Great line to end your article.

I liked swapping out Jones for Jacobs because Jacobs is younger and has been more durable. I also like the tone that is set by a good power running RB. Jones led the Packers' hot streak at the end of last season, but let's not forget that his lack of availability was the main reason they almost missed the playoffs. The Vikings have run him hard this year and have been very lucky that he hasn't missed much time with injuries.

The stat comparison for this season is very interesting and has become quite lopsided in favor of Jacobs. Jacobs has 170 more rushing yards than Jones, while Jones has only 8 more receiving yards than Jacobs. The difference between TDs (13 to 5) is massive. The fact that Jacobs has 45 more carries than Jones is a plus for Jacobs, not a minus. I will gladly take all those extra carries in exchange for 1/10 less yard per carry.

I couldn't agree more on the effect that Jones has had on the rest of the team. They were all fired up when he tossed that Saints DB aside with a stiff-arm and almost scored. When Lewis and Brooks came into the game, they were breaking tackles just like Jacobs. It was fun to watch.

I kind of went by Ted Thompson's FA philosophy: You have to be careful, it's easy to make a big mistake, and the guy you get might not be any better than the guy you let go. His emphasis was on resigning his own FAs, not somebody else's. Of course, he still got guys like Woodson and Pickett, but he really didn't make any huge, costly mistakes.

Gutekunst is a protege of Thompson, but this is a point of difference between them. Gutekunst is more active in FA, and he hasn't made a big mistake...yet...and he's had a number of good moves to his credit. Amos, ZSmith, PSmith, McKinney, Willis, and Jacobs.

Some people thought the Jones for Jacobs move was a sideways move, even though Jacobs is several years younger. And Jones has had a fine year in Minnesota. But Jacobs is going to be playing in this league when Jones isn't anymore.

I think he's the best RB we've had since Ahman Green, but it's only been one year. And by the time his contract is up....he'll be replaced.

xXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tangentially, it's not just Jacobs. You look at Wilson and Brooks and even Lloyd and this is a real good group. Green had Davenport and Fisher behind him, and they all averaged over 5.0 yards/carry in 2003, but if I had to choose, I'd rather have the guys we have now. For one, they don't cough it up as much. About 450 touches this year with only 3 fumbles....all by Jacobs. 2200 yards and 18 TDs against 3 fumbles....in 15 games. That's kind of impressive, IMO. An average game, our RBs give us about 150 yards of offense, and a TD, and have a fumble once every 5 games. I'll take that anytime.

Did anyone think letting Jones go was a great move at the time? I think everyone probably agrees with this article.
I didn't quite know what to make of the swap but to me it highlighted that we kept Barry as DC even though he didn't perform and we let Jones go even though he did. Pretty big difference between Gute and MLF. That was 3 years wasted by MLF and even though Packers are playing well now, I'm still concerned MLF will mess this up.

I did not have to be convinced Jacob’s was an upgrade; I was certain; and so were a few others.
I watched him with Raiders for a few years and was always impressed. He’s not a speedster, but we have all witnessed his knack for sliding thru tight windows and his ability to break tackles. I like him most for his ability to score…and his availability.
I’ve compared him to Paul Hornung, although I’ve only seen Hornung in highlight reels. He also reminds me of Maurice Jones-Drew.
Go Packers!!!

Ken, your choice of lead photo for the article was awesome! That, is a poster if ever there was a deserving picture. That saint wanted no part of tackling Jacobs. A picture is worth a thousand.......
+ yards bushhog.

Jacobs has made average blocking look good and his physical style has rubbed off on the the RBs in the room. He just spent $100,000 on Xmas resents for the OL, giving them necklaces with their numbers in diamonds, so maybe they'll reward his largesse by giving him some more wiggle room.

I didn’t love it, but I understood and agreed with it. Gonna be a game Sunday! Who!

I did not like seeing the Packers let Jones go. I do like Jones and he is a very good RB and person. He is a true Packer. I was upset that Jones signed with the Vikings for a lot less than what I thought other teams would have signed him. Yes I was not happy with Gute for letting him go after he helped out the team with a true salary cut. I liked the idea that we signed Jacobs and I was sure he would be as good if not better than Jones. Most of all I liked that he was younger and seemed more durable. I am glad Gute made the right choice.

I am not making a pick on the Packers game this week because I am at a loss as to what is going to happen.

First off, the Packers / Gute didn't let Jones go. They were in negotiations and eventually even offered more money than the Vikings, but it was either too late and or Jone and his agent had soured. This is according to Spoff on Packers.com. I still think Gute was going for Jacobs and maybe that was part of the problem for Jones too along with his having bent over backwards in previous years and not feeling appreciated.

I loved having Jones on the Packers, but Gute seems to know when to cut bait. Aren't we glad we don't have the Campbell problem that the 9ers had this season.

It's a difference between being a finesse offense verses a physical one. Loved Jones, but he wasn't a pounder that could set up the pass. Jacobs affects this team in many ways, the obvious and most important one is making teams drop that 2 High-safety look to stop the run. That allows Love to look at his vast array of targets and pick and chose to keep those chains moving. It also allows him to go for the big gainer, which in my opinion may be too often but hey I'm not a NFL coach. But I did sleep in a Holiday Day Express this week!
Just MHO

Tired cliche--'availability is the best ability'

Jones missed 11 games in 2023