Green Bay Packers: Re-prioritizing Remaining 2021 Free Agents
By Paul Bretl
2. Aaron Jones
When it comes to Aaron Jones and Corey Linsley, I really went back and forth on this one. The jolt that Aaron Jones provides this Green Bay Packers’ offense both in the run and passing games is nearly unmatched, and this unit just looks different and operates more efficiently with him on the field.
This is why he is in store for a big payday. Over at Spotrac, they are projecting that Jones averages $13.3 million per year on his new deal. That’s fantastic for him, but for a Packers team that was already tight up against the salary cap even before we knew the 2021 salary cap could drop to as low as $175 million, allocating those kinds of resources to the running back position is difficult to justify.
Unfortunately, as we’ve seen around the NFL, paying running backs top-dollar doesn’t translate to wins. In fact, of the top-11 highest-paid running backs in the league this season, only three of them are on playoff teams at the moment. Odds are if the Green Bay Packers do move on from Jones, whoever replaces him won’t be as good, but countless times we’ve seen NFL teams find solid production at the position on Day 3 of the draft or in free agency for cheap. So although Jones’ replacement may not be of the exact same caliber, if they can get in the ballpark while saving $10 million, it’s worth it, right?
Ultimately I have Jones as priority free agent No. 2 because of what he brings to this offense as an all-around back. However, if his next contract is going to put him in the $13 million per year range, the Packers have to look elsewhere.