The Raiders part in the 2020 draft is complete. And Gabe Jackson is still with the team. The past few months, there was buzz about him potentially being traded. The reports came out again on the day before the draft that the Raiders were shopping the big right guard and weren’t asking for much in return. Whatever they were asking for, they didn’t get.
Mike Mayock was asked about the future of Gabe Jackson in the team’s post-draft conference call.
“The future of Gabe Jackson? He’s our starting right guard,” Mayock said, seeming as if he was surprised there would be any doubt of that. “I mean, I don’t really… we signed [Eric] Kush and we signed [Jordan] Devey and both those guys played all three internal positions, so they’re kind of inside guys. I think Gabe Jackson’s our starting right guard and that’s exactly what it says.”
They also re-signed Denzelle Good and then drafted Clemson guard John Simpson in the 4th round. Combine that with Jackson set to make $9.6 million this season with no dead money if he’s traded, and there were a lot of signs Jackson could be moved.
Jackson is a talented player and an even better person and teammate. A trade wouldn’t be with the assumption of an upgrade. It would be a money issue primarily, with the feeling that they could get by with Good as the presumed starter and a competition.
Being through the draft doesn’t eliminate the possibility of Jackson being traded or even released. It was a big hurdle though because they’d probably have liked to get some kind of immediate return for him if they were looking to move on.
