Aaron Jones‘ exit from the Green Bay Packers was probably the most shocking after Aaron Rodgers’ switch last season. The talented running back’s release raised many eyebrows, especially considering his loyalty and contribution to his draft team. However, Jones seemed to have moved on and joined the Minnesota Vikings with a 1-year contract.

The primary reason for the Packers letting go of Jones was their tricky salary cap situation. This factor was further proven by the signing of Josh Jacobs through a four-year $48 million deal. While the former Raiders’ RB is a decent player in his own standing, his replacing Jones had a former NFL player questioning the Packers’ decision.

Todd Gurley favors Aaron Jones over Josh Jacobs

A former Falcons’ running back gave his two cents on the Packers’ RB situation during an appearance on the Pocket Presence podcast. Todd Gurley considers Jones to be the only key offense player other than quarterback Jordan Love. He further expressed that, while he likes Jacobs, he doesn’t understand why the team would choose him over Jones.

“If I’m looking at Aaron Jones, obviously besides Jordan Love, I’m thinking he’s literally their best and only offensive option,” said Gurley. “I love Josh Jacobs, but it’s like, I feel like, Damn, you got rid of Aaron Jones for Josh Jacobs like I really kind of…didn’t understand that.”

With Jones starting a new leg of his NFL career with the Vikings, the Packers still have some voids to fill in their roster. As the new season approaches, the franchise would have to strengthen its offense and provide support to QB Love, which is required to run the game smoothly.

Analyzing the Packers’ RB position: Jones vs. Jacobs

It’s crystal clear that Jones’ trade was simply a move made under financial duress. The Packers were suffering a cap hit of around $17.5 million because of the RB. Having already agreed to a pay cut last offseason to remain with the team, Jons was unwilling to compromise this time around. Ultimately, the team had to let go of him. To fill the RB void, the Packers signed Jacobs in a four-year deal, slated to earn $14.8 million in the upcoming season.

Going by stats, Jacobs has a career-high of 1,653 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns with the Raiders in 2022. However, his last season was considerably slower, having missed four games. But the 2019 draft’s first-round pick has promising attributes that had the Packers vouching for him, especially his ability to rush between tackles. While lagging behind Jones a couple of years in experience, the Packers’ new RB might need some support initially. Hopefully, AJ Dillon will be in the crew in the upcoming season to help guide the new addition.

While losing long-time players like Rodgers last season and now Aaron Jones, Green Bay is certainly undergoing a shift in character. The team needs to navigate its way through the intricacies and fine-tune the positions to ensure another successful run in the league’s 2024 season.

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