The free agent period for the Green Bay Packers is typically deciding which players they want to give a second contract to and who they are ready to let walk. They usually do not bring in big names in free agency. We have seen General Manager Brian Gutekunst, splurge in free agency in 2019, but since then it has been finding bargain players, like De'vondre Campbell, later in the off-season.
Gutenkust broke from the normal conservative approach this past off-season and made two big splashes in free agency. The Packers surprised many fans by signing former Raiders running back, Josh Jacobs, to a 4 year $48 million contract and let long-time veteran Aaron Jones find a new home in Minnesota. They then signed the best safety to hit the market in Xavier McKinney to a 4-year $67 million contract boosting their weakest position.
Gutenkust has shown that he is not afraid to spend money when it addresses clear needs within the roster. Whenever you hand out top-of-the-market contracts, a level of risk is involved. Luckily for the Packers, over the first two weeks of the season, these investments are already paying off.
In 2023, the Packers started games with a combination of Jonathon Owens, Rudy Ford, Darnell Savage, and Anthony Johnson Jr at safety. None of them are on the team this year. The Packers needed a complete overhaul of the position and did that with three different draft picks and signing the best safety in the market.
McKinney is known for being a playmaker in the secondary. During his four seasons with the Giants, McKinney racked up nine interceptions, one forced fumble, and six tackles for loss. He is an athletic ballhawk and has shown that in his first two games with the Packers by recording an interception in each game.
Another problem that needed to be addressed in the secondary was the poor tackling that plagued the team for a few seasons. It has only been two games, so take this with a grain of salt, but according to Pro-Football-Reference, McKinney has eight total tackles without recording a single missed tackle. After years of watching Darnell Savage blindly throw his body in the direction of the runner, this is a refreshing stat to see. As Aaron Nagler of Cheesehead TV says, "lotta ballgame left," but the early success is promising.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Packers made a controversial decision within the fan base. After a strong finish to the 2023 season, the Packers decided to move on from Aaron Jones after failing to come to a contract agreement. They then signed Josh Jacobs for a deal worth $12 million a season. The move was received with mixed reactions. Jacobs led the NFL in years in 2022 but struggled with injuries in 2023 which caused fans to wonder if his body could still handle being a bell cow back.
Fans were concerned after a slow start to the Eagles game where Jacobs tallied up 12 total yards in the first half, but those concerns should have disappeared after the next six quarters. After the first half of the Eagles game, Jacobs ran for 222 yards.
The Packers' strategy against the Colts was obvious, they were going to live or die by the run. In the past, LaFleur would try to split carries between Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon or Jamaal Williams when he was on the roster. However, this past game we saw LaFleur give Josh Jacobs 32 carries. During Jones' time with the Packers, he did not have a single game with 30 or more carries. It is clear the Packers trust Jacobs' durability and truly believe he can be their workhorse.
The Packers don't often make big moves in free agency, but fans have seen that if Brian Gutekust is willing to hand out a payday to a free agent, the player will make an impact early and often.
