A starting receiver who played almost 700 total snaps for the Green Bay Packers in 2019 will be an unrestricted free agent in March.
Geronimo Allison, who opened the season as the No. 3 receiver and preferred option in the slot, has an expiring contract.
Here’s the case for and against re-signing Allison:
Case for
He knows the offense, has the trust of Aaron Rodgers and is a willing and capable blocker. He’s also only 26 years old and will likely be cheap to retain if the Packers are interested. Allison showed some playmaking ability over a four-game stretch to start the 2018 season but a significant core injury ended his year after only five games. In 2019, Allison caught two touchdown passes in the first four weeks but was mostly a non-factor the rest of the way. He’s been an effective third-down receiver at times, with 23 career catches creating 20 first downs. Overall, Rodgers has completed 63.6 percent of his career passes to Allison, creating 1,000 yards, six touchdowns, one interception, a 7.8 yard per attempt average and a passer rating of 99.6. Of his 92 career catches, 11 have created gains of 20 or more yards. He finished 2019 as one of the highest-graded run-blocking receivers at Pro Football Focus, a credit to all the tough, thankless work he often did in the run game.
Case against
Allison has a strong case for being one of the two or three least efficient wide receivers in the NFL in 2019. Among receivers with at least 50 targets last season, Allison, Nelson Agholor and Jarius Wright were the only players to average fewer than 5.5 yards per target. He also joined Albert Wilson and Mohamed Sanu as the only receivers with 50 or more targets to average fewer than 9.0 yards per reception. He somehow got worse in the postseason, averaging 4.8 yards per target and 6.3 yards per catch over two playoff games. By DVOA, Allison ranked 80th out of 81 qualifying receivers. Of the 122 receivers to qualify for PFF’s positional rankings, Allison ranked 111th in overall grade, despite one of the best run-blocking grades. He dropped seven passes, fumbled twice and forced only a single missed tackle while averaging a measly 3.2 yards after the catch. Allison isn’t fast, explosive, elusive or even all that reliable. The fact he had to play almost 700 snaps was a big reason why the Packers couldn’t get going in the passing game. He was a non-factor playing the slot, which made throwing the ball to the middle of the field a big chore. The quick game to him was a waste of time because he doesn’t threaten vertically, create instant separation or make people miss after the catch. GM Brian Gutekunst paid him $2.9 million in 2019 but it’d be hard to argue he’s worth a penny more than the league minimum in 2020. The Packers must upgrade.
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