Before the trade deadline, teams that are interested in trading should be watched by the Packers.
Now that the Jordan Love Era in Green Bay has been going for three weeks, there are many positive developments.
Sadly, there is still much room for improvement (Joe Barry, you’re safe this week just a dot).
In spite of this, nobody outside of 1265 Lombardi Avenue really expects much from the 2023 Green Bay Packers, so it’s okay.
It’s great if the 53 players in the locker room think they will win the Super Bowl soon, but it’s also great if they think they are “about seven to eight dawgs away,” to paraphrase a popular college football head coach right now.
However, just like any of the other 31 teams in the league, the emphasis should always be on improving every single day.
This makes me think that “better” might just refer to some addition done through subtraction.
Even though the season has only been going for three weeks, some clubs have already had wake-up calls, and their respective fan bases have legitimately expressed concern.
After watching these young Packers’ first two games, this writer has some of his own as well. And while I am aware that I may be called a heretic and possibly even worse things that are not permitted on this website, I can’t help but feel that this team’s ongoing makeover has continued with the release of OT David Bakhtiari and RB A.
J. Dillon.
Starting with Bakhtiari, who will turn 32 next week, he is currently the oldest player on the roster.
He has demonstrated that he still has a lot left in the tank, but it is unclear how readily available all of that talent is.
Due to swelling in his surgically repaired knee, Bakhtiari missed the Packers’ 24-25 loss to the Falcons last week. Reserve linemen Rasheed Walker and Yosh Nijman performed well in relief, and I would prefer not to stifle Walker’s development; especially for an aging player who may not be available when you really need him to be (Bakhtiari last played in the postseason in 2019).
I believe it is safe to say that had Bakhtiari played, he could have been worth a 1-point swing in the Packers’ direction, but who’s to say without him playing in the game.
David Bakhtiari, however, is a top offensive tackle when he is on the field.
His availability for only about 65 percent of the season may not matter to teams with weak offensive lines.
Even though General Manager Brian Gutekunst emphasized that Bakhtiari is not available, there have undoubtedly been numerous links to the Jets.
However, what I appreciate most about him is that he is not afraid to correct himself when he realizes he has strayed from the truth. Even with the converted salary maneuver into a signing bonus, that simply means Bakhtiari would be very, very easy to move for only $1.9M, freeing up some cap space for the team’s core veterans this offseason.
Even at his “advanced age,” which Ted Thompson chose to give Bakhtiari in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2013, I don’t believe that is an unfair sum of money today.
When I heard of A.J. during the 2020 Draft, I immediately thought of A.J.
I murmured to myself as Dillon’s name was called in the second round, “welp, LaFleur’s got his RB now, bye-bye Aaron Jones. But in my view, Jones’ value to the team has only grown as a result of Dillon. I recognize that they are two very different types of runners, but this offense is operating at a completely different level when 33 is lined up in the backfield.
Running-wise, Dillon has appeared to regress every year since 2020, going from 5.3 YPC to 2.6 YPC as of this writing for 2023.
He currently has an upward trajectory as a receiver (8.3 YPC), but from 2020 to 2022, he also displayed regression, falling from 10.5 YPC to 7.4 YPC.
Despite the small sample size, the Atlanta game provided a good indication that the offense occasionally stumbled due to Dillon’s dominance in the run game.
I don’t understand why Emmanuel Wilson, a preseason sensation who struggled to get going, only received 3 carries.
Dillon still has value that the right team might want to take advantage of, even though the idea that he can lead an offense or be a true RB1 at this point may be just hopes and dreams.
This year has already seen the deaths of several well-known running backs, and I have no doubt that there will be more before the year is over. Gutekunst has essentially stated that Dillon is available, particularly if it means getting the Colts’ displeased running back Johnathan Taylor.
Dillon’s value is really more of a “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” type of way because he hasn’t produced at the level that a 2nd Round Pick may typically have for an RB.
There should be plenty of teams in this league looking for a big back with soft hands who can play out of the backfield, but timing is essential.
In either case, a 5th Round pick in exchange would be ideal.
If Gutekunst lets Dillon leave in free agency, he won’t get anything at all, so he might be content with a sixth or seventh.
Or. Perhaps it’s time for Green Bay to give Dillon a role akin to that of William Henderson, who is undoubtedly one of my favorite Packers of all time?
Bakhtiari will play this week.
Will Dillon be able to play well?
Because the Saints are a force to be reckoned with and should compete with the Falcons for the NFC South championship throughout the final stretch, we’ll need both of them to do just that.
The second episode of Joseph’s Judgement will air the following week.