Getty Allen Lazard #13 of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park on November 03, 2019 in Carson, California.
Not everyone who played in a Green Bay Packers uniform during the 2019 season is destined to return for the next run, but there are a few promising pieces who should absolutely be prioritized as the Packers navigate free agency.
The Packers have 21 players looking for new contracts in the 2020 offseason with some looking for big-money contracts, including inside linebacker Blake Martinez and veteran offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga. It can’t be helped that some of last year’s key contributors among the group will be allowed to walk before offseason workouts begin. The biggest challenge for the Packers will be figuring out which among them fit best into their plans for next season and beyond.
Here are three of the most likely free agents to remain with the Packers for the 2020 season.
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Allen Lazard, WR
GettyAllen Lazard #13 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Lambeau Field on October 14, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
This one is easy regardless of whether the Packers have exclusive rights to him — which they do. Lazard’s breakout might not have scaled well with Aaron Jones’ monstrous season for the Packers, but the young wideout was certainly the most promising piece of the Packers’ passing game this season and stood out far more than other options like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison. While the Packers will expectedly add more receiving talent this offseason, bringing back Lazard to challenge for the No. 2 role opposite Davante Adams makes perfect sense.
Lazard ascended from a practice-squad role and made his debut in the offense one to remember with four catches for 65 yards and a touchdown during Week 6’s win over the Detroit Lion. He went on to finish as the team’s second-most productive wideout with 35 receptions, 477 yards and three touchdowns with an impressive 13.6 yards per catch. Beyond that, Aaron Rodgers has specifically recognized his maturity and understanding of the game. Even if a hot-shot rookie pushes him down to a No. 3 role, Lazard is booming with potential and figures to be an affordable re-signing.
Chandon Sullivan, CB
Chandon Sullivan #39 and members of the Green Bay Packers huddle prior to their game against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game at Levi’s Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California.
While the future of veteran cornerback Tramon Williams will factor into how much the Packers need from Sullivan in 2020, it would seem foolish to cast away Sullivan after the way he worked his way up the depth chart into a primary backup role this past season. The Packers clearly trusted his abilities more in 2019 than former second-round pick Josh Jackson — as Sullivan played 350 defensive snaps to Jackson’s 103. The decision practically becomes a no-brainer when you also factor in the Packers have exclusive rights to his free agency.
Like Lazard, though, Sullivan is someone that would have a case to come back on a new contract even if he were entering free agency without restrictions. He played in every game for the Packers behind starters Kevin King and Jaire Alexander and allowed just a completion percentage of just 35.5 when targeted in the passing game. He finished his second season in the league with 28 tackles, six passes defensed, a forced fumble and an interception. Regardless of whether Williams sticks it out for another year, Sullivan would keep quality depth in the Packers’ secondary.
Tyler Ervin, RB
Tyler Ervin #32 of the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California.
Ervin was brought in mid-season to revitalize the Packers’ hopeless return game and ended up showing the potential to do even greater things within the offense. He might have played just four games in the regular season, but he took 11 punts for 106 yards — a strong average if sustainable over an entire season — and could be developed into a situational weapon that breaks up the steady one-two punch of running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams.
Ervin rushed twice for 25 yards in the Packers’ win over the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the playoffs and caught a single pass for seven yards in their NFC Championship loss to the San Francisco 49ers, which isn’t much of a sample size. But it won’t take a lot of money to bring back the former fourth-round pick. It would make sense to move on from Ervin if the Packers had intentions to give 2019 rookie Dexter Williams a bigger role with the team in his second season — or maybe promote a yet-to-be-drafted new wide receiver that satisfies some of the same run capabilities. If neither, bringing back Ervin for a full season seems like a worthwhile bet.
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