Set to run back their Aaron Jones–AJ Dillon tandem for a fourth season, the Packers have their 2023 backfield in place. But questions exist regarding Green Bay’s running back group beyond this year.
On that note, the Packers look to be one of the teams interested in Jonathan Taylor. They talked Taylor with the Colts before the AFC South team’s Tuesday deadline, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports. While as many as six teams were said to have expressed interest in Taylor, Holder notes the Packers joined the Dolphins in discussing the disgruntled All-Pro with the Colts.
The Packers component in these talks figures to remain relevant, as the Colts have until the Oct. 31 trade deadline to move Taylor. The former rushing champion remains on Indianapolis’ PUP list, with his reserve/PUP designation mandating he miss the season’s first four games. Taylor can return to practice after Week 2, however, which would open the door to trade talks picking back up in the near future.
Jones and the Packers huddled up on a reworked contract in February, a move that marked the first major transaction in a tough offseason for running backs. The deal gave Jones more 2023 guarantees but also came with a $5MM pay slash. The four-year, $48MM deal Jones signed before free agency in 2021 runs through 2024. The Packers could still designate Jones a post-June 1 cut next year, incurring less than $6MM in dead money to do so. Jones’ adjustment still makes a 2024 divorce somewhat prohibitive, but the Packers did just approach a dead-money record by taking on $40MM by trading Aaron Rodgers.
Dillon is going into the final season of his rookie contract. The former second-round pick has indicated he would like to stay in Green Bay, and next year’s free agent class looks set to top this year’s buyer’s market. Dillon is on track to join a number of high-end RBs on next year’s market, barring extensions agreed to before the tampering period. Taylor would represent a preemptive strike for the Packers, who would seemingly need to part ways with both their current backs in 2024 if they were to complete a trade-and-extend scenario involving the Wisconsin alum.
While Taylor is a New Jersey native, he starred at Wisconsin before going to the Colts in the 2020 second round. The Packers will not have Rodgers’ top-market contract on their payroll in 2024, being set to shed the contract off their cap sheet after this season. But the team will also need to make a call on Jordan Love, who signed a half-measure extension (two years, $13.5MM) that prevented the team from having to exercise a fully guaranteed fifth-year option on a player with little experience. Taylor would stand to fit better on a team with a rookie-QB contract, but the Packers have a unique signal-caller salary situation post-Rodgers.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, discussed “several” potential deals with the Colts, Holder adds. None are believed to have involved a first-round pick. Indianapolis asked for a first-rounder or a package of picks matching that value. Taylor still wants to be traded, and Holder adds interest remains. The Dolphins look to have viewed the Colts’ Tuesday deadline as fairly loose, and their extensive interest in running backs this offseason points to a reengagement at some point.
Indy’s asking price will need to come down in order for the Dolphins to bite. The Colts targeted Jaylen Waddle in their Taylor talks, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. The AFC South club wanted the former top-10 wideout draftee and then some, per Jackson, who adds the Dolphins discussed packages involving players and picks. Suffice to say, Miami did not view Indianapolis’ ask as reasonable. The Colts made multiple counterproposals over the span of a week, per Jackson and Holder.
The Dolphins traded up from No. 12 to No. 6 for Waddle, who has become one of the NFL’s best young wideouts. With receivers dwarfing running backs on the salary spectrum, it is understandable the Dolphins did not want to engage on Waddle. The Alabama-developed speedster teamed with Tyreek Hill to form one of the top receiving duos in recent NFL history last season. Waddle posted 1,356 yards (an NFL-high 18.1 per catch) and eight touchdowns in his second season.
The prospect of a team giving up high-level draft assets and authorizing a near-top-market extension for Taylor — in a year in which RB value cratered — has led this situation to its current place. With Taylor eligible to practice in less than a month, the market could heat up again.
Dillon and a 5…
I mean, that is the thing. Just because you engage in talks doesn’t mean you were anywhere in the ballpark of what they wanted. Perhaps the Packers offered something low for him because it wouldn’t hurt to have him.
Packers might’ve tried to include Jones or Dillon. Assuming Indy wanted a straight draft capital return. A guy like Hunt would be fine to bring in short term with Taylor dealt and I’m pretty sure Hunt was already brought into Indy
They offered Dillon and a 3rd according to every report.
In your dreams
Irsay has painted himself into a corner. I interested to see how he gets out…
I think he’s entered the ‘lash out at everyone and throw what’s left in the paint can all over the place’ phase of this fit.
Taylor and his agent have done the same thing as Irsay. Unrealistic expectations on both sides.
Why would the Packers want to invest heavily in Taylor when his grandmother could probably shred those terrible defenses the other NFC North teams have?
There is a chance any or all of those defense might actually improve on their awfulness from last year.
And who knows what the offer was, either in trade or..if they got that far..contract extension. Jones is almost certainly gone after this year and Dillon could be out as well.
Jones is almost certainly NOT gone after this year as they’d save ~5M vs the 12M dead cap hit.
Unless he’s gets hurt or has a terrible year, he’s obviously back.
His value only needs to be 5.3M.
It’d be like cutting Preston Smith to save ~3M.
They basically committed to both through ’24 when they restructured.
Gotta love the thought process from Indy. Nowhere near good enough to pay him the money he wants, but definitely good enough to ask for a good young player at a premium position and then some.
Lol right, a player who will cost way more than Taylor is what is being asked lol, absurd
Why not have all 3 on your roster this yr?? Remember when they had J Williams Dillon Jones at once. Jones can be more of a screen WR RB Dillon your goal line Bull and Taylor you limit his work get him healthy. But, For Gutty you are like we offer you a
2024 3rd and 4th 2025 3rd. Or
2024 2nd round and 5th round but, The deal wont be official unless Taylor agrees to a new contract something arround 15mil/yr for 4 years 5th yr option with like 35mil guarenteed chance to make more base on incentives.. Than If i was Gutty you use all 3 RBS this yr let Love get Comfy back there. Than next yr you pay love 35mil/yr Than extend Dillon to 8mil/yr with 2mil/yr incentives than Flip Jones for a 3rd rounder. Honest truth NFL RBs age fast once you hit 28 its proven you decline and Jones will be 34 once his contract expires. I think he out You extend Dillon and Taylor..
So you want to tie up 23M plus incentives on 2 RBs and 35M on a QB who hasn’t proven himself? Sounds great!
You wont extend Love till after this yr. You wont sign a starting QB for under 30mil/yr unless you want mediocre play.. Its common for NFL teams to give players lower salaries but can reach an agreement on incentives.
So then Love will be mediocre this year!
They JUST extended him and it’s for less than 30M a year.
I think the larger POINT was why don’t you wait and see if Love is any good. And you don’t have to wait until after the year. They could do it week 8 if they saw enough. Daniel Jones type extension.
And you have it wrong, it’s common for NFL teams to give lower salaries, BUT GUARANTEED money. The incentives are pretty insignificant at the prices you’re talking about.
Also, Dillon’s not an 8M a year back. This one is an opinion, the rest has just been factual errors, but he’s just not. He doesn’t see the hole, doesn’t run hard, tries to be too elusive like he’s Aaron Jones(who…again, literally one of the best backs per carry of the least 15 years).
Dude…what on Earth are you talking about? Jones will be 34 when he’s a FA?
He’s 28 right now. He’s a FA after 2024.
So he’ll be…29 to start 2024 and then 30 by the end of the year, NOT 34.
No. He’s got this year and then next year…and the Packers save 5.3M by trading or cutting him, and he has little trade value, sure not a 3rd.
None of this makes sense. Jones has been one of the most productive backs in the NFL and he’s going to be a “screen WR RB?” 5.3 YPC and he’s just gonna be a Darren Sproles? Yeah, that makes sense!
And then Taylor gets a 5th year “option?” Yeah, it’s the NFL. Every year is an option. You are talking NBA or MLB. There aren’t “player options,” in the NFL.
Love getting 35M? They JUST gave him less than the 5th year ROOKIE option that only the team gets for 1st round picks, so they’re obviously not ready to give him 35M a year.
Literally nothing you’ve said makes sense. None of it.
This is the Colts logic(?): ‘Let’s announce to everyone that Taylor still has ankle problems and a back issue, but we’ll also trade him for a 1st?’
Followed by ‘Since no one bit on that offer, then we’ll place on the month long injured report and hope to trade him again!’?
Arty-listen to this link to colts.com. The Colts aren’t the idiots you think they are. Pretty savvy, actually. Don’t react to every the media says.
The Lions and Bears defenses have both drastically improved over the off season so that statement about the NFC Norths defensive capabilities is somewhat skewed.
If the Packers fail to reach an agreement on a trade with the Colts, they are prepared to sign Jonathan Taylor-Thomas!!
that cant feel good if you’re emmanuel wilson…
As much of a feel good story as he is, he’s a bubble guy. They sign anyone else and there’s a chance he could be the odd man out, regardless of what position the new signee plays.
Same with the wr whose name escapes me..wears Cobb’s old number..he’s posting how ecstatic he is about making the roster and getting ready for week 1. Dude could be bounced tomorrow at the rate teams are shuffling guys on and off rosters.
It kills me that every team’s fans view Irsay & the Colts as stupid. They expect a trade to better their team & worsen the Colts as reasonable & criticize the Colts for not thinking the same way. Miami won’t be able to afford both Hill & Waddle in a year or 2; so why not see if he could be part of a package for arguably the best RB in the NFL. Or Green Bay wanting to swap for Dillon, a totally different type of back. Taylor is a great RB; maybe in the McCaffery range; but giving a 5 year deal at $15 mm for any RB who may likely not be playing in 2-3 years is risky & bad business. You can’t listen to an agent’s perspective, ever.
I don’t think anyone is criticizing the colts for thinking anything. For publicly devaluing him/the RB position then simultaneously trying to acquire significant assets in trade? Yes. They absolutely deserve criticism for that.
Colts want Dillon and 2 3rd round picks..