Green Bay Packers: Two Surprise Cap Saving Cuts Before Week 1

Jamaal Williams

Here’s why the Green Bay Packers will cut him:

One position on this team that the Green Bay Packers don’t lack talent is at running back. Aaron Jones had a breakout season in Year 1 of the LaFleur offense with nearly 1,100 rushing yards, nearly 500 receiving yards, and 19 total touchdowns.

In the draft, Green Bay would add the explosive playmaker A.J. Dillon who can bulldoze his way through tackles, but also has the athleticism to make plays in the open field. At Boston College, he would rush for at least 1,500 yards in two of his three seasons and finish with a career average of 5.2 yards per carry.

This offseason, the Packers would bring back Tyler Ervin, who, in addition to his ability as a return man, gives LaFleur a versatile gadget player to use on offense. And earlier this week in a Zoom call with reporters, LaFleur mentioned how excited he was to see Dexter Williams. While Williams’ rookie season had its ups and downs, he really is an ideal fit for the outside zone run scheme.

So when I ask, why the Packers could cut Jamaal Williams, well, this is why. They have plenty of options to take his workload.

Since joining Green Bay as a rookie, Williams has been an all-around solid back. Whether as a runner, pass-catcher, or pass-blocker, he does it all well. But what he’s lacking is that playmaking ability, and Dillon provides that. Even if Williams isn’t cut, before the season is over, I expect that he will be RB3 on this team.

Knowing this, along with a difficult 2021 offseason ahead as mentioned, the Green Bay Packers could save roughly $2.1 million by moving on from him. Although not a huge amount of money, every little bit helps.

Here’s why the Green Bay Packers won’t cut him:

While I don’t necessarily think that the Packers are going to be as run-oriented as everyone else does, the running back does play a very important role in LaFleur’s offense, both in the run game and as a pass-catcher. We are going to see even more 21 and 22 personnel this season, and having reliable depth is going to be necessary.

At the NFL Combine, when talking with reporters, LaFleur mentioned that he’d love to have a third running back to help take some of the burden off of Jones’ and Williams’ shoulders. Well, with the addition of Dillon, the Packers have that. In fact, this trio could form the best backfield in football.

With how much LaFleur utilizes running backs, my guess is that he has no intention of cutting Jamaal Williams this season.