Irvin Swervin’ Into Expanded Role

It’s not every day a player on his fourth team and nearing his 27th birthday suddenly emerges as a legitimate playmaker.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Tyler Ervin was a fourth-round draft pick by the Houston Texans in 2016. In his first three-and-a-half seasons in the NFL, Ervin had a measly 14 receptions and five carries on his offensive resume.

It’s not every day a player on his fourth team and nearing his 27th birthday suddenly emerges as a legitimate playmaker. However, judging by Monday’s training camp practice, Ervin appears to be very much in the plans of Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur.

After rescuing the team’s heinous kick-return units as a late-season addition in 2019, Ervin is being given a shot to contribute on offense. A pass-catching running back and returner by trade – he rushed for 2,803 yards and caught 87 passes at San Jose State – Ervin’s speed and quickness could make him a factor in a Packers passing game that is short on speed and quickness.

“I think he displayed that last season in the return game,” LaFleur said after Monday’s practice. “He’s an explosive player. He’s pretty elusive. We have (offensive line coach) Adam Stenovich, who was his O-line coach for a year at San Jose State. He’s been in our ear about what type of playmaker ‘Swerve,’ as we like to call him, can be. We’re just going to continue to try to give him opportunities to see what he can do.”

Being given opportunities is one thing. Really, every player on the roster will get his opportunity to impress during training camp. It’s taking advantage of those opportunities that separates those who play on Sundays from those who are watching at home. After failing to make a difficult catch at the goal line on Saturday, he was fantastic on Monday. He showed his speed on a jet-sweep run that outflanked the defense. Later, he streaked up the seam for a big catch from Aaron Rodgers against the blitz. Later, he gained about 20 yards on a corner route from Jordan Love.

Asked if he’d ever been given this kind of opportunity in the NFL, Ervin deferred.

“I wouldn’t try to compare different training camps,” he said. “I just look at it like every time I’m out there, there’s an opportunity. So, it’s just a matter of going out there and trying to play the best ball that I can, obviously having fun, and let the chips fall where they may.”

Barring a disastrous training camp, Ervin is a lock to make the roster and build upon a rather incredible 2019.

In December, the Packers rescued Ervin from the unemployment line. With Jacksonville, he averaged 1.8 yards per punt return and was released after a fumble. In turn, Ervin rescued the Packers’ historically bad punt-return game, which had produced minus-8 yards on 12 returns. In the final four regular-season games, Ervin averaged 9.6 yards per punt return and 26.7 yards per kickoff return. Wanting to take advantage of Ervin’s athleticism, LaFleur gave him some action on offense. Between regular season and postseason, he carried three times for 35 yards and caught three passes for 18 yards.

As a thank-you note of sorts, the Packers retained Ervin in free agency with a one-year deal worth $1.047 million. Now, will Ervin reward the Packers as just a returner? Or, for the first time, can he become someone to highlight on offense?

“Balancing the two is just a way of life for me, honestly,” Ervin said of offense and special teams. “It’s just something I’ve had to learn how to get good at, and really I see myself as a person who can play multiple positions. I’m not really trying to categorize myself, because I feel like when I do that, I think I limit myself. I’m just going to do what I can to contribute to the team, whatever form that is.”