The Spectre of 2017 FA's

[El Guapo]

I think that Thompson is heading in that direction. However, he will hopefully learn enough about Tretter and Taylor in 2016 (training camp, while replacing Sitton/Lang due to injury, etc.) to know if it's a good move. If he can I assume that he will go with those options. As a backstop he may need to get a guard in FA replacement after one or both of those guys get signed away.

No one should be surprised by this scenario as we've seen him do it before at this exact position but he's also done it at CB (Williams & House departure), DL (Jenkins, Pickett), and others. He banks on drafted players to fulfill their potential. He's the mama bird that pushes his youngin's out of the nest to fly or fall. If they fly then he's the hero. However, if they fall he watches them fall and just makes another baby bird in the next draft. He doesn't steal another bird's young from the nest (free agency). How was THAT for an analogy?

 

[Mondio]

mostly good, except the young birds that can really fly are rarely available from the other nests. It's usually the older and overpriced

 

[Mondio]

You're going to decide- a year plus in advance- that an unknown- and IMO unproven, limited player- will be one of your starting guards in 2017? without knowing or so much as considering other possible options that could present themselves in that time? Do you decide important matters in your life without even considering other options a year plus in advance?

How does this mean he's decided anything? It gives us an option and i'm going to go out on a limb, but I think the staff has probably put a fair amount of input into this and they like what they see in Taylor. When building a team, you do have to depend on other members of that team whether it be play on the field, or the evaluation of young and up coming talent.

Lazy is waiting until the time to decide is here, and you have no options because you've given all the leverage to the players in negotiation and have no other answers on your team. And yes, I make decisions for the important stuff in my life very far in advance if I can. Makes for much smoother sailing. His contract hardly prohibits any other movement.

 

[easyk83]

I think he has added some beef already. His filling in for Linsley was pretty seamless; he did a pretty good job against the DT muscle he faced.

The other thing not to be overlooked in the context of this thread...Tretter will be an unrestricted FA in 2017 along with the other O-Linemen! If he's going to be pegged as a starter in place of a departing guard, he'll have to be paid. No eye-gouging amount, but something of some significance.

Yeah but Center's a little different, agility and quickness matters more there than it does at guard whereas guard demands more bulk.

 

[Poppa San]

As far as Sitton / Lang go, I'd not be surprised if TT believes their replacements are already on the roster if he plans to let either or both test the waters. And also another candidate grabbed in the middle of the next draft. Also he has plans on whether to resign Tretter +/or Bakh already. Probably another candidate to fall back on there also. After two subpar drafts in '11 & '12 emptied the cupboards, it should be time to reap the benefits of the develop phase of draft and develop. I expect to be pleasantly surprised and occasionally disappointed by the players that are being ignored by the fandom experts.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

That would allow him to sign Bahktiari while he searches the draft for Bulaga's eventually replacement.

Bulaga has four years left on his contract, there's no reason to search for his replacement. The Packers need a decent backup at the tackle positions though.

I agree, at least on Taylor. And if that is the mindset, than I have a problem with it.
You're gonna decide on a position a whole year in advance without even considering any other options or possibilities?

You're going to decide- a year plus in advance- that an unknown- and IMO unproven, limited player- will be one of your starting guards in 2017? without knowing or so much as considering other possible options that could present themselves in that time? Do you decide important matters in your life without even considering other options a year plus in advance?

Neither Thompson nor the coaching staff has decided that Taylor will start at one of the guard positions in 2017 but re-signing him gave the team an additional option if Sitton and/or Lang leave in free agency next offseason. Thompson overpaid for him though.

mostly good, except the young birds that can really fly are rarely available from the other nests. It's usually the older and overpriced

Yeah, like Trevathan and Green, who are both 25 years old.

 

[PikeBadger]

Bulaga has four years left on his contract, there's no reason to search for his replacement. The Packers need a decent backup at the tackle positions though.



Neither Thompson nor the coaching staff has decided that Taylor will start at one of the guard positions in 2017 but re-signing him gave the team an additional option if Sitton and/or Lang leave in free agency next offseason. Thompson overpaid for him though.



Yeah, like Trevathan and Green, who are both 25 years old.

If Taylor becomes a starting guard this year or even next year he most definitely is not being overpaid imo. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sitton was being shopped around as trade bait.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

If Taylor becomes a starting guard this year or even next year he most definitely is not being overpaid imo. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sitton was being shopped around as trade bait.

As of right now Taylor is a backup guard and therefore overpaid. I agree that the contract would turn into a pretty good one if he ends up being a decent starter over the course of the deal but that's far from a given.

 

[PackerDNA]

If Taylor becomes a starting guard this year or even next year he most definitely is not being overpaid imo. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sitton was being shopped around as trade bait.

Taylor has been here three seasons, and hasn't shown any indication that he's much more than a dime a dozen JAG. Yet he gets rewarded with a two year contract that is more than he's shown to be worth.
Because in 3 seasons, and now working under the assumption of 2 more seasons, there was no way we couldn't have done better?

 

[PackerDNA]

In reading on since my earlier posts, I've decided that Captain WIMM and Mondio's posts have won me over, and are more valid then mine, which were based on the premise of 'sounds like something Ted would do'.
Good job, gents.