The out-of-contract Jacobs wants to return to his native South Australia and play for Adelaide, although Blues coach Brett Ratten suggested during the NAB AFL Draft Combine that his club would be willing to play hardball with the Crows at the trade table.
“Well the Gold Coast’s got the first pick, so if we don’t get [a deal done] there, he might be going to the other side of the country,” Ratten said.
“We won’t make any changes [to our list] unless we get the right deals done.”
While still early in negotiations - trade week doesn't officially kick off until October 5 - Rendell believed a trade would be completed with Jacobs, saying the Blues hadn't been "ridiculous" in early discussions.
However he warned against clubs trying to hold back a player who had genuine reasons for wanting to make a switch. The Crows themselves are trying to find a new home for one of their own big men, Jonathon Griffin, who wants to return to Western Australia.
"Nobody should like players going to the pre-season [draft]," Rendell told afl.com.au.
"You should be trying to get deals done with clubs - that's how the trade system works.
"It's not great if clubs are trying to push players to pre-season and we'd like to deal on Jacobs.
"To me they're not being ridiculous, they're being fair ... we're just discussing it at the moment and they're being fair so I'd be surprised if they want to do that."
Rendell said he hoped any club would want to receive something for trading a player, rather than risk losing him to the pre-season draft for nothing.
"You're crazy if you don't," he said.
"I mean there's people going home. I think the last one that didn't happen that way was Nick Stevens when Port let him go back to the pre-season ... I think since then all clubs have managed to get deals done for prospective players, especially when they're going home or in Griffin's case [for] compassionate reasons."
Griffin is contracted and happy to stay at the Crows, but the Crows are trying to find a deal for him to return to WA, with Fremantle the more likely option.
As for another of the Crows' potential trade targets - Jacobs' teammate Andrew Walker - Rendell said it would take some luck to bring him to West Lakes.
"Anyone who's in contract, it's a very difficult thing to do [to get a trade done], a very difficult thing to do," he said.
"Even if the club, and I'm not saying this is the case with Carlton, would particularly like to trade the player for various reasons, that club is still going to want a really good deal for them because the player's their player and he's contracted."
Follow our complete coverage of the 2010 AFL exchange period from October 5-11. No trades are official until paperwork has been accepted by the AFL and formally recognised after 2pm on Monday, October 11.
Join the AFL trade conversation on Twitter: use #tradeweek in your tweets.
