Ranking the Green Bay Packers Key Free Agents in 2021
By Paul Bretl
3. Aaron Jones
My first thought was to put Aaron Jones at No. 4 and Corey Linsley here at No. 3, primarily because of how replaceable the running back position is in today’s NFL.
However, when it comes to Jones he can make an impact both in the run game and in the passing game and he truly is a perfect fit for Matt LaFleur’s offense. Not to mention that this Packers’ offense in 2019 was completely different when he was on the field.
During the first two years of Jones’ career, he was criminally underutilized. Fortunately, that changed last season and the result was an incredibly impressive year from him. During the regular season, Jones eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark, had almost another 500 through the air, and totaled 19 touchdowns. In fact, he was Aaron Rodgers’ top receiver during the four-week span without Davante Adams.
Jones’ ability to line up in the backfield, in the slot, or out wide makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. And as we look ahead to the upcoming season, as Green Bay looks to run more two wide receiver sets, Jones should see even more opportunities in the passing game as well.
Related Story. If Packers Want Jones Back, An Extension Would Be Wise. light
Although the Green Bay Packers just spent a second-round pick on running back A.J. Dillon, with his skill-set he is more of a compliment to Jones than a replacement. With that said, given Jones’ position, the Packers do have to be mindful of what it will cost to sign him since overpaying could prove costly (no pun intended).
But as I’ve already said, Jones really is a perfect fit for this LaFleur’s system and for this new Packers’ offense to be as successful as possible, it’s important that they have a player with Jones’ skill-set in it.