Allen Lazard hot Start to Camp Suggests Return to Form

[Bleedin Green]

1. A couple of no pads practices is a tad premature for declaring a return to form.

2. Even still, his prior form was at his very best only being known as a mediocre #2 WR who was largely seen as a liability, being the primary name called out when fans and media alike were talking about the Packers' piss poor 2022 WR corps being commonly cited as a primary reason for Rodgers' relatively down year, and whose so-so numbers were attributed more to pure volume than performance.

Of course, it would be great if he suddenly has a breakout season, but at this point the Jets should continue to plan around him being little more than a last resort until proven otherwise.

[Maxman]

557.25 is what his average year is with Rodgers. Hope Corley can have himself a good rookie year and then Lazard is WR 4.

Have to figure the tight ends will see improvements in their #s this year as well.

Lazard was a cast off piece that they couldn't cast off. So if he returns to his old form he can help the team even though he is overpaid.

[Rich Thornburgh]

9 hours ago, bicketybam said:

Did Breece Hall run last year? 🤡 

Breece is younger and doesn’t suck.  The chargers preferred to go with Quentin Johnston who looked awful last year and a bunch of nobodies for a reason 

[Rich Thornburgh]

4 hours ago, Bleedin Green said:

1. A couple of no pads practices is a tad premature for declaring a return to form.

2. Even still, his prior form was at his very best only being known as a mediocre #2 WR who was largely seen as a liability, being the primary name called out when fans and media alike were talking about the Packers' piss poor 2022 WR corps being commonly cited as a primary reason for Rodgers' relatively down year, and whose so-so numbers were attributed more to pure volume than performance.

Of course, it would be great if he suddenly has a breakout season, but at this point the Jets should continue to plan around him being little more than a last resort until proven otherwise.

Zach made some unbelievable plays without pads and he’s now the best quarterback in the NFL

[bicketybam]

1 hour ago, Rich Thornburgh said:

Breece is younger and doesn’t suck.  The chargers preferred to go with Quentin Johnston who looked awful last year and a bunch of nobodies for a reason 

So Williams sucks? Do you try to sound stupid or is it just a gift?

[Maynard13]

On 7/26/2024 at 8:37 AM, JetNation said:

There’s no denying that the 2023 NFL season is one that Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard would rather forget.

After signing with Gang Green as a free agent, inconsistent play and too many drops led to the receiver being a healthy scratch.  Add to that the fact that he was reportedly shopped this offseason and he was already being written off as a free agent bust.

But could Lazard, along with the rest of the Jets offense, be on the verge of a resurgence with Aaron Rodgers back under center?

Sure, it’s only a couple of practices, but if you’ve been keeping up with our camp reports, you will have seen Lazard made more plays in two days than he seemed to make all of last season.  A diving catch over the middle kicked off day one, and then on days one and two, Lazard ended each session with a touchdown grab.

While it would be silly to expect too much based off of only two practices, it’s important to keep in mind that Lazard isn’t an unproven rookie or journeyman receiver who has never been productive as a pro.  After hall, he did rack up 100 receptions for 1,301 yards and 14 touchdowns over his final two seasons with the Packers, putting up a career high 788 yards in 2022.

Should Allen Lazard find his way back to being a reliable pass catcher for Rodgers who knows the offense as well as any receiver on the roster, it could offer a huge boost to a Jets offense that has the potential to be one of the best in team history, but still has some lingering questions.

 

 

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OK he's peaked. Now cut him while the iron is hot. Ohhhh and trade for Davante.

[Prodigal Syndicate]

On 7/26/2024 at 8:15 AM, bicketybam said:

How many #1 receivers you want to carry? 3? 4? Tell me, Philly!

 

[Prodigal Syndicate]

On 7/26/2024 at 7:11 AM, Joe W. Namath said:

We have 4 years of data that when Lazard's qb is aaron rodgers, he is a solid #3 receiver.

Anyone who thinks different is not paying attention.

Hilarious considering jets fans said Packers wasted Rodgers playing with scrubs at WR and then try to prop up Lazard at the same time.

[Dunnie]

Highest paid no. 4 receiver in history.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[slats]

1 hour ago, Dunnie said:

Highest paid no. 4 receiver in history.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
 

We love to twist good news into bad around here. Lazard sucked last year but if Lazard is good this year that’s good. The Jets added Mike Williams to play outside, he’s an upgrade over Lazard, so that’s good, too. Lazard performing well allows the Jets to bring MW along slowly (much like Breece last year) without losing too much on the field. When Williams returns to full time duty, Lazard will be a valuable WR4 as someone who knows where Rodgers wants him - especially when a play is breaking down. 
 
Lazard has no guaranteed money after this year. His guarantee this year gives him the chance to try to earn the rest of his contract. It’s a long season. Depth is a good thing. We should all hope he makes the best of his opportunities. 

[Dunnie]

We love to twist good news into bad around here. Lazard sucked last year but if Lazard is good this year that’s good. The Jets added Mike Williams to play outside, he’s an upgrade over Lazard, so that’s good, too. Lazard performing well allows the Jets to bring MW along slowly (much like Breece last year) without losing too much on the field. When Williams returns to full time duty, Lazard will be a valuable WR4 as someone who knows where Rodgers wants him - especially when a play is breaking down. 
 
Lazard has no guaranteed money after this year. His guarantee this year gives him the chance to try to earn the rest of his contract. It’s a long season. Depth is a good thing. We should all hope he makes the best of his opportunities. 

The good news is the good news ... But adding Malachi and Williams makes him the No. 4 and he's overpaid for that spot. Hope he has a monster year... Could happen with his Rodgers connection.

Allowing Williams to come back at the right time is a huge plus.and a great point.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[OilfieldJet]

I’m encouraged by Rodgers and the offense in general so far. I don’t care if Lazard is our #3 or #4, an improvement over last year (hard to be worse) will be welcome. It’s hard to quantify, but it seems we have so many arrows pointed up right now, it feels good. Could we be a bit thin at WR, yes, has the OL played together, no, do we have injury concerns, yes, but overall, this team gives me hope. Lazard’s play (in a very small sample) is a small piece that supports that.

[Jethead]

Rodgers likes him. It's not an accident that 3 straight practices ended with a TD pass to Lazard this week.

He could be a key 3rd down, redzone guy. Cobb Jr.

[Barton]

He’s only showing up because his career/finances were on life support after he quit on the team last year. 

[T0mShane]

If you think this portends great success for Lazard when the pads go on, let me introduce you to future Hall of Famer Stevie Anderson. 

[Warfish]

He’s a quitter. 

While I expect he’ll be ‘better’, or at least not to quit, with Rodgers back…..I’d rather root for our non-quitters to beat him out for playing time.

What he did last year was unacceptable in sports.

[T0mShane]

Ideally, Lazard is your big slot/flex TE option because he’s too easy for CBs to cover in man and he’s pretty terrible in contested catch situations. His one big year with Rodgers came after Davante bailed to Vegas and Rodgers force-fed Lazard 100 passive aggressive targets to spite Gutenkunst and LaFleur. Even with all those opportunities, Lazard couldn’t crack 1,000 yards. 

[slats]

35 minutes ago, Dunnie said:

The good news is the good news ... But adding Malachi and Williams makes him the No. 4 and he's overpaid for that spot. Hope he has a monster year... Could happen with his Rodgers connection.

Allowing Williams to come back at the right time is a huge plus.and a great point.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
 

It’s a crappy contract, especially given his performance last year. In fact, he’s the team’s highest paid WR. On one hand, that sucks. I get that. But on the other, the Jets can afford him there because their WR1 has a cap number of $5.6M (while performing at the level of $28M+/year guys), their WR2 is at $2.7M, and WR3 is a battle between a guy making $1.1M and another making $920K. So big picture, not a big deal. 

18 minutes ago, Warfish said:

He’s a quitter. 

While I expect he’ll be ‘better’, or at least not to quit, with Rodgers back…..I’d rather root for our non-quitters to beat him out for playing time.

What he did last year was unacceptable in sports.

I’m rooting for everyone on the roster, and for the best players to play. If Lazard is one of those, so be it. If he’s not, hasta la vista, baby. So far, it looks as if he’s interested in being the former which is only good for the team. If instead it looked like he was just cashing guaranteed checks while waiting to leave town, I’d feel differently. I’m guessing he knows where he stands with the coaches and the fans, and seems to want to improve on that. 

[JiFtheOracle]

On 7/26/2024 at 11:34 AM, bicketybam said:

 

 

@Pac @The Crusher REDEPMTION TOUR, IT'S ALL I EVER HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Crusher]

38 minutes ago, JiFtheOracle said:

@Pac @The Crusher REDEPMTION TOUR, IT'S ALL I EVER HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TuscanyTile2]

On 7/26/2024 at 10:09 AM, BigRy56 said:

Lazard is a much better player when he’s playing with Rodgers. The guy clocked out the second Rodgers got hurt - which is terrible… but now that Rodgers is back it wouldn’t surprise me if he bounced back with a solid season 

This

[Warfish]

2 hours ago, slats said:

I’m rooting for everyone on the roster, and for the best players to play. If Lazard is one of those, so be it. If he’s not, hasta la vista, baby. So far, it looks as if he’s interested in being the former which is only good for the team. If instead it looked like he was just cashing guaranteed checks while waiting to leave town, I’d feel differently. I’m guessing he knows where he stands with the coaches and the fans, and seems to want to improve on that. 

To be clear, he's a NY Jet in 2024, and I'm NOT rooting against him per se. 

I'm simply rooting for the other WR's on the roster to beat him out for playing time.  i.e. in your parlance I'm rooting for other WR's to be "the best players playing" rather than him.  

There are few truly unforgiveable things in on-field sports, but being a healthy quitter who quits on his team and teammates the second things get hard is IMO one of them.  Simple as that for me.

He was a sub-par guy who at his best with a HOF QB and in a #1 role was only a 700 yard/year guy.  And that was before he proved how soft he was by healthy quitting on everyone.  Up to him to prove himself, not me to like him.

 

[Warfish]

1 hour ago, The Crusher said:

 

Free Denzel?

Oh wait, no.

Free Lazard?

[The Crusher]

Just now, Warfish said:

Free Denzel?

Oh wait, no.

Free Lazard?

Apparently AR8 has that covered. Zach left and Lazard be like…

 

[GangGreened]

Lazard is ass. Said it before the trade, even more evident after last year 

[Rich Thornburgh]

4 minutes ago, GangGreened said:

Lazard is ass. Said it before the trade, even more evident after last year 

He couldn’t break 800 yds as Rodgers’ WR1 for an entire season 

[slats]

11 minutes ago, Warfish said:

He was a sub-par guy who at his best with a HOF QB and in a #1 role was only a 700 yard/year guy.  And that was before he proved how soft he was by healthy quitting on everyone.  Up to him to prove himself, not me to like him.

That’s cool. So far, he does look interested in proving himself, and you can continue to not like him even if he does. I’m hardly his biggest fan, and I’m very happy the team brought in Williams and Corley to push him down the depth chart, but I’m also happy to acknowledge the turnaround he seems to be making. If Brownlee or Tyler Harrell move past an improving Lazard, that’s good for the team and by extension good for me, too. 

[AFJF]

3 hours ago, T0mShane said:

If you think this portends great success for Lazard when the pads go on, let me introduce you to future Hall of Famer Stevie Anderson. 

Give me Ryan Yarborough over Anderson every time.

[bicketybam]

33 minutes ago, GangGreened said:

Lazard is ass. Said it before the trade, even more evident after last year 

Terrible trade. Should have at least waited until he was a free agent.

[Jethead]

Rodgers and his teammates seem ok with him. Good enough for me.  I wasn't there. Nobody here was.

[GangGreened]

2 hours ago, bicketybam said:

Terrible trade. Should have at least waited until he was a free agent.

Meant the Rodgers trade 

[Larz]

“Wake me up when he does it in a game”

 

[JiFtheOracle]

5 hours ago, slats said:

It’s a crappy contract, especially given his performance last year. In fact, he’s the team’s highest paid WR. On one hand, that sucks. I get that. But on the other, the Jets can afford him there because their WR1 has a cap number of $5.6M (while performing at the level of $28M+/year guys), their WR2 is at $2.7M, and WR3 is a battle between a guy making $1.1M and another making $920K. So big picture, not a big deal. 

I’m rooting for everyone on the roster, and for the best players to play. If Lazard is one of those, so be it. If he’s not, hasta la vista, baby. So far, it looks as if he’s interested in being the former which is only good for the team. If instead it looked like he was just cashing guaranteed checks while waiting to leave town, I’d feel differently. I’m guessing he knows where he stands with the coaches and the fans, and seems to want to improve on that. 

I'm rooting for the Jets to be really good, dont give a **** how it happens or who helps make it happen, it's all on Rodgers anyway so we should just be rooting for him but I'm also rooting for all the preseason predictions/hot takes I've made on the board to come true because I have a reputation to maintain.

 

[bicketybam]

31 minutes ago, GangGreened said:

Meant the Rodgers trade 

My bad.

Unfortunately the FA receiver market was dog sh*t that year. He was the best of the worst. Corey Davis retiring didn't help either.

[PS17]

On 7/26/2024 at 10:54 AM, sourceworx said:

It's funny how not having Zach Wilson as your QB makes the rest of the offense look better.

Defenses hate this one trick!