AFC West

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has proven to be one of the NFL's most dynamic offensive weapons, making a major impact in both the ground game and passing game.

He joined B/R for an AMA that touched on everything, including his love of fantasy football, advice for fantasy players this upcoming season, workout routine and one of his favorite memories of Philip Rivers.

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So Ekeler's Edge Season 2 is set to premiere in a few weeks with some changes including an added podcast. Can you give the fans a glimpse of what to expect from the show in year 2?

It’s called Ekelers Edge. I just realized the community part of fantasy football and how big it is. I'm really drawn to communities. I have a lot of different communities I'm involved in, and fantasy football was one of them that was right in front of me I wanted to take advantage of.

Yahoo reached out to me after I started streaming on my own. This year, we're putting more effort behind it, diving into fantasy stuff, life in general. It's a twist around fantasy football and my personality and just a different outlook from a different player.

It's a twist around fantasy football and my own personality, and it's a different outlook coming from a player.

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Did you get any crazy stories from fans last year about advice you gave them that helped impact the outcome of their league?

Probably the best advice last year was a week where I had a weird test for COVID. The next day, I went in there and tested again, and I was positive for COVID, so I went on my show and told everyone to pick up Justin Jackson.

This was before it was leaked or public or anything. I told everyone to go pick him up, and sure enough, he ended up scoring like 30 points against the Texans, so that's probably the most impact some of my advice has had last year.

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@NotDrewLock Are you in any fantasy football leagues this year? And if so, with anyone notable?

I make time for it. If I'm going to be talking about it, I got to be about it. I'm in six leagues—four through my foundation, and then I'm also in another charity league. Then, I'm in one with my Twitch stream. I like to dabble just for fun, so for me, it's about hanging out with those who are interested and having a good time.

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@SimonFry Are there any fantasy RBs you have your eye on outside of yourself?

Myself, for sure No. 1. There's a lot of great backs on the board for different reasons. Derrick Henry is going to be a workhorse. As long as us running backs are healthy, we're gonna score you points. I like to see guys who have a lot of diversity in their game with catching the ball and running the ball. It's just my philosophy, but you can't go wrong with guys like Henry, JT, or Chubb.

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@Just_in_Time Seeing as how you’re pretty good at breaking down the game, do you think you could see a future as a broadcaster when your playing days are up?

I've thought about it. I kinda do that right now with my Twitch streams. I do 30-minute Twitch streams almost every night. It's just an open-source way to ask me questions. I've been having a lot of practice talking in front of people, but would there be a topic I'd be so passionate about that I would love to actually go in there and be about it?

It's not about the topic itself, it's the community that draws me. I think if I wanted to go into it, I would have to find a topic where I would be passionate enough to go in and do the work.

My organic passion lies within the community and not necessarily in the context of what the community likes. It works out for me with fantasy because I still play, but I don't need to love it because I can still make an impact on people, so it's kind of a different perspective.

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@DaRealGoat3012 Was there anything special you did to train when you were younger that helped take you to the level you're out now?

There's no secret sauce or shortcuts. It's just consistency. I was consistently in the weight room four-to-five times a week. You need to have a plan to not overdo it. I just lived in the gym with my friends, and I was always in the weight room. It became one of my passions and who I am.

In the weight room, you have to start out at a lower weight and master the fundamentals, and it's the same thing with anything. It's gonna take practice, consistency and dedication.

I'd be working out before I'd drive 30 minutes out to my house. That's where I lived. I was always in the weight room, and it just became one of my passions. It just became who I am.

It's so fitting because the things I talk about, I talk about concepts that apply to different aspects of your life that will help you progress, and it's no different in the weight room. You have to start out at a smaller weight and be able to master the proper techniques before you can start moving up. It's the same thing with anything. You have to master the simple fundamentals before you can start building on.

It's going to take practice, consistency, dedication, so that's what I did without even realizing it. I wasn't thinking about this stuff until people started asking me. It's just who I was. I just loved going to the gym, and it started to have some compound interest over time and just made me this really solid and dense body of a human.

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@Latoso23 Who comes up with these insane workouts of yours? Is that your own creativity or what? One-armed pull-ups while reading a book?

You keep pushing until you get to a point where you're like, 'I'm ready for the next thing.' You just continue to spice things up and take them to the next level. I did a one-armed pull-up, and I busted out like four of them. Then, I figured let's put something out on social media that people would like. I put the impressive one-armed pull-up with a prop in it too, so just a little creativity there.

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@NSLachta4 How many pull-ups and push-ups can you do without stopping?

I really do not know. For whatever reason, my body likes to go strong in bursts—probably because I play football. I run into a wall really quick, so I really have no idea.

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@BoltUp1997 After being an UDFA, what was the moment like when you found out you made the 53 man roster? Were there any strong emotions behind that?

When I found out I made the roster, absolutely strong emotions because it was so stressful going through training camp. I had put so much into it. I dropped out of my last semester of college just to go train. I put every ounce of energy into training and trying to make an impact on the team in any way I could.

What was also frustrating is I stayed sixth string on the depth chart. I didn't move up on the depth chart in the RBs spot. I didn't move up in the special teams spot. I stayed in the same place even though I felt like I was doing well. I was super stressed because nothing was happening. I couldn't read the situation.

After the fourth preseason game, I got asked if I had thought I made the team. I was like, 'I don't know if I made the team, but what I do know is you could have not got anything else from me. That was everything I could have possibly put into it. If it's not meant to be, it's not for me.' After finding out I made the team, it was basically a lift of knowing all of the work and patience paid off, but it was definitely stressful.

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@RootB What was your 'Welcome to the NFL' moment?

I didn't really feel like I had one moment. I had already been going through so much that the whole process was basically that moment. It was a gradual build and pretty much stressful the whole time.

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@Wiseguy0 Favorite Phillip Rivers story or memory?

Phillip is probably the reason I'm in the league to this day and had the success I had in the beginning because his play style really complemented the way I play…because he couldn't run. I was around him all the time. I was his checkdown. We became best buds.

It was my first year playing in the league. We're playing Jacksonville. Phillip starts scrambling over to me. If you know anything about Phillip Rivers, he's not the fastest guy. He's running over to me, and I think he looks like he's gonna run.

I turn to block the guy behind me instead of trying to get open, and I remember him throwing the ball over my head out of bounds and just ripping into me and yelling, 'Austin, I'm not gonna run the ball!'…And I thought to myself and was like, 'Ya, I probably should have known that. This man is not fast at all.' That was one of my Phillip Rivers realizations—know how your teammates are going to play.

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@Rhettro The AFC West has some major attention this year after some crazy offseason moves. What do the Bolts need to do to come out on top of one of the league’s toughest divisions?

It's my philosophy, man—it's mastering the fundamentals, staying consistent and being able to do that throughout the entire season. There's also an injury factor that plays a part. If we stay healthy, then that will help us stay consistent.

That's all life is—progressing, mastering the fundamentals and staying consistent. That allows us to grow. That's going to allow us from being a good team that barely makes the playoffs to being a great team that can make a run in the playoffs. I have the same answer for that every single time because it never changes.

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@EmanPz What are your personal goals for yourself this year?

My goal for me in the season is the same goal for everything in my entire life that I'm involved with, and that is growth. Taking what I have right now in the moment and expanding on that. My mindset is showing I'm so efficient, so dominant that I should be on the field for every single play. Not only that but also grow my role as a leader and make sure I can bring the rest of my guys with me. This year, I want to grow in my efficiency on the field and my leadership as well.

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@DekeGeek Would you rather take on 10 horse-sized chickens or 100 chicken-sized horses?

I could take on horse-sized chickens. Only 10? We got that.

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@PhilliesStan It’s an alien apocalypse. You have a drink of choice, a food of choice and 2 teammates you can bring with you. What are you going with?

We're all doomed already in an alien apocalypse if they even have the technology to teach us. I'm taking [running backs coach Derrick] Foster—that's my guy. I'll take Joey Bosa. We're both learning the guitar right now, so we can both enjoy our time right now as we're about to be blown off the earth, rocking some tunes.

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@Cowboysfan109 What’s your opinion of In-N-Out Burger?

Terrible. I hate it.

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@Judoyo13 Pineapple on pizza: yes or no?

For the most part no.

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@JalenHolec If you had a chance to play with any NFL player of your choosing, past or present, who you going with?

I didn't start watching the NFL until my junior year of college, but I would say myself. I guess to just play with another version of myself and to be able to see me in that perspective would be interesting.

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@Lil_Schmuck_ If it weren’t for football, what would you be doing right now?

I'd be doing the same thing I'm doing right now. Football does not define me. I am just trying to grow.

Trading Tyreek Hill didn't just provide the Kansas City Chiefs with five draft picks.

It also gave coach Andy Reid some motivation.

The Chiefs coach told Peter King of NBC Sports he has "a little juice" to keep the Chiefs' offensive momentum rolling without Hill in the 2022 season.

"It's good for him and it'll be good for us," Reid said. "It's a win-win. I think it'll help him in his career with the Dolphins. Financially it's phenomenal for him and his family.

"For us, it gives you a little juice that maybe you need when you've been someplace for 10 years."

Reid, 64, is heading into his 10th season in Kansas City after spending 14 years with the Philadelphia Eagles. It's his 24th consecutive season as an NFL head coach, so it would be hard to blame him if he were more burnt out than motivated to revamp his offense.

That does not appear to be the case. The Chiefs went about replacing Hill with a sum-of-all-parts approach, signing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency and adding versatile speedster Skyy Moore in April's draft.

It'll be impossible to replicate Hill's combination of generational speed and route-running. It'll be even harder for the Chiefs to find a player who meshes with Patrick Mahomes' intuitive improvisational skills.

That said, Reid seems determined to keep the Chiefs as dominant as ever. We'll see if the veteran coach can still pull out some new tricks.

The Kansas City Chiefs no longer have a Big Three in terms of fantasy football contributors. However, with the departure of wideout Tyreek Hill, managers can find good middle-to-late-round value in this offense for the 2022 season.

In 2020 and 2021, Hill commanded 135-plus targets, so obviously, his absence means a lot more targets to go around for other Chiefs pass-catchers. When it comes to player production, fantasy managers prefer certainty, but they also salivate over opportunities for new or rising assets.

Though quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce will continue to be a top fantasy stack (a quarterback-pass-catcher tandem), Kansas City has several new faces who can put up numbers in this aerial attack. Managers may still see these newcomers on the board after the seventh round. Don't pass on them at that point in your drafts.

Since Mahomes took over the full-time starting job in 2018, the Chiefs have finished top-six in passing yards and touchdowns every year. In three of those seasons, Kansas City has ranked in the top nine in pass attempts. Meanwhile, the team's rushing offense hasn't ranked higher than 16th in total carries or yards with Mahomes as the primary starter.

Head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy justifiably have pass-heavy play-calling tendencies with one of the league's best signal-callers at the helm. That isn't likely to change even with the departure of Hill. Other pass-catchers cannot replicate the dynamic All-Pro receiver's skill set, but a committee of playmakers will fill his void.

In Saturday's preseason game against the Chicago Bears, Mahomes completed six of seven pass attempts for 60 yards and a touchdown, connecting with different pass-catchers on each completion, which provides a glimpse of how he'll run the passing attack during the upcoming campaign.

After the 19-14 loss to Chicago, Mahomes spoke about his intended ball distribution with reporters:

Great insight from Patrick Mahomes when I asked him about the diversity of his receiving corps - and what fans can expect with #ChiefsKingdom ‘O’ this season. He had 6 completions to 6 different receivers in his short appearance against the Bears today… @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/aeqzw2b5BV

— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) August 13, 2022

Mahomes will tap into his inner point guard, but who's going to benefit most behind Kelce?

Let's start with JuJu Smith-Schuster, whom the Chiefs signed in March. Known for his TikTok dances, the wideout's public persona has somewhat overshadowed what he can do on the field.

Smith-Schuster's receiving numbers dipped after his 2018 Pro Bowl year (111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns) while he played with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who had been on the decline leading up to his retirement in January. The 25-year-old wideout also missed 12 games last year.

Now healthy, with a quarterback early in his prime, Smith-Schuster may rediscover his Pro Bowl form as the best wide receiver on the Chiefs roster. He has an 8.05 average draft position (ADP), which is great value for a lead wideout in a pass-heavy offense.

Against the Bears on the first drive, Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (12.08 ADP) played the most snaps, per Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke, which is an indicator of the pecking order at wide receiver:

Chiefs 1st drive WR snap count

JuJu Smith-Schuster 11
Marquez Valdes-Scantling 9
Mecole Hardman 4
Justin Watson 1

Out of 11 plays

— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) August 13, 2022

For fantasy managers concerned about Smith-Schuster's underwhelming production as the No. 1 wide receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers following Antonio Brown's departure to the then-Oakland Raiders in the 2019 offseason, he could benefit from heavy coverage on arguably the league's best pass-catching tight end in Kelce.

Kansas City also signed Valdes-Scantling in March. He'll likely provide big plays over the top. In four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, the 6'4", 206-pounder averaged 17.5 yards per reception and led the league in that category for the 2020 campaign (20.9 yards per catch).

Yes, Valdes-Scantling has experienced some drop issues, which also came up during training camp, per ESPN's Adam Teicher, but he's a boom-or-bust target for managers who want a high-ceiling player in a flex spot.

Because of Valdes-Scantling's ability to stretch the field, he doesn't need five-plus catches to make a significant fantasy impact. The fifth-year pro can easily post a stat line of three catches for 100 yards and a touchdown against a vulnerable pass defense.

With that said, Valdes-Scantling seems like the probable No. 2 wide receiver on the depth chart, which means he could see a steady volume of targets in a Mahomes-reliant offense.

Valdes-Scantling's snap count in Saturday's game raises questions about Mecole Hardman, a roster holdover with three years of experience as Mahomes' teammate.

The Athletic's Nate Taylor (via KC Sports Network with BJ Kissell at 8:55), acknowledged that the Chiefs surprised him when they didn't list Hardman as one of the top two wide receivers on the preseason depth chart (for whatever it's worth).

Taylor's observation, coupled with Saturday's wide receiver snap counts, is reason enough to tentatively bump up Valdes-Scantling in your draft queue, but managers shouldn't write off Hardman just yet. Remember, he knows the offense, has 4.33 speed and averaged 20.7 yards per reception as a rookie.

Also, Taylor noted Hardman improved his intermediate route-running this offseason. If Valdes-Scantling struggles with inconsistency, the former could jump into the No. 2 wide receiver spot. Hardman has extra motivation in a contract year, too.

If you're on the hunt for a rookie sleeper at wideout, listen to NBC Sports' Peter King because he spoke directly to the fantasy football folks when he put the spotlight on Skyy Moore (11.10 ADP) after his time at Chiefs camp:

If King is right, Moore has the most upside among the Chiefs wide receivers. Moreover, following a breakout as a redshirt sophomore at Western Michigan with 96 receptions for 1,293 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2021, he has some momentum coming into the pro ranks. Against the Bears, the rookie second-rounder caught all three of his targets for 23 yards.

We can make the argument that none of the Chiefs' top four wideouts should go undrafted.

On the flip side, managers should stay away from Josh Gordon despite the widespread familiarity with his name. In his segment on KC Sports Network (at 5:53), Taylor said it's "not looking optimistic" for the 31-year-old receiver.

Justin Watson will go undrafted in most leagues, but King believes we should keep an eye on him, and perhaps he's right. Against the Bears, the 6'2", 215-pounder recorded five receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown with a highlight moment:

Shane Buechele threw a rocket for a TD and @PatrickMahomes is loving it.

📺: #KCvsCHI on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/3mvoWh7UD3 pic.twitter.com/glzZwVVXM4

— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2022

Chiefs running backs may not excite fantasy managers as much as their wide receivers, but you can find good value in the club's backfield as well.

Like Smith-Schuster in the receiver room, Clyde Edwards-Helaire seems like the safest option among the running backs. He's the probable starter who will likely take most of the snaps at the position. The 2020 first-rounder could see an increased role in the short passing game with more targets available. He’s caught 55 passes for 426 yards and three touchdowns in 23 career outings.

As the Chiefs' lead running back and a three-down playmaker, Edwards-Helaire has decent value with a 5.06 ADP. After him, the Chiefs depth chart gets muddy.

Ronald Jones (9.07 ADP) could open the season as Kansas City's No. 2 back, but Taylor doesn't think the fifth-year veteran is a lock to make the roster, and the team may trade him (starts at 5:01).

In his Week 1 preseason takeaways, Taylor wrote about Jones' missteps on the field.

"Ronald Jones entered camp as the projected second running back, but he finished Saturday’s game with only 1 rushing yard on four attempts, as he didn’t break a single tackle and didn’t display a burst through the line of scrimmage. In pass protection, Jones missed a block on defensive end Dominique Robinson, who sacked Buechele for a 12-yard loss."

With Jones possibly on shaky ground, managers should take a flier on rookie seventh-rounder Isiah Pacheco (13.09 ADP), who's looked impressive at camp.

According to NFL Network's James Palmer, Pacheco has exceeded early expectations, and The MMQB's Albert Breer compared the rookie to Kareem Hunt with more burst.

#chiefs rookie RB Isiah Pacheco had some run with the 1's again today. He's picking up the offense and the protections faster than they thought. He's physical & their fastest back. They know he'll run hard, but they want to see if he'll break tackles in the NFL. Guy to watch

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) August 7, 2022

🧵 5 from @Chiefs 🧵

1) Name to watch: Isiah Pacheco. 7th-round RB (216 lbs w/4.3 speed) is lighting up camp. Got Kareem Hunt traits, a gear Hunt didn't have.

2) Juan Thornhill is healthy/showing versatility to play old Mathieu role. Hope is he & Justin Reid = interchangeable.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 3, 2022

In his preseason debut, Pacheco logged two carries for six yards and caught a pass for five yards, which doesn't seem like much, but Reid seemed pleased with his performance.

"I thought he ran hard and played fast," Reid told reporters. "He didn't look like he shied down from anything. Pretty accurate with the things that he did, so I thought he did a nice job."

Notably, Pacheco took the field after Edwards-Helaire over Jones.

Fantasy managers in point-per-reception leagues should also consider Jerick McKinnon (14.03 ADP) late in drafts. He's primarily a pass-catching running back with 188 career catches for 1,344 yards and seven touchdowns, but he had a strong showing in all three of the Chiefs' playoff games in the prior campaign.

As a starter in each of those outings, McKinnon amassed 315 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage. In two of those contests, he played with the first unit over Edwards-Helaire, who was coming off a shoulder injury.

For late fantasy drafters out there, if Jones doesn't make the final roster, get familiar with Pacheco or pick up McKinnon because of his veteran experience. Edwards-Helaire has missed 10 games in two regular seasons. The Chiefs may need to call on their No. 2 back to contribute in a big way at some point this year.

Fantasy managers may miss what Hill brought to the points column during his time in Kansas City, but don't abandon the team's skill-position players. With several additions at running back and wide receiver, you could land a couple of hidden gems in the middle or late rounds of the draft.

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Fantasy football average draft position (ADP) provided by FantasyFootballCalculator.com.

College football statistics provided by cfbstats.com.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.

If the Kansas City Chiefs ever need an emergency kicker, it appears they might be able to turn to starting safety Justin Reid.

Reid made an extra point in Saturday's preseason game against the Chicago Bears, and his kick was impressive, as it sailed right down the middle.

And the kick is good from...@Chiefs safety @JustinqReid ‼️

📺: #KCvsCHI on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/3mvoWh7UD3 pic.twitter.com/6NhoFJ2U9G

— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2022

The 25-year-old had practiced shorter kicks during pregame warm-ups and said on the team's television broadcast that coaches told him they might use him if he looked good, per ESPN's Adam Teicher.

Reid has been practicing kicks throughout the summer, making a 65-yard field-goal attempt during one training camp practice, per Teicher. However, he also missed one of his field-goal attempts badly.

The Chiefs won't have to worry about turning to Reid in a game unless starting kicker Harrison Butker suffers an injury.

Reid, a Stanford product, can focus on playing safety and improving upon his 2021 season in which he posted two interceptions, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and 66 tackles in 13 games in his final season with the Houston Texans.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller has missed time in training camp because of a lingering hamstring injury.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the injury is "not considered serious." Paul Gutierrez of ESPN spoke to Waller at a Las Vegas Aces game, and the veteran tight end indicated he planned to return to practice next week.

Waller is coming off an injury-plagued 2021 campaign that limited him to 11 games. He and wideouts Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow are set to combine to make up one of the best pass-catching trios in football.

Without Waller, though, the Raiders will likely turn to Foster Moreau to take first-team reps.

The Las Vegas Raiders had a strong start to the 2022 preseason with a 27-11 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Hall of Fame Game, but their victory came with some controversy. Some skeptics raised questions about running back Josh Jacobs’ workload, which fueled trade speculation.

In the postgame presser, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels talked about his decision to give Jacobs and other running backs work during the preseason.

“I always think it's good for backs to carry the ball in the preseason. There's a lot of things that happen when you're getting tackled and hit that you can't simulate in practice. I think all our guys had the ball tonight. I think all our guys either caught it or were handed the ball and had to get tackled. We can't really simulate that or rep that in practice."

McDaniels’ explanation checks out with how his former team, the New England Patriots, used lead running back Damien Harris last preseason.

In the 2021 preseason, Harris recorded 14 rush attempts for 60 yards and a touchdown. He played in all three exhibition games. Jacobs took five carries for 30 yards last Thursday.

On Monday, McDaniels addressed the trade rumors around Jacobs with a definitive statement to reporters.

“JJ's a guy we know what he's done,” McDaniels said. “We have a lot of confidence in JJ. He did well with his opportunities. We have no desire to do [a trade] at all."

ProFootballTalk’s Josh Alper doesn’t quite buy into McDaniels' words at face value and suggests that Vegas may still deal its lead ball-carrier.

“As we’ve seen from teams that express no intention in trading a player before trading that player, things said publicly can disguise behind what the team is thinking about doing in private. The coming weeks will show whether that’s the case with the Raiders and Jacobs.”

Alper has a good point. We often hear about coaches who have no intent to trade a player only to deal him weeks or months later because of an enticing offer.

Why should we believe McDaniels? Because a deal that involves Jacobs wouldn’t make sense for a team that’s built to win now.

Last season, the Raiders’ rushing offense finished with the fifth-fewest yards and ranked 27th in yards per carry. Perhaps McDaniels wanted to help that unit build some confidence going into the upcoming campaign. Along with Jacobs, other potential offensive starters such as Alex Leatherwood, Lester Cotton Sr., Andre James, John Simpson and Brandon Parker also suited up for the Hall of Fame Game.

Sure, as a Pro Bowl player, Jacobs is more accomplished than the possible first-string offensive linemen who took the field with him. But to get a good look at the ground attack, the Raiders needed to see their running backs and offensive linemen mesh together, and that’s what they saw last week. Vegas’ tailbacks rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.

Why would McDaniels trade his best running back, who’s racked up 1,065-plus rushing yards in two out of three seasons, after the club had an abysmal 2021 campaign on the ground? It doesn’t make sense with the current group in place.

While rookie fourth-rounder Zamir White looked crisp against the Jaguars, catching three passes for 23 yards in addition to 11 carries for 52 yards, he’s an unproven commodity. Kenyan Drake is coming off a fractured ankle from the previous campaign and only ran for nine yards on five carries in the exhibition game. Brandon Bolden hasn’t logged more than 63 carries in a single season. Rookie seventh-rounder Brittain Brown didn’t see any action against Jacksonville.

The Raiders have an assortment of running backs similar to what McDaniels had in New England with Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, Bolden and James White. They can feature Jacobs and White as the primary ball-carriers with Drake and Bolden in pass-catching roles.

Without Jacobs, the Raiders would have a shaky running back group that features a rookie (White), a veteran (Drake) who’s looking to rebound from an injury-riddled term with just 254 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and another veteran (Bolden) who’s not accustomed to carrying a heavy workload. Vegas needs its most accomplished ball-carrier at his best this year.

On one hand, we can connect the dots that indicate Jacobs may not have a long-term future in Vegas. The team’s new regime, led by general manager Dave Ziegler and McDaniels, didn’t pick up Jacobs’ fifth-year option and drafted his probable replacement in White.

On the flip side, as an offensive coordinator for the Patriots, McDaniels has typically used multiple running backs in his system, which diminishes the value of one player at the position. Though Jacobs is still a valuable part of the Raiders' ground attack, the front office likely made the decision to decline his $8 million fifth-year option to avoid a sizable financial hit at a position with a deep rotation.

Even in terms of contract value, Vegas should keep Jacobs.

Due to make $3.8 million in 2022, Jacobs is on a team-friendly deal when you consider his production through three seasons (3,839 yards and 28 touchdowns from scrimmage). Despite his numbers, he plays a highly disposable, low-premium position, which means the Raiders probably wouldn’t get much for him in a trade package. Maybe they’d receive a third-round pick, but that doesn’t match their perceived objective to win now.

If the Raiders dealt Jacobs, the move would contradict the reason for acquiring two-time All-Pro wideout Davante Adams, signing two-time All-Pro edge-rusher Chandler Jones and extending quarterback Derek Carr and wideout Hunter Renfrow. This isn’t a team that’s selling assets in rebuild mode.

Still the best player at his position on the roster, Jacobs is part of the Raiders’ push forward after a playoff appearance in 2021. Because he often deals with nicks and bruises, the depth at the position could help preserve him. The fourth-year pro has missed six career games.

Moreover, McDaniels may have wanted to see how Jacobs secured the ball in live action. That was something the Raiders head coach said the 24-year-old running back needed to work on, as The Athletic's Vic Tafur relayed in March.

Jacobs has lost five fumbles in 43 games, but he turned the ball over twice within three outings between Weeks 14 and 16 last season.

Instead of speculation that the Raiders showcased Jacobs, we should look at it as the team’s way to keep him sharp for the 2022 season.

With all the offseason buzz around the Raiders’ passing attack that will feature Carr, Adams, Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller, Jacobs can help balance the offense. He’s finished within the top nine in rushing yards and touchdowns for two out of three campaigns.

Fueled by extra motivation in a contract term, Jacobs could have one of his most efficient seasons as the featured running back in a backfield committee.

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Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.

The 2022 NFL season is quickly approaching, and star quarterback Russell Wilson still hasn't worked out a contract extension with the Denver Broncos since he headed over in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks in March.

Broncos owner Greg Penner didn't provide an encouraging update on the state of negotiations while speaking with the media Wednesday, either.

"It's critical to have a great QB," Penner said. "We have a sense how positive he is as a leader. At this point, nothing to say about his contract."

Wilson is under contract through the 2023 season, but last month, Broncos general manager George Paton told reporters the franchise is committed to retaining him beyond the expiration of his contract:

"We all want Russell here a long time. I appreciate the question. Out of respect for his team, our team, we're just going to keep it in-house. Any decisions we may or may not have. I have a really good relationship with Russ' agent, Mark Rogers, and at the right time, we'll get a deal done."

When the Broncos acquired Wilson, Paton said an extension with Wilson was not "imminent" but made it clear the organization's intent was to keep him for the long haul.

Wilson has also expressed his desire to finish the remainder of his career in Denver. During his introductory press conference, he said he wanted "to play 10 or 12 more years and hopefully win three, four more Super Bowls" with the Broncos.

The 33-year-old added last month that he wasn't worried about landing a new contract with the Broncos, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

"I'm excited to be here. I know that. I know I want to be here for a long, long time, hopefully, the rest of my career. And just, it's been a blessing just to be here with these guys. To be here with (general manager) George Paton, he's been amazing to me. Coach (Nathaniel) Hackett, first class, unbelievable mind, unbelievable way how he leads this football team and the rest of the coaching staff, the players, the organization. This is a tremendous honor. Every day I look at it as treating every day as a new day and treating every day as just going into it. That's my focus. My sole focus is winning a Super Bowl for the Denver Broncos."

It's unclear what kind of extension Wilson is looking for. However, the going rate for top-notch quarterbacks is at least $40 million per year.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is earning $50.3 million per season, according to Over the Cap. Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray recently put pen to paper on a five-year, $230.5 million deal, and Deshaun Watson agreed to a five-year, $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns after heading over in a trade from the Houston Texans.

So, Wilson will likely be looking for a lucrative extension, and if he leads the Broncos back to the postseason for the first time since the 2015 campaign this season, it will only help his cause.