NFL Free Agency Primer: Allen Lazard

The regular season has come to a close, and most teams have already begun the complicated process of preparing for the 2023 season. In the coming months, we'll be covering the impending free agents most capable of shifting the balance of power in the NFL.

The Player: Allen Lazard

Wide receiver Allen Lazard has emerged as a big play waiting to happen in his time with the Green Bay Packers, compiling 2236 receiving yards and an impressive 20 touchdowns over 57 appearances since 2018. A towering, big-bodied receiver with a huge catch radius (6'5", 227 lbs), Lazard appears to have found his ceiling at 27 years old. He may never develop into an all-around threat, but there's no doubt he strikes fear on the outside and can open up things for other players.

The Fit:

The NFL has skewed a bit more towards smaller, slipperier wide receivers like Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill of late, but there's still a place for Lazard's overpowering on-field presence. He would make sense as a deep threat and contested-catch specialist for a team that's willing to gamble on big plays or has a quarterback that's unafraid to push the ball downfield. He could be a poor man's version of Mike Evans on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Mike Williams on the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Cost:

The last time a Green Bay Packers wide receiver with this sort of production hit the open market was Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs last year. Lazard should command a similar deal, but he could climb as high as Courtland Sutton's four-year, $60 million extension with the Denver Broncos if a team falls in love with his physical tools. 

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