Offensive line coach Mike Tice believes guard Gabe Jackson is worth every penny the Raiders are paying him. The only knock on Jackson, according to Tice, is he’s too nice sometimes.
“Gabe is such a good young man,” Tice said, via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. “Religious, everything is about his family, doesn’t go out at night. . . . There were times he was almost nice on the field.”
The nastiness of center Rodney Hudson, left tackle Donald Penn and left guard Kelechi Osemele started to rub off on Jackson last season, though. Tice said Jackson played as “good as anyone in the league” late in the year.
“He started to play with more tenacity and aggression last season, and you can see him becoming an a-hole at the end of plays,” Tice said. “He’s realized he’s one of the most powerful guys on the field, and exploiting that.”
Jackson, 25, likely only gets better, and considering his temperament, he isn’t likely to let his new five-year, $56 million deal go to his head.