Two Packers make the Top 100 free agents list this offseason
The Green Bay Packers have several players they need to decide if they will re-sign this offseason. Who is brought back will ultimately indicate whether the team plans to rebuild or reload for next season. Aaron Rodgers has named five players he wants back for 2023. However, those players might not be considered top players by other teams in the league. Only one of the five names dropped by Rodgers made Pro Football Focus’s top 100 free agents list. And they’re not high on it.
Rodgers stated he wanted Marcedes Lewis, Randall Cobb, Robert Tonyan, Allen Lazard, and David Bakhtiari to play for the Packers next year. Lazard, who is the highest-rated Packers free agent in 2023, made PFF’s list at 62:
“Lazard is a major beneficiary of a weak free-agent group at wide receiver, but his unique skill set makes him stand out in his own right. Lazard is built like a modern-day tight end, with his 6-foot-5, 227-pound frame helping him earn a 78.2 run-blocking grade from 2019-21, which ranked seventh among wide receivers.
Lazard has proven he’s more than just a blocker, setting new career highs in targets (98), receptions (60) and receiving yards (788) in 2022, with his 73.9 receiving grade a new top mark despite the increase in receiving volume stepping up as the No. 1 receiver in Davante Adams’ absence.”
A team captain makes the list
No other players from last year’s offense made the top 100 free agents list. (One should note Elgton Jenkins was signed before the end of the season. He would have likely made PFF’s list.) Safety and team captain Adrian Amos made the list at 78:
“Amos had long been one of the most consistent, reliable safeties across the NFL, allowing an explosive reception on just 1% of coverage snaps over five seasons from 2017-21 and forcing an incompletion on 17.3% of targets into his coverage over the span, which ranked tied for 21st. He took a step back in 2022, earning a 54.2 grade — a career-low mark by more than 15 grading points.
That said, betting on a bounce-back 2023 campaign for a versatile defensive back who has logged roughly 1,000 snaps in five straight seasons could be worthwhile. While Amos may not have the highest ceiling, before 2022 his floor was very, very high.”
Should the Packers sign these same players for 2023?
The Packers could reflect on what this means for the team going forward. It might not be prudent to bring back certain players to benefit Rodgers if head coach Matt LaFleur and General Manager Brian Gutekunst think there will be diminishing returns on Rodgers and his core group of favorites next season.
The Packers need to think seriously about rebuilding for Jordan Love before Rodgers decides if he wants to play in 2023. They could look for names higher on the list of PFF’s top 100 free agents to sign if the Packers plan to trade Rodgers.
