Free Agency: ILB

[Pokerbrat2000]

The key with our current O-line, as we saw this year, is health and depth. Tretter proved he is a capable fill in, but beyond him, I saw nothing. Now maybe some of the younger guys will get better, but I don't see the 2016 season as being any different then those in the past and we are bound to lose a starter and multiple others for various games. Because of that and also the contracts of our current starters, TT needs to start getting deeper on the O Line.

Can't even remember which team it was this year, but I am pretty sure we played a team that was totally banged up on their Oline and their patched up line played really well. Seems like we lose one or two starters and its Armageddon out there for the Packer offense.

 

[Vrill]

Our depth is fine at OL. We just seem to have some injury prone guys along the OL. Nobody expects to have wholesale injuries at a certain position headed into a season.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Our depth is fine at OL. We just seem to have some injury prone guys along the OL. Nobody expects to have wholesale injuries at a certain position headed into a season.

Besides Tretter, who else do you see as quality depth on the O line? Injuries are a part of the game and I don't remember the last season where they didn't effect our O line. Maybe my memory is clouded?

Like I said, maybe the younger guys will be ready to go in 2016, but if they aren't, IMO we need some upgrading in the depth dept, because 6 guys don't seem like enough to get through a whole season.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Our depth is fine at OL. We just seem to have some injury prone guys along the OL. Nobody expects to have wholesale injuries at a certain position headed into a season.

The Packers lack depth on the offensive line. Aside of Tretter, who is best suited to play center, none of the linemen currently on the roster have proven to be capable to protect Rodgers with some of them even having terrible showings. Thompson needs to add more quality players at the position although I don't want the team to spend an early round pick on it.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I don't want the team to spend an early round pick on it.

That is my biggest fear in the coming draft. Conklin from MSU is still there when we pick in the first and TT sees "value". 2 words.....Tony Mandarich.

 

[Vrill]

The Packers lack depth on the offensive line. Aside of Tretter, who is best suited to play center, none of the linemen currently on the roster have proven to be capable to protect Rodgers with some of them even having terrible showings. Thompson needs to add more quality players at the position although I don't want the team to spend an early round pick on it.

Hardly no team in the NFL has great OL depth. Injuries to any OL, much less ours, will see a slippage in overall play.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Injuries to any OL, much less ours, will see a slippage in overall play.

That's stating the obvious. The drop-off in performance was way too steep for the Packers last season though and the team needs better back-ups.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Again, mentioned this above and only going off memory and I am sure people will find examples otherwise, but we have played teams with patched up O lines and not had the success that it seems teams had against ours when we were short a man or 2. Not to mention, the drop off on quality was dramatic.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

FWIW On Harrison...

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/7885/damon-harrison

I would be ecstatic if the Packers outbid the Jets and paid him $6m a year, never mind if the Packers could get him for $5m per year! Packers defense would look MUCH better with an actual good NT on the field.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

The Packers for sure will have to make a move at nose tackle, it´s possible Thompson is content with re-signing Raji though.

That would not qualify as making a move...that would qualify as settling for another subpar year at NT. And if that happens then the Packer's need to improve at ILB will get a LOT larger.

 

[Vrill]

Again, mentioned this above and only going off memory and I am sure people will find examples otherwise, but we have played teams with patched up O lines and not had the success that it seems teams had against ours when we were short a man or 2. Not to mention, the drop off on quality was dramatic.

Maybe it says more about our OL coach.

 

[Mondio]

Maybe it says more about our OL coach.

I don't get our offensive line. For a while now, I've thought we had some decent players, at least athletic and big guys capable of playing along the Oline. ANd we were not good for a while, then after week 4 or so of the previous season, they were mostly impenetrable as a unit in the pass game. Still not that impressed with run blocking.

So I go into this year thinking maybe it was the transition from zone type linemen to different linemen and a slight change in philosophy that caused the flucuations and now they got it down. and I'm thinking our Oline coach can coach.

Then this year rolls around and our starters are leaking all over the place and the backups look completely lost all the way around, so I'm back to, "maybe he can't coach" and then they did pretty well against the Cards to close out the season. I don't know what to think when it comes to this group. I do know they need to get better. but that's an understatement

 

[Vrill]

Inconsistent might be the key word there, Mondio.

 

[Mondio]

Inconsistent might be the key word there, Mondio.

I think it's a very good word, and I can't put my finger on why. Coaching? Players? Injuries? Protections too complicated? all of the above? none of? what? Drives me nuts. I will say in the past, i've often put Campen in with Slocum, wanted both gone for a long time. Then he bought some time in 2014 in my mind. Now i'm nervous it was just an aberration. But this year was hard to tell, they started off OK, subpar overall if you ask me, but OK and we were winning. Then injuries and everything was falling apart for a while. Hard to pin it on any one thing for certain, though i was very critical of the offensive line at the time and believe they played a big part in it. But if WR's are not catching 1st down balls and we're always in 3rd and long and trailing, it can get hard to play football as an offensive lineman.

It will be an interesting offseason, maybe. I guess they're usually pretty boring

 

[TJV]

Vrill that was a quick evolution for you re: the OL. First the depth is fine, just some injury prone guys. Then ‘hardly no team has great OL depth’ (except the Packers’ which is fine?). Then even though you started by saying the OL is fine, ‘maybe it’s the OL coach’.

IMO a lot of the problems along the OL early were injuries. Bakhtiari was playing injured coming out of TC and then missed a couple of games. Sitton had a couple of injuries including chronic back pain. Bulaga had knee surgery and then an ankle injury. Lang is going to have shoulder surgery this off season. Linsley missed 4+ games with an ankle injury. I think we saw how good this OL could be in the second half of 2014 when they all were relatively healthy but staying healthy has been a problem.

I think it’s obvious the OL lacks depth. IMO the Packers have one adequate backup and that’s Tretter, but he can only play one spot at a time. I think they are in desperate need of an adequate backup OT and a vet would be ideal because counting upon a rookie is, to say the least, dicey. If they pick one up, along with Tretter they’d be in pretty good shape to handle injuries.

 

[Vrill]

Vrill that was a quick evolution for you re: the OL. First the depth is fine, just some injury prone guys. Then ‘hardly no team has great OL depth’ (except the Packers’ which is fine?). Then even though you started by saying the OL is fine, ‘maybe it’s the OL coach’.

No. I was going by what others were saying and bringing up possible answers to their questions/concerns.

 

[easyk83]

That would not qualify as making a move...that would qualify as settling for another subpar year at NT. And if that happens then the Packer's need to improve at ILB will get a LOT larger.

Raji slipped mid season while struggling with an injury but as a whole he played well at NT this year. I don't think he's worth big money, but he played well enough to be kept assuming his K is reasonable.

 

[TeamTundra]

Can't even remember which team it was this year, but I am pretty sure we played a team that was totally banged up on their Oline and their patched up line played really well. Seems like we lose one or two starters and its Armageddon out there for the Packer offense.

The Chargers were missing four starters on their offensive line when we played them this year.

Barclay filled in for Bulaga at RT early in the year and although he struggled at times, the offense
still played pretty well, such as in the Chiefs game.

 

[OldSchool101]

Besides Tretter, who else do you see as quality depth on the O line? Injuries are a part of the game and I don't remember the last season where they didn't effect our O line. Maybe my memory is clouded?

Like I said, maybe the younger guys will be ready to go in 2016, but if they aren't, IMO we need some upgrading in the depth dept, because 6 guys don't seem like enough to get through a whole season.

I agree completely with needing more OL picks. Actually, if you remember Poker, 2014 regular season was overall very injury free on the OL (showed in our stats also) so much so that we ignored OL in the 2015 draft. Before picking a C (Linsley) in 2014 we were averaging just shy of 2 OL draft picks per year going back several years under TT.
I agree though we are in need of starting quality competition at LT and a backup to Bulaga at RT and/or a guy that can play both G or RT without the big drop off in level of play there. The issue is we essentially need
2 OL, 1 TE, 1 ILB... 3 of which have the capacity to start week 1. This is why, like you, Id like to see us fill those with 1-2 starters from FA depending on $$, availability or capacity to trade etc...

 

[Crockett&Tubbs]

There are not a lot of tackles who are good, even starting ones are hard to come by. What we saw from Barclay is sickening, but what we saw from Tretter is very good. You can't expect better than that for a backup OT.

Remember this, Bulaga is very injury-prone, and now he has 6 years under his belt, plus a bunch of injuries/surgeries.
We need another backup who's capable of keeping Rodgers alive, at OT. Barclay, he ain't it. He better not be on the roster next year or else it's another big failure by this staff and/or GM.

Rotheram might be a guy who can help, another year into the program. I'm not sure what his weight is at, if his best position is G or T, etc. We didn't know Tretter would hold up so well at LT, thought he was a center.....

I also thought the big guy, the one black OL, would be good... but seeing him with my own eyes in AZ in week 16, I went from happy & excited, optimistic to see him out there, to horrified and petrified for Rodgers. They got the guy outta there pretty early, but almost too late. Walker I think right? Names escape me sometimes.....

Lane Taylor seems decent as a guard.
So Tretter, Taylor, and maybe Rotheram. A team doesn't dress more than 8 OL.

 

[TJV]

Rotheram might be a guy who can help, another year into the program. I'm not sure what his weight is at, if his best position is G or T, etc. We didn't know Tretter would hold up so well at LT, thought he was a center...

I would rather they not have to count on Tretter at LT long-term. He was obviously the best option there this season but I think he'd be a liability there in the run game - again long-term. McGinn writes in his grading column that Tretter "isn't big enough to play out there on a regular basis". Beyond that I think he's by far the best option to backup inside.

Rotheram had 15 teams interested in signing him after the draft but I think he's best suited for OG, which is where he's listed. He's big - 6'5" 325 and was reported to be a very good run blocker but limited athletically. It may be a stretch for him to play RT, but IMO LT is out of the question. I haven't been a big fan of Taylor and liked Walker better at OG. BTW, Walker looked bad at Arizona because he played RT, and not his more natural position of OG. So IMO they have some guys to compete at OG and Tretter is damn good at OC. But they lack a legit long-term backup OT.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

2 OL, 1 TE, 1 ILB... 3 of which have the capacity to start week 1. This is why, like you, Id like to see us fill those with 1-2 starters from FA depending on $$, availability or capacity to trade etc...

The Packers don't need a starting tackle but for sure some better back-ups at the position.

 

[PackerDNA]

The Packers don't need a starting tackle but for sure some better back-ups at the position.

I think the starters can definitely be improved on. Bulaga IMO is in decline due to repeated injuries over the years robbing him of some ability; the wheels could come off for him at any time. Bak is adequate but he won't be getting bigger, stronger or better. The biggest reason for not replacing either of them is that there is pretty much zero chance of getting anyone appreciably better.
Depth, however, is in desperate need of an upgrade.

 

[TJV]

Bak is adequate but he won't be getting bigger, stronger or better.

But he did get bigger, stronger and better going into this season. The focus of his off season was adding good weight and getting stronger. I would have liked to see how improved he was but remember that was interrupted when he missed most of the preseason with a knee injury (then later in the season suffered a different knee injury). Even so, according to McGinn, he reduced his “bad run” total from 15.5 to 19.5 in the previous two seasons to an OL best 8 this season. He also reduced the number of pressures he surrendered. McGinn: “Everyone tries to bull rush him, but over time he's become stronger and needs fewer steps to set his anchor.” And he's only 24, he'll likely get stronger as he matures. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...eport-card-offense-b99656526z1-366333791.html

Don't get me wrong, if everyone is healthy I think he's the weakest link of the starters. But they can win it all with him at LT IMO (with everyone else healthy). I'd love to see a vet signed that could challenge him at LT. Realistically that's not likely to happen so I'll be glad if an adequate vet OT backup is signed.

 

[CashInFist]

IMO, good LBs are easy to find in FA or the draft. Less important position I believe.