Packers Reacts Survey: Would you have let Aaron Jones walk?

What grades would you give the signings of RB Josh Jacobs and S Xavier McKinney by Green Bay during the “legal tampering period?”

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Green Bay Packers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

With the first wave of free agency in the rearview mirror, let’s talk about how we feel about the Packers’ opening moves of the offseason. Not only has Green Bay cleared a ton of cap space, leaving defensive end Preston Smith as the only player on the roster over the age of 28, but the team has filled some major holes on their depth chart already.

Would you have let Aaron Jones walk?

Now that the reporting has cleared up some of the he said, she said about the situation, what do you think about the Packers allowing running back Aaron Jones to hit free agency? The newest details on the drama claim that Jones was offered an option to stay in Green Bay on a $4 million deal where he would be allowed to make back an extra $2 million via incentives. Instead, he opted to hit the open market and signed a one-year deal with the divisional rival Minnesota Vikings, who paid him a $6 million salary with $1 million in incentives on top of that figure.

If the Packers really wanted to keep Jones, they probably could have offered him a similar deal to stay, but a $2 million gulf between the two offers tells the story of Green Bay lowballing the ball carrier. If you were in general manager Brian Gutekunst’s shoes, what would you have done? Was it just time to move on?

Grade the Xavier McKinney signing

To me, this is the best move of the offseason so far. The Packers absolutely understood the assignment. The upcoming draft class is not strong at the safety position. Green Bay needed two starters at the position coming into free agency. They ended up getting the top player on the board and didn’t let anyone outspend them for that security.

That’s it. That’s the whole story. Maybe you aren’t happy with McKinney receiving a four-year, $68 million contract as a non-Pro Bowler, but this is a move that could push the Packers over the top. That’s what they paid for. For that, I’m going to give the move an A grade.

Grade the Josh Jacobs signing

It’s hard to isolate the Jacobs signing without wrapping it up in the release of Jones. I was a little worried about Jacobs’ lack of production last season, but after reviewing the film it was clear that he started getting going at about mid-season before his quad injury set in. The start of the year…was rough. That was as much on the Raiders’ offensive line and their rookie tight end Michael Mayer as it was on Jacobs, though.

Still, paying $48 million for what a running back did two years ago is a bad business to be in, even if Jacobs is only a 26-year-old. This move was a little risky for my taste, but I understand why they wanted to get younger at the position and lock up a true RB1 in a draft class that might not have more than one (Trey Benson) or two (Jonathon Brooks). The good news here is that the contract has very little guaranteed, meaning that it functions like a two-year, $23 million contract for Jacobs with team options of $11.5 million in 2026 and $13.5 million in 2027. I’m going to give it a C grade.