Allen

Lazard

Cimini believes Lazard’s lack of special teams value could end up sealing his fate. He also reports Lazard looked “shaky” in the last OTA practice open to the media last week. This, after Lazard was frequently a healthy scratch down the stretch in 2023. It sounds like it’s time for the Jets to cut their losses on this one.

Please send the New York Jets your best Lazard offer in an orderly fashion. Signed by shadow Jets GM Aaron Rodgers to a ludicrously bad deal last spring, Lazard is due $10 million this season after being frequently healthy scratched down the stretch in 2023. Needless to say, the Jets are going to struggle for offers. Cutting Lazard would entail a cap surcharge, but that number would fall to $0 if designated a post-June 1 cut. Again, that’s just the surcharge. Lazard would still create $0 in savings even if a post-June 1 cut. Now that, folks, is a bad deal.

It ends a fiasco campaign for Lazard, who either barely played or was healthy scratched down the stretch. The 28-year-old ended up catching 23 balls in 12 games. He is due $10 million guaranteed in 2024. That would qualify as a “yikes.” Even a return to Pro Bowl-level play by aging QB Aaron Rodgers would not save Lazard’s career. It’s an albatross signing Gang Green could opt to move on from despite the odious cap charge.

Lazard, recruited by Aaron Rodgers last offseason, has been a healthy scratch in recent weeks as Xavier Gipson takes a more prominent role in the Jets passing offense. This week, Lazard reportedly has an illness. Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall combined for 31 targets last week against the Commanders, and profile as the only fantasy relevant Jets.

Lazard, Aaron Rodgers’ friend who signed a $44 million deal with New York last offseason, was not on the team’s injury report headed into Friday’s game. He has been horrific in all aspects this season, and has now been benched. Look for Xavier Gipson to see an increase in routes and targets against Miami.

Lazard has been a non-factor in this Jets offense all season. He’s surpassed 40 receiving yards just once in his last five games and hasn’t gone for more than 18 yards over the last three weeks. Barely relevant in real football, Lazard carries no value in fantasy football.

Lazard continues a recent trend of committing more penalties than receptions, which is not exactly what the Jets had in mind when they secured his services this offseason to pair with Aaron Rodgers. He can confidently be left on the waiver wire moving forward.

Lazard will play real football on Sunday, but he shouldn’t be in fantasy lineups. He’s a fringe WR5/WR6 for those curious, but his best game of the season was a 3-61-1 outing in Week 4 against the Chiefs, which tells you how underwhelming his other seven games have been.

A limited session this early in the week suggests Lazard should be fine by Sunday. Healthy or not, there isn’t much fantasy juice here. Lazard hasn’t topped three catches in a game once and has one game over 50 yards. He is a WR5/6 heading into Week 10.

Allen, widely regarded as one of the best blocking wide receivers in the league, committed three costly drops and was called for two offensive penalties on the evening. He came into the game listed as questionable after popping on the team’s injury report Saturday with a knee injury, ultimately suiting up to face the Chargers. His presence prompted the team to make fellow veteran wide receiver Randall Cobb inactive, forcing undrafted free agent rookie Xavier Gipson into an increased role out of the slot. Allen can safely be left on, or returned to, waivers ahead of the team’s Week 10 meeting with the Raiders in Las Vegas.