All Sitton & Lang & OL threads merged

[Mondio]

Performance wise, this shocks the hell out of me and everyone else. But Thompson doesn't just react. not to say he can't, but there's enough history to show that's not how he operates. And he will never divulge the real reasons, the only message I expect is one of professionalism, wish him well, tough decision, we like our team, and that's the end of it.

a tell all book one day when he's all done would be a best seller though. I'm not holding my breath though

 

[gopkrs]

OK...I really don't know much about ranking O linemen. And I am skeptical about how they do it except for the very best of the linemen. I have read that Taylor has been better at run blocking than at pass pro. And I believe pass pro is easier than run blocking and he should be able to get better there. While Sitton was the opposite. Do we even know if Sitton had some kind of no trade clause? The way the bears paid him it seems we should have been able to trade him. I disagree with most that talk about how great our O line has been. If we do better at the run and Taylor is better able to recognize and get the needed block at the 2nd level than Sitton has done; then we will be better off. imho Most likely it will be tough to judge until half way through the season.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

OK...I really don't know much about ranking O linemen. And I am skeptical about how they do it except for the very best of the linemen. I have read that Taylor has been better at run blocking than at pass pro. And I believe pass pro is easier than run blocking and he should be able to get better there. While Sitton was the opposite. Do we even know if Sitton had some kind of no trade clause? The way the bears paid him it seems we should have been able to trade him. I disagree with most that talk about how great our O line has been. If we do better at the run and Taylor is better able to recognize and get the needed block at the 2nd level than Sitton has done; then we will be better off. imho Most likely it will be tough to judge until half way through the season.

I don't know how you come away with the impression that pass protection is easier than blocking for the run or easy to improve at.

While Taylor is better blocking for the run he's a downgrade compared to Sitton in that area as well.

The team trying to trade Sitton before releasing him indicates he didn't have a no trade clause.

 

[Curly Calhoun]

Pro Football Focus ranked Sitton the eighth best offensive lineman entering this season. I guess they don't expect his performance to drop off significantly.

As I say, opinions vary. Time will tell.

 

[gopkrs]

In my way of thinking, pass pro just does not take much mental effort. W/o minimizing the need to work with the tackle and guard as far as blitzers are concerned...It is mostly using your body and you pretty much just have to adjust and anticipate what the rusher is going to try. Run blocking...you need to see and understand what the defense is doing at the last moment and be ready to adjust to their scheme. Where are the linebackers? What are the safeties doing? A big run can happen when the guard realizes his first priority is out of the play and starts looking downfield for someone to block. That takes fast thinking and also a feel for the play. I am only worried about Sitton's leaving as far as depth is concerned. The bears think they have a good line now. We will see about theirs and ours. But it will take time to evaluate.

 

[GBkrzygrl]

One of the things I don't understand is why they cut him at the last minute. I maintain that something happened to preempt the cut.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

In my way of thinking, pass pro just does not take much mental effort. W/o minimizing the need to work with the tackle and guard as far as blitzers are concerned...It is mostly using your body and you pretty much just have to adjust and anticipate what the rusher is going to try. Run blocking...you need to see and understand what the defense is doing at the last moment and be ready to adjust to their scheme. Where are the linebackers? What are the safeties doing?

That's true for pass protection as well.

 

[El Guapo]

So unless someone can tell me that TT has a history of making emotional/irrational personnel decisions, the consensus seems to be that there was no performance reason to cut Sitton but likely an undisclosed non-performance reason. Given the litany of notions provided in this thread as to why Taylor is inferior to Sitton (which the coaches and GM surely know), we can assume there must have been a very compelling reason to make such a sudden move.

 

[Half Empty]

Compelling according to whom? Why would there need to be a history - there has to be a first time?

 

[PackerDNA]

So unless someone can tell me that TT has a history of making emotional/irrational personnel decisions, the consensus seems to be that there was no performance reason to cut Sitton but likely an undisclosed non-performance reason. Given the litany of notions provided in this thread as to why Taylor is inferior to Sitton (which the coaches and GM surely know), we can assume there must have been a very compelling reason to make such a sudden move.

Hasn't been so much as a sniff that I've been able to find so far. Sitton said he felt great and was prepared to play the season under his present contract. Said physically he felt great. No word from anyone that he was having health issues or performance issues; in fact, he was 1st team all the way up till cut down day.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

going to put this in other terms. Who would set a decent case of beer out on the curb if they could have sold this case to their neighbors? This may have once been your favorite tasting beers, but your taste buds have changed or you saw an ant or two crawling around it. You know someone else will gladly pay a discounted price for it, but you let it sit. Maybe you let that case sit around too long and you wake up one day and it's just crawling with ants and you don't want those ants spreading to the rest of the pantry, so you toss it on the curb to let your neighbors take it for free. Personally, once I saw the first ant and knew I wasn't going to keep that beer, I would have found a suitable buyer for it.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Hasn't been so much as a sniff that I've been able to find so far. Sitton said he felt great and was prepared to play the season under his present contract. Said physically he felt great. No word from anyone that he was having health issues or performance issues; in fact, he was 1st team all the way up till cut down day.

In addition several teammates being shocked about his release indicates there wasn't an incident in the locker room either.

 

[PackerDNA]

Last report I saw said "double digit number of teams" were lining up to talk to him.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Last report I saw said "double digit number of teams" were lining up to talk to him.

Imagine how many trade partners the Packers would have found.......back in May.

While this was the Packers letting a Vet go before his time and TT has been criticized for hanging on to Vets too long, IMO, this was one time when TT/Packers did both things wrong......they held on and let go of a vet too early and too late.

 

[HardRightEdge]

The Bears signing Sitton to a three year contract averaging $7.5 million a season with $10 million guaranteed tells me the Packers could have at least gotten sonething in return for him in a trade.

"Something". Unlike many, I don't go gaga over compensatory FA picks either; it's small consolation when what you gain is less than what you lost. It's better than a sharp stick in the eye in situations that are typically a cap necessity. The occasional 3rd. rounder is nice but not a game changer; 6th. and 7th. rounders are barely above UDFA value.

The fact the Bears signed Sitton to that contract instead of trading for him is evidence of how reluctant teams are to trade picks. For a modest draft cost, they could have paid him the final year under the old contract, or they could have used the leverage of that one year deal to fashion a more favorable extension than what they paid.

Of course, Thompson may not have offered a trade to the Bears for obvious reasons. In that case, we have no idea how anybody in the rest of the league might have valued him. It's not worth getting jazzed up over what might have been a 4th. round pick under other circumstances.

 

[Half Empty]

Great, don't get excited. Please allow the rest of us to get involved.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Something would have been better then the nothing that the Packers received for waiting until the cut deadline to make this move. With as much as TT covets draft choices, this can only lead me to believe that this was a very last minute decision. Not sure why TT and MM are staying so mum on this topic, unless they just want to keep everyone on their toes, letting fans and players know, that no job in GB is secure.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

"Something". Unlike many, I don't go gaga over compensatory FA picks either; it's small consolation when what you gain is less than what you lost. It's better than a sharp stick in the eye in situations that are typically a cap necessity. The occasional 3rd. rounder is nice but not a game changer; 6th. and 7th. rounders are barely above UDFA value.

It's not worth getting jazzed up over what might have been a 4th. round pick under other circumstances.

The Packers have been pretty successful drafting in the fourth round during Thompson's tenure so it would have been nice to get at least a mid round pick in return for an All-Pro guard either via trade or a compensatory selection.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The Packers have been pretty succesful drafting in the fourth round during Thompson's tenure so it would have been nice to get at least a mid round pick in return for an All-Pro guard either via trade or a compensatory selection.

I agree with that, but I will forgo the compensatory pick in favor of the Cap savings....if it turns out there were valid reasons for not keeping Sitton and had they, it would have been a negative thing going forward. So far I haven't heard or seen much to convince me of that. Also what needs to come with that explanation is, why did the Packers wait so long and get nothing for him?

 

[swhitset]

In addition several teammates being shocked about his release indicates there wasn't an incident in the locker room either.

I'm not so certain about that. Watching the video of the interview with Lang for example.... I read less shock and more sadness. If something did happen, all the players have been put on notice that talking about it publicly is a good way to be following Sitton out the door.

 

[PackerDNA]

"Something". Unlike many, I don't go gaga over compensatory FA picks either; it's small consolation when what you gain is less than what you lost. It's better than a sharp stick in the eye in situations that are typically a cap necessity. The occasional 3rd. rounder is nice but not a game changer; 6th. and 7th. rounders are barely above UDFA value.

The fact the Bears signed Sitton to that contract instead of trading for him is evidence of how reluctant teams are to trade picks. For a modest draft cost, they could have paid him the final year under the old contract, or they could have used the leverage of that one year deal to fashion a more favorable extension than what they paid.

Of course, Thompson may not have offered a trade to the Bears for obvious reasons. In that case, we have no idea how anybody in the rest of the league might have valued him. It's not worth getting jazzed up over what might have been a 4th. round pick under other circumstances.

Bingo.

 

[HardRightEdge]

The Packers have been pretty successful drafting in the fourth round during Thompson's tenure so it would have been nice to get at least a mid round pick in return for an All-Pro guard either via trade or a compensatory selection.

"Nice", yes. But not anything I'd ever get worked up over.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I agree with that, but I will forgo the compensatory pick in favor of the Cap savings.

Most likely it would have been smarter to keep Sitton for this season and not spend $4.15 million on Taylor over the next two years though.

 

[ExpatPacker]

I'm just befuddled as to why they didn't keep Sitton for one more year and let him go in the offseason. Would they have lost anything at all by doing so other than not being able to sign Bahk and Tretter to early contracts?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Both Sitton and Mike Daniels were compensatory picks, so I kind of get excited about them.