Not a No. 1, But Lazard Proves Valuable

Allen Lazard couldn’t carry a young receiver corps but he’s been productive and valuable on the eve of his first foray into free agency.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Dec 13, 2022 10:19 PM EST
Original:
Dec 13, 2022

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – During training camp, Aaron Rodgers called Allen Lazard a “No. 1 receiver.” With Lazard entering his final season under contract, playing anything like a No. 1 receiver would have resulted in the type of financial security he only could have dreamed about when he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

With the Green Bay Packers entering the final four games of their season, Lazard has been good. He just hasn’t been great. With 45 catches for 620 yards in his 11 games, he’s already eclipsed his career highs. He’s got an outside chance of reaching 1,000 yards for the season.

“Am I happy with my performance? Yeah. I lay my head down at night knowing that I gave my best,” Lazard said after Tuesday’s practice. “I put my all into studying, preparing my body for the week and going out there and giving my best on Sundays.

“The results and statistics definitely aren’t where I think any of us want them to be at from that regard but it’s always about the journey, the process. It’s never about one day or one game or one season. I’ve got to keep on working like I always have throughout my entire career, not just here in the NFL but just in general, and keep on trying to improve and be more consistent to get the results where we need them.”

Lazard, obviously, has a lot to play for this season. Playing under the restricted free-agent tender of about $4 million, whatever he puts on film this season, and whatever numbers he puts up in the stat columns, will determine the value of his next contract when he hits unrestricted free agency for the first time after the season.

Lazard said his contract status hasn’t weighed on him. Sometimes, though, it’s impossible to separate finances from performance. In 2014, for instance, Randall Cobb said his impending free agency “definitely had something” to do with a slow start that hit a low point when he caught three passes for 29 yards in a Week 3 loss to Detroit.

Lazard noted their situations are different. A second-round pick in 2011, Cobb immediately inked a four-year contract. As an undrafted free agent, Lazard’s never had anything but one-year contracts, so he’s always been in prove-it mode.

“I think it has just because I’ve done it for four straight years,” he said. “Not to diminish Cobb, but I think being an undrafted guy, that’s just the mentality that you develop. It hasn’t really changed since my first day walking in here or even in Jacksonville. Just understanding the circumstances.

“Since the draft came and went in ’18, after going undrafted, I knew that my only goal would be to get that next contract, to be invested by the organization. Naturally, it’s in the back of your mind – thinking long term and everything – but it's definitely not at the forefront of my thoughts or anything. It’s understanding what has to happen before those thoughts can really be relevant.”

With the explosive ascension of Christian Watson, Lazard’s time to be Green Bay’s No. 1 has come and gone. Even with the new potential power trio of rookies Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure, there’s a place in Green Bay for a player like Lazard. His value in Green Bay as a talented “goon” and leader can’t be overstated, even if it might be underappreciated elsewhere.

“No matter what offense I’m in, I think I can bring high value to it,” he said. “I think that’s what makes me special as an individual player is I do a multitude of different things. I don’t think there’s one thing that I’m not necessarily the best at, but I think I do a lot of things very well. I understand situations and the game of football.

“For this offense, just for how it’s evolved over the last few years, how blocking is a huge part of getting the run game going, which consequently leads to the pass game and explosive plays, I think my presence and my role definitely helps amplify that.”