![\"Grade](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/lFMdYw28QZjhENx2wcxEVjH-FoA=\/1400x788\/filters:format(jpeg)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/25907137\/1777026382.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Green Bay Packers added two high-priced free agents on Monday, the first day of the NFL\u2019s legal tampering period. Now that the dust has settled a little bit, we want to hear from you about how you feel about the signings.<\/p>\n
Nate Hobbs spent four years with the Las Vegas Raiders, where his rookie season overlapped with now Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Rich Bisaccia\u2019s tenure as interim head coach for the team. During that rookie season, Hobbs earned Pro Football Focus\u2019 All-Rookie Team honors as a slot back.<\/p>\n
In his second year in the league, Hobbs started 11 games, mostly as an outside cornerback, before moving back to a primary slot role for the next two seasons. Despite his slot background, reports are claiming that the Packers\u2019 plan for Hobbs is to play the 25-year-old on the outside, a transition that was successfully made with Keisean Nixon \u2014 another former Bisaccia Raider \u2014 this past season.<\/p>\n
So on paper, the team\u2019s starting outside cornerbacks are likely Nixon and Hobbs with Carrington Valentine as the backup, assuming that the Packers will eventually part ways with Jaire Alexander this offseason. That would leave room for 2024 second-round pick safety Javon Bullard to play in the slot full-time, following the emergence of 2024 fourth-round pick Evan Williams at safety.<\/p>\n
Hobbs inked a four-year, $48 million deal with Green Bay, which featured only $16 million in guarantees \u2014 all coming in the form of a signing bonus. Based on Spotrac\u2019s layout of the contract, his deal essentially lays out like a two-year, $27.25 million contract with team options of $10.05 million and $10.7 million in 2027 and 2028, respectively. Hobbs\u2019 average per year of $12 million ranks sixth among free agent cornerback signings this offseason behind Byron Murphy Jr. ($22 million), Charvarius Ward ($20 million), Paulson Adebo ($18 million), Carlton Davis ($18 million) and D.J. Reed ($16 million).<\/p>\n
After a year as a backup, Aaron Banks developed into a three-year starter for the San Francisco 49ers, almost playing exclusively as a left guard for the team. In 2023, prior to a turf toe injury that he pushed through, he was having a near Pro Bowl season \u2014 and actually earned the most Pro Bowl votes from fans among NFC guards. Ultimately, he was named a Pro Bowl alternate for that season.<\/p>\n
In 2024, his injury luck didn\u2019t even out, unfortunately. Banks broke his finger in the summer, another injury he pushed through despite not being 100 percent, which is one reason for his less-than-Pro-Bowl-caliber film last year. Like the Josh Jacobs bet that general manager Brian Gutekunst made last offseason, the signing of Banks is a gamble that he can return to his first-half-of-2023 form after some unlucky breaks in his career.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s absolutely sticker shock with the Banks signing, though. Banks\u2019 $19.25 million average per year figure he signed up for was the second-most among offensive linemen this free agency cycle, only behind the now Tennessee Titans\u2019 left tackle Dan Moore Jr. He\u2019s now the third-highest-paid left guard in the sport and the sixth-highest-paid overall guard.<\/p>\n
The Packers\u2019 plan for Banks\u2019 four-year, $77 million contract is to play him at left guard and move Elgton Jenkins to the center position, according to early reports. A lineup you\u2019re likely to expect going into 2025 is Rasheed Walker at left tackle, Banks at left guard, Jenkins at center, Sean Rhyan and Jordan Morgan fighting at the right guard position and Zach Tom at right tackle. Both Walker’s and Tom\u2019s contracts are coming, too, and both should net at least Moore type of money.<\/p>\n
The contract details, beyond the raw numbers of Banks\u2019 deal, have yet to be announced.<\/p>\n
If you find the time today, join the conversation in the comment section. We want to hear how you feel about the moves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Speak now or forever hold your peace<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green-bay-packers"],"yoast_head":"\n