We most certainly DID NOT have lang. He was a FA. Unrestricted no less. He got paid like a tackle. Glad for him. Glad TT isn't the guy who did pay him.
I wouldn't rule out Evans actually being an upgrade from Lang. Lang played way up in his contract year, and he has a history of injuries. Evans is 4 years older but without the history of injuries, and he has been a much better player for most of his career. Even last season, he was apparently decent. Drew Brees is nowhere near as mobile as Aaron Rodgers, and the Saints O Line including Evans protected him pretty well. Also, the Saints have been at least average as a running team over his career. If Ted got him for a million or so, I say good going.
all tt had to do to keep lang was pay him. cap wasn't an issue. we're talking about whether free agency has improved the Packers this season. has it? well obviously no. an upgrade at one position doesn't make it so.
cook vs bennett: upgrade with bennett. lang vs evans: downgrade with evans (evidently the Packers coaches were very upset about the lang loss)
Tex does have a point though. He was part of a line that protected Brees very well. Only 27 sacks even though Brees led the NFL in pass attempts. Also, Schneider has admitted that not keeping Evans was probably a mistake. Maybe the Seahawks offensive line is horrible because they've made bad decisions.
I realize he's probably not as good as Lang. I just don't think RG will be a huge factor. And you could certainly argue that Evans has a better chance of playing 16 games than Lang does.
But not all upgrades come from free agency. Upgrades also come from players getting healthy, players improving, the draft, better schemes etc.
I think the improvement at the TE position (Don't forget Kendricks) will at least offset the losses on the offensive line.
i think guys improving on their own will be offset by guys not improving, and the guys who improved the year before, or the guys we lost
if things worked the way you say, then every team would get better every single year. and that just simply isn't the case
and like i've said before. i think bennett is a slight upgrade over cook, and kendricks might be a slight upgrade from dick rod. not a huge upgrade. plus both are only on one year deals, much like all our FA signings, which i can't get out of my head
I love the new Te----- Elliot Wolf.
Were the terms of his contract ever reported?
That was a different thread. Pretty silly to only count that as the way to make improvements. You're strictly looking at FA and placing blame at TTs feet for what you don't like. TT has FA and the draft to improve his team. The main point here you aren't understanding is he's not going to sign the FA YOU want if he thinks he can fill the hole via the draft. That's wasting resources.
Tom Silverstein @TomSilverstein 19m19 minutes ago
#Packers FA Guard Jahri Evans' one-year deal is worth $2.25M: $200K signing bonus, $1.15M base, $800K per game roster, $100K w/o, $225K LTBE