AJ Dillon Returns to GB

[Labrev]

I kind of wonder if Dillon would benefit from watching Josh Jacobs up close and trying to run more like him than trying to be a big Aaron Jones.

[paco]

Love it! Great guy, decent to good back, low cost, zero risk.

Sounds like he's pretty close with Love, so that could be a reason as well. I saw mention that Deguara is as well. Could we see him return on a cheap deal as well?

[Acrobat]

He’s better than a lot of people give him credit for. Wish he could escape ankle tackles though. Happy to have him back as our #2 RB.

[lupedafiasco]

I see no upside from Dillon. Not as a RB. Not as a receiver. Not as a STs player. I’d rather draft a rookie get someone with potential than keep someone I know doesn’t have any.

[Yoop]

I see no upside from Dillon. Not as a RB. Not as a receiver. Not as a STs player. I’d rather draft a rookie get someone with potential than keep someone I know doesn’t have any.

do both, Dillon makes sense, now that he has learned his blocking assignments he's not telecasting a run coming, a Rookie will take time to learn that, so in single back sets when he's on the field, it's more obvious what he's there to do.

I would like to go rookie too, but I see why there going with the more experienced Dillon

[Drj820]

There really isn’t a downside.

Rookie backs take time to learn pass blocking and will be under contract for 4 years. They can have 3 good years after Dillon leaves…or if they are awesome and we can’t keep them off the field…great problem to have!

As of now we have nothing behind jacobs. If he gets dinged or needs a breather, plugging in a guy who has done it before is a very good thing.

We are paying him too little to complain

[APB]

Dillon is an experienced player in a young and relatively inexperienced offense who has shown a competent level of effectiveness in both the run and pass yet will have a cap charge relatively on par with the long snapper.

And people are complaining.

[go pak go]

Dillon has upside. We just haven't seen it since 2021.

It's been a long time since we did the vet min cap thing. Like 2008 or so.

[salmar80]

I like that Dillon has to earn it. I also like that the rookie RB or two we'll draft have to earn it, too, and aren't just guaranteed spots.

AJ's Quadzilla -thing kinda became a detriment to his game. Maybe he'll focus on his actual weaknesses in the offseason and surprises.

[CWIMM]

Am I the only one not understanding what this is?

The Veteran Salary Benefit was expanded in the 2020 CBA with the 4-year Qualifying Player benefit being included in it. This benefit is only available to players who have been under contract with the team (and never released) for the immediately prior 4 or more seasons. Under this rule, the team can designate a player to be signed and receive the benefit and reduce his base salary for Cap purposes by up to $1.45M. This rule also limits the player’s signing bonus to $167,500 and the player’s base salary cannot be more than $1.45M over the applicable minimum salary for the player’s service time.

Let's take a look at Dillon's contract. He signed a one-year, $2,742,500 including a base salary of $2,575,000 and a $167,500 signing bonus. With the minimum salary for a 4-year veteran being set at $1,125,000 for 2024 he's paid exactly $1.45 million more than it, qualifying for the benefit.

That means he will only count $1,292,500 towards the cap in 2024.

It’s an old rule change from probably around the mid-00s where role-playing veterans were struggling to find jobs because their minimum salary increased with years of service and so they cost more against the cap than younger veterans.

So they came up with the only rule in the cap in which money is paid to a player that doesn’t count against the cap. The minimum salary increases with tenure, but the cap charge essentially pauses at year 4 levels

Actually that specific benefit was added in the 2020 CBA.

[AmishMafia]

AJ is only 24. If he locks in, gets off FarmVille, reduces his squats, and works on explosion drills…he can have a nice year for us, help us for the cheap, AND get himself paid as a 25 year old somewhere else

He is 25 now and will turn 26 in a few months.

[TheSkeptic]

It is a good signing. And now there is absolutely no need to draft a RB. In the late rounds if a RB is obviously BPA, well then sure, but definitely not before round #4.

Actually with an offseason and another pre-season, it would not surprise me if Wilson is #2 and Dillon is the 3rd down back.

[Pckfn23]

It is a good signing. And now there is absolutely no need to draft a RB. In the late rounds if a RB is obviously BPA, well then sure, but definitely not before round #4.

Given RBs are usually quick to develop and this year's crop of backs is pretty meh, I can get on board with this. Unless there is great value I don't see us drafting a back before round 4 either.

[Labrev]

I would still be interested in a Trey Benson or a Jaylin Wright somewhere in Day 2, Blake Corum in Round 3-4.

RB is not off the table in my mind, but yes, it is no longer a need/must-draft high. We can draft for value there, as it should be.

[go pak go]

I would still be interested in a Trey Benson or a Jaylin Wright somewhere in Day 2, Blake Corum in Round 3-4.

RB is not off the table in my mind, but yes, it is no longer a need/must-draft high. We can draft for value there, as it should be.

I actually think Jonathan Brooks may make more sense now. We don't need a running back immediately and would better fit his return timeline.

[Yoop]

I would still be interested in a Trey Benson or a Jaylin Wright somewhere in Day 2, Blake Corum in Round 3-4.

RB is not off the table in my mind, but yes, it is no longer a need/must-draft high. We can draft for value there, as it should be.

I actually think Jonathan Brooks may make more sense now. We don't need a running back immediately and would better fit his return timeline.

agree, Brooks will need some time and we wouldn't need to rush him, perfect time for us to take him, what a combo between Jacobs and Brooks, plus we could also move on from the expensive Jacobs in 2 years.

[salmar80]

I agree that these moves allow for a lot of flexibility in the draft.

Ideally I'd like a mid-to-late round pick(s) who is great at rushing, but has to develop pass pro and/or pass catching, like a certain Aaron Jones when he was drafted. Colleges pump out a lot of talented RBs, but few come out as total packages.

[Madcity_matt]

I still think the biggest issue with Dillon last year was that he was frequently miscast. He is not a starter. I like him as a complementary back- your starter needs a breather so let the defense get hit by a bowling bowl a few times. Last year it was very rare that he and Jones were available for the same game. As a starter he wasn't good.

As a signing, I'm all for it. Would still like to draft a guy but gives even more flexibility. And furthermore, we are talking about our 90 right now, not our 53. See how it goes with draft and TC.

[CWIMM]

I still think the biggest issue with Dillon last year was that he was frequently miscast. He is not a starter. I like him as a complementary back- your starter needs a breather so let the defense get hit by a bowling bowl a few times. Last year it was very rare that he and Jones were available for the same game. As a starter he wasn't good.

Actually Dillon was more effective when being the starter (3.58 yards a carry) compared to serving as a backup (3.29). He struggled in both situations though.

[Yoop]

I still think the biggest issue with Dillon last year was that he was frequently miscast. He is not a starter. I like him as a complementary back- your starter needs a breather so let the defense get hit by a bowling bowl a few times. Last year it was very rare that he and Jones were available for the same game. As a starter he wasn't good.

Actually Dillon was more effective when being the starter (3.58 yards a carry) compared to serving as a backup (3.29). He struggled in both situations though.

Jones/Jacobs are plug and play, Dillon needs carries to find his nitch lots of RB's are like that, Lacy imo was like that, when McCarthy limited him to 15 carries a game, Lacy declined