Green Bay Packers

AJ Dillon Is Adding Intrigue To Green Bay's Off-Season

Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

There’s no way to slice it up than to accept that the Green Bay Packers will be in salary cap hell entering the offseason. Even if quarterback Aaron Rodgers opted to retire or was traded, Green Bay is still on the hook for a huge chunk of change in either scenario.

The only chance for the Packers to dig out of the hole is to cut ties with players still producing at a high level. Running back Aaron Jones could be one candidate, as crazy as it may sound. Fortunately, A.J. Dillon‘s recent play has made it a little more possible to stomach if Jones is a cap casualty.

General manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers’ front office could save around $10.1 million in cap space if they cut Jones after this season. Given how critical Jones is to the operation, it seems unlikely, but Green Bay has limited options if they want to create cap space.

Outside linebacker Preston Smith and left tackle David Bakhtiari are other candidates Green Bay could cut loose to carve out some room. However, Jones’ name is a primary one, even though it would send Packers Twitter into a frenzy.

Dillon went through a lull in the middle of the season, a five-game stretch where he averaged 8.2 carries per game and 35.6 rushing yards. Dillon also went 10 consecutive games without finding the end zone.

That’s all changed drastically in the last few weeks.

The bowling-ball back has a touchdown in each of the last two games and has at least 64 yards rushing in three of the previous four. Green Bay’s utilization of Dillon could be one reason for the turnaround.

Early in the season, the Packers were running out of the shotgun a ton, and it often seemed like Dillon was running in quicksand when getting looks out of those sets. That, coupled with a lack of consistent touches, kept him from ever getting in a groove. However, starting with the Philadelphia Eagles game, the Packers have returned to frequently running from under center. That allows Dillon and Jones to get a head start toward the line. For Dillon, it’s the type of running he excels at.

The results have followed.

In the offseason, they will have to decide whether to restructure Jones’ contract, keep it as is, or let him go. Therefore, Green Bay’s biggest question with Dillon is whether or not they believe he can be a true No. 1 back.

Regardless of that answer, Matt LaFleur’s offense flourishes when it has more than one back producing.

Remember, Packers fans threw a fit when the Packers selected Dillon in the second round of the 2020 draft because they already had Jones and Jamaal Williams. Jones was always Batman to Williams’ Robin, and Dillon has filled the No. 2 spot Williams vacated when the Packers didn’t bring him back two seasons ago.

Dillon has been splendid as the No. 2. But even with another back to lean on for production, being at the top of the ladder is a different beast. It was no problem for Dillon in college. In his three years at Boston College, he carried the ball 300, 227, and 318 times. Dillon was the bell cow running through defenses in the ACC.

Yes, the NFL is a different beast. But Dillon’s past is an indicator that he can succeed in an increased role. Cutting ties with Jones strictly to create cap space would be a bitter pill to swallow for the Packers. Look around, though. They don’t have many other choices.

One big snag in the plan could come from viewing Jones’ subtraction for another addition as a cancel-out at best. Jones is 28 years old, but he’s still as dynamic a back as they come. He can do it just as effectively running the ball as he does receiving it out of the backfield. Letting Jones go sounds tone-deaf. However, it’s far from a guarantee that Jones, Bakhtiari, and Smith all return to Titletown in 2023.

That’s the price Green Bay has to pay for restructuring so many contracts and continually pushing back money to later years while still trying to capitalize on what they thought was a championship window. Instead, that window slammed shut, and now Gutekunst will be left to pick up the scraps. He’ll have to make decisions that may not get a high approval rate. One such move would be getting rid of Jones, but this front office’s hands are tied at the moment.

If Green Bay did roll with this option, Dillon would assume the No. 1 role, and the Packers could either draft a back in the middle rounds in 2023 or sign a veteran free agent. The list of free agent running backs isn’t short, with names like Damien Harris, Kareem Hunt, Josh Jacobs, David Montgomery, and the aforementioned Williams filling that top- to middle-tier.

This offseason could get messy for the Packers, and one of those big decisions may be looming at running back. Dillon’s play down the stretch might alleviate some of that pressure if he keeps delivering.

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