Corey Linsley is a Stud

[Pokerbrat2000]

Not bad for a 2014 5th round pick! The Packers used 10 different offensive linemen this past season but only one center. They fielded six different starting line combinations, but all of them included Corey Linsley in the middle. The fifth-year pro played every offensive snap for the second consecutive season. Dating to the middle of the 2016 season, he has been on the field for 2,484 straight plays. That includes the last 363 snaps of 2016 (including playoffs), all 1,047 snaps of 2017 and all 1,074 snaps of 2018.

I remember when some wanted to call him "injury prone".

 

[Dantés]

Bakhtiari and Linsley have become two of the best at their position. TT gets a lot of abuse, but he nailed those two draft picks... middle round guys who started immediately and have gotten better every season.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Bakhtiari and Linsley have become two of the best at their position. TT gets a lot of abuse, but he nailed those two draft picks... middle round guys who started immediately and have gotten better every season.

Yup, I was going to mention the fact that TT should always be remembered for his ability to draft successful offensive lineman mid to late round: Bahk, Linsley, Sitton, Lang, Tretter, and even Lane Taylor (UDFA), but I din't want to hog all the press.

The only problem is, Linsley was his last success and almost 5 years later, we are beginning to feel the pain.

 

[Half Empty]

Glad to have him, but a couple of caveats - he did miss 10 games in his second and third years, and there hasn't been a true backup center on the team for a while.

 

[PackAttack12]

The only problem is, Linsley was his last success and almost 5 years later, we are beginning to feel the pain.

So is Aaron Rodgers.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Glad to have him, but a couple of caveats - he did miss 10 games in his second and third years, and there hasn't been a true backup center on the team for a while.

I read that Linsley had ankle surgery following the 2016 season to correct a problem that he believes led to the hamstring injury that kept him out until Week 9 of that season. Considering he has been healthy ever since, maybe some of the other Packers with constant hammy issues need to look into that surgery.

Speaking of surgeries, did anyone catch the new innovative surgery (called "Tight Rope") that Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa had done on his ankle? Really impressive, although he wasn't as impressive as Clemson's Freshman QB Trevor Lawrence. Man that guy is going to be a stud in the NFL. If the Packers 2021 season is looking bad, that would be one guy that I would seriously consider tanking a season to get with the #1 pick.

https://www.si.com/college-football...iloa-ankle-surgery-alabama-injuries-tightrope

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

So is Aaron Rodgers.

At QB yes, but you only need a great QB every 12 or so years. Offensive lineman, you should be hitting on one in every other draft IMO.

 

[Half Empty]

I think the operative part of that was "we're beginning to feel the pain" (and so is AR).

 

[PackAttack12]

At QB yes, but you only need a great QB every 12 or so years. Offensive lineman, you should be hitting on one in every other draft IMO.

I meant that Rodgers is starting to feel the pain physically.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I meant that Rodgers is starting to feel the pain physically.

As are Packer fans, mentally.

 

[OldSchool101]

At QB yes, but you only need a great QB every 12 or so years. Offensive lineman, you should be hitting on one in every other draft IMO.

Yes. Corey Linsley is a great example of how trading picks away (which I’m admittedly a proponent of) can be costly. Sometimes those mid rounders develop into fantastic contributors. I believe GB needs to hit twice at OL between rounds 3-5 where you can typically find highly athletic prospects with sharp edges that need to be rounded out.

I don’t want to turn this into an entire draft post, but I also would highly consider drafting at OL now as high as our pick #44, maybe earlier if someone slips down the board. We have the pure #s of picks again. It also never hurts to have O line options in the meantime when a player goes down and it’s nice to have a year or two in a system without the pressure of what Linsley faced on the road at Seattle a few years ago.

A higher pick would allow us to wait until round 4-6 for several more developmental OL to round out our depth with more competition.

The unfortunate situation with Cole Madison was like disturbing a deposit on an account that was already insufficient in funds. Even then, our attempt to sign him was likely only enough to mask the deifiency until we could address it properly. That was an unfortunate outcome from all angles but that was then this is now.

Unless we go all out in FA towards Offense or there is some other trade or extraordinary transactions, 2019 needs to lean towards an Offensive injection of resources. We need our next Linsley success story at either OT or OG

 

[HardRightEdge]

Bakhtiari and Linsley have become two of the best at their position. TT gets a lot of abuse, but he nailed those two draft picks... middle round guys who started immediately and have gotten better every season.

You know what they say--even a broken clock is right twice per draft. Or something like that.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I never considered Linsley's cap savings in a possible cut in any cap/FA considerations because it struck me from the outset that the Packers would want him for this season in a prime window of opportunity.

The window is still there, but compromises now need to be made. That $8.15 mil in cap savings currently to be carried over to 2021 would be very useful to say the least. Linsley should be released even if it does paint management as d*cks.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I never considered Linsley's cap savings in a possible cut because it struck me from the outset that the Packers would want him for this season in a prime window of opportunity.

The window is still there, but compromises now need to be made. That $8.15 mil in cap savings currently to carry over to 2021 will be very useful to say the least. Linsley should be released even if it does paint management as d*cks.

I agree and if the Packers have no intention at resigning Linsely, all they will pick up is a 4th or 5th round comp pick by keeping him another year. I would take the cap savings over that.

What actually will be interesting is if the season isn't played or shortened in some way, how many vets in the final years of their contracts will be purged by all teams before the season would technically begin. If in the event that there is no season, if they don't have to pay anyone, then they won't purge and will take the compensatory pick.

This next month+ is going to be interesting in how COVID effects the 2020 season and with that, personnel decisions.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I agree and if the Packers have no intention at resigning Linsely, all they will pick up is a 4th or 5th round comp pick by keeping him another year. I would take the cap savings over that.

Of course. And who know if there would be a comp pick at all? Those picks are primarily predicated on the value of the free agent contract signed. Those contracts are going to be all over the place come 2021.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Of course. And who know if there would be a comp pick at all? Those picks are primarily predicated on the value of the free agent contract signed. Those contracts are going to be all over the place come 2021.

Agreed. Depending on the severity that COVID impacts things, the next year is going to be a very interesting and historic one in the NFL. Just from simple/normal roster decisions we see before the season starts. Now if there is no season, the resigning, free agency and college draft will be VERY interesting. Signing NFL free agents will be one thing but imagine trying to draft college players who haven't played in over a year.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Signing NFL free agents will be one thing but imagine trying to draft college players who haven't played in over a year.

Piece of cake. We just signed a first round QB, a 5th. round ILB, and a one of the Day 3 OLs, I cannot remember which, based on 2018 tape. Why not a whole draft?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I never considered Linsley's cap savings in a possible cut in any cap/FA considerations because it struck me from the outset that the Packers would want him for this season in a prime window of opportunity.

The window is still there, but compromises now need to be made. That $8.15 mil in cap savings currently to be carried over to 2021 would be very useful to say the least. Linsley should be released even if it does paint management as d*cks.

I have suggested to release Linsley based on the cap space being saved for most of the offseason. In the current situation it makes perfect sense.

 

[gopkrs]

Have been watching the sf conference game. Am at the point where Linsley hiked the ball into his own butt for a turnover. We should have kept the other guy. Will not be at all sorry to see us go with someone else.

 

[Mondio]

Have been watching the sf conference game. Am at the point where Linsley hiked the ball into his own butt for a turnover. We should have kept the other guy. Will not be at all sorry to see us go with someone else.

I couldn't help thinking at the time, Tretter was the guy I'd rather have had for a lot of reasons. At the time though, it didn't surprise me that the cheaper guy was kept over they guy that wasn't really all that healthy, then was and performed pretty well and then was a FA and going to get paid. Then we had to pay Linsley and I like him, but not at that pay grade he's at now.

I don't think this season will be anything and I thought there was a good chance he'd be cut this year had everything stayed "normal" I won't be surprised when it's announced.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Have been watching the sf conference game. Am at the point where Linsley hiked the ball into his own butt for a turnover. We should have kept the other guy. Will not be at all sorry to see us go with someone else.

Linsley had troubles with shotgun snaps all season long last year. The Packers should move on from him considering the cap space saved by the move.

 

[tynimiller]

Been screaming for a LONG time about as tough as it is to let him walk, HE should not be part of our future plans and costs too much presently to be worth it IMO.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Been screaming for a LONG time about as tough as it is to let him walk, HE should not be part of our future plans and costs too much presently to be worth it IMO.

The overriding factor is some minds is that Patrick looked OK in limited action. The Packers evidently have reservations or they would have moved on by now. This is not cap management as usual anymore. It's hard to see them not capturing the Linsley cap savings except for one thing:

If this is win now at all costs, to hell with 2021 and beyond, then even a marginal improvement of the position with Linsley over Patrick is a price to be paid.

If that's the case it sure wasn't reflected in the draft. I don't think this is that even under radically altered conditions. If "it's always win now in Green Bay, Wisconsin," as Gutekunst said, that has always come with caveats. It has never truely been "all in". Capturing that cap savings should be one of those caveats.

There is one other thing. The Packers did not cut him in time to land somewhere else as was the case with Graham. They committed to him. Cutting him now would be a form of bad faith which would not sit well with players and agents, current or future. In short, you look like an as*hole and that can come back to bite you.

But the conditions have changed drastically. I think cutting Linsley would likely be excused (except by Linsley and his agent) under this entirely different "it's a business" landscape.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

The overriding factor is some minds is that Patrick looked OK in limited action. The Packers evidently have reservations or they would have moved on by now. This is not cap management as usual anymore.

There is one other thing. The Packers did not cut him in time to land somewhere else as was the case with Graham. They committed to him. Cutting him now would be a form of bad faith which would not sit well with players and agents, current or future. In short, you look like an as*hole and that can come back to bite you.

But the conditions have changed drastically. I think cutting Linsley would likely be excused (except by Linsley and his agent) under this entirely different "it's a business" landscape.

NFL teams release veterans to save cap space at mandatory roster cutdowns all the time. I don't believe the Packers moving on from Linsley this year would have any negative repercussions in the future.

Aside of his $350K workout bonus the team wouldn't have gained anything by moving on from him before camp. If Patrick proves to be a capable starter over the next few weeks I'm convinced the Packers will move on from Linsley.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

NFL teams release veterans to save cap space at mandatory roster cutdowns all the time. I don't believe the Packers moving on from Linsley this year would have any negative repercussions in the future.

Aside of his $350K workout bonus the team wouldn't have gained anything by moving on from him before camp. If Patrick proves to be a capable starter over the next few weeks I'm convinced the Packers will move on from Linsley.

I agree and while I understand the stigma that some associate with "aww damn, that was cold of the Packers to cut him last minute", its a business. I see nothing wrong with waiting until "the last second" to cut a veteran player. Look around the league, teams do it every year around Sept.

The Packers have a player under contract, paid him his roster bonus and should be able to do what is best for the team. If another player can fill the spot much cheaper, then cut him. If he becomes a problem in the Locker Room (Sitton), cut him, etc. If a team feels they have an overpaid player, no reason cutting him on May 1st VS Sept. 1st should be viewed much different IMO.