollard.
In three college seasons at Alabama, Jacobs continuously impressed with his running game. As a junior, he earned MVP honors in the SEC Championship Game, where he rushed for 83 yards and had two touchdowns.
He also played most of his sophomore season with a broken ankle, displaying the NFL toughness that can be crucial to transfer from one level to the next.
He displays a number of strengths that can make him an immediate starter for a number of teams — combining both size and skill while displaying controlled footwork. He’s shown flashes of ability when it comes to pass-catching and has a good eye for slashing through defenses.
This would clearly be a huge risk for the Raiders since they would be betting on the production of Elliott behind their own offensive line, which has far more questions, while sending off what might end up being a young stud in Jacobs.
In the same vein as the previous suggested trade, the Raiders would also have to give up two picks to get the ball rolling on trade negotiations. The 2020 first-round pick that they received from the Khalil Mack trade is a valuable asset that might lure Dallas into a discussion over Elliott.
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To go along with it, the Chicago 2020 third-round pick — also received in the Mack trade — would have to be included. This would obviously be a better situation for the Raiders than the previous trade that had two firsts headed to Dallas.
Sentimentally, it would also essentially trade the top three components within the Mack trade for Ezekiel Elliott. But more importantly, it would handicap Oakland headed into the 2020 NFL Draft.
Additionally, it would be plausible that Oakland could get a mid-round pick back in this trade, either a third or a fourth-round pick. They’ve shown that they can still draft capable players in these rounds, which is a plus.
This trade would be a tough pill to swallow for the Raiders as it would sacrifice that cheap, controllable asset that reigns as the most valuable in football today.
It would be abundantly difficult to give up on such a young player that we’ve only seen a glimpse at, especially when he could very well be a contributing piece to this season’s offense. But, again, in order to bring Dallas to the negotiations table, the Raiders have to blow them away with assets.
Maybe the Cowboys would fall for the Jacobs-Pollard combo. Again, it beats the headache that Elliott might continue to cause.