The Raiders won’t trade Gabe Jackson. At least, that’s the plan, according to GM Mike Mayock. 
“The future of Gabe Jackson? He’s our starting right guard,” Mayock said (Twitter link via Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Journal Review).
The Raiders used an early fourth-round pick on Clemson guard John Simpson, but Mayock indicates that he’ll be eased into the pro game behind Jackson on the depth chart. At 6’4″ and 321 pounds, Simpson was regarded as one of the strongest interior offensive linemen in this draft. Still, his technique needs lots of work, and he’s likely too green to be a first-stringer off the bat.
Jackson, meanwhile, has started in all but one of his games for the Raiders across six seasons. The former third-rounder has three years left on his deal with base salaries of ~$9.3MM in each season. The Raiders, reportedly, weren’t asking for much in trade talks, but they didn’t find a deal they liked. Mayock claims that he’ll join them for the inaugural season in Las Vegas, but it’s a situation worth monitoring as Jackson’s deal has no remaining guaranteed money.
Injuries have hampered Jackson lately, costing him eight games over the past two years. In 2019, Pro Football Focus graded Jackson as just the league’s 40th-best guard.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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