Should the Green Bay Packers eventually have an interest in an affordable free-agent option at wide receiver, Tajae Sharpe – an under-the-radar player who checks a lot of boxes – might be a realistic option.
Last year, GM Brian Gutekunst targeted players coming into their physical prime with little to no injury history at need positions. Sharpe mostly fits the mold. The 2016 fifth-round pick is 25, coming off a solid season in a complementary role for the Titans and has experience playing for Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who was Sharpe’s offensive coordinator for one year in Tennessee. While Sharpe suffered a foot injury and missed the entire 2017 season, he’s played in 47 of 48 games in his three other NFL seasons.
Sharpe isn’t likely to be a game-changer, but he won’t need to be paid like one, potentially allowing the Packers to allocate resources elsewhere while still adding veteran help at receiver.
Last season, Sharpe caught 25 passes for 329 yards and four touchdowns in Tennessee’s run-heavy offense. He averaged 9.4 yards per target (a good number) and 13.2 yards per catch and caught 71.4 percent of targets thrown his way, highlighting his efficiency in an offense that ranked 31st in the NFL in passing attempts.
Sharpe was particularly effective once Ryan Tannehill took over at quarterback. He caught 20 passes and all four of his touchdowns over the final nine games, including a pair of scores in the Titans’ loss to the New Orleans Saints in December. Overall, Tannehill had a 143.4 passer rating when targeting Sharpe in 2019 (25 attempts).
Playing under LaFleur in 2018, Sharpe turned 22 of his 26 receptions into first downs. There would be familiarity for both Sharpe and LaFleur in the offense, easing the transition and increasing the likelihood of Sharpe being able to contribute right away.
With Sharpe added as a role player and an upgrade over Geronimo Allison, one of the league’s most inefficient receivers in 2019, the Packers could look to the draft for the game-breaker the passing game needs. And it all could be done at a fraction of the cost of spending big on one of the top free-agent receivers, such as Robby Anderson.
In this scenario, the Packers might have the money available to address the receiver position, re-sign Bryan Bulaga, extend Kenny Clark and find an impact inside linebacker, such as free agent Cory Littleton, all in one offseason.
Sharpe wouldn’t be a flashy signing, but he fits in a lot of ways, wouldn’t cost much and could give the Packers flexibility in restructuring the receiver position. It’s a scenario worth considering as Gutekunst and the Packers attempt to fit the final puzzle pieces of the roster together.