NFL Rumors: Raiders' Josh Jacobs, Jaguars' Evan Engram Among Stars Holding Out

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram are among the players set to hold out of voluntary offseason workouts.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Jacobs and Engram are yet to sign their franchise tags and will therefore not be attending their offseason programs starting Monday. New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson were already known to be among the high-profile holdouts.

Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard is the only player franchised this offseason who has signed his tag.

Players who wait to sign their tags are not contractually obligated to attend any team function. No players are subject to any repercussions for missing voluntary workouts, though some bonuses are tied to workout attendance.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter will also be keeping himself from volunteer offseason workouts, though he was not franchise tagged and will be subject to fines if he misses mandatory camp.

Jacobs was the NFL's leading rusher last season with 1,653 yards, but it was his first season of truly elite production. The Raiders had declined the fifth-year option in Jacobs' contract a year ago, a decision that forced their hand into using the franchise tag for 2023.

While Jacobs has previously expressed hesitation about playing under the franchise tag, Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels cut their teeth with the New England Patriots, an organization that has famously shuffled through running backs rather than paying them long-term contracts. It would be a surprise if Las Vegas eschewed conventional wisdom and gave Jacobs the long-term contract he desires.

The same goes for Engram, who posted career highs in receptions (73) and receiving yards (766) in his first season with the Jaguars. The 2017 first-round pick spent his first five campaigns with the New York Giants and put up consistently mediocre production.

The $11.3 million Engram will earn with the franchise tag seems like a strong number for a player with his inconsistent history.

That said, simply avoiding the tag and being able to skip out on offseason workouts is alone enough reason for players to exercise their rights in this case. It might not work out from a monetary standpoint, but it's hard to blame them for finding a way to take some extra time off work.