Packers free agency recap: Allen Lazard and Jarran Reed head elsewhere
By Paul Bretl
On the second day of the legal tampering period, two of the Green Bay Packers’ unrestricted free agents, Allen Lazard and Jarran Reed, signed contracts with other teams. Losing either player shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Lazard is presumably following Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, where he signed a four-year contract worth $44 million, with $22 million guaranteed. Familiarity and rapport are key elements to playing wide receiver alongside Rodgers, and Lazard has that trust, along with a willingness to help in the run game. He is coming off a career season in terms of receptions and yards and oftentimes was a go-to target as a Packer in high-leverage situations, such as on third downs and in the red zone.
Bringing back Lazard was likely never a realistic option for the Packers, given their salary cap situation. It again is going to be an offseason where Green Bay has limited spending power; however, they will still need to find a way to add a veteran receiver to this team. As of now, Romeo Doubs is the most experienced receiver on the roster, with 529 career snaps.
Reed, meanwhile, is joining the Seattle Seahawks, signing a two-year contract worth up to $10.8 million. He finished the 2022 season with 33 pressures, four sacks, and 28 stops, according to PFF.
As the second option next to Kenny Clark, Reed was playing his best football at the end of the season, with eight pressures in the final three games. This also coincided with the interior defensive line unit playing its best as well. With better run defense and more steady pressure, the entire Green Bay defense benefitted from the play up front.
Adding to the interior defensive line rotation should be on the Packers’ to-do list this offseason, but re-signing Reed was probably not in the cards. Assuming that Devonte Wyatt and TJ Slaton are both going to take on larger roles in 2023, there wasn’t much of a role left for Reed. Although depth in the trenches is needed, Green Bay needs a fourth option, not a second. Reed was likely able to earn more money and playing time than what the Packers could offer.
Green Bay will, in all likelihood, earn compensatory draft picks in 2024 for losing each of these players.
Marcedes Lewis and Randall Cobb are two other players who don’t have deals but were linked to another team. Can you guess who? Reportedly, Lewis and Cobb were two of the four players on Rodgers’ wish list for the Jets, with the other two being Lazard and Odell Beckham.
Once the re-signing of Keisean Nixon becomes official, the Packers will have in the neighborhood of $20 million to $21.5 million in available cap space. In addition to the players mentioned, Green Bay’s remaining unrestricted free agents include Robert Tonyan, Adrian Amos, Justin Hollins, Dallin Leavitt, Eric Wilson, Mason Crosby, Dean Lowry, Corey Ballentine, and Rudy Ford.