The “legal tampering” aspect of free agency will begin on Monday, formally igniting the frenzy of spending that will begin with the start of the new league season. Unofficially, front offices and representation got together at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis last week to begin setting the groundwork for future agreements.
However, opinions on the price that the Green Bay Packers’ class of 2024 free agents will fetch on the open market don’t seem to agree much. Running back AJ Dillon, right guard Jon Runyan Jr., safety Darnell Savage, and cornerback Keisean Nixon among the team’s top players whose contracts are up soon.
Spotrac estimates that Dillon’s market worth will be approximately $3.5 million for a one-year contract. According to A to Z Sports, he is expected to sign a $3 million, one-year contract, falling within a comparable range.
Head coach of the Packers, Matt LaFleur, has expressed in press conferences that he hopes to have Dillon back with the team in 2024. General manager Brian Gutekunst asserted that Dillon would stay on the Packers’ roster regardless of whether or not Jonathan Taylor was signed to the team when reports surfaced this summer that Green Bay was scouting him ahead of cutdowns.
However, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel revealed last week that Dillon isn’t “likely to re-sign” with the Packers for the next campaign. That is strange, particularly given that his actual cost is only about $3 million.
It’s difficult to find contract estimations for Runyan, but it does appear that the two sides have talked about a potential return. The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reported last week that Runyan’s new agency, Rosenhaus Sports, met with Packers brass at the combine. Now, we just have to wait to see if Green Bay’s offer is the best that Runyan can receive on the open market.
Savage was a featured player in Dan Graziano’s ESPN report on underrated players in this free agency class. According to Graziano, Savage is expected to receive “a nice deal” when he hits the open market. Unfortunately for Savage, no position has seen more high-price players become cap casualties this offseason than safety — meaning that there’s a lot more supply at the position than expected. A to Z Sports projected Savage to sign a two-year, $9 million contract, which seems a little light to be considered “a nice deal.”
Last on our list is slotback and return man Keisean Nixon, who signed a one-year, $4 million deal last offseason. Not only did Nixon earn a second straight First-Team All-Pro spot as a kick returner, but he was able to play the second-most snaps of any NFL player in the slot in 2023 — his first year as a full-time defensive starter.
One would assume that after checking both boxes in 2023, Nixon’s price would only go up from the $4 million that he signed for last offseason. Still, Spotrac only gives the cornerback a market value of a one-year, $1.7 million deal, less than half of what he made in 2023. Meanwhile, A to Z Sports projects him to sign a two-year, $8 million contract, which is a wide gap between estimations.
What is known, then, about the Packers’ impending class of free agents? Not a lot. Although opinions on each player’s circumstances vary, there is now little agreement. My recommendation? Put all of the smoke out of your mind until Monday, when the legal tampering period starts and we can finally obtain some solid answers.
Leave a Reply