Packers 2024 Free Agent Tracker: Robert Rochell Re-Signs
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers reached the divisional round of the NFC playoffs in 2023. General manager Brian Gutekunst will try to build upon that roster during NFL free agency.
Here's the latest news.
Re-Signed: Robert Rochell
Exactly one week after the start of NFL free agency, the Packers re-signed cornerback Robert Rochell on Monday, a source confirmed to Packer Central.
Rochell was not given a restricted free-agent tender by Wednesday’s 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.
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 on Thursday, pending a physical, using a rare tool that will give Dillon a decent amount of money but with a rock-bottom salary-cap charge.
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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Tendered: Three Free Agents
In the least surprising moves that will happen in free agency, the Packers gave exclusive-rights free agent tenders to punter Daniel Whelan, running back Emanuel Wilson and offensive tackle Caleb Jones.
They did not tender their two restricted free agents.
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Re-Signed: Kristian Welch
The Packers have re-signed linebacker Kristian Welch, a key performer on special teams last year after joining the team off waivers from Baltimore. A source said it was a one-year deal that, for cap purposes, will be counted at the league minimum.
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.”
Contracts for McKinney, Jacobs
The contracts are in for the two big free-agent additions, safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs.
In both cases, the Packers used rock-bottom base salaries for Year 1 to keep their cap numbers down for 2024. Those cap figures will soar in 2025, 2026 and 2027, though there are easy ways to lower those numbers (by kicking the financial can down the road).
Signed by Bears: Jonathan Owens
After just one season in Green Bay, Jonathan Owens has agreed to a two-year contract worth $4.5 million with the Chicago Bears, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
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 announced they've re-signed of two of their core special teams players.
Tyler Davis signed a one-year contract on Monday, and they made that official today.
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.
Both players provide depth at cornerback and tight end, but will primarily contribute to Rich Bisaccia's special teams unit.
Re-Signed: Keisean Nixon
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Keisean Nixon agreed to terms with Green Bay on a three-year deal 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 on Tuesday morning.
Click here for the full story.
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, reportedly agreeing to a four-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?
Along with the release of left tackle David Bakhtiari and the departure of safety Darnell Savage, the Packers are down three players on Day 1 of free agency.
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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, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport came up with what is the most shocking news of the day.
The Packers are reportedly adding Josh Jacobs to their running back room.
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, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
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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. According to Ian Rapoport, Savage has agreed to a three-year deal in Jacksonville to go play with the Jaguars.
Terms of the deal are unclear at this point, but the Packers will be deep in the safety market as they look to upgrade the back end of their defense.
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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.
Exclusive Rights News
The Packers have three exclusive-rights free agents: punter Daniel Whelan, running back Emanuel Wilson and offensive tackle Caleb Jones. Those players really aren’t free agents. So long as the Packers give them a qualifying tender, they will return for another season.
Those tenders must be made by the start of the league-year on Wednesday. Whelan and Wilson, at least, will be tendered.
Both were no-brainers. With AJ Dillon headed to free agency, Wilson is the No. 2 back behind Aaron Jones.
While the Irish-born Whelan ranked only 27th in net punting and had an unimpressive 18 inside-the-20 punts vs. five touchbacks, he ranked fourth in the NFL in average hangtime. Impressively, including playoffs, he had 11 inside-the-20s and no touchbacks in the final 10 games.
Re-Signed: TE Tyler Davis
The Packers kept one of their own by re-signing tight end Tyler Davis, according to a source, just before the start of the negotiating window.
Davis missed all of last season with a torn ACL. The source said Davis probably will be cleared for football action before the end of the offseason program. However, with his experience in Green Bay, there’s probably no reason to get him back on the field until training camp.
While the Packers drafted Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, Davis was slated to have a big role on special teams.
“That’s a tough one right there,” special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said at the time. “He contributed so much. First of all, he’s a big guy that can really run, and so, yeah, it’s going to be multiple people that have to fill his role.”
The Packers’ Free Agents
The Packers entered free agency with 12 unrestricted free agents. That number was set to increase 14 with the expectation that running back Patrick Taylor and cornerback Robert Rochell would not receive restricted free-agent tenders.
Here is that group.
Running back: AJ Dillon, Patrick Taylor.
Tight end: Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis (re-signed).
Offensive line: Jon Runyan (to Giants), Yosh Nijman.
Linebackers: Eric Wilson, Kristian Welch.
Cornerbacks: Keisean Nixon, Corey Ballentine, Robert Rochell.
Safeties: Darnell Savage (to Jaguars), Rudy Ford, Jonathan Owens.
The Packers’ Salary-Cap Outlook
According to OverTheCap.com, the Packers were about $13.6 million under the salary cap at the start of the day on Monday, the unofficial start to free agency. Only 10 teams were in worse shape.
While the Packers released De’Vondre Campbell a day earlier, his full cap charge of $14.23 million will remain on the books until he’s officially released on June 1. At that point, the Packers will receive some considerable cap savings to help with any in-season transactions. However, none of that money can be used to sign a player in March.
