Raiders GM Tom Telesco has no intention of trading Davante Adams, doesn't plan to franchise tag Josh Jacobs
The Las Vegas Raiders fully intend to keep one of their offensive stars this offseason while holding out hope of retaining another.
First-year general manager Tom Telesco told reporters Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis that the team has no intention of trading three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.
"He's a Raider," Telesco said.
As for two-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs, Telesco said he is holding out hope that the team can entice him to stay.
"We're going to explore pretty hard to see if we can bring him back here and kind of go from there," Telesco said, per ESPN.
Where things stand with Adams, Jacobs
Adams is under contract. He's approaching the third year of a five-year, $140 million deal signed when he joined the Raiders via a trade from the Green Bay Packers in 2022. He's also a 31-year-old star best equipped to help a team looking to contend now.
Without stability at quarterback, the Raiders don't look like one of those teams. Because of that, Adams is the subject of trade rumors, most notably linked to a potential reunion with former Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers with the New York Jets. Telesco made it clear Tuesday that option is not part of the plan in Las Vegas.
As for Jacobs, he's slated to become a free agent. Telesco said Tuesday that he doesn't "anticipate" using the franchise tag this offseason, confirming a report from Monday that the Raiders won't tag Jacobs. Whatever exploring Telesco intends to do would involve enticing Jacobs to stay via a new contract before the start of free agency on March 13. Telesco sounds prepared to move on if that doesn't happen.
"There's a lot of backs that are available this year, so I guess it remains to be seen what other people think," Telesco said, per ESPN. "But the talent pool at that position in free agency is relatively high."
What will the Raiders do at QB?
The top priority in Las Vegas remains figuring out what to do at quarterback. The Raiders are expected to release Jimmy Garoppolo before an $11.25 million roster bonus kicks in. That would leave rising second-year pro Aidan O'Connell as the clear No. 1 option on the roster.
O'Connell was solid in 10 starts as a rookie last season, but the Raiders presumably would like to bring in some competition, whether that's a veteran such as Russell Wilson or a move to the top of the draft to snag one of this year's highly touted prospects.
If they don't get quarterback right, what happens with Adams and Jacobs won't matter much.
