Green Bay Packers: Ten players to target in free agency

C.J. Anderson

If Green Bay doesn’t want to go the older vet route, adding a young player still containing upside would be another way to improve at running back.

Anderson and his fellow runner Ronnie Hillman both had decent seasons in a timeshare for the Broncos. The Broncos have a ton of players up for free agency – many of which are sure to be expensive. Even if Peyton Manning doesn’t return, the Broncos will be investing a large portion of that money scheduled as of now to got to him to go towards Brock Osweiler.

Suffice to say, somebody isn’t getting paid.

To allow both Anderson and Hillman to depart would probably be a mistake, so I’d expect at least one to stay on the team. Anderson grades out as the better of the two in all areas (71.6 vs 65.2 overall, 71.1 vs 68.8 rushing, 61.0 vs 46.6 receiving, 75.5 vs 53.3 pass blocking; PFF ratings).0

Higher cost shouldn’t necessarily knock him out of consideration for Green Bay though. Unlike Denver, the Packers have more leeway in terms of the cap and could likely fit Anderson into the void where James Starks would be without too much more money than he would make.

Getting a young player who performed better and was relied on more during Denver’s Super Bowl run would be a nice pickup for Green Bay and solidify their depth with another young piece without too much extra cost.

Secondary Option: Ronnie Hillman

Hillman definitely wasn’t as proficient as Anderson, but there are things working in his favor should Green Bay look at these two.

For one, Anderson has shown some of the same slow-start tendency as Lacy; that wouldn’t seem to bode well for hopes of a strong start on the ground in 2016. Hillman may have a lower ceiling, but he at least seems to spread his production across a season better.

Another factor is that Anderson is a restricted free agent while Hillman isn’t. Restricted free agency is risky business, and heavily leans towards the team with that player’s restricted rights.

To get players like this, it usually takes a wild overpay with plenty of guaranteed cash – something that definitely could halt Green Bay’s efforts early. Denver’s cap situation would likely make this less of an issue than normal, but if they give him one of the higher tenders it would cost a draft pick to bring him in.

Hillman comes with no such issues, and combined with his lower age (24 to 29) and similar production to Starks (974 to 993 total yards, 7 to 5 TDs) he could be a similarly priced option with higher upside.

Next: The Packers need a tight end