Green Bay Packers Free-Agent Tracker: And Then There Was One
Of the Green Bay Packers’ 14-deep list of free agents, all but one has found a home. Here’s the latest from NFL free agency.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers entered NFL free agency with 14 free agents – 12 unrestricted free agents and two restricted free agents who were not tendered.
From that group, only one remains. Safety Rudy Ford, who intercepted five passes during his two seasons with the Packers, is the only player who has not found a home for the 2024 season.
Here is a look at all the comings and goings over the last three weeks.
Signed by 49ers: Patrick Taylor
Running back Patrick Taylor agreed to a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers, according to ESPN.
It was quite an eventful season for Taylor, who lost out to undrafted rookie Emanuel Wilson for the final spot at running back during training camp.
Nonetheless, it was Taylor as a member of the practice squad who opened the season as the unofficial No. 3 back behind Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
When Jones suffered a knee injury on Nov. 19, the Packers signed Taylor off New England’s practice squad. He played in 11 games and set career highs with 32 carries, 141 yards, a 4.4-yard average, 11 receptions and 49 receiving yards.
Because of all his playing time, he collected a nice bonus check.
The 49ers are getting a true jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none running back. For the Packers, he was expendable with a backfield depth chart consisting of Josh Jacobs, AJ Dillon, Wilson and Ellis Merriweather. They are expected to add a back in this month’s NFL Draft.
Signed by Jaguars: Josiah Deguara
The book is officially closed on Deguara, the latest in a long line of third-round flops, after he signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The deal is worth $1.25 million with a $25,000 signing bonus.
The third-found hex started with Montravius Adams in 2017, Oren Burks in 2018 and Jace Sternberger in 2019, and continued with Deguara in 2020 and Amari Rodgers in 2021. It perhaps was snapped by Sean Rhyan in 2022 and has been put to rest with Tucker Kraft in 2023.
Deguara missed most of his rookie season with a torn ACL, but showed some promise in 2021, when he played 367 snaps and caught 25 passes. However, his playing time and productivity dropped his final two seasons. Over the final 11 games of 2023 (including playoffs), he caught zero passes.
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Re-Signed: Eric Wilson
Eric Wilson, the linebacker who almost was the hero of the playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, signed a one-year contract to return to the Packers. It’s worth $1.21 million with a $167,500 signing bonus.
With the Packers trailing the 49ers 14-13, Keisean Nixon returned a kickoff 73 yards before the ball was stripped. A hustling Wilson made a diving recovery to save the ball, and the Packers turned that into the go-ahead touchdown. Had the Packers held on to win, that play would have gone down as one of the greatest in franchise history.
With Quay Walker and De’Vondre Campbell in an out of the lineup due to injuries, Wilson played 121 snaps on defense in 2023 while remaining a core player on special teams. He contributed 20 tackles on defense and led the team with 11 stops on special teams.
“It’s been good to have his leadership, his calming presence, what he does for the kicker, what he does for the punter,” special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said in December. “Those guys that have played a lot of football seem to get some of the younger guys to settle down a little bit and hopefully perform well in the game.”
At the moment, he’d be a starter in the new 4-3 alignment.
Re-Signed: Robert Rochell
Exactly one week after the start of NFL free agency, the Packers re-signed cornerback Robert Rochell to one-year deal worth the minimum $1.055 million with no signing bonus.
Rochell was not given a restricted free-agent tender at the deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Packers brought him back on a one-year deal, where he’ll join a cornerback room that’s crowded but shrouded with questions all at once.
Will Jaire Alexander return to his All-Pro form?
Will Eric Stokes stay healthy and return to his first-round form?
Will 2023 seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine take the next step after an up-and-down rookie season?
Will Corey Ballentine provide the same quality depth he did in 2023?
With Alexander banged up and Stokes on injured reserve, the Packers signed Rochell off Carolina’s practice squad in late October. He played in nine of the final 10 games of the regular season and both playoff games. All his action came on special teams, aside from five snaps on defense toward the end of the blowout playoff win at Dallas. He contributed four tackles on special teams.
Rochell was a fourth-round pick in 2021 by the Los Angeles Rams after measuring 5-foot-11 3/4 and running a 4.41 in the 40 and a 43-inch vertical at the Scouting Combine. He started five games as a rookie, allowing a 65.0 percent completion rate with one touchdown and one interception, according to Pro Football Focus. However, all his action in 2022 came on special teams, and he failed to make the Rams’ roster in training camp last summer.
Green Bay provided an opportunity for a fresh start.
“I definitely look at it as a reset, mentally and physically, to come in and realign myself with the game of football and show the attributes that I can do on and off the field,” he said upon arriving.
“Whatever role they assign to me or whatever situation they need me to be in, I’ll be ready to go, from defense to special teams. Even if they need me on offense. Whatever it takes for us to get some wins.”
Signed by Panthers: Yosh Nijman
After starting 22 games the past three seasons, offensive tackle Yosh Nijman has agreed to a contract with the Carolina Panthers. It’s a two-year deal worth almost $5 million.
Nijman started 21 games in 2021 and 2022 but couldn't beat out Zach Tom at right tackle or Rasheed Walker for the swing-tackle role in 2023.
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Re-Signed: AJ Dillon
At the start of free agency, the expectation was the Packers would re-sign Aaron Jones. After all, GM Brian Gutekunst said it was his “anticipation” that Jones “would be back.” The expectation also was that AJ Dillon would not return. Not even those close to Dillon thought he’d be back with the Packers.
Of course, the opposite happened.
The Packers and Dillon agreed to a one-year contract using a rare tool that will give Dillon a decent amount of money ($2.743 million) but with a rock-bottom salary-cap charge ($1.293 million).
He will pair with Josh Jacobs to be the new tandem in the backfield.
Dillon’s per-carry averages have dropped from 5.3 as a rookie to 4.3 in 2021, 4.1 in 2022 and 3.4 in 2023. He was one of the worst in the NFL at breaking tackles. But he’s consistently kept the team in good down-and-distance situations as a runner, is an underrated player in the passing game and almost never fumbles.
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Re-Signed: Kristian Welch
The Packers re-signed linebacker Kristian Welch, a key performer on special teams last year after joining the team off waivers from Baltimore. It’s a one-year deal worth $1.125 million with a $20,000 signing bonus. It will count only $1.06 million against the cap.
Welch made his debut in Week 4 and played in the final 13 games of the season. He ranked third on the team with six stops on the kick-coverage units and 210 snaps on special teams.
“We're glad we got him,” special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said last year. “He's been playing good football for us. He's a solid player. He's real smart and he's getting himself in position now where he can find the ball and make some tackles.”
It was a homecoming season for Welch, who grew up about 60 miles from Lambeau Field.
“This year was a dream come true, to be honest,” Welch said at the end of the season. “I grew up here. I obviously was a fan. Just was excited. It was fun. I was obviously disappointed (getting released by Baltimore). Anytime you lose your job, it’s not always a fun thing. Coming here, I was excited to work, and I knew Rich was a great coach. He’s been a veteran in this league. Coming to play for him, I was excited for that opportunity. I was able to step in pretty early, right away.
“That was my goal coming in and I was able to kind of do that pretty quickly. I was able to come in, get on the field and the rest of history. Playing from Week 4 on, I’m pretty proud of that, to play that many games after getting in at the beginning of the year, not having any offseason and learning on the fly. Opening the playbook and learning all this defense and special teams, it was a bit chaotic there for a while, but I got used to the deal. With my teammates and coaches and everything, I was able to get better. It was chaotic but it was worth it.”
Signed by Bears: Jonathan Owens
After just one season in Green Bay, Jonathan Owens has agreed to a two-year contract worth $4.05 million with the Chicago Bears.
A 17-game starter with Houston in 2022, Owens played exactly to his scouting report as a steady defender but not much of a playmaker. In 17 games that included 11 consecutive starts to end the season, he was fifth on the team with 74 tackles. He had zero interceptions, three passes defensed and one forced fumble. His highlight-reel play was a scoop-and-score touchdown in the win at Detroit.
Re-Signed: Tyler Davis, Corey Ballentine
The Packers re-signed of two of their core special teams players.
Tyler Davis signed a one-year contract worth the minimum $1.055 million with a $20,000 signing bonus.
Corey Ballentine, who started for the team at cornerback when Jaire Alexander was down with an injury, also is back in Green Bay. He was a zero-to-hero sort of story through the prolonged absences of Alexander and Eric Stokes. Because he played so well, his one-year deal is worth $2.06 million, including a $500,000 signing bonus.
Both players provide depth at cornerback and tight end, but will primarily contribute to Rich Bisaccia's special teams unit.
Re-Signed: Keisean Nixon
Keisean Nixon agreed to terms with Green Bay on a three-year deal worth $18 million with a maximum value of $19.2 million.
Nixon served as the team's primary kickoff returner and slot cornerback a season ago. He was one of their priority free agents to bring back due to his value on special teams, and they liked what he did in the slot.
With a contract like that, it seems likely the Packers are anticipating Nixon to be one of their starters in the secondary again.
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Signed by Vikings: Aaron Jones
Following in a long line of ex-Packers standouts, ranging from Hall of Famer Brett Favre to stars like Greg Jennings to role players like Dean Lowry, Aaron Jones signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings a day after he was stunningly released by the Packers.
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Also, here are the financial reasons why Jones decided to go to Minnesota.
Signed: Xavier McKinney
The Packers signed the biggest fish in a deep safety pond, agreeing to a four-year, $67 million deal with former Giants star Xavier McKinney.
McKinney is the do-it-all type of safety that GM Brian Gutekunst said he was looking for. He lined up deep, in the box and in the slot. He made plays on the ball. He tackled with consistency.
The signing comes on heels of losing former starter Darnell Savage to the Jaguars. Savage lacked the ball production and was one of the worst tacklers among safeties in the NFL.
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Signed by Giants: Jon Runyan
Guard Jon Runyan, who started 50 consecutive games for the Packers, signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Giants, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Runyan’s departure was expected by everyone – including Runyan himself, who said in November that he saw the “writing on the wall” as the team continued to rotate him and Sean Rhyan at right guard.
A third-round pick in 2022, Rhyan was by far the cheaper option. Will he be the better option?
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Signed: Josh Jacobs. Released: Aaron Jones
After early reports surfaced that the Packers were in the market for former Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss as a potential complement to Aaron Jones, the Packers stunningly pivoted to former All-Pro Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs led the league in rushing in 2022 before getting the franchise tag from the Raiders. He will be 26 for this upcoming season.
It is a four-year deal worth $48 million.
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In another huge piece of news, they released Aaron Jones. From GM Brian Gutekunst, via the team announcement:
"We want to thank Aaron for his unwavering commitment to the Packers and the community over the past seven seasons. It is certainly one of the hardest decisions we've had to make in my time with the Packers and not one taken lightly. He has not only had a significant impact on the field and in the locker room, but he is one of the most beloved players in the community. We wish nothing but the best for Aaron and his entire family moving forward."
And from coach Matt LaFleur: "Today is a tough day for the Packers and our community. As good of a player as Aaron is on the field, he is an even better person. When I arrived in Green Bay as a first-time head coach, he was instrumental in establishing our winning culture and always served as the greatest example of what it meant to be a Packer. Aaron will always be one of the best players I had the opportunity to coach. He, his son, Junior, his mom, Vurgess, and his family will be missed."
Signed by Jaguars: Darnell Savage
Former first-round pick Darnell Savage is moving on from the only franchise he has ever known. The three-year deal was worth $21.75 million for a safety whose ball production sunk like a stone even if his missed-tackle numbers remained consistently poor
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David Bakhtiari Breaks the News
The Packers and five-time All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari are going their separate ways. Bakhtiari made it official with a lengthy post on X.
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile, because it happened,” he concluded.
Having saved almost $21 million, the Packers are suddenly awash in cap space. According to OverTheCap.com, the team is armed with about $34.5 million of cap space to take into free agency.
While it’s good-bye to the Packers, it’s not good-bye to the NFL. A source said Bakhtiari has no intention of retiring and has his sights set on playing in 2024.
