Packer 2021 Team Discussion (Rodgers Out Vs. Chiefs)

[PeaveyFury]

It'll be interesting to see the structure. Reportedly a $13 mil signing bonus, so his cap number is $3.25 from that. If they kept his base low this year, his cap hit now might only be ~$5million. If they backloaded it, it could essentially become a 2-year contract....

[PeaveyFury]

The Packers are weird. What exactly did we spend a 2nd on Dillon for again?

 

Because Lafleur's scheme works best with multiple backs that offer different specialties. And this all but guarantees that Jamaal Williams will be playing elsewhere. Dillon is basically Williams' replacement as the power back.

 

Yeah, a Jones/Dillon backfield is a lock, and has the potential to be ultra-productive.

[adambr2]

We can use that to justify the Dillon pick all we want but Dillon as the bellcow on a rookie deal made sense. Dillon for a 2nd in the Jamaal Williams role is strange.

 

This is not a great allocation of resources. 12M a year for a running back when we were already handcuffed on salary. We still have to pay Jaire, extend Adams....you can pretty much forget about adding any major outside help.

 

RB is one area where we could have spared some salary, we had the personnel already to do it. Be honest, does anyone really think we wouldn't have still had a top offense in 2021 if Jones wasn't a part of it?

[ThisIsMyCrew]

We can use that to justify the Dillon pick all we want but Dillon as the bellcow on a rookie deal made sense. Dillon for a 2nd in the Jamaal Williams role is strange.

 

This is not a great allocation of resources. 12M a year for a running back when we were already handcuffed on salary. We still have to pay Jaire, extend Adams....you can pretty much forget about adding any major outside help.

 

RB is one area where we could have spared some salary, we had the personnel already to do it. Be honest, does anyone really think we wouldn't have still had a top offense in 2021 if Jones wasn't a part of it?

 

So your issue is using a 2nd on a RB who has shown flashes or extending one of the games best play makers to an extension? Fans constantly complain we can’t keep talent and then we do and it’s the wrong move. Not just this post but in general. If the packers want to extend Adams/Alexander they will find a way to do it. If they want to bring in FA, they will find a way to do it. League year hasn’t even started yet. I may be in the minority but I’m glad they kept him and excited to see him score 15+ touchdowns next year again.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

We can use that to justify the Dillon pick all we want but Dillon as the bellcow on a rookie deal made sense. Dillon for a 2nd in the Jamaal Williams role is strange.

 

This is not a great allocation of resources. 12M a year for a running back when we were already handcuffed on salary. We still have to pay Jaire, extend Adams....you can pretty much forget about adding any major outside help.

 

RB is one area where we could have spared some salary, we had the personnel already to do it. Be honest, does anyone really think we wouldn't have still had a top offense in 2021 if Jones wasn't a part of it?

 

I'm surprised by the Jones move, but I also get it, and I'm OK with it. I'm going to wait until the rest of the FA market plays out before I make a full judgement on this. I have a feeling they are going to find a way to be quite active somehow. What IS obvious, though, is that regardless of how important we think Jones is to this offense, Lafleur and Gute think he's more important than that.

[pacopete4]

Jones, 26, is one of only two players in NFL history to post 3,000-plus yards rushing (3,364) and 35-plus rushing touchdowns (37) with an average of 5-plus yards per carry (5.2) in their first four seasons. Jim Brown is the other.

 

Neat little stat.

[adambr2]

We can use that to justify the Dillon pick all we want but Dillon as the bellcow on a rookie deal made sense. Dillon for a 2nd in the Jamaal Williams role is strange.

 

This is not a great allocation of resources. 12M a year for a running back when we were already handcuffed on salary. We still have to pay Jaire, extend Adams....you can pretty much forget about adding any major outside help.

 

RB is one area where we could have spared some salary, we had the personnel already to do it. Be honest, does anyone really think we wouldn't have still had a top offense in 2021 if Jones wasn't a part of it?

 

So your issue is using a 2nd on a RB who has shown flashes or extending one of the games best play makers to an extension? Fans constantly complain we can’t keep talent and then we do and it’s the wrong move.

 

They do? Who? I literally almost never hear this complaint from Packer fans. You could argue since the TT era began that we keep our own talent almost to a fault. Maybe Casey Heyward? That's about it. Of all the complaints I hear from Packer fans, keeping our own talent isn't one of them.

[pacopete4]

Maybe that’s not the complaint but signing highly talented players to surround Rodgers with for sure has been and they’ve just did it today.it will help them win games. It’s a good thing.

[pacopete4]

Packers ran the ball 366 times last season (201-Jones, 119-Williams, 46-Dillon).

 

It wouldn’t shock me to see Jones run it about 200 times next season with Dillon getting about 150 carries. This would be about 350 carries for about 1,700 yards or so. This doesn’t even touch what they’ll do in the passing game. Combined they will more than likely add in about 500-600 yards.

 

Call Dillon a “back up” if you want to but he will play a large role in next years offense and their backfield will be a lot of fun to watch.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Brew4U

[adambr2]

I am just very surprised, that's all.

 

It seems like we were constantly pointing to the Jones upcoming free agency to justify the high Dillon pick -- and now that he signed, we're backtracking and changing the justification.

 

Being a short yardage backup is not a skillset unique to AJ Dillon. Backup RBs are cheap and easy to find without investing a 2nd. And make no mistake, Dillon is the backup. We didn't just pay Aaron Jones 4/48 to be half of a committee.

[pacopete4]

Why does any pick need “justification”? They chose Dillon because they think he’s going to help them win football games. And he will probably do just that moving forward. Too many get hung up on draft picks and when a player is taken. Who cares? We’ve seen enough from Dillon to know that he too looks special. Hopefully he will contribute that next season on a regular basis.

[adambr2]

Packers ran the ball 366 times last season (201-Jones, 119-Williams, 46-Dillon).

 

It wouldn’t shock me to see Jones run it about 200 times next season with Dillon getting about 150 carries. This would be about 330 carries for about 1,700 yards or so. This doesn’t even touch what they’ll do in the passing game. Combined they will more than likely add in about 500-600 yards.

 

Call Dillon a “back up” if you want to but he will play a large role in next years offense and their backfield will be a lot of fun to watch.

 

I hope he's going to be Alvin Kamara receiving then because those are Alvin Kamara touch numbers on the ground.

[adambr2]

Why does any pick need “justification”? They chose Dillon because they think he’s going to help them win football games. And he will probably do just that moving forward. Too many get hung up on draft picks and when a player is taken. Who cares? We’ve seen enough from Dillon to know that he too looks special. Hopefully he will contribute that next season on a regular basis.

 

I know you hate questioning of the draft picks but when you had a team that was a play away from the Super Bowl with a rookie draft class that really didn't contribute whatsoever in 2020, I think it's fair to question it.

[pacopete4]

Why does he need to be anything more than he’s already been for the Packers? The Packers don’t have old ass Brees dumping off the ball to Kamara every down. The offense will still run through Rodgers and Jones will do what he does.

[adambr2]

I will say to be fair that the $13M seems like a really low signing bonus. Haven't seen all the contract details but it feels like it's set up where they could walk away in a year or two if they really had to.

[pacopete4]

Why does any pick need “justification”? They chose Dillon because they think he’s going to help them win football games. And he will probably do just that moving forward. Too many get hung up on draft picks and when a player is taken. Who cares? We’ve seen enough from Dillon to know that he too looks special. Hopefully he will contribute that next season on a regular basis.

 

I know you hate questioning of the draft picks but when you had a team that was a play away from the Super Bowl with a rookie draft class that really didn't contribute whatsoever in 2020, I think it's fair to question it.

 

Questioning draft choices in year one is pretty lame, that’s why. It takes time to evaluate. Look no further than the 2019 Packers picks and reactions to see just that.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Why does any pick need “justification”? They chose Dillon because they think he’s going to help them win football games. And he will probably do just that moving forward. Too many get hung up on draft picks and when a player is taken. Who cares? We’ve seen enough from Dillon to know that he too looks special. Hopefully he will contribute that next season on a regular basis.

 

I know you hate questioning of the draft picks but when you had a team that was a play away from the Super Bowl with a rookie draft class that really didn't contribute whatsoever in 2020, I think it's fair to question it.

 

Questioning draft choices in year one is pretty lame, that’s why. It takes time to evaluate. Look no further than the 2019 Packers picks and reactions to see just that.

 

Also, good teams typically don't need a bunch of rookie draft pick starters. Sure most have one or two guys who may play key roles, but it's never really more than that.

[adambr2]

Why does any pick need “justification”? They chose Dillon because they think he’s going to help them win football games. And he will probably do just that moving forward. Too many get hung up on draft picks and when a player is taken. Who cares? We’ve seen enough from Dillon to know that he too looks special. Hopefully he will contribute that next season on a regular basis.

 

I know you hate questioning of the draft picks but when you had a team that was a play away from the Super Bowl with a rookie draft class that really didn't contribute whatsoever in 2020, I think it's fair to question it.

 

Questioning draft choices in year one is pretty lame, that’s why. It takes time to evaluate. Look no further than the 2019 Packers picks and reactions to see just that.

 

That doesn't mean that you can't have a rookie draft class that comes in and makes immediate valuable contributions on a contending team. Look no further than Tampa Bay's recent Super Bowl run.

[adambr2]

One or two is one or two more than we had making major contributions for us as rookies. Wirfs and Winfield played huge roles in Tampa winning it all.

[homer]

They may have taken Dillon with the expectation that they wouldn't or couldn't sign Jones and then things changed. Not sure.

[adambr2]

They may have taken Dillon with the expectation that they wouldn't or couldn't sign Jones and then things changed. Not sure.

 

That's quite possible. As I mentioned the small signing bonus seems to lead itself to something that could end up being a 2 year deal...

 

Rosenhaus mentioned he thought Jones would get better offers in free agency but really wanted to stay.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

They may have taken Dillon with the expectation that they wouldn't or couldn't sign Jones and then things changed. Not sure.

 

I think they took Dillon with the expectation of losing one or both of Jones and Williams. That hasn't changed. This is an offense predicated on using multiple talented backs. heck, it wouldn't surprise me to see another one drafted or signed before 2021.

[homer]

If they extend Linsley I will be convinced there is no such thing as a cap.

[adambr2]

They may have taken Dillon with the expectation that they wouldn't or couldn't sign Jones and then things changed. Not sure.

 

I think they took Dillon with the expectation of losing one or both of Jones and Williams. That hasn't changed. This is an offense predicated on using multiple talented backs. heck, it wouldn't surprise me to see another one drafted or signed before 2021.

 

Losing Jones and losing Williams aren't nearly the same thing.

 

I think this offense can do just fine with or without multiple talented running backs. They're a luxury but if you're saying it's a necessity for them I wouldn't necessarily agree. They still have Aaron Rodgers.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

They may have taken Dillon with the expectation that they wouldn't or couldn't sign Jones and then things changed. Not sure.

 

I think they took Dillon with the expectation of losing one or both of Jones and Williams. That hasn't changed. This is an offense predicated on using multiple talented backs. heck, it wouldn't surprise me to see another one drafted or signed before 2021.

 

Losing Jones and losing Williams aren't nearly the same thing.

 

I think this offense can do just fine with or without multiple talented running backs. They're a luxury but if you're saying it's a necessity for them I wouldn't necessarily agree. They still have Aaron Rodgers.

 

I think everyone knows that Jones is a more explosive player than Williams, but in the Packers' offense, those guys are 1A and 1B. If you go back and look at Lafleur's career, he's always had standouts at RB (and often multiple guys on every team) to share the load with the QB. Yeah, the Packers would still have Aaron Rodgers, but this offense wouldn't be near as good with someone like Dexter Williams or (insert random RB) getting the bulk of the carries.