Packers free agency 2019: Why they should re-sign Geronimo Allison

The Green Bay Packers should bring back wide receiver Geronimo Allison in 2019.

Geronimo Allison is a restricted free agent this offseason, but the Packers should have no hesitation to bring him back.

As Allison is a restricted free agent, the Packers will have a few options if they want to re-sign him. They could use a first-round, second-round or original-round tender.

In the case of all three, other teams would have the chance to sign Allison to an offer sheet, but the Packers would have the opportunity to match. The first two options are more expensive but would ensure the Packers would receive a draft pick in return if they lost him to another team.

I expect the Packers to use an original-round tender, which Over The Cap projects would cost $2.04 million in a one-year, fully-guaranteed contract.

For the value Allison has to Green Bay’s offense, that’s a bargain. If another team comes in and Allison signs the offer sheet, the Packers would have the chance to match the deal to ensure he remains in Green Bay.

Allison missed over two-thirds of the 2018 season due to injury, but in that time he had already set a career-best in receiving yards with 303 to go with two touchdowns. This was the first season without Jordy Nelson, which meant Allison would need to step up into a more prominent role in the Packers offense.

It might only be a relatively small sample size, but Allison delivered.

He made a couple of big plays at crucial moments, including a 39-yard touchdown catch against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and a 64-yard score two weeks later at Washington.

Aaron Rodgers trusts Allison and has the confidence to throw his way at important moments. That kind of connection can take time to develop. If Green Bay brings in additions at wide receiver, there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to get on the same page as Rodgers right away.

With Allison, the Packers know they have a receiver who has experience working with Rodgers. That’s important, particularly when the game is on the line like in Week 1 against the Bears.

Green Bay could look to strengthen the wide receiver corps in the 2019 NFL Draft, but the first move should be to ensure Allison is back next season.