The Green Bay Packers are hoping to make a splash in free agency by potentially bringing in Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper. Meanwhile, they will also be ramping up efforts to secure on of their own for the long haul in running back Aaron Jones.

Jones will be eligible to receive a contract extension this offseason. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Packers are set to begin negotiations with his camp:

Also, they were scheduled to meet with Aaron Jones’ agent, who is interested in starting talks on a new deal for the running back as he’s entering his final contract year.

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Green Bay’s interest in locking up Jones hardly comes as any surprise. The former fifth round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft has emerged as quite a steal after establishing himself as a bona-fide workhorse back. He was finally able to put together his breakout year in the 2019 NFL season by rushing for 1,084 yards and 16 touchdowns while tacking on 49 receptions for 474 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

It is safe to say that Jones has thrived under the new regime with head coach Matt LaFleur. More importantly, the Packers finally have a viable run game to help take the pressure off of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The question now remains how much they are willing to pay in order to keep it going.

The running back position has been deemed as one of the most expendable in all of football. As a result, there has been plenty of debate regarding whether or not teams should pay big money for a workhorse in the backfield. Fortunately, the timing seems to be right for Jones with the expected increase in salary cap in the 2020 NFL season.