There has been a lot of focus on the backfield of the Green Bay Packers in recent days. A lot of people were surprised to hear that the green and gold were the mystery team in the Jonathan Taylor sweepstakes. The Indianapolis Colts didn’t receive an offer they deemed worthwhile, so Taylor remains on their roster and will miss the first four weeks of the season as he is on the PUP List.
With no deal getting done, rumors will continue to swirl about the Packers’ potential interest in the 2021 league-leading rusher. A lot of people were left scratching their heads, but the interest was legitimate. So much so, that it was reported Green Bay was willing to pay Taylor a top-of-the-market contract should they acquire him.
Why would the Packers have an interest in Taylor while already having the best running back tandem in the NFL? Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon have been productive in their time together and will be leaned upon heavily as the team continues adjusting to Jordan Love as the starting quarterback.
One of the reasons could be the Packers want to get younger at the position. That, in part, is why Dan Graziano of ESPN has also predicted the biggest surprise of the 2023 season being Dillon overtaking Jones in the running back pecking order.
“The Packers love Jones, and they love using Jones and Dillon in tandem. And Dillon did disappoint a bit last season, when the Packers were imagining a bigger passing-game role for him that never came to fruition. But Jones is 28, which is an age at which the numbers tell us running backs start to decline, and he played through some ailments last year. Dillon is 25 and fits better long term with the young offensive core Green Bay is building around quarterback Jordan Love.
At some point this season, it wouldn’t be surprising if Dillon is starting to get a bigger share of the workload than Jones, who has one non-guaranteed year left on his contract after this one and carries an untenable $17.17 million salary cap charge for 2024. (Of course, much of this changes if the Packers find a way to trade for Jonathan Taylor, whom they are/were interested in.)”
Dillon would certainly receive a contract that pays less than what Jones is set to make and what Taylor would likely receive. However, he has yet to show that he can handle a true three-down role, as he has to continue developing in the passing game.
If he shows improvement in that area, it is more likely that the Packers will want to keep him long-term. If not, Green Bay could look to make a change; maybe UDFA Emanuel Wilson, who made the 53-man roster this year, would get a look.
There is a chance that the Packers’ backfield takes on a different look in the coming weeks. There is an even higher chance that it will look different in 2024, as their leadback for next season may not even be on the roster right now.
