Packers set to sign RB Josh Jacobs in free agency
The Green Bay Packers are making a stunning move on day 1 of the legal negotiation period. The team is expected to sign former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs. It's a four-year, $48 million contract, with a $12 million yearly average — the exact same total number Aaron Jones received in 2021. Jones […]
The Green Bay Packers are making a stunning move on day 1 of the legal negotiation period. The team is expected to sign former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs.
It's a four-year, $48 million contract, with a $12 million yearly average — the exact same total number Aaron Jones received in 2021. Jones got released as a corresponding move.
Before free agency, general manager Brian Gutekunst talked about how important the salary cap increase was.
"It gives us some more flexibility. It certainly gives us a little bit more breathing room," Gutekunst said. "Like I said before going into it, there wasn’t going to be anything that prevented us from going after players or doing what we wanted to do, and this kind of cements that."
After a year among the least expensive teams in football, the Packers were ready to invest again.
"Hopefully a lesson that our players and everybody else in the organization will carry with us is that this league can change quickly if you put the work in and you do the right things," Gutekunst added. "Again, with the thought process of playing your best ball at the end of the year no matter where you’re at in the season, if you can get there then you’re going to have an opportunity.”
Depth
The running back position became a need for the Packers because the team is not expected to re-sign AJ Dillon, who spent the last four years as Aaron Jones' backup — and the last three as the primary backup. They also are expected to release Jones.
The roster has Ellis Merriweather, who finished last season on the practice squad and signed a futures deal. Moreover, Emanuel Wilson is an exclusive-rights free agent, so the Packers are expected to tender him.
The addition
Josh Jacobs has been in the NFL since 2019, but he's still fairly young at 26. He's played five seasons for the Las Vegas Raiders, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2019.
Jacobs has had three 1,000 rushing-yard seasons, which included leading the league in 2022 with 1,653 yards. Last year, he was under the franchise tag and played 13 games, with 805 rushing yards and six touchdowns, plus 296 receiving yards.
In terms of PFF grade, 2023 was Josh Jacobs' worst season in the NFL. He had a 65.0 offensive grade, including a 70.1 running grade. The previous season had been his best, with a 91.6 grade.
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