Raiders latest deal for RB Jacobs adds more fuel to fire for LA Rams RB Cam Akers

LA Rams running back Cam Akers is trying to secure his future. To do that, he knows that he must have an outstanding season running the football for the LA Rams this year. But now, he has a little extra incentive. You see, he can now make a bit more bank in the process.

We know that one of the most controversial topics in the NFL this offseason was the seemingly sudden devaluation of the running back position compared to other positions on NFL rosters. The NFL seemed to have a glut of financially frustrated rushers: Ex-Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs, and Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor.

Of that group, Elliott signed with the New England Patriots for an incentivized one-year contract worth up to $3 million; Taylor is seeking and has been given permission to negotiate a trade, and we now have an update on Jacobs:

It's the news about Josh Jacobs that is most likely to benefit the LA Rams this season.

Cash is king

So what motivates an NFL player? Well, competitive spirit is a foundation. Otherwise, why put yourself into position as a rookie to have a 50/50 chance of earning a roster spot on an NFL team? And for those rookies who do stay in the NFL, how many must fight their way for a year or two on the practice squad before they get a real opportunity? So yes, competition is the free space on this bingo card.

But for a young NFL player who has earned starts and is nearing the end of their rookie contract, cash is a tremendous incentive. It not only offers financial security, but it is a way of objectively setting the pecking order in the NFL. For LA Rams running back Cam Akers, his next contract not only is about money, but about respect and recognition. And he needn't agree to get that exclusively from the LA Rams.

If he plays well, the LA Rams can offer a Qualifying Tender Offer, that will at a minimum give the Rams the right to match any contract offers he may receiver from other teams. Or the Rams can let him sign elsewhere, hopeful that the contract terms are lucrative enough to generate consideration to be awarded a compensatory pick in the next year's draft.

And let's not gloss over what a 1200-yard 13 TD season out of Cam Akers could mean for this LA Rams offense in 2023. We already had listed out 3 reasons to love Akers in the Rams offense this season. Thanks to the latest news about Raiders RB Josh Jacobs, we could add one more.