People didn’t really understand the Green Bay Packers’ decision to take A.J. Dillon in the second round of the 2020 draft. It came on the heels of the astonishing, franchise-altering Jordan Love pick, the tale of which will finally start to be written this fall after a three-year prologue. In aggregate, the analysis of Green Bay’s pandemic class was that they drafted a quarterback when they had the legendary Aaron Rodgers, and they took Dillon when they had a star at the position in Aaron Jones.
To this point, Dillon’s work as the secondary back and sixth-rounder Jon Runyan Jr.’s emerging stardom have been the only major contributions from the 2020 group. However, its legacy almost entirely rests in what Love becomes. Dillon’s size and power have provided an excellent complement to Jones’ speed, elusiveness, and receiving ability. Last season, both ranked inside PFF’s top-12 running backs. With Love taking the reins, LaFleur figures to lean on that strength even more this time around.
When the saga between the Indianapolis Colts and their star running back Jonathan Taylor boiled over into open trade negotiations, the Packers weren’t brought up in any of the buzz that took over social media. Much of the conversation surrounded the Miami Dolphins, who embarked on their second attempt to acquire an E-ticket ball carrier after Dalvin Cook signed with the New York Jets. The Colts wound up leaving Taylor on PUP following Tuesday’s deadline, and leaks suggested their asking price was unreasonable. They reportedly sought a second-round pick in addition to a key young player like Jaylen Waddle or Christian Wilkins. Considering that Miami would subsequently have to pay Taylor top dollar, it’s unsurprising that a deal didn’t get done.
The “mystery team” stage is a patented part of the media circus at the trade deadline of every major sport. In this instance, many assumed it was just the Chicago Bears or the Philadelphia Eagles keeping their interest quieter then their fanbases were. However, CBS insider Josina Anderson revealed Wednesday morning that Brian Gutekunst and the Packers had been working the phones, making a serious push to land Taylor. She added that they, along with Miami, were willing to give him an extension that would make him among the league’s highest-paid running backs.
At first glance, it doesn’t make any sense. It was shocking to think that Taylor’s accomplishments in the state as a former Wisconsin Badger were enough to make Gutekunst forget he already has a two-headed monster in the backfield. If the local roots carried that much weight, it would have been T.J. Watt, not Kevin King, wearing the G out of the green room back in 2017. Looking deeper, though, the Packers are not financially committed to either of their running backs long-term. It might be another story emotionally, but it stands to reason that Gutekunst has disregarded that in the past. Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Mason Crosby, and Jamaal Williams come to mind.
The season after Dillon was drafted, the Packers had three high-quality running backs. Dillon’s arrival signaled an impending departure for Williams. However, his connection to the city and the fanbase had a lot of fans thinking twice. He’s since become a household name, stealing hearts on Hard Knocks and rushing for 17 touchdowns last season. Green Bay’s pursuit of Taylor spells out a similar fate for Dillon, regardless of if it’s successful. Dillon has slid nicely into the fan favorite role that Williams once held – in addition to running the ball quite well. He’s created his own persona as the mayor of Door County and engaged with fans in almost every way possible, including hiding signed memorabilia around the city for them to find.
He’s a great guy to have on the team, an efficient runner who works in LaFleur’s scheme. If guys like Taylor, Josh Jacobs, and Saquon Barkley can’t get paid, he should be relatively easy to keep when he hits free agency next summer. However, the team appears to believe there’s more to be desired from his half of the backfield. It is likely him, rather than Jones, who is the target because of their similar, between-the-tackles specialty. It would also make some sense for Indy to somewhat prefer Dillon as part of the return, given that he’s three years younger and also a bit cheaper.
While a deal could eventually materialize at the deadline or next offseason, for now it doesn’t look like Jonathan Taylor is coming to Green Bay. But even though things haven’t truly changed, we just got quite a bit of insight into how they might change real soon. A.J. Dillon is the type of player who seems like he’ll stick around forever, running hard and winning a lot of fans in the process. However, we’ve learned that the front office hardly sees it that way. With that expiring rookie contract, there is a serious possibility that he will play his final games in green and gold this fall. Just when we think Gutekunst has fully settled into the traditional “Packer way” of personnel management, he throws a curveball. This one wasn’t a strike, but it’s certainly worth noting it’s in his bag.
