Packers O Line in 2016: No Slackers

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http://host.madison.com/sports/football/professional/packers-offensive-line-leads-the-way-in-season-of-injuries/article_27c08ac8-f985-5e03-b232-7f0f2c47fa6f.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

- Corey Linsley slams former teammates as slackers (no names mentioned, he same onboard in 2014, speculate away)

- Bulaga and Bach mentioned as pillars that have kept line from collapsing

- Lane Taylor gets some well deserved praise

- James Campen in the running for Assistance Coach of the Year for second year running

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Under-reported theory of the Josh Sitton release. Of all the packers, Sitton was one of the most voluble, public and excitable. Granted, that is a low bar on the Packers. Being in a contract year and finding out you are at the end of the line for a new deal, leaving you playing out the string, might be slightly upsetting.

Contract drives have driven other, very good players mad with uncertainty. Favre, Finley (whose brain literally forgot how to use both hands at the same time) and Jennings to name the most famous.

Did the news of Sitton's place in line for a deal make him enough of a pain in the ass that McCarthy finally asked Ted to deal him?

This explains the late timing, the odd leaks from inside Lambeau and the fact that Ted later said he thought Sitton was a good teammate. Ted after all, made the decision that they could live with contract year Josh. It would be McCarthy that would see it as a problem first.

[RashanGary]

Under-reported theory of the Josh Sitton release. Of all the packers, Sitton was one of the most voluble, public and excitable. Granted, that is a low bar on the Packers. Being in a contract year and finding out you are at the end of the line for a new deal, leaving you playing out the string, might be slightly upsetting.

Contract drives have driven other, very good players mad with uncertainty. Favre, Finley (whose brain literally forgot how to use both hands at the same time) and Jennings to name the most famous.

Did the news of Sitton's place in line for a deal make him enough of a pain in the ass that McCarthy finally asked Ted to deal him?

This explains the late timing, the odd leaks from inside Lambeau and the fact that Ted later said he thought Sitton was a good teammate. Ted after all, made the decision that they could live with contract year Josh. It would be McCarthy that would see it as a problem first.


Pb, enough time has gone by now for more information to fall into place. The Packers medical team knows Sittons body. The Packers coaching staff knows taylors skillset. Sitton was going to collect a fat paycheck, which takes away from other spots on the team. It was just time to move on. No conspiracy. No personality stuff. Just a business decision. It seems clearer and clearer every game. Ted is remarkably right with moves like this. The one that really stands out as a bad one after the shields injury is Heyward, but TT can't be perfect either.

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Under-reported theory of the Josh Sitton release. Of all the packers, Sitton was one of the most voluble, public and excitable. Granted, that is a low bar on the Packers. Being in a contract year and finding out you are at the end of the line for a new deal, leaving you playing out the string, might be slightly upsetting.

Contract drives have driven other, very good players mad with uncertainty. Favre, Finley (whose brain literally forgot how to use both hands at the same time) and Jennings to name the most famous.

Did the news of Sitton's place in line for a deal make him enough of a pain in the ass that McCarthy finally asked Ted to deal him?

This explains the late timing, the odd leaks from inside Lambeau and the fact that Ted later said he thought Sitton was a good teammate. Ted after all, made the decision that they could live with contract year Josh. It would be McCarthy that would see it as a problem first.

none of this is new, this was all brought up when it happened

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none of this is new, this was all brought up when it happened

I have seen all the pieces, just wanted to string them together in one place. Plus I think its to M3's credit that this worked out and he gets very little credit for it.

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Pb, enough time has gone by now for more information to fall into place. The Packers medical team knows Sittons body. The Packers coaching staff knows taylors skillset. Sitton was going to collect a fat paycheck, which takes away from other spots on the team. It was just time to move on. No conspiracy. No personality stuff. Just a business decision. It seems clearer and clearer every game. Ted is remarkably right with moves like this. The one that really stands out as a bad one after the shields injury is Heyward, but TT can't be perfect either.

I believe the medical concern. But the Packers did not have to offer him a new contract and they weren't cash strapped. They could have gotten Bach done and kept Sitton I think. A second big deal would have been tougher.

I don't buy the locker room incident as the precipitating event, though it could have happened.

Its also not Ted's style to let a vet hang all of camp then cut him; just to be sure about Taylor. Though that doesn't mean I think he is incapable of being that calculating. This one is a maybe.

He did have backup lineman he knew (Tretter/Linsley, Taylor, guy on PS and the draft picks) and felt pretty good about them. That might have put pressure on the O Line to give up a spot to a group less well known like WR (injury recovery, uncertainty about Adams) or the CBs.

Probably a combo, but obviously something happened late that wasn't obvious early enough to trade him in the normal window.

[RashanGary]

Probably a combo, but obviously something happened late that wasn't obvious early enough to trade him in the normal window.

Cutting sitton was a tough move. Teams just don't cut all pro players in the final year of a decent deal very often. Sitton, healthy, is well worth his paycheck. But as the preseason wore on, everyone stayed healthy. It was just time. I'm convinced you're assuming too much. Nothing happened except at the end of the preseason it made sense to move on because of health of the OL and money and the rickety health of sitton.

[gbgary]

were outstanding today!!

[Fritz]

I don't think necessarily it was Sitton to whom Linsley was referring. Linsley used the word "slackers," and while Sitton sounds like he could be a jagass, I don't think he was a slacker. In fact, I'm not sure he was talking about offensive linemen at all. I think he was talking about Bostick.

[Patler]

Linsley's comment was odd, since he has only been there three years, and there has been very little turnover among the OL during his time. The only players I could find who were on the 53 man roster at some point in 2014 or 2015, and are gone now are:

Josh Sitton
Josh Walker
Garth Gerhart

The story on Gerhart was that he was undersized and limited athletically, but was a high effort player who never gave up on plays. Doesn't sound like he would have been the "slacker".

Might Linsley have been referring to P.S. guys?

[Maxie the Taxi]

More than likely "slacker" is code for "stupid" and/or "self-centered."

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I'm with you on the pass play design. A lot of iso routes. However, unlike earlier this season, Nelson and Adams are getting open, and getting open deep. And that wasn't a slack defense they did it to yesterday. Though they often had a short field.

Seahawks pass rush relies so much on speed that being on the road and on grass really does a number on their success.