It’s essentially a given that Oakland Raiders will open up the season with rookie Josh Jacobs as their starting running back. After being the No. 24 pick in the 2019 draft, the Raiders want to get the most out of their stud back. That’s why it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see him approach 300 touches as a rookie.
Given his projected workload, could the Raiders decide to move on from his backup, Doug Martin, who the team re-signed this offseason? In a recent article by ESPN, Raiders’ beat writer Paul Gutierrez made a bold prediction that Jacobs will push Martin off the roster:
Shocker? Not really, not with Oakland brass hoping it plays out this way. But the first-rounder, who was taken No. 24 overall despite carrying the ball only 251 times total in his college career, will have to prove he can withstand the pounding. That would make veteran Doug Martin expendable.
With Jacobs and Jalen Richard locks to be on the active roster, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see the Raiders use the No. 3 running back spot on a player who can contribute on special teams. If Jacobs proves to be durable enough, Martin’s services might not be needed. It will be fascinating to see how much the team relies on their rookie running back in 2019.
