Bulaga hurt?

[Teamcheez1]

Bulaga missed 4 games in 2011, 7 games in 2012, and this will be all 16 games in 2013. The trend line does not look good. Is this his contract year, or is it 2014?

[Patler]

2014

[Patler]

Bulaga missed 4 games in 2011, 7 games in 2012, and this will be all 16 games in 2013. The trend line does not look good. Is this his contract year, or is it 2014?

..and don't forget that as a rookie, he seemed on track to take the starting LG spot away from Colledge, than got hurt, missed the end of TC wasn't ready to start the season. He was splitting reps with Colledge with the first line, and MM said he was a definite option, then was gone for a few weeks.

[cheesner]

You want a LT who looks good about half the time? I don't. Datko is healthy now, and when healthy, he was a better college player than Newhouse was. He deserves a chance to compete for the position with Bakhtiari.

You expect all players to be as good as they will ever be immediately? Newhouse improved significantly each year he has been here. No reason to think he maxed out already.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Oh for fuck's sake. This really, truly, is ridiculous. What have Thompson and McCarthy done to anger the gods so?

I'm so mad right now. But at whom?

Fire Slocum

[pittstang5]

So this is going to be the norm? We lose a valuable player every pre-season game - Family night included. All I can do is shake my head right now. Too depressed to get angry.

At some point, this injury bug is going to stop.

[pittstang5]

Here's a thought.

So, Newhouse has to move to LT, at least for now, for obvious reasons. Do you now move Sitton back to RG and Lang back to LG. I thought they moved both Sitton and Bulaga to the left side because they knew each and played better together. Newhouse and Lang probably know each other better.

What a cluster F**k.

FUBAR, people, complete and utter FUBAR.

[Harlan Huckleby]

So, Newhouse has to move to LT, at least for now, for obvious reasons. Do you now move Sitton back to RG and Lang back to LG. I thought they moved both Sitton and Bulaga to the left side because they knew each and played better together. Newhouse and Lang probably know each other better.

I think the main reason they switched the guards was to get their best run blockers together on same side. Newhouse will never be much of a drive blocker so I would bet that you are right, they will put Sitton and Bakhtiari together and be a right-handed running team.

Newhouse is best suited for the bench. The next best position that fits his skills is LT, he has good feet in space IMO. We don't know where Bakhtiari will ultimately fit best, but for his maiden voyage RT makes sense.

Me, I go to the chapel every morning and light a candle for a miracle of the Sherrod.

[Patler]

This is really quite unbelievable. You use 1st round picks in successive years on big tackles, hoping it will be the foundation for your O-line for years to come, and in what should be their third year together, neither one is on the field.

Here is a good research question I wish some sports writer would spend some time on. If he starts, will Bakhtiari be the smallest starting tackle in the NFL? I can't imagine a 295-300# LT is very common in today's NFL

[Freak Out]

Time to resurrect the FUCK!!!! thread.

[denverYooper]

Bulaga is seeking a 2nd opinion from James Andrews: http://www.hubarkush.com/2013/08/05/...north/b1q26o4/

[Bossman641]

I can't even guess what they are going to do in regards to Lang and Sitton now. I'm guessing they keep Sitton on the left side under the thought process of protecting Rodgers' blind side but who the fuck knows.

Come on Sherrod!! We are due for some good injury news.

[Bossman641]

This is really quite unbelievable. You use 1st round picks in successive years on big tackles, hoping it will be the foundation for your O-line for years to come, and in what should be their third year together, neither one is on the field.

Here is a good research question I wish some sports writer would spend some time on. If he starts, will Bakhtiari be the smallest starting tackle in the NFL? I can't imagine a 295-300# LT is very common in today's NFL

Give McGinn time and I'm sure he will get to it. He was already beating the "weight" drum with some rather ridiculous questions to TT in their annual Q&A the other day.

[run pMc]

Oh, this is really bad news. I was hoping Bulaga was all the way back from the hip and would be healthy going forward. Unfortunately, he's earning the "injury-prone" label now. I'd think Newhouse, Barclay, and Bahktiari are locks to make the roster. Bahktiari is a little small for LT (he could use about 10-15 lbs of NFL weight room muscle) but I think he could do it -- it depends on how the competition at both tackle spots shakes out. I don't know how much this opens the door for Sherrod; reports I've read don't sound very good for Datko.

TT won't bring in a vet off the street.

This certainly complicates the decision to flip flop the line, but I think they'll keep Sitton at LG. He's better than Lang and will help whomever they put at LT. Flipping Lang and Sitton back to their original spots would be a setback at this point -- they've been practicing at their new spots for months.

[run pMc]

Here is a good research question I wish some sports writer would spend some time on. If he starts, will Bakhtiari be the smallest starting tackle in the NFL? I can't imagine a 295-300# LT is very common in today's NFL

Agree -- it would be a good research question. At 6-41/2 300lbs. he would be one of the shorter LT's, and the lightest as well. He actually has longer arms than Bulaga and if he has good feet they might be ok. I think Newhouse will move back to LT and Barclay will take the RT spot, Bahktiari will be the backup swing tackle, and Sherrod will come off the PUP midseason to push for a spot.

Matt Kalil played pretty good as a rookie, and he was listed at 6-7 308lbs. (I think he's up to 315 now.) His height and athleticism certainly helped, but 308 is relatively lean. I've read that's a trend some teams are going to -- at least with LT's -- preferring athleticism over brute strength and girth. Tyron Smith was 6-5 308 when drafted and is pretty athletic...etc.