Tag: aj dillon

Packers running back details Wisconsin recruitment, the ‘most boring visit ever’

Packers running back details Wisconsin recruitment, the ‘most boring visit ever’

It’s safe to say that Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon did not enjoy his recruiting visit to Wisconsin during the class of 2017 cycle.

Dillon detailed the visit as ‘the most boring [he’d] ever been on’ on a recent episode of his podcast, Toonen to Dillon.

Related: Wisconsin football’s all-time leading rushers

Some background: the current Packers running back and former Boston College Eagle was a four-star running back in the class of 2017. Wisconsin was one of the many top programs to enter his recruitment — a group that also included Michigan, Notre Dame, Florida State and Nebraska.

Dillon described his visit to Madison during his recruiting process, saying, ‘I’m there as a high school kid, and all we did is we went to Buffalo Wild Wings.’ He did so after reading what appears to be a letter from the Badgers apologizing for the visit, emphasizing that was the program’s No. 1 running back target in the class.

Dillon did clarify that his opinion on the state of Wisconsin, and the city of Madison, has changed since beginning his career with the Packers.

“Now I love Wisconsin,” Dillon continued. “And every time I go down to Madison, it’s so much fun.”

Dillon ended up at Boston College in the class of 2017, ranked as the No. 324 player in the class and No. 1 recruit from the state of Connecticut. He went on to play three years with the Eagles before entering the 2020 NFL draft, where the Packers selected him with the No. 62 overall pick.

Dillon’s stats at Boston College from 2017-19 include 845 total carries, 4,382 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns.

Those numbers fall short of the top running back that Wisconsin landed in the 2017 cycle — a player who would not have been a Badger had Dillon pledged to the class.

That is all-time great Jonathan Taylor, a fringe-four-star recruit ranked as the No. 24 running back in the class.

Taylor’s numbers from 2017-19: 926 carries, 6,174 rushing yards, 6.7 yards per carry and 50 rushing touchdowns.

It worked out for all parties in the end. Dillon got to the NFL, while Wisconsin saw arguably the greatest three-year run at the position in college football history.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Which Green Bay Packers backup RB should you target?

Josh Jacobs is the clear RB1, but who is his best handcuff target?

With the youngest offense in the NFL last year and a first-year starting quarterback in Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers endured some growing pains. They rounded into form late, however, winning eight of their final 12, including a rout of the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs. While most of that group returns intact, the team made changes in the backfield.

Gone is running back Aaron Jones (Minnesota Vikings), who was released after refusing a pay cut. For as good as Jones has been, durability was an issue. The team hopes free-agent signee RB Josh Jacobs will be sturdier in the RB1 role. Although he had mediocre production a season ago, he’s just one year removed from a 2,053-yard, 12-touchdown overall performance that earned him first-team All-Pro honors.

Even with the switch from Jones to the younger Jacobs, don’t expect head coach Matt LaFleur to alter his approach when it comes to utilizing two backs. In five seasons on the job, MLF has given his lead back an average of 203 carries to 145 for RB2 — a 58/42 split in terms of percentage. Perhaps that skews a little heavier to Jacobs’ side, but there should still be plenty of work for whoever emerges as the No. 2 option.

Packers built out a bigger, more physical backfield this offseason

By signing Josh Jacobs and re-signing AJ Dillon, the Packers have built out a bigger, more physical backfield this offseason.

With Josh Jacobs, AJ Dillon, and even Emanuel Wilson, the Green Bay Packers have constructed a bigger and more physical backfield at the running back position this offseason.

At the NFL Combine, GM Brian Gutekunst mentioned wanting a “bigger back” on the roster at running back, specifically for short-yardage situations, colder weather, and for closing out games.

At 6-0 and 247 pounds, Dillon certainly fits that mold, and we’ve oftentimes seen the value that size of his brings during the latter portion of the season when the temperature in Green Bay drops.

With Dillon, he averaged only 3.4 yards per carry last season and, even with his size, wasn’t all that difficult to bring down, ranking 42nd out of 59 running backs in average yards after contact. This, in part, is why he’s back on such a low-commitment contract from the Packers’ perspective.

But with that said, Dillon has routinely been a much more effective runner in the final months of the NFL season versus the first few. Since 2020, Dillon is averaging 3.9 yards per rush in September and October, but 4.4 yards per attempt in November and December.

“I think we all can see it and the results kind of speak for themselves,” Matt LaFleur said following the Packers win over Kansas City. “Over the last couple years, he’s been pretty effective later in the season.”

Jacobs isn’t Dillon’s size, but at 5-10 and 223 pounds, he brings a physical running style to the Packers’ backfield. Part of what makes Jacobs such a successful running back is his ability to make defenders miss in a few different ways. This includes using his burst and agility, but he’s also very willing to run through defenders as well.

During Jacobs’ All-Pro 2022 season, he led all running backs in missed tackles forced with 90, and he averaged the 11th most yards after contact, according to PFF. All that, of course, contributed to Jacobs generating the second-most explosive runs of 10-plus yards.

“I think contact balance, man,” said Jacobs when asked about his ability to force missed tackles. “Understanding angles, understanding how the body moves, stuff like that, like if I’m coming at an angle, I look at the way guys shoulders … their momentum is taking ‘em and I kinda try to use it against em.

“I look at football kinda like chess, especially because the defender’s gotta react to me because I’m an offensive player and so I just kinda try to play mind games, whether I might run you over one play or make you miss the next. That’s kinda like what I get into.”

Wilson, who will be competing with Dillon and potentially a rookie for that second running back role this summer, is also listed at 5-11 and 226 pounds.

Even with Gutekunst’s comments at the combing about the type of running back he wanted on the roster, I tend to think the current construction of the position group, with bigger, more physical backs, is a bit of a coincidence.

Jacobs is still just 26 years old and was one of the top running backs available in free agency–not to mention that he can make defenders miss a few different ways. Physicality is a part of his game, but it’s not all he has to lean on either.

With Dillon, the price was right. The Packers were able to bring back an experienced player who knows the offense and fits the mold of the type of back Gutekunst wanted on the roster. However, with a cap hit of only $1.29 million if on the roster and a dead cap hit of just $167,500 if he’s released, there is very little financial commitment on the Packers’ end.

Wilson, meanwhile, was always going to be on the 90-man roster as an exclusive rights free agent, who the Packers clearly think highly of after he made the 53-man roster last offseason.

At a position that can often be on the receiving end of taking a lot of big hits, a bigger body style at running back can mean more durability and availability throughout the season. As the old saying goes, a player’s best ability is his availability.

Since 2020, Jacobs has missed only six games, with four of them coming last season. Up until Week 16 of 2023, Dillon hadn’t missed a game over the previous three seasons.

Running back is still a position that the Packers have to address in the draft, and I would guess that they do so with one of their five top 100 selections.

The Packers are always going to have their height and weight thresholds that they want each specific position group to hit. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the draft, we see the pendulum swing a bit in the other direction at running back since they already have some bigger, more physical backs on the roster in an effort to bring in a different body type and element to the offense.

Packers RB a good luck charm for Wisconsin in win over Maryland

Packers RB a good luck charm for Wisconsin in win over Maryland

Wisconsin basketball improved to 18-9 on the season and 10-6 in Big Ten play with a 74-70 win over Maryland Tuesday night.

The win signals a possible end to the Badgers’ February woes. Greg Gard’s team was 1-5 in the month entering the contest, including road collapses against Nebraska, Michigan and Iowa and a deflating home loss to Purdue. Well, the team could finally be turning a corner with just four games remaining in the Big Ten regular season.

Related: Which Big Ten football team has the toughest conference schedule in 2024?

The reason Wisconsin defeated Maryland is simple: the Badgers made 28 of their 31 free throws, good for a 90.3% clip. That includes nearly every free throw late in the game as well, even when the Terrapins seemed to hit every three-pointer to extend the game.

College basketball teams win when they make free throws. It’s that simple.

Or maybe Wisconsin’s win was due to something else, such as the presence of Packers starting running back A.J. Dillon sitting courtside.

Dillon’s wife is a Wisconsin alumnus, and his sister-in-law is on the Wisconsin cheerleading team.

I’m not going to create a cause-and-effect discussion here. But Wisconsin is now 1-0 in games Dillon is sitting courtside this season. That is a trend worth monitoring if he shows up at any games before the end of the year.

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Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

Ranking 2024’s top 12 free-agent running backs

Top 12 running backs of the 2024 offseason

Given what they gave Miles Sanders last year, the Carolina Panthers probably won’t be sifting through the open market for a big-name running back this spring.

But just in case you were curious, here are the top 12 free-agent rushers for the offseason:

Former Wisconsin Badger given NFL comparison to current Green Bay Packer

Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen recently received his official invite to the 2024 NFL combine. The former Badger declared for

Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen recently received his official invite to the 2024 NFL combine. The former Badger declared for the 2024 NFL draft in November after the team’s regular season, and he is projected to be a fourth- or fifth-round pick.

With the end of the NFL season comes the start of draft preparation, which leads most NFL writers to start generating comparisons for the upcoming draft prospects. Allen received one earlier this week: Packers running back A.J. Dillon.

The comparison makes sense on the surface. Allen is a larger back with a bruising running style, just like Dillon. The two have had their ups and downs — Allen with injuries and Dillon with inconsistent effectiveness — but each presents clear value to an NFL offense: a powerful runner that can wear down defenses and excel in short-yardage situations.

Now, Allen is the faster of the two and may have a higher ceiling. But Dillon is already a four-year NFL veteran with clear staying power. The former Wisconsin running back still has much to prove in that respect.

Allen is off to the NFL after a successful college career that included 597 carries, 3494 yards and 35 touchdowns. He finished his career in ninth place on Wisconsin’s all-time rushing leader board.

I’d argue the professional career of Dillon would be a success for Allen at this stage in the draft process.

Cowboys-Packers final wild-card injury report: Alexander missing, Gilmore good

The final injury report for Sunday’s wild-card game shows each team’s status and what’s been ailing them. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys ended their regular season with a serious question about their starting cornerback. The Green Bay Packers ended theirs with no such concerns. But as the week of practice leading up to Sunday’s wild-card matchup has concluded, the two teams have reversed positions.

Friday’s practice came with an escalated workout for Stephon Gilmore, who dislocated his shoulder in the Week 18 win in Washington. Meanwhile Jaire Alexander twisted his ankle in practice on Wednesday and hasn’t seen the football field since. Gilmore wasn’t even given a game designation of questionable, that’s how well he’s recovered.

The Cowboys have six players who’ve been monitored throughout the week, with the latest addition being Cooper Rush. It had appeared the club had kicked the illness bug, but Rush missed Friday’s practice. Hopefully no one else comes down with the cold over the next 48 hours.

Here’s a look at the full slate of injured players and how their weeks went.

Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Week 14

Check out these starts and sits for Week 14 in fantasy football.

After watching a surprisingly decent Thursday night game between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, the focus shifts toward a weekend full of vital decisions for fantasy football lineups.

The majority of bye weeks have passed as only the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders are the only two teams to get the week off. With most leagues finalizing the regular season in Week 14, the start/sit decisions have never been more crucial.

Hopefully, we can help get you into the dance for those trying to make it or help you spoil it for someone else.

Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.

Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.

Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11), or check out our start/bench list for Week 14:

Giants vs. Packers: 6 keys to victory in Week 14

The New York Giants host the Green Bay Packers on Monday night in Week 14, and here are six keys to victory.

The New York Giants rolled into the bye week with momentum after defeating the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots back-to-back.

The week off gave injured players some much-needed rest and a chance to rehab their bodies. They return to the field this week when they host the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.

The Packers are having a better season than most anticipated, and it’s not just because of Jordan Love.

If the Giants want to keep their winning momentum this week, there are six things they must do to beat the Packers.

AJ Dillon declared that ‘Fox owes Jordan Love a turkey leg’ with a funny T-shirt

Find you a friend that loves you as much as AJ Dillon loves Jordan Love.

A. J. Dillon is going hard in the paint for Jordan Love.

Love is quickly becoming the franchise quarterback that the Green Bay Packers need. On Sunday, he showed why the Packers drafted him in 2020, going toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes and making it look easy.

Cornerback Keisean Nixon says that Love is finally driving the proverbial Porshe, and now, running back AJ Dillon is wearing t-shirts to advocate on his behalf.

Days ago, an apparel company posted a “FOX OWES JORDAN LOVE A TURKEY LEG” shirt, and Dillon tweeted that he was pondering buying it.

On Monday, he made good on his word. Dillon showed up to the Packers’ facilities, rocking his new gear in honor of his quarterback.

What a guy.