great guy Aaron Jones , great memories also unfortunately some big fumbles in big games, I think he chose the Vikings to stick it to the Packers but I wish him well, we got better at running back and safety.

I like Aaron Jones and he is a good player and does a lot of things off the field that helps the community and is a good man but when it comes down to it the RB needs to be young and healthy which Jones is not or may not be anymore. The Vikings are banking that the Packers released him a year early and will get a good year out of him. I agree that Jones signed with the Packers West out of spite being as he received only about 1 mil more from the Vikings. Best wishes for Aaron but there are two games this coming season you do not do well.

Welcome to Green Bay Jacobs and McKinney. I look forward to seeing you play in Green and Gold. I was surprised we signed both of them.

Al I disagree with you. I am glad to see Simone go. She was another Taylor Swift when it came to football. How about we celebrate good family memebrs of players that are not already famous. I want to see the mothers and the fathers and the siblings of these players.

It's a testament to the Packers organization that so many players end up making emotional 'payback' FA decisions when pushed out the door of Green Bay. It's "part of the business of football" when players and their agents negotiate for the biggest contracts they can but it becomes personal when the downward trend inevitably happens. The Packers are among the best organizations at maintaining its standards and core philosophy, no matter the emotions that get involved. I'll root for A Jones to do well except against the Pack) and we will all welcome him back to GB in a few years when everything settles and he becomes a Packer HOF'er. He'll look good on the fast track in Minnesota but I very much doubt his body will survive the turf and the excess usage he will undoubtedly face.

I really like what Gute is doing, the team is better than last week and he isn't forced to take the top dog safety in the draft (while I fully expect him to select one in the top 91 and double dip like 2019).

Losing 33 hurts, I hope he has a great year in MN because he deserves it, but I understand the move. GB get a cow bell RB, tackle breaker, great hands, 26 yo. Beside the classic "rather a year too soon than too late" take about performance, there's also the fan perception that suffers when it is too late. If GB trades Rodgers one year sooner, the bad perception about him is lessened. You just have to look discussions about 69 last year with people trashing him, when he is one of the best OT in team history and none of this injury problem was his fault.

The team is in a good position now, better than when the year ended, and the draft isn't even there with a plethora of picks ! Don't mourn yesterday, it was a good time and cherish tomorrow, GB is going on a hell of a run in the next few years ! Allow optimism in the offseason and enjoy the journey !

I know Gutey learned from Ted who learned from The Wolfman.

Ted was mostly a wise owl, but at times...especially in pursuing outside talent...was a bit of a stuffed owl. He still got work done getting FAs like Sir Charles and Pickett. Ted liked to say "we want to sign our own Free Agents." Ted was however, very willing to part with a player a year early than a year late. IE: Sitton really shocked me.

Ron Wolf was more more assertive and urgent going after talent. Reggie, Shawn Jones, Santana Dotson, Bad Moon, Frank Winters, Gravedigger...and of course the Gunslinger. The Wolfman was quoted as saying to newly arriving players as saying: "Welcome to the Green Bay Packers. You will be here until I can find somebody to replace you" (or something similar). He left no doubt he was in charge.

After 6 six years and counting, Gutey has attributes of both men. He will part with popular players like Ted...from CMIII to Jones. However, I do see more Wolf than Owl in Gutey. He is an assertive hunter for talent that can make a quick impact.

Preston, Z, Amos, Turner, Douglas, Campbell, Reed, Jacobs and McKinney is a quite an accumulating list!

"One way they do conduct business is being cold-blooded with veteran players and getting out from under their contracts a year before you want them too. But their track record is damn good with that approach."

Personally I think Gutey is one hell of a GM. Since being named GM he's had to move on from some of the most beloved Packers players ever. Jordy Nelson and Aaron Jones have been two of my favorite Packers in the last say 20 years. He's had to make the HARD choice and move on from both. Getting rid of players THAT popular is tough. For two days now I've heard on various outlets how dirty Gutey did Aaron Jones.

IMO that's just WRONG. I'm glad the Packers have a GM who can make those choices, who doesn't keep a player longer than he should because he LIKES the player. There's NO room for that as an NFL GM. Gutey KNEW he was going to get hammered for moving on from Jones. But Gute had a plan and stuck to it. He made his offer and when the Jones camp said NO Gutey made his move...I'll miss Aaron Jones and look forward to the day he returns to retire a Green Bay Packer!

Well, Since I have zero interest in pre-draft mocks and such, I don't get excited about Free Agency either. That was why yesterday morning was such an interesting experience for me when I turned on CHTV on my computer! Instantly, all of Monday's Packer moves were all on display. I didn't experience any of the drama of the previous day and kind of had a gestalt experience, taking it all in. For those who live and die by this time of year I'm glad you got to experience the day as it unfolded. For me it was better to get it all at once. I'm one of those fans who doesn't worry/hope about POSSIBLE trades/draft moves, etc. I love to go back AFTER the Packers have acquired/drafted a player to read about them. It's probably easier on my heart, lol.

Gutey- Does Not Care about Sentimental Value.
Translation - Fits of anger and megalomania.

Aaron Jones- The packers “lost" more than a good human Being.
I wanted that old one two punch again. Jones will be missed.

Bahk- Losing so many good players sucks.

Owens- He played with heart. If Savage played better
He’d still be here.

X- I’m not into PFF. And I’m not into what this guy costs.
The draft could have brought us a S. And a healthier Cap.

Dillion - Never had the Punch we needed.

Campbell- From Soup to Nuts.

Surprised? - Wait till you see Gute's draft this year.
Driving a wedge between MLF and The Glory of Gute?

Since 2010- The revolving door keeps spinning.

Remember Joe Montana?Jerry Rice? Bahk like some other great o linemen had to go. Will miss AJ, but a younger running back is an upgrade. Especially JJ. Draft day just got a lot easier.

I am not sure if it is the Packers who paint themselves in a corner with some of these players or it is the players and agents who are doing the painting. Aaron Jones was the difference for this team last year. When he came back he lifted the team and took us to the playoffs. Despite this and all the good Jones vibes there is no way the RB market and his age that the team is going to ante up the contract money. So you ask your star to take a cut to come down to market value. That isn't going to fly. It just doesn't show respect or appreciation. Drew Rosenhaus says we can get better money elsewhere and the Vikings see one year value or pay as you go. It is just business at this point.

Almost all these star Packer players leave the same way. They force the big contract and the team bails on the optional big money in the later years. I am sorry to see both Aaron Jones and David Bakhtiari go but, in the end, the numbers and injury became the overriding factor.

Still - going to the Vikings is a mortal sin. Bad form.

I'll miss Mr. Jones like I missed Jammal Williams when they kept Jones instead of him. What a tough business, which none of the players would trade for my job and pay.

Someone above thought it was only for 1 mil that he left the Packers for the Viqueens. ONLY 1 MILION! I'm only working on my third million in my career, and that's because I gave up on the first two.

I didn't hear that Dillan actually went somewhere else. Where did he end up? Is he going to end up on Rodgers' staff?

With Bakh and Jones leaving, I think Preston Smith may be the only guy 30 or older when the season starts and that makes this is a very young team! This "rebuild" went far faster than I believed possible. Kudos to Gute for a quick turnaround.

"I just saw that Jonathan Owens signed with Chicago. I'll miss you Simone."

Perfect rhythm to this, Al. I laughed out loud.

The other part that hurts for Jones is after the season Gutey basically said they are keeping Jones. To go from that to all of a sudden he is being released, that was a bit of a gut punch. But him being such a good dude is what also kills. He was 100% a true Packer. He bled green and gold. I was hoping he would be able to retire a Packer. Then to add salt to the wound is that he signed with the Vikings. I don't want to hate Jones. I really don't.

The other moves are not surprising. I thought they would be in the market for a S. Clearly they listened to what Hafley wanted and got him a key member.

The players they let go is not surprising. Most were expected.

I think bringing back Nixon was a good move.

I don't think they are done bringing in FA's. I think they will be bringing in a few more players.

With more info today, very clear Packers offered far less than Vikings. Packers offered 4MM with incentives, Vikings 6MM with 1MM likely incentive.

Drew R likely had that offer in hand when AJ said no to GB.

Can't fault a 30yo oft-injured RB taking an extra 3MM on what may be his last contract if he gets injured again.

But the Vikings.... Sigh. Going to hurt to root against the Sombrero.

"Dragon5
February 29, 2024 at 11:40 pm
Gute should use a fine tooth comb when contemplating keeping DOGS in DRAGON year...
WILSON, ERIC
FORD, RUDY
JONES, AARON"

Props to Gute for doing his job!

Tyreek Hill, Jared Goff, Chris Jones, Derrick Henry, Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper, Aaron Jones...all DOGS in a DRAGON year--their enemy year!  The odds of Aaron contributing to snuff (when healthy) are quite low this year.  From a business and forward looking perspective, Monday's move is welcomed.  Like Jones, Jacobs is grounded, having grown up often homeless living in/out of a car with his four siblings...some of you might recall Donald Driver's upbringing...it's hard not to appreciate overcoming adversity--non just on a professional level, but on a challenging, if not traumatizing, personal level; it's next man up to carry the G.  Even if Emmanuel Wilson showed promise last preseason, with BOTH Jones & Dillon gone, perhaps we can ramp up speculation for RAS stars Jaylen Wright & Isaac Guerendo, preferably from rd 4 on.

With McKinney signed, one of DeJean, Nubin, Bishop for the rook safety act please.  My draft M.O. is trade down, with 4  2nd round picks the optimal objective.

For all the annual WR hype at the top of the class, I don't think Xavier Legette gets enough.  6'1", 221, 4.39 40 and built like a brick shithouse.  If you watch his highlight tape he had to often wait / come back to underthrown balls...when hit in stride he's a Mack truck with a Lambo engine. Gamecocks have a history of producing these specimens: Sterling Sharpe, Deebo Samuel. Alshon Jeffrey, Sydney Rice.   FA acquisition Xavier McKinney is not enough...I got a fever and the only prescription is more Xavier please.  

OT NOTE:  Brewers ace reliever Devin Williams, also a DOG in his enemy year (DRAGON) is having issues with his spine this spring.  Arnold was a fool not to trade him (like Burnes--also in his enemy year) this offseason.

Had McKinney been 30 years old I would have been surprised. But Gutekunst knows this is a young ascending team and McKinney fits that , he went and got him.
The Jacobs move to me was a Godsend. Filled Jones and Dillons role with one star player, who could explode in GB.
Upgrade the LB position and have a good draft. They should be really good this year.

It’s a sad commentary on today’s athletes when a good person like Aaron Jones is the exception rather than the rule. How sad.

Gutekunst is not afraid to make unpopular decisions, and the release of Aaron Jones is a prime example. A terrific player, the team was always at its best when he was on the field. Add in that he is an exemplary human being, and you have the definition of "Packers people". And now he's in Minnesota, which was almost to be expected. There is so much inter-team exchange of players through signing FA's that it seems as if all the NFC North is more a group of "kissing cousins" who try to grind each other into dust twice a season. Now, if Favre comes out of retirement to be the QB for the Vikings...

Al, I got a couple questions:

What did we save by cutting Jones and how much is still owed?

Why didn't GB attempt to trade Jones? Even a 6th or 7th round pick would have been better than nothing. A comp pick is also gone.

Do you think a RB will be drafted by GBs #91? Irving, Lloyd, Davis, Guerendo should all still be there. Any you like better?

FA LB still a need but most are gone. How do you feel about second chance for Devin White? He is still young and talented. And how about Bobby Wagner for 2 years? Both would be cheap.

Lastly, all I know about dead cap is it is not good. Patrick Mahomes 2024 dead cap hit is $113.6 million. His 2025 dead cap hit is $78 million. How do they manage that and stay under the cap?

Great title this week. Talk about a whirlwind day. Strange, still on a cloud over the McKinney signing yet depressed about losing a great Packer in Jones. I'm with Al on the jersey. Was thinking about finally picking up one . My first was Bart. Although as a kid I had to have a Nitschke, when the time came and I was able to go to Lambeau , it was Bart all the way. Since then I bought a Hornung , also a must and I guess for what he was on and off the field!
Last but not least I have a 1929 Throwback, the Lewellen one. It's great but I should have just bought the Jordy one, sigh.

GPG

Kenny Clark….don’t answer your phone.

Damn, this was an emotional week.

Campbell and Bahk were inevitable due to age/injury and their large price tags.

If Jones had a clean contract, I could have seen a scenario where Green Bay would have been fine with him playing out his last year on that higher price tag, especially since his cap hit with the pay cut we may wanted him to take would have been effectively the same as the Jacobs cap hit if he only plays one year. He was a victim to all of the back loading and restructuring that had to be done to facilitate the Rogers extension and subsequent restructure to make him tradable.

I'm really curious to see what happens with Kenny Clark. His pay this year is probably close to market rate for player of his stature, but his cap hit is horrendous and he has another big dead money sandwich GB needs to eat next year if they can't work out an extension. If the Packers have a stud DT that can play week one fall into their lap in the draft, I could see a world where the Packers decide to take their medicine and make a surprise cut so they are finally out from under that deal and can go into 2025 with as little dead money as possible so they have more room to start extending out their 2026 free agent class.

We can agree/disagree with Gute’s approach. However, I always think we leave one position thin. I get we will address during the Draft ( we don’t play until September) but right now LB is paper thin. Kind of hoping we get a reasonably priced veteran at LB so we don’t need to reach at the Draft. Oh, well I trust Gute better than myself.

I'm a bit amazed at the Jones-Jacobs hubbub. I'm firmly in the camp that sentimentality gets you beaten.

Lets say the Packers met Jones' $7 million demand(they offered 6 million), he would be back likely one year. Jacobs would have signed elsewhere. Dillon leaves, then Jones gets hurt again and you have Wilson and Taylor in the backfield. Super Bowl here we come!

One other factor is the lack of high-powered running backs coming into the draft this year. The best ones are second rounders.

There reaches a point where you have to fish or cut bait and the Packers correctly identified that Jones, as great a guy as he is, wasn't the long-term answer. Jacobs could get hurt admittedly , but he will be back. His yardage totals for the Raiders were impressive(last year down a bit) and he provides all the good things Jones does and he's years younger. Jones signing with the Vikings is a kick in the arse. We've had before but the Vikings now can hope he stays healthy.

In Packers history the team made a sentimental choice to hire Bart Starr as its coach in the 70's. It was a popular choice. The hot rumor was Don Shula wanted to come to Green Bay. Starr's teams were mostly mediocre to poor. While he didn't have a lot of help in the personnel department, as great of a quarterback as he was, it didn't translate to coaching.

I have the same view of Christian Watson as Jones. Potentially one of the best receivers in the league but has spent too much time on the sidelines.

1. You don’t sign a 29 year old running back to a multi-year, big money contract. It’s bad business.
2. GB offered 6, MN signed him for 7. Does that make GB’s offer seem reasonable?
3. Nothing wrong with mixed feelings. Great player, greater person, business decision.
4. I was too young to witness firsthand the glory of the 1960’s Packers. More than once, though, I’ve heard their downfall came from hanging onto too many players too long, and too many of them declined all at once. I seriously doubt that’ll happen in the modern era.

I guess I differ from many of you in that while I can appreciate a player and their contributions to the GBP's over the years without a lot of emotion I am more concerned whether the Packers improved with the moves being made. My focus tends to be almost solely on Gutey with his methods and maneuvering to improve the team. Occasionally there is that one player whom the Packers should have kept who left and it might sting a bit but in these rare cases, I know it was the player's decision and not the Packers. This week's moves were handled perfectly by Gutey and the Packers are a better team for it. Not just for 2024 but for the next 3-4 years.

Quote of Al: "Let's talk about Aaron Jones. As I tweeted on Monday, I could be a lot more rational about this move if Aaron Jones wasn't such a goddamn good human being. I've only ever bought one Packers jersey in my life, and it was as much for who the player was off the field as on - Bart Starr."

Al, it's as if you took the words right out of my mind. I was so fortunate to meet Bart (with my dad) when I was a kid and he was so kind and treated me as if I was someone important. Right there he had a fan for life. I bought his jersey and to this day I wear his jersey at home when the Packers play and at the games at Lambeau and away games that I attend without fail.

good work so far Gute's, now go get a LB, a f/a or draft, and another running back later in the draft,,,good draft for RB's.

Right Al—you have to be Branch Ricky in these situations. We ALL love and will miss Jones, but Gutey made a critical decision to set the clock forward—I applaud him for his resolve.

Well, 2 really great players and really great personalities was let go this off season. I like both. For different reasons.

It is understandible that David was in better position to overcome bitterness towards Packers, because of his fight to even play another snap. And he really posted very balanced and loving farewell post on twiter (sorry - X). He knew what is coming and he has time to digest it and understand it.

Aaron Jones is in different situation. And I'm sure that he will, by time, comes to same position as David is in. It is really question of age, and need. He will understand quickly, just let him some time.

I hope that his season in purple will not affect his Packers HOF introduction. As I hope that David will be introduced in both Packers and NFL HOF - both deserved that. High quality persons.

I know that is not the habit for the Packers to be annually involved in Day 1 free agency. However, it seems to becoming a habit, on or about, every Leap Year (with the previous Day 1 free agency splurge being the 2019/20 season). So circling 2028 for the Packers next free agent shopping spree.

I really like the long-time approach of the Packers of draft-and-develop, but I like them adapting to the free agent market, as well.
They're not exclusive to each other.
To go for a couple of free agents in any given year, if they are the right players at the right price, does not, and should not, negate draft-and-develop.
Draft-and-develop is the meat-and-potatoes of putting together a top roster in the NFL; free agent signings are the gravy to fill positions that continue to be of need in order to put the team over the top for a run at a Super Bowl title.
It's not a matter of signing free agents just to sign free agents, but rather signing them if they're the likes of McKinney and Jacobs.
***
I really like keeping our Packers players as long as possible.
I want to get to know them a little, to like them, to root for them as people as well as players.
Also, it's good for team continuity and team morale, which is good for team success.
The difficult thing is that as they age and are less able, they want more money than the guys on rookie contracts.
The rule of thumb to me is to sign guys to second contracts in their mid-20s but not third contracts at about age 30.
We have to look out for entire roster getting paid, and for the team having enough talent to be not just good, but great.
As for Aaron Jones, one of my favorite Packers of all time, he did get a second contract with the Packers, maybe even a third.
He had a good long run with the Packers, so to speak, and it was probably time to move on for the price he wanted.
It's been a great stretch for him, for the team, and for us as fans. Win-win-win.

Great article Al
Please refrain from using the Lord’s name in vain as it doesn’t embellish your article and offends many people along with being wrong.

Go Pack Go !

☮️ Bo Hunter