Raiders running back Josh Jacobs breathed a little bit of life into the back market on Saturday. What does that mean for another big name trying to turn things around for himself and possibly others?
Jonathan Taylor is still working under a non-binding Tuesday deadline to reach a trade deal that would be acceptable to the Colts. The Dolphins remain the team most associated with Taylor.
There was speculation that Taylor would make an under-market deal in order to get out of Indy. To understand how far below the market it will go, it is important to know where the market is.
Christian McCaffrey remains the highest paid player, with his $16m-a-year deal negotiated in early 2020 with Carolina. (We’re told the 49ers are looking at the sum at $12 million, because that was the value of the contract they inherited.)
Jacobs, thanks to a significant increase in his franchise mark, can now take home $25.96 million over two years under the mark — an average of nearly $13 million. That’s quite a jump from the $10.1 million franchise bid, and more than double the best deal landed on the open market this year: Miles Sanders of the Panthers, at $6.3 million annually.
Ultimately, what Taylor wants and what he can get is all that matters. The Jacobs deal gives Taylor a plausible and fact-based argument to press for more. The market is a little better for a pullback today than it was yesterday. The Taylor contract will be the next data point in progress.
In which direction will you go? Up, down or stagnant? It all depends on whether a deal can be negotiated in the next couple of days if the Colts intend to meet the soft deadline of August 29th.
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