Jones is not coming back after "testing" FA. If you read the comments on Packers.com from Gutey and MLF about his release sounds like he's gone for good.
@MichiganPacker posted:Yes. Collins broke out in his 4th year and had almost as many interceptions that year (7) as McKinney has in his 4 full seasons.
McKinney ran a 4.63 40 at the combine and was even worse in the 10 and 20 years short-burst tests.
https://ras.football/2020/02/07/xavier-mckinney-ras/
He was also the same size as Collins (actually Collins was a little heavier), but Collins ran a 4.36 40.
As Tschmack says, the questions isn't whether he's going to be Nick Collins (I don't think there is any way he will be close), but whether he's 10 million dollars better than what they could have signed Savage for. It's possible he is, but he's shown no evidence of being a game-breaking, big-play guy in the mold of Ed Reed or Minkah Fitzpatrick.
As long as he isn't Ha Ha Clinton Dix redux I'm good with this signing.
@DurangoDoug posted:Jones is not coming back after "testing" FA. If you read the comments on Packers.com from Gutey and MLF about his release sounds like he's gone for good.
He wouldn't redo his contract, that's what did it.
@MNPackman posted:As long as he isn't Ha Ha Clinton Dix redux I'm good with this signing.
He's shown no signs of that at all
Speed is worthless if you can't play football too.
@Boris posted:He's shown no signs of that at all
Nope.
He was the highest graded safety in coverage in all of football last year. A passer rating of 52 for QB's going against him.
His 88.7 PFF rating was top 4 in the NFL. Only guys higher were Winfield Jr, Jesse Bates, and Holland who got even bigger contracts.
He's only 24. Repeat, just 24
Worth the click...
Xavier McKinney Highlights 🔥- Welcome to the Green Bay Packers (youtube.com)
It was meant to be a little bit of a joke since they both went to Alabama.
@MichiganPacker posted:I loved Aaron Jones as a Packer, and he was a very good back. But, if you are going to pay 10-12 million for a RB these days, it has to be a guy that is a true game breaker. Jones was in some games, but too often in the playoffs he wasn't. His fumble against the Bucs in the 2020 playoffs was right up there with Kevin King's issues in terms of why they lost that game. He was caught from behind deep in Niners territory in two 49er playoff games after he broke into the clear. In both cases, if he takes those to the house, the Packers probably win those games as well.
Remember this? At least get out of bounds? Packers missed a FG two plays later.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2PymJK5QJQ
Or this (start at the 40 second mark)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cuzqw_okd4
Or this?
And he was money down the stretch this year. It's a negative to not have him back this year regardless of what Jacobs can bring. I know tough decisions must be made, but Jones was important to the offense in too many intangible ways to not feel it in 2024. It feels a lot like the Jamaal Williams release. Maybe it had to be done but it sure is a bummer after the way this team finished the season.
I hate the business side of football. That's why Gutey makes the big bucks.
In other news
Trade:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024
🏈Lions receive: CB Carlton Davis, Buccaneers 2024 6th-round pick and a 2025 6th-round pick.
🏈Buccaneers receive: Lions 2024 third-round pick.
A second and fifth for Brian Burns, 16 months after the Panthers turned down two firsts and a second from the Rams for their Pro Bowl edge rusher. https://t.co/74HwrHd7ik
— Joe Person (@josephperson) March 11, 2024
@packerboi posted:His 88.7 PFF rating was top 4 in the NFL. Only guys higher were Winfield Jr, Jesse Bates, and Holland who got even bigger contracts.
He's only 24. Repeat, just 24
Worth the click...
Xavier McKinney Highlights 🔥- Welcome to the Green Bay Packers (youtube.com)
If Xavier is even top 10 this upcoming season, it's a GIGANTIC upgrade at the Safety position.
This is quite interesting in this context, players taken from Dillon to Deguara plus one round:
Antonio Gibson
Justin Madubuike
Jonah Jackson
Lloyd Cushenberry
Devin Duvernay
L'Jarius Snead
@Boris posted:If Xavier is even top 10 this upcoming season, it's a GIGANTIC upgrade at the Safety position.
In contrast, Savage was a 66 in PFF rating and he was the Packers best safety last year.
Mckinney fits the role of the centerfield safety with terrific closing speed and side-to-side cover skills that Hafley coveted. Xavier also can track the ball well in the air, something Savage couldn’t do well.
He will also allow CBs to play differently and looser because now GB has a safety that won’t get burned and get past the WR.
This is a game changer for the entire defense
🧀Josh Jacobs has 3,154 all purpose yards in the past 2 years (5th MOST IN THE NFL)🚀
— Stafa Vision (@StafaVision) March 11, 2024
Packers got a BEAST
📲Follow me for DAILY stats on your favorite team/players#NFLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/hAPtLOSz3H
@YATittle posted:New contract with Falcons gives Kirk Cousins over 411 Million in his career.
$411 million for 1 playoff win. Highway robbery.
Like Sterling Sharpe, Nick Collins was a freak of nature athlete. Or Charles Woodson. Perhaps Julius Peppers or Reggie White earlier in their careers.
That ain’t McKinney folks. Not even close.
Still, he seems assignment sure and has really good instincts. Which basically puts him top of list immediately for what we’ve seen at safety the last decade or so.
Leroy Butler is still the gold standard for football IQ in that defensive backfield in my lifetime and he was an average to above average athlete.
We've kind of had a Bears-QB-like run with our safeties since Collins. So the bar is low.
@Boris posted:🧀Josh Jacobs has 3,154 all purpose yards in the past 2 years (5th MOST IN THE NFL)🚀
— Stafa Vision (@StafaVision) March 11, 2024
Packers got a BEAST
📲Follow me for DAILY stats on your favorite team/players#NFLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/hAPtLOSz3H
Um...that didn't exactly end well.
plus I think he may have been ruled down
@packerboi posted:In contrast, Savage was a 66 in PFF rating and he was the Packers best safety last year.
Mckinney fits the role of the centerfield safety with terrific closing speed and side-to-side cover skills that Hafley coveted. Xavier also can track the ball well in the air, something Savage couldn’t do well.
He will also allow CBs to play differently and looser because now GB has a safety that won’t get burned and get past the WR.
This is a game changer for the entire defense
Plus, he can catch!
Jacobs had three fumbles last year with one lost on 233 carries and 37 receptions.
He had two fumbles in the Jets game, (shown above), with one lost.
@lovepack posted:Plus, he can catch!
...and more importantly tackle!
Of McKinney's 1,128 snaps in 2023, 464 came at free safety, 388 came in the box and 167 came in the slot. Of 74 safeties who played 500 snaps, McKinney ranked fourth in missed-tackle percentage (seven misses; 5.7 percent) and sixth in passer rating (52.1)
Compared to Savage:
According to PFF, Savage had 12 misses for a missed-tackle rate of 18.5 percent. Of the 95 safeties to play 300 regular-season snaps on defense, his missed-tackle rate ranked 85th and fell right in line with his career mark of 17.6 percent. PFF charged him with 13-of-16 passing for only 113 yards; his 23.1 coverage snaps per reception ranking 39th.
Raiders have agreed to terms with QB Gardner Minshew on a 2-year deal. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/Lzy1bOgU7P
— NFL (@NFL) March 11, 2024
@Tschmack posted:Like Sterling Sharpe, Nick Collins was a freak of nature athlete. Or Charles Woodson. Perhaps Julius Peppers or Reggie White earlier in their careers.
That ain’t McKinney folks. Not even close.
Still, he seems assignment sure and has really good instincts. Which basically puts him top of list immediately for what we’ve seen at safety the last decade or so.
Leroy Butler is still the gold standard for football IQ in that defensive backfield in my lifetime and he was an average to above average athlete.
Simmons might be the closest thing to a Woodson or Nick Collins that I've seen recently. But McKinney is a vg move, I believe. If he can grow into a leader in that unit, there's a lot of potential that has previously been kind of wasted or underachieved. We've been witness to high picks like HHCD and Savage who flashed maybe once every 4-5 games yet could be exposed in a bad way. The bit of stability they had in recent years came from guys like Amos, who was short-lived and dropped off a cliff but at his best was a very steady presence. Idk if McKinney could be that guy, but even if he can it won't happen immediately. I think some type of vet presence at safety should still be on the table if the situation fits and the price is right.
@artis posted:I think some type of vet presence at safety should still be on the table if the situation fits and the price is right.
There should be some decent options once the initial FA flurry dies down. I'm hoping Gute signs a veteran "box safety", drafts another one, and re-signs Rudy Ford for the #5 safety/core ST position. Along with AJJ this would be a major upgrade over last season.
You could blame Kark for putting the game on Walsh's foot.
Our short yardage run game just got brutal. Jacobs isn't going to trip over himself.
Day 1 summary.
LOST - Bahk, Jones, Campbell, Savage, Runyon.
GAINED - Jacobs, McKinney.
That’s it right?
Nope, we also GAINED cap space by releasing Bakh, Jones, Campbell
Packers also re-signed Tyler Davis at TE/special teams ace.
@Boris posted:If Xavier is even top 10 this upcoming season, it's a GIGANTIC upgrade at the Safety position.
Very true. And we also need to remember that our new DC has a strong background in coaching DBs.
Gutey has balls of steel. All business, without an ounce of emotion. I guess that's what we need to keep us moving forward and competitive even if we part with fan favorites.
Trade Davante Adams
Trade Aaron Rodgers
Cut Aaron Jones
Yet minutes away from conference championship with leagues youngest roster
Let the man cook. Guten free recipe...
Grab your purple sombreros, RB Aaron Jones is expected to join the Minnesota Vikings, per sources. pic.twitter.com/9HBW6CBlUt
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 12, 2024
A one year $7 million deal according to @RapSheet.
Interesting that the majority of the ex-Packer butt-hurts join the Vikings. Good way to kill the last few years of ones career.
@michiganjoe posted:Grab your purple sombreros, RB Aaron Jones is expected to join the Minnesota Vikings, per sources. pic.twitter.com/9HBW6CBlUt
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 12, 2024
Hopefully not for a 50% pay cut.