Lazard Situation...

Krabs

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@McKnowledge and @captainWIMM, who really cares about OBJ? Dudes a cancer and not even on a team. He can go play with the FG net at home for all I care.

Lazard made an impact in the Bears game. A couple of catches over the middle, including a TD. I think he is easily replaceable and I hope the Packers don't overpay to keep him. There's a lot of young talent in the WR room and I think they can add to it next year. I'd much rather see them sign Walkins to a 2-3 year deal and let Watson and Doubs grow. We have something special in those guys. Like I said, we need to add to it, but as the chemistry grows I think that group will start to be hard to defend. Personally, I think Lazard thinks he is better than he is and this is his last year in GB. I've never been super high on the guy and I'd wager they let him walk.
 
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tynimiller

tynimiller

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@McKnowledge and @captainWIMM, who really cares about OBJ? Dudes a cancer and not even on a team. He can go play with the FG net at home for all I care.

Lazard made an impact in the Bears game. A couple of catches over the middle, including a TD. I think he is easily replaceable and I hope the Packers don't overpay to keep him. There's a lot of young talent in the WR room and I think they can add to it next year. I'd much rather see them sign Walkins to a 2-3 year deal and let Watson and Doubs grow. We have something special in those guys. Like I said, we need to add to it, but as the chemistry grows I think that group will start to be hard to defend. Personally, I think Lazard thinks he is better than he is and this is his last year in GB. I've never been super high on the guy and I'd wager they let him walk.

I won't right now declare what I'd do, but I suspect 2023 will see one of Wakins and Lazard here - I predict not both, but I don't think we let both leave.
 

PikeBadger

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Lazard imo has developed into a very important niche player whose value to the Packers is probably far greater than it would be on any other team. Imo, he's kind of like John Kuhn in that respect. I think he's much harder to replace than Watkins come spring of 23.
 
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tynimiller

tynimiller

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Lazard imo has developed into a very important niche player whose value to the Packers is probably far greater than it would be on any other team. Imo, he's kind of like John Kuhn in that respect. I think he's much harder to replace than Watkins come spring of 23.

See I liken Lazard to Driver personally. Will do the dirty stuff, seems to always be on same page with the QB...will quietly be Mr. Consistent and never dip lower than #3 on your depth chart it seems, albeit you find yourself wondering how and where did all that production come from when reflecting.
 
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See I liken Lazard to Driver personally. Will do the dirty stuff, seems to always be on same page with the QB...will quietly be Mr. Consistent and never dip lower than #3 on your depth chart it seems, albeit you find yourself wondering how and where did all that production come from when reflecting.

Driver was a much more polished pass catcher though.
 
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tynimiller

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Driver was a much more polished pass catcher though.

Eh...if there is one thing Lazard is, that is a pass catcher. I think Driver ran better routes IMO. Although let me pause as I type and look up their comparative stats as I could be totally wrong, but I predict he has much higher catch percentage.

Driver only had two seasons over 65% catch percentage. I'll be honest that shocked me, I suspected he would have consistently been around or over that. He had 5 seasons at 60% or beneath it.

Lazard has never been below 66.7% - now in fairness that includes his 2018 where he had one catch on one target and also this year with 3 targets and 2 catches. He otherwise in his three main seasons averaged only a fraction of the targets Donald got during his prime years of say 2002 - 2009
 
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Eh...if there is one thing Lazard is, that is a pass catcher. I think Driver ran better routes IMO. Although let me pause as I type and look up their comparative stats as I could be totally wrong, but I predict he has much higher catch percentage.

Driver only had two seasons over 65% catch percentage. I'll be honest that shocked me, I suspected he would have consistently been around or over that. He had 5 seasons at 60% or beneath it.

Lazard has never been below 66.7% - now in fairness that includes his 2018 where he had one catch on one target and also this year with 3 targets and 2 catches. He otherwise in his three main seasons averaged only a fraction of the targets Donald got during his prime years of say 2002 - 2009

It would have been smart to phrase it in a different way. My point was that I don't expect Lazard to come anywhere close to putting up numbers like Driver did in several seasons with the Packers.
 
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tynimiller

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It would have been smart to phrase it in a different way. My point was that I don't expect Lazard to come anywhere close to putting up numbers like Driver did in several seasons with the Packers.

That I would agree with. Driver was a true solid borderline WR1 in his prime. Lazard to me is the epitome of solid WR2 on a team. Extremely valuable, but still not a true WR1 type it seems - I think we both would embrace him showcases us both wrong...and who knows maybe he does - like Driver he has a lot of WR1 traits just feel his top shelf is getting hit.
 
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That I would agree with. Driver was a true solid borderline WR1 in his prime.

I definitely consider Driver a true #1 wide receiver. He had seven seasons (six consecutive) with at least 1,000 yards (three with more than 1,200) as well as at least 70 catches.

During his prime from 2004-09 he ranked ninth in the league in receptions and fifth in yards.
 
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tynimiller

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I definitely consider Driver a true #1 wide receiver. He had seven seasons (six consecutive) with at least 1,000 yards (three with more than 1,200) as well as at least 70 catches.

During his prime from 2004-09 he ranked ninth in the league in receptions and fifth in yards.

The reason I never considered him a bonafide elite WR1 was I always felt he would not come close to his production elsewhere. He will however probably retain the spot as my favorite Packer for a LONG time if not forever. Had Nick Collins played longer he had a chance to unseat him...but Driver is just an all around awesome individual and player to boot.
 
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The reason I never considered him a bonafide elite WR1 was I always felt he would not come close to his production elsewhere.

Fortunately with Driver never playing for another team aside of the Packers there's no way of knowing for sure ;)
 
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tynimiller

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Fortunately with Driver never playing for another team aside of the Packers there's no way of knowing for sure ;)

I'll be honest, it was TOUGH watching another favorite Nelson lace up elsewhere....I still cannot find it in myself to watch the Raiders to see Adams there.

With Driver being my favorite Packer, it would have absolutely crushed me had he went elsewhere.
 
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I'll be honest, it was TOUGH watching another favorite Nelson lace up elsewhere....I still cannot find it in myself to watch the Raiders to see Adams there.

With Driver being my favorite Packer, it would have absolutely crushed me had he went elsewhere.

Unfortunately it's rare that a player stays with one team for his entire career in today's NFL. Since the league introduced the current free agency system in 1993 only two players (Rodgers, Crosby) have been with the Packers for more seasons than Driver while not having played for another team.
 

XPack

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“I don’t know where I’m going to be at. I can’t worry about someone else,” Lazard said, standing at his locker. “Going into the game, I kind of had a realization that my first game here, and potentially my last game, which it is, was going to be against the Lions at home.”

We didn't give him a long term contract and it's his opportunity to leave.

He'd make a good WR 2 or 3 anywhere.

Hope we sign him back, but if not....Wish him luck!
 

Mondio

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I think that could be taken 1 of 2 ways. I'm not certain he meant, "i'm outta here" with that statement. I think it was more, his first game was against the Lions at home. Then he was saying IF we lost this would be potentially his last game as a Packer, also against the Lions at home. Since the game was already played, and we did lose, his potential last game as a Packer was against the lions at home. Had we won, it would not have potentially been his last game as a Packer anymore. The next game might have been.

Now I fully expect someone else to pay him more money than we offered, but i'm not sure it means what everyone is taking it to mean.
 

Sanguine camper

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Some GM will pay Lazard more than he's worth. He's a third or 4th WR that can block but doesn't do much after the catch. He doesn't separate very well and is one of the reasons the team struggled in the red zone. I love to have him back as a no. 3 or 4 but not at 10 million or more per year. Call it a cap casualty.
 

Pkrjones

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He's earned his pay day & some team will pony-up $7-$10mil/yr for him to be a very reliable, dirty-work #3...it just won't be GB. Gute will have 2 or 3 6'-3"+, 215 lb WR in camp wo run. 4.6 or 4.65 40 and whichever one can catch AND likes to block will stick on the 53.
 

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