Not much about the Green Bay Packers' offseason plan at running back made much sense.
Letting Emanuel Wilson walk and sign for next to nothing with the Seattle Seahawks? No sense. Not doing anything to replace him? No sense. It means they're now relying on MarShawn Lloyd to stay healthy and for Chris Brooks to increase his role on offense.
The Packers should've made a move for free agent Rachaad White while they had the chance. It cost the Washington Commanders just $2 million to sign him. It was an obvious missed opportunity for the Packers at the time, and, unsurprisingly, it looks even worse now.
Rachaad White is already proving why the Packers may regret not signing him
White can do a bit of everything, but it's his pass-catching that would've made him such a dangerous addition to Matt LaFleur's offense. He has the speed to give defenses nightmares. Last season, White received Pro Football Focus' fourth-best grade among running backs.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, White was among the names at Commanders minicamp "that came up a few times." He has turned heads already during the offseason program, an early hint at how he can help Jayden Daniels in Washington's offense.
Dean Jones of Riggo's Rag put it best:
"The dual-threat joining Washington went completely under the radar, certainly compared to other high-profile signings around the league. But if White has the impact expected, this could quickly become one of the biggest bargains of free agency when it's all said and done," Jones writes.
"He's got the speed, sharpness, blocking, and pass-catching that could be highly useful. Unlike some looking for their fair share of carries, he has also come encouraging previous production to call upon."
Jones isn't wrong.
The Packers understandably took a quiet approach to free agency. They wanted to cash in on 2027 compensatory draft picks, which is why they didn't spend big money. Their biggest deal went to Javon Hargrave, but as the Minnesota Vikings released him, he didn't count against the compensatory pick formula. GM Brian Gutekunst even admitted that it factored into their decision to sign him.
But signing White wouldn't have derailed that plan, either. He cost the Commanders $2 million. Yes, $2 million. Of that, only $1.71 million is guaranteed. That's loose change in today's NFL.
As White is showing, though, his impact can far exceed the value of his contract.
In two seasons from 2023 to 2024, White tallied 2,545 yards from scrimmage with 18 total touchdowns. He's a true dual-threat in any offense, but LaFleur's would've especially played to his strengths. LaFleur loves to use his running backs as pass-catchers.
It goes down as a missed opportunity. The Packers' running back depth remains a question, while White is already proving the Commanders right for signing him.
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