There is plenty to watch on the NFL running back rumor mill right now.
Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders) and Saquon Barkley (New York Giants) still haven’t signed new contracts. Both men were handed the franchise tag by their respective clubs earlier this offseason, and the July 17 deadline to sign an extension is coming up.
On top of that, the Minnesota Vikings released four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook from his contract last week. Teams have since started mandatory minicamp, and the 27-year-old Cook remains a free agent.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio proposed an intriguing scenario for the Raiders: To take the franchise tag off of Jacobs and then pivot to Cook:
“Jacobs won’t accept their best offer on a long-term deal (the deadline for finalizing a multi-year contract is July 17), it would make sense to consider their options. And they could, in theory, pursue Dalvin Cook as a potential replacement for Jacobs."