When thinking about the pros and cons of a multi-year Bulaga deal, there's something we are overlooking. Bakhtiari is in his contract year in 2020. We can't say he's a lock to still be around in 2021. So I'll rescind my earlier statement. It is conceivable the Packers will re-sign Bulaga and draft high for an OT pegged as both Bulaga injury insurance and Bakhtiari free agency insurance or even a projected replacement. Everybody likes more than one reason behind a decision.
At the time the 2019 free agent class was signed we discussed how the cap brunt on those backloaded contracts would hit home in 2021. The combined cap hit in that year for Rodgers, Adams, the Smiths, Amos, Turner, and throw in the Lowry extension, the top 7 cap numbers is $111 mil. The dead cap on these contracts in that season is prohibitive, so the assumption at this point is they will be around at those cap numbers.
In the mean time you have the following players who will be free agents after 2019 or 2020:
- Bulaga after 2019, the subject of this discussion
- Clark in 2020 if he's not extended in the mean time. Either way his number in 2021 is potentially substantial.
- Martinez after 2019; some voices here are saying "pay the man" though I'm not one of them
- Bakhtiari after 2020
- Linsley after 2020
- King after 2020
- Aaron Jones after 2020
There are a lot of variables between now and where we are a 1 1/2 seasons down the road--where these guys are at and whether cheap rookie deal players ascend.
If you break it down to cap allocated by position group, having Bakhtiati on an extension, Bulaga on the second year of a new contract, Linsley on a new contract and Turner's $8 mil cap overhang would create a heavy cap load for the O-Line. Having all these guys may not be affordable.
I'm going suspend judgment on Bulaga until this offseason. If Bakhtiari is extended before the 2020 free agency period begins. I'd say Bulaga will not be resigned. If Bakhtiari is not extended by the start of the 2020 free agency period with Bulaga entering FA at that time, then I'd look at where everybody is at health- and performance-wise and the depth of the OT draft at that time.
Further, LaFleur has said the failure of his outside zone scheme may be personnel related. We don't know who is getting a black marks in that regard.
Then there's the big wild card: the expiration of the CBA after 2020. If the cap is generoulsy expended for 2021, that's more leeway to keep guys. If instead the union sacafices some cap for expanded retiree medical benefits for instance, that's a different picture. That may be clarified by next spring.
Frankly, I think we're trying to make a call here that the decision makers who have a lot more information would not be willing to make at this time.
We can say this much: the fact the Packers asked Bulaga to take a pay cut going into 2018 which he declind probably doesn't sit well with either party.
.that combined may have been construed as insensitive or derogatory towards you.
Sometimes I get overly excited and yell at the t.v. and I’m sorry.
