PACKERS

With the NFL free agency period underway, here’s a look at the Green Bay Packers situation

Ryan Wood
Green Bay Press-Gazette

GREEN BAY – With NFL free agency officially underway, here is a look at the Green Bay Packers free agency situation so far:

FREE AGENTS ADDED

Josh Jacobs

  • Position: Running back
  • Former team: Los Vegas Raiders
  • Age at Week 1: 26
  • 2023 review: In a down season, finished with 805 rushing yards on 233 carries (3.5-yard average) with six rushing touchdowns. Added 37 catches on 54 targets for 296 receiving yards, giving him 1,101 yards from scrimmage. Missed last four games of season with quad bruise.
  • 2024 outlook: As close to a workhorse running back as you'll get in today's NFL, might challenge coach Matt LaFleur's two-back philosophy. At 5-foot-10, 220 pounds, built like a cold-weather running back, useful for late-season running in Green Bay. Capable of carrying large workload, has never had fewer than 215 rushes or 805 rushing yards in his first five seasons. Best season came in 2022 when he was NFL's rushing champion with 1,653 yards on 340 carries, adding 12 touchdowns. His third 1,000-yard season on the ground. An adept pass-catching back, giving Jordan Love another quality target out of the backfield.

Xavier McKinney

  • Position: Safety
  • Former team: New York Giants
  • Age at Week 1: 25
  • 2023: After missing half of 2022 when an ATV accident nearly made him lose three fingers, played all 17 games last season. Finished second on defense with 116 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a half-sack. Three interceptions with 11 passes defended. Two fumble recoveries, the second against Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
  • 2024 outlook: Ideal fit the post safety mold in new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley's defense, though versatility could allow him to move down into the slot in nickel. Good coverage safety, recording eight interceptions and 21 passes defended in his two full seasons (2021 and 2023). The Packers have long needed a safety who can patrol the back end of their defense when the football is in the air, but also provide safety net as a tackler. His 5.7% missed-tackle rate ranked among top in the league at his position last season.

Andre Dillard

  • Position: Offensive tackle
  • Former team: Tennessee Titans
  • Age at Week 1: 28
  • 2023: A 2019 first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, started 10 games last season for the Tennessee Titans. Released one year into three-year contract after leading NFL with 12 sacks allowed in 2023. Allowed multiple sacks in four starts.
  • 2024 outlook: Impressive physical tools at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds led to being a first-round pick, but arrives in Green Bay as a reclamation project after first four NFL seasons were disappointing. Ideally, Packers unlock something in Dillard, and he becomes a hidden gem. But he'll have to be much better than the past four seasons to have a significant roll on an offensive line that's already stout and expected to get prime reinforcements in the draft.

FREE AGENTS LOST

Jonathan Owens

  • Position: Safety
  • New team: Chicago Bears
  • Age at Week 1: 29
  • 2023: Started 11 of 17 games. Had three defended passes, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 84 tackles.

Jon Runyan

  • Position: Guard
  • New team: New York Giants
  • Age at Week 1: 27
  • 2023: Starter at right guard the past three seasons. Rotated in-game with Sean Rhyan down the stretch. A college left tackle, more of a pass protector, lacking strength in run game.

Darnell Savage

  • Position: Safety
  • New team: Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Age at Week 1: 27
  • 2023: Five-year starter played in only 10 games because of injury. Had 1 defended pass and 51 tackles in the regular season before making a pick-6 against Dallas in the wild-card game. Often struggled tracking deep ball and sloppy tackler, making him better fit closer to line of scrimmage than deep safety.

Yosh Nijman

  • Position: Tackle
  • New team: Carolina Panthers
  • Age at Week 1: 28
  • 2023: Started one of 17 games. Rotated in game at left tackle with Rasheed Walker during the season until Walker won the job outright.

Josiah Deguara

  • Position: Tight end/fullback
  • New team: Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Age at Week 1: 27
  • 2023: Started four of 15 games. Had eight receptions for 65 yards.

Patrick Taylor

  • Position: Running back
  • New team: San Francisco 49ers
  • Age at Week 1: 26
  • 2023: Played 11 games with 141 yards rushing (4.4 average) and 11 catches for 49 yards.

FREE AGENTS RE-SIGNED

Keisean Nixon

  • Position: Cornerback/returner
  • Age at Week 1: 27
  • 2023: Was All-Pro kick returner for second straight season with 782 yards (26.1 average). Started 13 of 17 games in slot. Had one interception, six defended passes and 80 tackles.
  • 2024 outlook: It will be interesting to see if Nixon's reported three-year, $18 million deal means the Packers see him as someone who can man the nickel corner position in their defense. He had his moments in the slot last season, including a fourth-quarter interception against Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Nixon also had 96 tackles counting the playoffs, evidence of how active he was around the football. There were also plenty of deficiencies in coverage and tackling. The Packers need better play at nickel next season, whether that's more consistency from Nixon or someone else entirely. What's clear is Nixon's dynamic ability as a return specialist, a position the Packers had failed to consistently fill for more than a decade. Nixon's fit on new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley's system may be uncertain, but with Jayden Reed's importance to the Packers offense, it makes sense for Nixon to handle kickoffs and punts next fall.

AJ Dillon

  • Position: Running back
  • Age at Week 1: 26
  • 2023: Started six of 15 games. Rushed for 613 yards (3.4 average) and two touchdowns. Caught 22 passes for 223 yards.
  • 2024 outlook: The four-year qualifying offer used to re-sign Dillon is essentially a prove-it deal. With a depressed market, partially because that's how it goes for running backs but also because of declined production, Dillon will get a chance to rebuild his market with low risk to the Packers. Dillon's 3.4 yards per carry last season was astonishingly low for a 247-pound tailback, but he runs hard. He can move the pile, which didn't always translate to production in short-yardage situations, but can be beneficial. What role the Mayor of Door County takes this fall will depend on what the Packers do with this position in the draft this spring, but Dillon is a trusted veteran who will get a chance to turn around his career.

Corey Ballentine

  • Position: Cornerback
  • Age at Week 1: 28
  • 2023: Started six of 14 games. Had one interception, seven defended passes and 43 tackles.
  • 2024 outlook: The Packers still need help at cornerback, but retaining Ballentine is good for their depth. He's fearless in coverage, showing the short memory required at his position, and showed last season he could be trusted in spot snaps as an injury replacement.

Tyler Davis

  • Position: Tight end
  • Age at Week 1: 27
  • 2023: Spent entire season in injured reserve after a torn ACL in training camp.
  • 2024 outlook: When Davis' season ended in preseason last year, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia compared it to losing the right hand for his units. He's an essential piece to the Packers special teams because of his size and speed, which translates well in kick and punt coverage as well as blocking on returns. The Packers don't need help at the top of their tight end depth chart − Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft are more than fine there − but the bottom of that position on a roster is expected to primarily contribute on special teams. Davis fits that role well.

Kristian Welch

  • Position: Linebacker
  • Age at Week 1: 26
  • 2023: Saw action in 14 games, all on special teams.
  • 2024 outlook: A core special-teamer, something teams need at the bottom of their linebacking depth chart. Welch didn't play a single snap on defense last season, but he ranked fourth on the team with 238 special teams reps and third in special teams tackles with six. Welch could have the same role this fall.

Robert Rochell

  • Position: Cornerback
  • Age at Week 1: 26
  • 2023: Special-teams standout who saw action in nine games.
  • 2024 outlook: Like Welch and Davis, Rochell was a core special teams player, logging 112 snaps and excelling as a gunner on the punt cover team after being signed on Oct. 25. The former fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams will compete for a similar role this year, although getting a full off-season and training camp with the team should allow him to better compete for a backup role on defense.

Caleb Jones

  • Position: Tackle
  • Age at Week 1: 25
  • 2023: Six-foot-9 left tackle who was active for only one game.
  • 2024 outlook: The Packers knew Jones was a project when they signed him and didn't expect a lot his first couple of years in the NFL. He shed around 50 pounds and has spent two seasons reshaping his body. He played well enough in training camp that the club kept him on the 53-man roster. With his massive wing-span and nimble feet, he remains an intriguing prospect. He'll get a long look in training camp to see if he's worthy of being one of the top three tackles.

Eric Wilson

  • Position: Linebacker
  • Age at Week 1: 29
  • 2023: Special-teams standout had 31 tackles in 17 regular-season games. Had a fumble recovery against San Francisco in the playoffs.
  • 2024 outlook: Wilson will continue to be a leader on special teams and should be a backup behind Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie. New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley may be able to use Wilson's extraordinary speed to help him in the first year running the scheme. Wilson could play on the strong side in the 4-3 if he shows he can cover tight ends and backs.

REMAINING UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Rudy Ford

  • Position: Safety
  • Age at Week 1: 29
  • 2023: Started nine of 13 games. Had two interceptions, six defended passes, a fumble recovery and 71 tackles.

EXCLUSIVE RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Daniel Whelan

  • Position: Punter
  • Age at Week 1: 25
  • 2023: First-year player who averaged 46.2 yards on 57 punts with a net average of 39.7. Had 18 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Emanuel Wilson

  • Position: Running back
  • Age at Week 1: 25
  • 2023: Played seven games with 85 rushing yards (6.1 average) and four receptions for 23 yards.