Mark Tauscher update

[Tarlam!]

Yes, Zool, if it were my company, I would take care of the employee. After all, it's my money. Not sure what I'd do if I were CEO of a PLC.

Waldo, Tauscher would be looking for a huge payday in year one. Give him a roster bonus year two.

The signal sent to the locker room would be worth the money.

[Waldo]

Yes, Zool, if it were my company, I would take care of the employee. After all, it's my money. Not sure what I'd do if I were CEO of a PLC.

Waldo, Tauscher would be looking for a huge payday in year one. Give him a roster bonus year two.

The signal sent to the locker room would be worth the money.

The signal that everybody that wants money, no matter how they play, gets it, is an outstanding signal to send to the locker room.

[Patler]

Yes, Zool, if it were my company, I would take care of the employee. After all, it's my money. Not sure what I'd do if I were CEO of a PLC.

Waldo, Tauscher would be looking for a huge payday in year one. Give him a roster bonus year two.

The signal sent to the locker room would be worth the money.

Wouldn't the signal sent to the locker room be one of even more entitlement than already exists?

The Packers signed Tauscher to a new contract when he was rehabbing from his first injury. They did that when many thought they would take a wait and see attitude about that injury. Then, they gave Tauscher a "good guy" bump in pay just because they thought he was underpaid. They did that without extending his contract at all, which is quite unusual. Usually increases like that for now reason at least add another year voidable by the player, or something.

The Packers have treated Tauscher very well during his career. In some ways it almost seems like it is Tauscher's turn to offer to comeback at the vet's minimum, perhaps with bonus payments for starts, or something. Think of the message THAT would send to the players about loyalty to the organization that makes them wealthy.

[Old School]

I think you waste your time with today's athletes trying to prove you are a good guy. For the most part the only thing they care about is the name on the back of their jersey.

Collins will be handsomely paid this year; yet he is sending a message to the team by staying away. (Yes I know his wife is pregnant. Whoop dee doo!)

Fact is, if "full of himself" Nick doesn't get to Green Bay and meet conditioning standards as well as learn the new defense, the message he'll get will be a pink slip. It's not like he didn't know about the program or his wife's condition. He could have brought her to Green Bay some time ago.

Sadly the above paragraph sums up the way things are in sports today. Allowing Tauscher to rehab at the Packer facilities is as far as the Packers shoud go for now. They would have been within their rights to have kept him away.

[Waldo]

I guess I'm in the minority in thinking there is next to zero reason to resign Tausher, even if perfectly healthy.

Tausher is not the same guy he was in 2003-2004, when he was pretty good. Tausher is not a physically talented guy, and never was. He's a try hard guy that gets the most out of his limited physical ability, his greatest asset his whole career had nothing to do with good play, and everything to do with an absolute lack of bad play. Tausher never made mistakes. He'd go years with no penalites or stupid mistakes that got the QB hit or left yards on the field.

Tausher is not, and never was a guy that would pancake DE's and LB's, or be the lead man moving down the field blazing a trail for the backs. Even when we ran more screens during Sherman's time, we tended to run them to the left, not the right, Mark was never athletic enough or good enough in space to really be a good screen guy.

There is a lot of value in having a mistake free guy that isn't really any better than good enough. That was Mark. That is not him any more. He isn't good enough any more. He's been slowing down yearly during MM's time and really showed that he was near the end last year. He was getting beat by run of the mill DE's and was not getting any push in the run game. Since '06 our run game has been changing due to the limitations of our line. One of the staple run plays of any system is the outside zone or stretch play. For teams with an athletic pass blocking line, that should be the play that they can execute the best. We can't. Neither of our tackles can stretch the ends. We've been progressively getting worse at that play, it peaked in '06, Morency excelled at running that play, and if there is a play meant for Jackson's strengths, that's it.

We can run the inside zone well. That is Grant's play, virtually every long one he broke was out of an inside zone run. But that play has limitations, there really is nowhere to go if the A gap is shut down. LB's were shooting our A gaps last year anticipating that play. Jackson made his hay by bouncing broken plays outside, basically assuming that they were broken as he bounced out so quickly. Grant had no answers but to plow through them, bouncing outside is not his game. The inside zone play is a compliment to the outside zone play, without the outside zone, the inside zone alone is shut down too easily if used too frequently.

Changing running schemes is not the answer. Mark and Chad aren't getting better no matter when system they are in. Both lost their run blocking ability before their pass blocking ability. That's fine for Chad for now, there is still a lot of value to having a near shutdown LT, even if he completely sucks at run blocking (he does). But to make up for it, the RT has to be a good run blocker, which unfortunately Mark no longer is. If it weren't for the fact that Sitton was a rookie and battled injuries at the absolute worst time, and that Moll was very mistake prone, and Breno not ready to play as a rookie, Mark would have been benched. His play was terrible last year, at his age, coming off of ACL surgery, it isn't getting better. Were it not for the penalties on Moll, was our offense any worse when Moll as playing RT? If Mark still was the guy on tape in '03-'04, even with the injury, do you think that he'd still be on the market?

We have a lot of guys that could play RT.

Colledge I feel could outplay Mark in every way if he was the starter. He makes mistakes and is penalized, but he also dominates at times, something that Mark doesn't do. Colledge would rarely if ever, struggle with LDE's in pass pro. He can handle speed, he can handle power, he can't handle length. Fortunately the guys with a good game that have length are almost always RDE's (even then, there aren't a lot of them).

Sitton could probably step in an pick up where Mark left off with little issue. He's more physically talented than Mark and is a very similar player otherwise. But he could be a dominant RG, he has more road grader in him than any other offensive lineman on the team, and is athletic and smart enough to excel at G. RG is his best position, but he has RT experience (he played RT in college) and would be good there too.

Moll has been around a lot and can play well. He is also very mistake prone, his biggest issue. Were he to get that cleaned up and play mistake free, he could be every bit as good as Mark was in his prime, and he is coming into his prime. Were he to focus exclusively on RT for an offseason and camp, he has a chance. He has to fix the mistakes, that is by far his biggest weakness, other than that he's a pretty decent player. If he doesn't fix the mistakes though, he has little shot.

Barbre has all the physical talent in the world, learning the game at the pro level is his biggest issue. RT is not a brainiac position though, so given an offseason and camp to focus on it, he could probably do well. He has the physical ability to dominate, and would likely be a decent pass protector from the get go. I would have little issue with him at RT if he focused on it and it alone for an offseason, and feel with no additions that he's the most likely guy to start there. He has the talent to be a great LG, but not the smarts, as a ZBS LG is one of the more mentally demanding positions, unlike RT. Given a shot though to play RT and time to focus on it, he could be a good one. Unless we take RT in the first (LOL) or second, and MM keeps DC at LG and Sitton at RG, since he's already been a pro for a few years, I think that Barbre would outplay any mid-round or later guy drafted at RT. As he's likely the best pass protector big enough to play RT not named Sitton or Colledge, he's the most likely candidate to start, MM errs on the side of pass blocking ability.

Breno I know very little about other than that he's a RTO. He'd have a shot as well, and I'd like his chances just as much as any mid or later round rookie. He has the raw physical ability to be a dominant road grader type RT, pass pro would be his biggest issue at this point.

I'm sure that we'll draft someone as well. If one of our guys shows that they can play low error-low penalty ball, I like their chances to be better than Tausher last year from the get go, as all of them are more physically talented than Tausher, plus on the up nearing their prime as players. Unlike Tausher who I don't think is ever even going to play as good as he did even last year again. He fell off a cliff, the rock keeps dropping fast when then happens.

LIS, I see little value in resigning Tausher, even if he he was 100% healthy, our line is better served getting the starter for the next 5 years in place now, than waiting longer on guys who are ready to start, or would be starting quality after a few games of experience.

[Gunakor]

This is a golden opportunity for TT to demonstrate how the organization stands by its own, even if it doesn't have any obligation to.

Bring him back home, pay him for his past efforts and let him retire a Packer when the time comes.

He's been paid for past efforts. It's not like he's been playing for free for the entire decade. If he wants to retire a Packer, he has every opportunity to do so this year. If he's not ready to call it a career just yet, I'd rather he finish his career elsewhere. Like I said throughout the entire Favre deal last summer, I have no loyalty to specific players. I have loyalty to the team, and the team would be better off without him at this point. He's not going to help us win any games. He's damaged goods. Let some other GM be foolish enough to pay for that.

[Gunakor]

Fact is, if "full of himself" Nick doesn't get to Green Bay and meet conditioning standards as well as learn the new defense, the message he'll get will be a pink slip. It's not like he didn't know about the program or his wife's condition. He could have brought her to Green Bay some time ago.

People are reading too much into the Nick Collins thing. First off, this is a voluntary workout, not mandatory. Nick Collins isn't the only football player who didn't come to this voluntary workout, and nobody was bitching about it when Woodson or Favre would skip these. Secondly, they are not installing a new defense right now. This is strictly conditioning. There is no film work, no classroom, no installation at all. Nick isn't missing anything. As long as he shows up to the mandatory stuff in shape, there's no problem whatsoever.

[Waldo]

Fact is, if "full of himself" Nick doesn't get to Green Bay and meet conditioning standards as well as learn the new defense, the message he'll get will be a pink slip. It's not like he didn't know about the program or his wife's condition. He could have brought her to Green Bay some time ago.

People are reading too much into the Nick Collins thing. First off, this is a voluntary workout, not mandatory. Nick Collins isn't the only football player who didn't come to this voluntary workout, and nobody was bitching about it when Woodson or Favre would skip these. Secondly, they are not installing a new defense right now. This is strictly conditioning. There is no film work, no classroom, no installation at all. Nick isn't missing anything. As long as he shows up to the mandatory stuff in shape, there's no problem whatsoever.

There is classroom and film work right now. Capers is installing/teaching the "what" portion right now (this is what we are going to do), the next step that they haven't gotten to is the "how" portion (this is how you go about doing it). Once they move on from the what portion, they start working with position coaches on technique work, which increases in the OTA's and leads up to minicamp where they begin to assemble it all and put it together as a whole.

[Gunakor]

Fact is, if "full of himself" Nick doesn't get to Green Bay and meet conditioning standards as well as learn the new defense, the message he'll get will be a pink slip. It's not like he didn't know about the program or his wife's condition. He could have brought her to Green Bay some time ago.

People are reading too much into the Nick Collins thing. First off, this is a voluntary workout, not mandatory. Nick Collins isn't the only football player who didn't come to this voluntary workout, and nobody was bitching about it when Woodson or Favre would skip these. Secondly, they are not installing a new defense right now. This is strictly conditioning. There is no film work, no classroom, no installation at all. Nick isn't missing anything. As long as he shows up to the mandatory stuff in shape, there's no problem whatsoever.

There is classroom and film work right now. Capers is installing/teaching the "what" portion right now (this is what we are going to do), the next step that they haven't gotten to is the "how" portion (this is how you go about doing it). Once they move on from the what portion, they start working with position coaches on technique work, which increases in the OTA's and leads up to minicamp where they begin to assemble it all and put it together as a whole.

Really? If there is installation going on right now, why are these workouts still voluntary? You'd think that attendance would be mandatory for something like that...

[texaspackerbacker]

I agree with what Bobblehead said, although the $4 million for the second year seems a bit much.

McCarthy's wording--no suitors until later--sounds like the Packers are planning on waiting to see if se does or doesn't get big money elsewhere. If not, they pick him up for around the minimum.

I disagree that Tauscher was "near the end" before the injury. Clifton maybe fits that description, but Tauscher not so much.

As for RT this season, Colledge did the job in the one game he played there. If we draft a LT or if Clifton comes back fairly healthy, I think he gets the RT spot. If not, we have several other choices--Moll being about the least likely one.

[Waldo]

I agree with what Bobblehead said, although the $4 million for the second year seems a bit much.

McCarthy's wording--no suitors until later--sounds like the Packers are planning on waiting to see if se does or doesn't get big money elsewhere. If not, they pick him up for around the minimum.

I disagree that Tauscher was "near the end" before the injury. Clifton maybe fits that description, but Tauscher not so much.

As for RT this season, Colledge did the job in the one game he played there. If we draft a LT or if Clifton comes back fairly healthy, I think he gets the RT spot. If not, we have several other choices--Moll being about the least likely one.

Tausher looked like crap last year. When low mistake Tausher looks like crap, that is bad news, he doesn't have the ability to "get better", he was maxed out that way. When he's getting beat or playing poorly, while not making mistakes, that is a very bad sign.

[KYPack]

Last season was quite probably Tauscher's worst as a Packer. But I didn't realize Mark is only one of 3 T's re-habbing from surgery.

Breno Giacomini is rehabilitating from surgery on his right ankle and left tackle Chad Clifton is coming off minor knee surgery. For Cliffy, those tune-ups are practically annual. Breno got hurt, how? A spirited practice?

We are thin on troops at tackle. I'd say sign Tauscher to a 2 year, 5 million dollar deal. The vet min is $845,000. Give him a mil for '09. If he does get right, you've got him for '10. He is losing it, but he is a tricky old pro. No kid is gonna be ready right away. if you move Colledge or Sitton, you've got a back-up when MT gets healthy.

I don't know about the "send the team a message", stuff. If you wanna send a message, call Western Union.

[Guiness]

Tausher looked like crap last year. When low mistake Tausher looks like crap, that is bad news, he doesn't have the ability to "get better", he was maxed out that way. When he's getting beat or playing poorly, while not making mistakes, that is a very bad sign.

I don't know that he looked like crap, but he wasn't as good as he had been.

Your comments on this are insightful - Tauscher played mistake free (how many YEARS without a holding call?) so if he played mistake free last year, and got beat...he may well have lost that vaunted 'step'.

OTOH one thing that might tell us he might be ok going forward is if he was playing through an injury last season, which hurt his ability to make plays.

[Waldo]

Last season was quite probably Tauscher's worst as a Packer. But I didn't realize Mark is only one of 3 T's re-habbing from surgery.

Breno Giacomini is rehabilitating from surgery on his right ankle and left tackle Chad Clifton is coming off minor knee surgery. For Cliffy, those tune-ups are practically annual. Breno got hurt, how? A spirited practice?

We are thin on troops at tackle. I'd say sign Tauscher to a 2 year, 5 million dollar deal. The vet min is $845,000. Give him a mil for '09. If he does get right, you've got him for '10. He is losing it, but he is a tricky old pro. No kid is gonna be ready right away. if you move Colledge or Sitton, you've got a back-up when MT gets healthy.

I don't know about the "send the team a message", stuff. If you wanna send a message, call Western Union.

Every OL on the roster but Spitz and Wells is capable of playing RT. The situation is not dire. There is a draft keep stocking up on depth behind the previous depth that is ready to start.

[Patler]

I thought Tauscher looked bad early last year, but I thought he was playing much better before he was injured. I don't think the entire year was a bad one for him, just a bad stretch early in the season.