2014-15 NFC North/NFL Thread

[jesmu84]

Cmon bears.

Allegedly bears and eagles have reached out.

I would unnatural carnal knowledgeing hate this move for the bears.

[JWags85]

Cmon bears.

Too many holes that need to be filled.  Can't afford to give up high draft picks which is what the Niners are going to be wanting for a fairly unproven commodity.

[jsglow]

He whiffed on Sherrod.  Mike Flannagan suffered a terrible leg injury too early on as a Packer, a fracture as well I'm pretty sure (probably a different bone) but recovered, and went on to a very solid career as our starting C. 

He whiffed.  That guy was terrible.

[jsglow]

Too many holes that need to be filled.  Can't afford to give up high draft picks which is what the Niners are going to be wanting for a fairly unproven commodity.

Plus aren't the Bears a year away from truly stating the rebuilding process?  They need to do it through solid draft choices, not one time fixes.

[hairy worthen]

Yep, we'll just have to agree to disagree.  I just remember how awful it was when the Pack tried trotting that stiff Allen Barbre out there as a starting RT.  Finding good tackles on either side is hard, as evidenced by how many teams have a need at one or both tackle positions.  And with Barclay, the ceiling only goes so high with him, plus he's coming off major injury.  So the internal candidates to replace Bulaga  are nil right now.  Offensive line and especially the tackle positions is not where you want to skimp with arguably the NFL's best player being the one they're protecting. 

If Thompson wouldn't have whiffed so terribly on the Sherrod 1st round selection, it would be a relatively easy decison to let Bulaga just walk if he's not willing to accept your price.

I agree, Sherrod was not a good pick, however what about, Sitton, Lang, Bakhtiari, Bulaga, Linsley, Barclay, Tretter, those were all later round picks, with the exception of Bulaga, that worked out pretty well. I would take my chances with TT picking offensive linemen.

[jsglow]

I agree, Sherrod was not a good pick, however what about, Sitton, Lang, Bakhtiari, Bulaga, Linsley, Barclay, Tretter, those were all later round picks, with the exception of Bulaga, that worked out pretty well. I would take my chances with TT picking offensive linemen.

That's my view too.  Plus recall that the Packers would be looking for a RIGHT Tackle.  LT seems ably manned for years to come.  I suspect someone will want to pay Bulaga LT money and that's not in the cards in Green Bay.  Bulaga has missed 30+ games as a Packers starter.  I don't blame him but he's simply not a cornerstone player.  You guys remember Darren Colledge?  That's where I slot Bulaga's talent.  Not every position can be max contract stuff.

[hairy worthen]

That's my view too.  Plus recall that the Packers would be looking for a RIGHT Tackle.  LT seems ably manned for years to come.  I suspect someone will want to pay Bulaga LT money and that's not in the cards in Green Bay.  Bulaga has missed 30+ games as a Packers starter.  I don't blame him but he's simply not a cornerstone player.  You guys remember Darren Colledge?  That's where I slot Bulaga's talent.  Not every position can be max contract stuff.

TT isn’t going to pay everyone in one position group.  The left tackle, left guard and right guard are all up for contract in the next year or 2.  There are better players than Bulaga in that group that will be paid. 

Worst case scenario Barclay handles the right tackle spot. He was adequate filling in that position when Bulaga missed most of the season in 2013. In fact, he was probably a better run blocker.

If he doesn’t sign Bulaga, look for TT to draft an offensive lineman after the second round to develop and possibly sign a lower tier veteran lineman for depth.

[GGGG]

SF putting Kap on the trade block.

So what exactly are the Niners doing?

**Drop a successful coach, and hire....uh...Singletary Part 2.

**Trade a decent QB.

I am not sure why they felt the need to blow things up just a year after being in the NFCCG.

[MU B2002]

Pernell McPhee to the Bears.

[wadesworld]

So what exactly are the Niners doing?

**Drop a successful coach, and hire....uh...Singletary Part 2.

**Trade a decent QB.

I am not sure why they felt the need to blow things up just a year after being in the NFCCG.

Kaepernick might've only been good against the Packers' embarrassingly bad defense against a zone read.  I used to think he was a legitimately good quarterback, but he got exposed last year.  Same with Russell Wilson...make his arm beat you within the pocket and he's really not great.  Product of systems.

Patrick Willis is retiring at age 30.

[Hards Alumni]

Kaepernick might've only been good against the Packers' embarrassingly bad defense against a zone read.  I used to think he was a legitimately good quarterback, but he got exposed last year.  Same with Russell Wilson...make his arm beat you within the pocket and he's really not great.  Product of systems.

Patrick Willis is retiring at age 30.

+1

[JuniorCardigan]

Pernell McPhee to the Bears.

Solid move, they need as many pass rushers as they can get. I would have preferred if they went for Greg Hardy but who knows if they want to deal with that publicity

[jsglow]

TT isn’t going to pay everyone in one position group.  The left tackle, left guard and right guard are all up for contract in the next year or 2.  There are better players than Bulaga in that group that will be paid. 

Worst case scenario Barclay handles the right tackle spot. He was adequate filling in that position when Bulaga missed most of the season in 2013. In fact, he was probably a better run blocker.

If he doesn’t sign Bulaga, look for TT to draft an offensive lineman after the second round to develop and possibly sign a lower tier veteran lineman for depth.

Concur.  It's Ted's way and that has us on the cusp of the Super Bowl every year baring critical injuries. I'd personally take that $7 million and spend it on defense.  Expect both BJ and Guion back at DT on one year deals.  That'll be cheap for Ted and probably productive.  (That pot bust cost Letroy millions.) He's going to need to pay one of his corners.  I'll bet on House.  Lastly, there's still a need for a starting inside backer.  I could legitimately see him dip a toe in free agency once again but probably not this week.  And I bet we see John Kuhn for one more year.

It'll never happen but my dream FA pickup someday is JJ.  He'd give his left arm to be a Packer.  And he'd still get 20 sacks and 5 touchdowns a year. 

[HutchwasClutch]

It'll never happen but my dream FA pickup someday is JJ.  He'd give his left arm to be a Packer.  And he'd still get 20 sacks and 5 touchdowns a year. 

JJ is signed with Houston through 2021. 

[jsglow]

JJ is signed with Houston through 2021. 

Damn.  That's a long wait.   

[HutchwasClutch]

jsglow and hairy worthen-

Since you two agree on everything, I'll address this to both of you.

Bulaga will be 26 this season.  He should be coming up on his best years.   He had a very solid season in 2014. CBS rates him as #9 in their top 100 unrestricted free agents this year!!   The comparison of Bulaga being nothing more than Colledge is a ridiculous comparison.  Colledge is a middling journeyman.  There's a reason why teams think Bulaga is worth 7-8million.  The powers that be in the NFL know that COlledge has never been close to that in market value.

You're both just going to write off a right tackle, a right tackle who protects your franchise player, and replace hime with a "worst case scenario" Don Barclay, an undrafted free agent coming off a torn ACL.  How high do you think Barclay's ceiling is?  Otherwise your plan is hope for the best in the draft??  Ted has missed plenty on offensive lineman.  For every Bakthiari and Bulaga, there is a Sherrod and Marshall Newhouse.  

The faith you have in plans b and c while just writing off Bulaga without a worry is really thinking as ultimate Packer optimists.  And it's well documented there are almost no free agent tackles out there.  So you can forget about bringing in Bulaga's replacement that way.  

We are way under the cap, and we really got Cobb for our price essentially.  So we still have tons of cap room.  Where would you spend it, or would you really essentially sit on it?   We're on the doorstep of another Super Bowl, let's not screw it up by pinning our hopes on Don freaking Barclay at RT, or an unknown draft choice, when you have a proven guy in your lap already.  

My last counter argument, about other lineman pay days coming up soon - I'd put Bulaga ahead of Lang right now.  I like Lang, but he has his limitations, and guard is really the only position he's been effective.  Sitton, I think his contract is up after this year, you're talking about a guy three years older than Bulaga, a lot more mileage and wear and tear on him already; he played half the season with a bad toe injury, played through it to his credit, but what more is in store as he gets older and you reup his deal?  Linsley's just in his second year.  Badkthiari, yes, he's headed for a big pay day very soon.  But I put Bulaga right behind Bakthiari in the pecking order.

The Packers have been good for so long, some people think we can just keep pulling rabbits out of hats.  It's simply an ill conceived mistake if we let Bulaga walk, unless he's demanding ridiculous LT money.  

And my prediction remains that Ted will do what it takes to bring him back.  I'm not certain of that, but my opinion as of today.

[HutchwasClutch]

Damn.  That's a long wait.   

I'm with you though completely, I've thought of him as a Packer many times. That would be a Reggie type addition, plus bringing the Wisconsin born and bred kid back home.

[GGGG]

Here is what some scouts told McGinn about Bulaga.

"Can make some money. Injury is the key with him. He's a good player. He's the second level. Not a Pro Bowler. Some of it you've got to take with a grain of salt because of the offense. They're able to hide those guys. The ball's out and that guy (Aaron Rodgers) can move around."

And Hutch, I know that you are talking about cap room, but if the team has players down the line that they feel better about than Bulaga, then they aren't going to max out their cap space now.  And overpaying just cause you have cap space is a move that bad franchises make.

[hairy worthen]

jsglow and hairy worthen-

Since you two agree on everything, I'll address this to both of you.

Bulaga will be 26 this season.  He should be coming up on his best years.   He had a very solid season in 2014. CBS rates him as #9 in their top 100 unrestricted free agents this year!!   The comparison of Bulaga being nothing more than Colledge is a ridiculous comparison.  Colledge is a middling journeyman.  There's a reason why teams think Bulaga is worth 7-8million.  The powers that be in the NFL know that COlledge has never been close to that in market value.

You're both just going to write off a right tackle, a right tackle who protects your franchise player, and replace hime with a "worst case scenario" Don Barclay, an undrafted free agent coming off a torn ACL.  How high do you think Barclay's ceiling is?  Otherwise your plan is hope for the best in the draft??  Ted has missed plenty on offensive lineman.  For every Bakthiari and Bulaga, there is a Sherrod and Marshall Newhouse.  

The faith you have in plans b and c while just writing off Bulaga without a worry is really thinking as ultimate Packer optimists.  And it's well documented there are almost no free agent tackles out there.  So you can forget about bringing in Bulaga's replacement that way.  

We are way under the cap, and we really got Cobb for our price essentially.  So we still have tons of cap room.  Where would you spend it, or would you really essentially sit on it?   We're on the doorstep of another Super Bowl, let's not screw it up by pinning our hopes on Don freaking Barclay at RT, or an unknown draft choice, when you have a proven guy in your lap already.  

My last counter argument, about other lineman pay days coming up soon - I'd put Bulaga ahead of Lang right now.  I like Lang, but he has his limitations, and guard is really the only position he's been effective.  Sitton, I think his contract is up after this year, you're talking about a guy three years older than Bulaga, a lot more mileage and wear and tear on him already; he played half the season with a bad toe injury, played through it to his credit, but what more is in store as he gets older and you reup his deal?  Linsley's just in his second year.  Badkthiari, yes, he's headed for a big pay day very soon.  But I put Bulaga right behind Bakthiari in the pecking order.

The Packers have been good for so long, some people think we can just keep pulling rabbits out of hats.  It's simply an ill conceived mistake if we let Bulaga walk, unless he's demanding ridiculous LT money.  

And my prediction remains that Ted will do what it takes to bring him back.  I'm not certain of that, but my opinion as of today.

See the post above from Sunshine, The Sultan of.   That’s it in a nutshell.

  The Packers will make an effort to sign Bulaga  because they always want to sign their own, but they have a price in mind and won’t go over it. I don’t think Bulaga is as valuable as you think.

[Spotcheck Billy]

House to JAX, $6mm/year, $10mm guaranteed

[Sir Lawrence]

http://m.jsonline.com/295769041.htm

Looks like Bulaga is staying with the Packers.

[GGGG]

http://m.jsonline.com/295769041.htm

Looks like Bulaga is staying with the Packers.

5 years, under $7M per year.

[wadesworld]

5 years, under $7M per year.

Outstanding.

Tramon, c'mon down.

[MUeng]

Outstanding.

Tramon, c'mon down.

im not as convinced on tramon.  maybe a 2 year deal for like 5mm a year.  more than that id be uncomfortable

[wadesworld]

im not as convinced on tramon.  maybe a 2 year deal for like 5mm a year.  more than that id be uncomfortable

2 or 3 for 6M or less and I'm good with it.  We need somebody at the CB position.  Obviously Shields outside and Hayward the slot CB.  Hayward can play some CB and some S.  Need another outside CB.