Let’s Not Blow the Big Restricted Free Agent Decision

Though no one else seems to be, I’m a Packer fan who’s worried.

In fact, I’m very worried about the NFL’s restricted free agency provisions. In the vast majority of cases, players due to become restricted free agents are retained by their current teams. My fear is that Robert Tonyan might well prove to be the exception in 2021.

Tonyan is not your typical RFA. Though he’s been with the Packers since 2017, he’s only been allowed to show his stuff to any extent for one year. In 2020, Tonyan’s stats were 52 catches for 586 yards, 11 touchdowns, and a fine 11.6 yards per catch average. While the 11 TDs has drawn the most attention, I’m more impressed by his catch ratio – he was only targeted 59…