Tom Silverstein, in today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, writes about ways the Packers can augment their offense going forward and says this:
WR Allen Lazard (18 catches, 220 yards, 12.2 average, one TD): Whether it’s because of injury or a poor offensive fit, Geronimo Allison and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have not had good years. Lazard has. After coming off the practice squad in Week 6, he caught 4 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, then followed that with games of 3-for-42, 5-for-42, 3-for-44 and 3-for-27. In that same period, Valdez-Scantling has five catches for 185 yards and a touchdown and Allison has 13 catches for 107 yards.
Of course, finding a way to get the speedy Valdes-Scantling the ball down the field is crucial, but he doesn’t look like he’s 100%, and he still hasn’t proved he can do anything but run deep routes.
“I think we’ve got to look critically at ourselves and what we’re asking him to do and making sure we’re putting him in position to get some of those balls because he does have great talent,” LaFleur said.
The 6-5, 227-pound Lazard might not be as physically gifted, but he has a higher catch percentage (75% of the times he’s targeted) than any other wide receiver on the team and consistently posts yards after the catch. Not only that, he’s the best run blocker among the receivers and is an asset both on runs and passes.
He should be the No. 3 receiver moving forward.
