Tag: Robert Tonyan

TE Robert Tonyan emerging as key playmaker for Packers’ offense in Year 3

Packers TE Robert Tonyan has officially become a breakout player in 2020, catching 5 TD passes in the first four games.

Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan is officially a breakout player for Matt LaFleur’s team in 2020.

For the past two offseasons, Tonyan had served as a beacon of hope for one of the team’s most underperforming position groups. He was seen as a potential diamond in the rough. He was a player that could finally end the trend of lackluster Packers’ receiving tight ends that followed Jermichael Finley since his retirement in 2015.

Tonyan, an Indiana State alumnus, came into the league as an undrafted free agent for the Detroit Lions in 2017. He was released by the Lions before the season began but signed with the Packers’ practice squad shortly after. In 2018, he was promoted to the active roster but hardly saw the field.

During the 2019 NFL offseason, Tonyan generated plenty of buzz during training camp. Some observers tabbed him as a potential breakout candidate and threat to Jimmy Graham’s starting job last year. Unfortunately, it didn’t materialize and the Packers continued to get very little receiving production from their tight ends.

Tonyan barely saw the field in 2019, and his end-of-season numbers were pedestrian – 10 catches, 100 receiving yards and one touchdown in 11 games. It’s important to note that he played through a core muscle injury that eventually ended his season, but even when he was healthy, Tonyan wasn’t making much of an impact.

In 2020, that has changed completely. With Graham out of the picture, Tonyan has had more opportunities to shine, and he’s beginning to set himself apart as the clear TE1 for the Packers.

In Week 2 vs. the Detroit Lions, Tonyan caught two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. In Week 3 vs. the New Orleans Saints, he hauled in five receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown.

On Monday Night Football vs. the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4, Tonyan had the first real breakout game of his NFL career, catching six passes for 98 yards and three scores (all career-highs).

After the career-best performance, Tonyan is tied with Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans for the NFL lead in touchdown receptions with five. Through four games of the 2020 NFL season, he has 13 receptions, 173 receiving yards (13.3 yards per reception) and five touchdowns. A whopping 38.5 percent of his catches this season have been touchdowns.

In Year 2 under LaFleur, Tonyan is carving out a sizable role for himself.

In the absence of wide receiver Davante Adams, and more recently wide receiver Allen Lazard, the Packers have needed to rely more heavily on their third-year tight end. For three weeks in a row, Tonyan has stepped up and been an impact player. With Tonyan and running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams stepping up to fill the receiver void this week, the Packers showed that their passing game can survive and even flourish without its top two options.

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Robert Tonyan was the out-of-nowhere fantasy football hero of Week 4

What a game!

To be fair to Robert Tonyan, the Green Bay Packers tight end was on fantasy football radars everywhere after he scored in two straight weeks.

But did anyone expect what he did on Monday night against the hapless Atlanta Falcons in a 30-16 win that brought the Packers to 4-0?

I’m going to say no on that one.

Tonyan caught all six of his targets for 98 yards and three scores. Among non-quarterbacks, he was the fourth-leading fantasy scorer behind Joe Mixon, George Kittle and Odell Beckham Jr.

So yeah, I’d say that was pretty out of nowhere. Plus, there was the fact that owners had to account for the Chiefs-Patriots game being moved and potentially postponed, some superstar injuries (Davante Adams, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley) who were gametime decisions. Tonyan was a popular stash in case any of them were out, and Adams was.

There are a bunch of fantasy football owners who were thrilled:

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Watch: Aaron Rodgers flexes with Robert Tonyan for a hat trick of TDs

Aaron Rodgers and Robert Tonyan tormented the Atlanta Falcons Monday night.

Aaron Rodgers didn’t have Davante Adams. He didn’t have Allen Lazard. He did have his arm and mind, which was way too much for the Atlanta Falcons.

Rodgers dialed up tight end Robert Tonyan for three touchdowns in the first three-quarters plus of the game against the Falcons Monday night in Green Bay.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle noticed the work of the undrafted tight end out of Indiana State in 2017.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers hypes RB Jamaal Williams, TE Robert Tonyan

Aaron Rodgers sees big things in store for Jamaal Williams and Robert Tonyan, two potential breakout players for the Packers offense in 2020.

Running back Jamaal Williams and tight end Robert Tonyan could be important rotational players for the Green Bay Packers’ offense this season.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers hyped them both on Wednesday.

Asked about a potential breakout player for the Packers in 2020, Rodgers immediately mentioned Williams, a fourth-year running back who could have a bigger role in the passing game this season.

“Jamaal Williams came back and had a little bit something different to him this year,” Rodgers told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday. “He’s just a half-step quicker. The agility is there. The burst is a little bit more. So I give him a lot of credit for the way he grew. You know, a lot of times the big jumps come between years one and two and two and three. This guy is going into his fourth season coming off a year last year where he had multiple games in a row with touchdown catches, and is an important part of our offense.”

Like coach Matt LaFleur and running backs coach Ben Sirmans, Rodgers said he saw Williams working on his abilities as a receiver this offseason, and all the work translated to a terrific summer on the practice field.

“So I think Jamaal has had a fantastic camp and I’m excited about what he’s done. And the thing that he does as well is he just brings so much energy to our football team. So he’s going to be an important part of what we’re doing,” Rodgers said.

Many assumed Williams was going to have a reduced role this season, given the emergence of Aaron Jones as a star and the addition of second-round pick A.J. Dillon. Williams is the most well-rounded of the team’s three backs and should have a legitimate role, especially if he can be a true threat on passing downs and third down.

While Williams fights for snaps at running back, Tonyan has an opportunity to play a big role at tight end.

Rodgers called Tonyan a “multi-talented” player for the Packers and praised his improvement as a blocker, making him a more versatile player and a better fit for the position.

Rodgers said Tonyan got stronger this offseason, helping drive the improvement.

“He’s really become a good point of attack blocker,” Rodgers said. “And you 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. I think he’s good after the catch. I think his ability to run routes, and set things up, is going to be a part of our offense that we need to tap into.”

Rodgers almost sounded like he was campaigning for Tonyan to get on the field.

“That depends on how much he plays, to be honest,” Rodgers said when asked what Tonyan can provide in 2020. “If he gets the opportunities that it seems he’s earned, I think he can add a lot to the offense. I think he’s a multi-talented guy.”

Tonyan, a converted receiver, caught 10 passes last season but dealt with a significant core injury. He is competing with Jace Sternberger and Josiah Deguara for snaps at tight end.

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Packers notebook: Confidence rising in TE Robert Tonyan

Packers coach Matt LaFleur is optimistic about what TE Robert Tonyan can bring to the offense in 2020.

Tight end figures to be one of the most competitive positions on the roster for the Green Bay Packers during training camp, but coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Tuesday that his confidence is rising in what Robert Tonyan – who missed a big chunk of last season with a core muscle injury – can bring to the table in 2020.

The Packers coach praised the work Tonyan did to build his body and gain another level of comfort in the offense over the offseason, and he didn’t rule out the possibility of Tonyan eventually becoming the starter at tight end.

“Absolutely. We feel really good about Bobby,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “I will tell you, he worked really hard this offseason. You can tell, his body, he’s in great shape. He’s got a much better understanding of what we’re trying to do on the offensive side of the football.”

Tonyan, a converted receiver who has been in Green Bay since late in 2017, caught 10 passes for 100 yards and a score while playing 193 total snaps a year ago. His season got sidetracked in October when he suffered a significant core muscle injury during a win in Dallas. The issue eventually required surgery.

An athletic player with natural receiving ability, Tonyan has embraced the difficult transition to tight end, with help from Marcedes Lewis on blocking and new opportunities opening up in LaFleur’s offense as the “move” tight end.

Becoming a true starter in 2020 might be difficult, given Lewis’ ability as a run blocker, the emergence of Jace Sternberger as the likely option in the passing game and the arrival of do-it-all third-round pick Josiah Deguara, but Tonyan has a potentially valuable skillset in the right role. Tight ends capable of playing multiple spots and providing impact in the passing game can be difficult matchups, especially in LaFleur’s offense.

Linebacker Oren Burks, who worked out with Tonyan in Nashville during the offseason, sees big things coming from the Packers tight end.

“He did a great job coming off of surgery this offseason,” Burks said. “I’ve seen the work he’s been putting in. He’s a grinder, man. He loves the game. He plays at a fast tempo. I’m excited to see what he does this year. I know he’s going to be a difference-maker on our offense.”

Caution with Linsley

LaFleur said the Packers sat out center Corey Linsley on Tuesday as a “precautionary” measure and expressed no concern over the seriousness of the issue.

The Packers used both Lucas Patrick and Elgton Jenkins at center in 11-on-11 work. Sixth-round pick Jake Hanson has also played reps at center for the second-team offense.

LaFleur wasn’t able to provide an immediate update on the individual statuses of Za’Darius Smith, Montravius Adams and David Bakhtiari, who all exited Tuesday’s practice with injuries.

Jones jokes about Clark’s deal

Packers running back Aaron Jones, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, had jokes for Kenny Clark after the Pro Bowl defensive lineman signed a $70 million extension on Saturday.

“I told him congratulations. I was joking with him, I hope you left me some money,” Jones said Tuesday.

Jones could be next. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported after Clark’s extension that getting a deal done with Jones is now a “priority” for the Packers.

MVS battled ankle injury

Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling hasn’t lost confidence entering 2020 but he admitted an injury suffered in October hurt him down the stretch in 2019.

Valdes-Scantling hurt his knee and ankle against the Detroit Lions, and the lingering effects of the ankle issue helped submarine his season.

“It was the ankle. The knee went away in a week or two. The ankle lingered, especially with my position, doing a lot of cutting on it. Learning how to play around an ankle injury,” Valdes-Scantling said.

Valdes-Scantling still ended up playing in all 16 games, but he caught only a handful of passes while watching his playing time evaporate over the final two months of the season and into the playoffs.

The Packers are counting on Valdes-Scantling to bounce back from the injury and provide the offense with a legitimate deep threat in 2020.

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Packers TE Robert Tonyan has corrective surgery on core muscle

The Packers tight end had surgery on an issue that lingered throughout the 2019 season.

Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan had corrective surgery on a core muscle problem to start this offseason, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Tonyan, the second-year tight end, played in 11 games in 2019, catching 10 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. He injured his hip in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys and missed five straight games. Despite returning for the final six regular-season games and two postseason games, Tonyan’s impact was minimal – possibly as a result of the lingering effects of the original injury.

Tonyan, 25, is an exclusive rights free agent this offseason and is expected back with the Packers in 2020.

According to Silverstein, the surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers of the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia. He is considered a core muscle expert, and the “leading authority on the awareness that the whole core muscle complex, inclusive with the hip joint, contributes to the injury which has advanced old terminology such as athletic pubalgia or sports hernia.”

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