Aaron Jones did not finish his fourth season of the Packers on a high, fumbling twice in the NFC championship game and wasting time in losing Green Bay at the end of the season due to injury. The featured running back is now a few weeks away from the free agency.
The Packers and their beginners got involved in extension discussions last year, but these have not been particularly successful. Jones has changed his agent and is now with Drew Rosenhaus at the head of the free agency. The Packers, however, are believed to have offered Jones an agreement that included one of the first five consecutive salaries, notes ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. The problem – as it usually happens – was about guarantees. Guaranteed money was missing from the Green Bay proposal, adds Demovsky.
One of the first five accrued salaries would fall in the $ 12 million range. Jones’s classmates Dalvin Cook ($ 12.6 million) and Joe Mixon ($ 12 million) helped define the second-tier running back market last year, with Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara joining Ezekiel Elliott in deals of $ 15 million plus AAV. Derrick Henry also accepted a $ 12.5 MM-AAV pact on the franchise label deadline.
Everyone in this range has a contract that includes at least $ 16 million in total guarantees, except Mixon, whose replenishment in Bengals includes only $ 10 million in the guaranteed total. McCaffrey, Elliott and Henry signed for at least $ 25 million fully guaranteed, while the Kamara pact includes $ 34 million in total guarantees.
Green Bay also regained Jones’ pace Jamaal Williams not signed for 2021, but elaborated AJ Dillon in the second round of 2020. The team has not given a notable contract for a running back since it extended Ryan Grant 13 years ago. Recontracting Williams and pairing him with Dillon would certainly be cheaper for Green Bay as well.
Jones is leaving 1,000-yard consecutive seasons. His second season was shorter on touchdowns (nine), but the previous choice of the fifth round got 5.5 yards per carry on 201 loaded – up from an average of 4.6 in 2019. Jones joins teammates recruited in 2017 Chris Carson and Marlon Mack in being anonymous before the free agency. Cardinals marked by transition back Kenyan Drake also unsigned, and Broncos twice 1,000 yard rusher Phillip Lindsay it is a restricted free agent. The back franchise brand may well drop from the 2020 brand, when Henry’s brand cost $ 10.2 million, but the expected reduction in the cap is to limit the use of labels this year. This could create an interesting market in this position.
Packers also have an All-Pro center Corey Linsley due for free agency and just signed David Bakhtiari for a registry extension. Linsley, 29, is seeking his third contract, but no substantial discussions between Packers-Linsley have yet occurred.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.