TJ Lang just followed the Seahawks on Twitter

[Pokerbrat2000]

I can't see paying Lang the kind of money he will probably get either....but.....at some point you have to start getting concerned with this O-line. Ask teams like Seattle and Minnesota what a crappy O-line does to the offense and on the flip side ask Dallas what can be done with a quality O-Line. Taylor is only under contract for another year and besides him, Bahk, Lindsley and Bulaga are the only proven starters. Given that history has shown that you rarely make it through a whole season without losing significant snaps from one or more of your starting 5, if Lang is gone, it would be wise to find at least one mid range FA guard and start drafting for the future.

 

[RRyder]

I can't see paying Lang the kind of money he will probably get either....but.....at some point you have to start getting concerned with this O-line. Ask teams like Seattle and Minnesota what a crappy O-line does to the offense and on the flip side ask Dallas what can be done with a quality O-Line. Taylor is only under contract for another year and besides him, Bahk, Lindsley and Bulaga are the only proven starters. Given that history has shown that you rarely make it through a whole season without losing significant snaps from one or more of your starting 5, if Lang is gone, it would be wise to find at least one mid range FA guard and start drafting for the future.

I mean is the argument that we should pick up a mid FA Guard because only 4 out our 5 Olineman are good proven starters? That's actually better then most teams

We drafted 2 linemen last year just in case we lost guys this offseason so they've allready been drafting for the future. Always a good idea to pick up big bodies late in the draft and let them develop and I assume they draft another guy or two for depth puroses again this year.

Let Lang walk. No reason to pay big bucks for a Guard. Convert Spriggs or move Bulaga down and draft for depth.

 

[TomBrownFan40]

I mean is the argument that we should pick up a mid FA Guard because only 4 out our 5 Olineman are good proven starters? That's actually better then most teams

We drafted 2 linemen last year just in case we lost guys this offseason so they've allready been drafting for the future. Always a good idea to pick up big bodies late in the draft and let them develop and I assume they draft another guy or two for depth puroses again this year.

Let Lang walk. No reason to pay big bucks for a Guard. Convert Spriggs or move Bulaga down and draft for depth.

Amen!

You never have enough quality large people. Even with Lang, this is an area I am getting concerned. Lindsley and Bulaga are solid pros but, both have ridden the cart off the field in the recent past. Barclay resigning is most certainly not compensatory for losing Tretter. Spriggs has potential but, I'd love to see more quality depth here.

The general consensus is this is not a great draft for OLineman which in pundit speak means there are no Joe Thomases out there. However, Walterfootball lists a couple of Center/Guard and Guard/Tackle tweeners in the 2nd to 5th round range. 2nd round is probably too high but, I'd like to see a large person added in that late 3rd to late 5th round range.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

I can't see paying Lang the kind of money he will probably get either....but.....at some point you have to start getting concerned with this O-line. Ask teams like Seattle and Minnesota what a crappy O-line does to the offense and on the flip side ask Dallas what can be done with a quality O-Line. Taylor is only under contract for another year and besides him, Bahk, Lindsley and Bulaga are the only proven starters. Given that history has shown that you rarely make it through a whole season without losing significant snaps from one or more of your starting 5, if Lang is gone, it would be wise to find at least one mid range FA guard and start drafting for the future.

I remember tt coming in and stating guards are interchangeable. He let wahle and Rivera go, and gave was smeared...

Since then taucher and clifton retired and we found out how difficult finding OT s are! We have our OT s for now. That's the first priority imo...

I'd bet money that we look to the draft to fill guard. Thompson's original theory about guards, I have come to agree with.
His original "zone blocking" runt guards didn't work as planned. But his new method of drafting OT who just don't have "it" for the tackle position in the NFL. But they are big and strong enough to play guard. With plenty of agility to spare at that point.

We will draft some of those failed OT guys this year. Too big and not fast enough for the pros to play OT.

 

[adambr2]

Not out of the Lang running yet. Said it's the Lions, Packers, or Seahawks and he'll decide today.

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2...ers-lions-seahawks?fv-home=true&post-id=58473

 

[Reggie White Cheese]

FU**
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/840969179402534912

 

[adambr2]

Lions huh? Hope TJ got 12M+ from them per year.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I mean is the argument that we should pick up a mid FA Guard because only 4 out our 5 Olineman are good proven starters? That's actually better then most teams

We drafted 2 linemen last year just in case we lost guys this offseason so they've allready been drafting for the future. Always a good idea to pick up big bodies late in the draft and let them develop and I assume they draft another guy or two for depth puroses again this year.

Let Lang walk. No reason to pay big bucks for a Guard. Convert Spriggs or move Bulaga down and draft for depth.

Now with both Lang and Tretter officially gone, I find it hard to believe that anyone would think it wouldn't be wise to sign at least one veteran on the O-line. Whether its a starter or for depth, I'm not really feeling that good about the current stable of backups at Tackle, Guard or Center.

 

[adambr2]

Now with both Lang and Tretter officially gone, I find it hard to believe that anyone would think it wouldn't be wise to sign at least one veteran on the O-line. Whether its a starter or for depth, I'm not really feeling that good about the current stable of backups at Tackle, Guard or Center.

I'm okay with the depth, for the most part. Barclay, as much as he is everyone's favorite whipping boy, can at least back up any position in a pinch. So the versatility is nice. But he's obviously not a guy you want starting.

Spriggs should hopefully with another year under his belt be a more than serviceable backup tackle. In a perfect world you could now just plug him in at guard and go, but he's just not a guard.

Murphy is a nice tackle prospect. For your 7th or 8th lineman on the bench you could do worse.

You've still got a big void though at starting guard and I'm not sure anyone on the current roster is right for it. So at the very least I think they definitely need to draft a guy.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'm okay with the depth, for the most part. Barclay, as much as he is everyone's favorite whipping boy, can at least back up any position in a pinch. So the versatility is nice. But he's obviously not a guy you want starting.

Spriggs should hopefully with another year under his belt be a more than serviceable backup tackle. In a perfect world you could now just plug him in at guard and go, but he's just not a guard.

Murphy is a nice tackle prospect. For your 7th or 8th lineman on the bench you could do worse.

You've still got a big void though at starting guard and I'm not sure anyone on the current roster is right for it. So at the very least I think they definitely need to draft a guy.

Your post reaffirmed my nervousness about the Packers "depth" or lack of on the O-line, so you are going to have to convince me that only drafting a rookie will solve the starting G position as well as depth on the entire line.

"Barclay, as much as he is everyone's favorite whipping boy, can at least back up any position in a pinch"

"Spriggs should hopefully with another year under his belt be a more than serviceable backup tackle"

"Murphy is a nice tackle prospect"

I'm not talking about having a back-up to come in while a player fixes his shoe or helmet. Inevitably, one of our O lineman goes does for an extended period of time, given that we don't even know who the starting guard is at this moment, who is the guy who comes in when a starter is lost?

IMO, losing 2 starters in Lang and Tretter has blown a pretty sizable hole in the OL. Trying to fill gaps with "serviceable" replacements may prove costly. I know if I am AR right now, I am really happy with the signings of Bennett and Kendricks, but I am starting to worry about having all the time I once did to get rid of the ball.

 

[brandon2348]

Well this is where the guys you draft have to develop and step up. A lot of people say TT is so good at drafting so there should be a replacement on the roster.

He drafted two offensive lineman last year. One of them should be able to step up this year if your drafting the "right guys"

 

[Dantés]

Well this is where the guys you draft have to develop and step up. A lot of people say TT is so good at drafting so there should be a replacement on the roster.

He drafted two offensive lineman last year. One of them should be able to step up this year if your drafting the "right guys"

Clearly the plan was/is for Spriggs to do something. I'm just not sure what yet. Maybe he'll surprise me and make a good guard. Maybe they'll put him at RT and bump Bulaga to guard. In any case, I hope the kid is living in the weight room this offseason.

 

[RRyder]

IMO, losing 2 starters in Lang and Tretter has blown a pretty sizable hole in the OL. Trying to fill gaps with "serviceable" replacements may prove costly. I know if I am AR right now, I am really happy with the signings of Bennett and Kendricks, but I am starting to worry about having all the time I once did to get rid of the ball.

The Packers lost one starter. Tretter was going to be a backup.

I get being concerned about depth. Every team worries about depth on the line. But it doesn't necessitate needing to sign a guy or draft a linemen high. Draft a guy in the mid to late rounds for depth per usual and develop him. It really is that simple. It's not big hole. We were just really deep last year.

Once again. We've allready prepared for this.

 

[C-Lee]

Mods, we should probably merge this with the other thread.

PS, I love how Lang trolled Seahawks fans with the follow.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I don't believe Thompson traded up for Spriggs to play him at guard either.

Did I say he was drafted to play OG? No I did not. I said they didn't draft him to sit on the bench until Bulaga's deal was up 4 seasons down the road. You don't draft a guy in the upper second round if you don't intend him to play somewhere and soon. Follow the logic:

Bulaga is signed through 2019; they were going to pay whatever was required to keep Bakhtiari as indicated by his contract. So, year one Spriggs is the presumptive emergency backup tackle. You don't exactly know what you have in a draftee until you get him on the field. Let's say he looked as good as Bakhtiari did as a rookie going into opening day. Then an OT option opens up. Release Bulaga? Move Bulaga to OG instead of Taylor?

Spriggs did not show himself to be a ready-for-prime time OT. Not all that surprising or disturbing. On to year 2.

So, what if Spriggs comes to camp and suddenly looks like the second coming of [fill in the blank outstanding pass blocker]. Then maybe it will be Bulaga to OG and Spriggs to OT. I would not expect that either.

In the final analysis, when the Spriggs pick was made they had a good idea they were not re-signing Sitton and they also had a good idea they would not be resigning Lang if he had a good, healthy season drawing good OG money in FA. The cap was not going to be there. Tretter was known to be a FA as well.

Spriggs was going to be playing somewhere, and not necessarily OT, though that might have been the upside hope and might be the case down the line. As it turns out, it looks like it's going to be OG this season unless he stinks up the joint, which I don't expect. He has to step up his run blocking game, find the chemistry with his cohorts, and he'll need some more bulk.

OT or OG, he needs more heft.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The Packers lost one starter. Tretter was going to be a backup.

Sorry, I should have said the Packers lost 2 "starting caliber" OL in Tretter and Lang.