Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sees Tyler Ervin – a running back, receiver and returner nicknamed “Swerve” – as a do-it-all player for both the offense and special teams entering the 2020 season.
Ervin, who revived the Packers’ return game in December last year, is about to get an opportunity to do more as a weapon on offense this year.
“Swerve can do it all,” Rodgers said Wednesday.
Ervin will be the top kick and punt returner for the Packers in 2020, but he won’t be limited to return duty.
Rodgers said the Packers saw what Ervin could do with the ball in his hands late in 2019 and then used the offseason to help engineer him a new, bigger role, which will feature snaps at both running back and slot receiver.
“We saw what he could do in space, and he just became a bigger part of our offense. I remember, there was a lot of conversation about next year, and we really had to think about how he could get the ball more in space, a few more opportunities,” Rodgers said. “As you’ve seen throughout training camp, he’s lined up at a lot of different positions. He’s played some receiver stuff. He’s played in the backfield. We’ve given him the ball. We’ve thrown him the ball. He’s a very versatile guy.”
Improvements as a blocker in pass protection and more chances to play snaps out wide as a receiver give Ervin an opportunity to be a three-down player in the Packers offense. Last year, he saw a handful of snaps as a gadget player, mostly on jet sweeps. He was an effective decoy and even created a few chunk gains, including a 21-yard run in the playoff win over the Seahawks.
With explosive movement ability and the vision of a great returner, Ervin could help the Packers create more big plays in 2020.
“He’s so quick in short spaces. We’re going to continue to find opportunities for him,” Rodgers said.
Other highlights from Aaron Rodgers’ Wednesday media availability:
– Rodgers said he doesn’t think the offense will need to use a silent count at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. The venue won’t have fans, but stadiums are going to be playing ambient noise at 70 decibels.
– Rodgers thinks Harrison Smith and Eric Kendricks are two of the most underrated players in football. He believes having them both back will give Mike Zimmer confidence in the defense as a whole, even though the group has lost some significant pieces to start the season.
– Rodgers said he spent many hours with Matt LaFleur, Nathaniel Hackett and Luke Getsy on Zoom calls over the offense. He dubbed it his “desert rose,” and the extra time provided an extra layer of comfort and confidence in what the offense is trying to do, especially schematically.
– Rodgers said they want better tempo coming out of the huddle. They identified this area as a reason why the offense had many “up against the clock” plays last season. Rodgers confirmed he’ll be wearing the wristband once again in 2020, given the amount of verbiage in the playcalls.
– Rodgers said Robert Tonyan can give the Packers a “multi-talented” option at tight end. He believes Tonyan got better as a blocker entering 2020. “He’s a good point of attack blocker. Pair that with a really advanced ability to run routes, I think he deserves an opportunity to get some reps and get the ball in space.”
– Rodgers said he hasn’t played a football game without fans since his sophomore year in high school, 21 years ago.
– Rodgers on outside perceptions, and a lack of hype about the Packers entering 2020: “I like where we’re at, as far as, kind of flying under the radar, even we were 13-3 last year. We’ve got a chance to prove what kind of team we are starting the season out on Sunday.”