Packers Bringing Back Tyler Ervin is Huge News for the Special Teams Unit
By Jerry Trotta
This news is guaranteed to come to the delight of Wisconsin natives.
Per ESPN insider Field Yates, the Green Bay Packers reached an agreement on a one-year deal with return specialist Tyler Ervin. Claimed off waivers on Dec.2, Ervin helped rescue the Packers' pitiful return game last season.
The Packers are expected to bring back RB/return man Tyler Ervin on a one-year deal. Ervin, who was acquired off of waivers mid-season in 2019, gave them a real boost in the return game.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 27, 2020
Green Bay's special teams unit was an atrocity before Ervin arrived. In 12 games without the 26-year-old speedster, the Pack's nine punt returns produced negative-8 yards. One of the two positive returns the team mustered resulted in a lost fumble.
The Packers signed Tyler Ervin to a qualifying Veteran Salary Benefit contract.
— Ken Ingalls - Packers Cap ? (@KenIngalls) March 27, 2020
His base salary is $910,000 & will earn another $137,500 signing bonus.
So $1,047,500 cash turns into only $887,500 of salary cap charges.
A nice benefit in the CBA to incentivize signing veterans.
Then, Ervin was claimed, and the entire narrative changed. Across four contests, the San Jose State product returned 11 punts for a 106 yards, good for 9.6 yards per tote. He also ran back six kickoffs for a total of 160 yards, which equates to an average of 26.7 yards.
Turned the Packers punt return game from a negative to a positive — literally. https://t.co/eNZ18RWpIi
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 27, 2020
Those numbers are staggering, and they further prove that special teams efficiency is grossly undervalued.
Ervin, a running back by trade, bounced around the NFL with the likes of the Texans, Ravens, and Jaguars before landing in Green Bay. He appears to have found a stable home with the Packers after helping to salvage head coach Matt LaFleur's return game.