The Packers gave RB Josh Jacobs a big four-year, $48 million deal in free agency. But HC Matt LaFleur suggested on Wednesday that the team might stick with a RB-by-committee approach this season.
"Philosophically, no matter who the runner is, typically we like to platoon those guys, whether it’s two guys or three guys," LaFleur said. "I just think it allows the RBs to stay fresh throughout the duration of the season. It's a very violent position they play."
LaFleur did leave the door open to the possibility of Jacobs getting workhorse usage, though: "I do think he’s very capable of being a high-volume feature back where he’s getting the bulk of the carries, but we’ll see how it plays out.”
On top of signing Jacobs to that big deal in free agency, the Packers selected RB MarShawn Lloyd in Round 3 of this spring's draft and re-signed RB A.J. Dillon. So they have options to take some load off Jacobs.
Jacobs' workload might ultimately depend on Lloyd's development. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said earlier this month that the Packers "see shades of Aaron Jones" in Lloyd and want to "get him acclimated pretty early, try to use him a lot." If the rookie proves ready, he could take a significant chunk of work from Jacobs. That'd likely make Jacobs more of a RB2 in fantasy lineups.
But if Lloyd takes longer than expected to settle in, we could see Jacobs in a true workhorse role, giving him RB1 upside.
Hopefully Dillon isn't a big part of Green Bay's plans after averaging just 3.4 yards per carry last year. His cheap, one-year deal doesn't even guarantee him a roster spot.
While Lloyd would need a Jacobs injury to become Green Bay's lead back this season, there's room for him to carve out a big enough role to be a RB3 or flex option.
LaFleur's Packers offense produced two top-40 PPR RBs in each of his first four seasons, including two top-27 RBs in both 2021 and 2022.
We shifted a little projected volume from Jacobs to Lloyd after LaFleur's comments about a committee backfield (and his history of deploying a committee backfield).
Jacobs falls two spots to 11th in the PPR RB rankings. Lloyd climbs four spots to RB46.
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