The Green Bay Packers continued an effort to keep their 2020 roster intact, re-signing defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster to a new deal on Tuesday.
Lancaster will become the fourth unrestricted free agent to return, joining running back Aaron Jones, cornerback Kevin King and tight end Marcedes Lewis. The team also tendered two restricted free agents (tight end Robert Tonyan, cornerback Chandon Sullivan) and four exclusive rights free agents (including receiver Allen Lazard).
The Packers will now return 15 of the 18 players that were on the field for at least 150 offensive snaps last season and 13 of the top 14 players in defensive snaps from 2020.
Who could be re-signed next? Looking at snap counts from last season could provide some clues, especially if the Packers are truly prioritizing bringing back contributors from last season’s team.
Running back Tyler Ervin (142 snaps) and offensive lineman Lane Taylor (63) played the most snaps and had the biggest roles to start last season among the Packers’ unsigned offensive players. Ervin was part of Matt LaFleur’s pre-snap motion package and returned punts and kicks, and Taylor won the starting right guard job to open the season.
On defense, safeties Will Redmond (340 snaps) and Raven Greene (324) are the two unsigned defensive players that were on the field for over 300 snaps last season. Redmond is also the top player on special teams, having played 238 special teams snaps (third-most) last season.
Redmond has versatility in the secondary and is clearly a preferred player on special teams, while Greene carved out a role as the dime linebacker but couldn’t stay on the field due to injuries.
The Packers released offensive tackle Rick Wagner in February, but he remains unsigned. He played 610 snaps on offense last season. If he isn’t retiring and is willing to return at a bargain price, Wagner might make sense as the swing tackle for another year.
In terms of fit, Damon “Snacks” Harrison could make some sense at the right price. The Packers had him on the field for 19 defensive snaps during the two playoff games in January.