The Green Bay Packers were already in the market for a running back at the trade deadline, and that was when Josh Jacobs was healthy. James Palmer of Amazon noted that the finger injury to Jacobs could change the Packers’ trade deadline plans.
While the team was not desperate when Jacobs was healthy, the drop from Jacobs to his backup has them more likely to make a move.
“Packers have been involved in RB conversations ahead of Tuesday’s deadline,” tweeted Palmer. “The run game issues go beyond the RBs on the roster, but if you ask anyone in that building, they’ll tell you there is a sizable gap between Jacobs and the rest of the group.”
Palmer is making it clear the team is not blaming all of the running game issues on their backups. However, he is also noting that the team does not think they can go through the rest of the season with the depth chart as it is.
Green Bay Packers Could Trade for a Running Back at NFL Trade Deadline
It is interesting that this report came after the Packers had their best game on the ground with Jacobs out. Still, while Kaleb Johnson did have the best game on the ground this year, he still only had 68 yards on 14 carries.
More than that, Johnson was inactive the two weeks prior to this without any injury designation. Johnson fumbled in Week 4, and started to see his snaps go down in Weeks 5 and 6. Then, when Jacobs came back, the team made Johnson inactive.
However, MarShawn Lloyd did not take advantage of being the backup to Jacobs. He had nine rushes for 27 yards. So, the team made him inactive in Week 8 and called Johnson back up. He happened to be the active player when the team lost Jacobs.
While he stepped up this week, the team might not be high on him if Jacobs is out. More than that, the team might want a better backup than Johnson or Lloyd.
The Packers expect Jacobs to be healthy this week, but right now they are unsure how he will be able to grip a football. It brings reason for concern.
Plenty of Backup Running Back Options Emerge
The team has been tied to Jonathan Taylor and Breece Hall. However, there is a good chance that they search for a lesser-known name who can complement Jacobs and perhaps slide in for a game or two when Jacobs gets hurt as well.
Some names to consider are Tyjae Spears of the Tennessee Titans, J.K. Dobbins of the Denver Broncos, Kimani Vidal of the Los Angeles Chargers, and Tyler Allgeier of the Arizona Cardinals.
These are the names that would not cost nearly as much in draft capital and would fill what the Packers are looking for all in the same.
The trade deadline is this Tuesday. We will see if the Packers make a move.
Insider: Josh Jacobs Injury Could Change Packers Trade Plans