Packers bring back five exclusive rights free agents
The Packers are bringing back five ERFAs.
The Green Bay Packers have tendered five exclusive rights free agents, meaning they will be returning for next season.
And GM Brian Gutekunst had some easy decisions to make. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, wide receiver Allen Lazard, cornerback Chandon Sullivan, defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster, tight end Robert Tonyan and wide receiver Jake Kumerow have all been re-signed.
Silverstein noted that the Packers now have “somewhere around $14.7 million” in salary cap room.
#Packers have tendered ERFAs: TE Robert Tonyan, WR Allen Lazard, WR Jake Kumerow, CB Chandon Sullivan and NT Tyler Lancaster. This will knock even more off their available cap room, putting their cap space somewhere around $14.7M when the new league year begins Wednesday.
— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) March 17, 2020
Bringing back these five players doesn’t come with a major cap hit for the Packers.
Lazard’s rise has been great to watch. He didn’t even make the Packers’ initial 53-man roster last summer but when he was brought back and an opportunity came up, he forced Matt LaFleur to give him more snaps. By season’s end, Lazard finished second among receivers with 477 yards and three touchdowns.
No matter what moves the Packers make at wide receiver between now and the start of the 2020 season, Lazard deserves a role in LaFleur’s offense.
Sullivan was another surprise in 2019. He ended up playing more defensive snaps than former second-round pick Josh Jackson and Tony Brown. Sullivan finished fifth on the team in defended passes with six, and he also made an interception. His role could increase if Tramon Williams isn’t re-signed this offseason.
Lancaster adds depth at an area the Packers need talent, along the defensive line. Tonyan’s role could also increase following Jimmy Graham’s release, so it was the right call to bring him back.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the decision to bring back Kumerow. Kumerow didn’t make much of an impact in 2019, catching 12 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown. But it’s possible LaFleur believes he can still have a role in Green Bay’s offense and can compete for a roster spot at training camp.