What's Bulaga Gonna Make Next Year, and With Who?

[call_me_ishmael]

What did Tauscher make in his latter years? Bulaga should be paid about that plus inflation. He is good, not great, and injury prone. I think his rich injury history will scare some peeps from over paying him.

I think Tretter becomes the utility player and is the RT is Bulaga leaves. I also think we draft another OL around round 4.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

We should have won the superbowl this year...so heart breaking. Chances like that don't come around every year, but I guess talking about the future helps to forget about the past. So...

They are projecting that we have about 30 million in Cap next year. For the exception of only a few players..Cobb, Daniels, and Hayward...I don't see any really important players coming up for big contracts since the 2011/2012 draft classes are turning out so bad. Is this the year you go for another Peppers signing?

Must re-signs: Bulaga, Cobb, and Kuhn. The rest can go and they can take Hawk and Brad Jones with them.

I would strongly be in the favor of going after Justin Houston. Break the bank if you have to. Hayward and Daniels look to be the only really important players coming up due next season. I say load up for a strong two year run before Rodgers gets up their in age. If Clay is willing keep him in the middle and keep developing Barrington. Target a stud Mlb if ones available also. Add Houston, give Peppers another year, and only spend significant money on Cobb and Bulaga. Then focus on defense in the draft taking best player available each round. We really need another stud corner and stud Mlb.

[call_me_ishmael]

I don't think Casey Hayward is that good of a player. Between you and I, I'd rather have House or Hyde

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

I don't know, when he's playing and healthy he looks pretty good. I don't think you can ask for a better slot corner IMO. House would play outside with Shields and Hayward and Hyde would play the slot. I just don't want to waste money anymore on average talent. Let those players walk and target solid Free agents. Look at the difference Peppers made. Sign your really good players and sign a stud free agent. This would be a good year to be aggressive acquiring talent. I see Williams and House as a waste of dollars.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I wouldn't go much over $5M/year + games played incentives to be honest--unless it was a shorter term deal.

[King Friday]

Sorry Harv...you ain't keeping Bulaga at $5M/year. He's worth significantly more than that, even with the injury history. For starters, there aren't a ton of RTs available this year...Bulaga is certainly one of the top 2 or 3 options. With the cap going up steadily over the near future, players are going to demand more than the current market price...and with good reason. The current market price would probably be over $5M per year for Bulaga already.

I think the key for Green Bay is whether or not Bulaga is going to be thinking he needs to get a huge deal now...because his injury history suggests rolling the dice to get another chance at free agency in 4 years might not be wise. If he doesn't have the injury history, he's probably fine to take a 4 year deal and know he'll have a strong chance at another big payday before his play declines.

To me, he's worth $6M per year on the open market...so we are going to have to pay that to keep him. I'm guessing he winds up getting $26-$28M over 4 years...$6M guaranteed. With Green Bay likely having over $30M in cap room available, why would you let him walk when it is only eating up just over 20% of your cash wad? That would be incredibly stupid when you have a franchise QB to protect.

[woodbuck27]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2363922-demonstrating-the-value-of-randall-cobb-and-bryan-bulaga-to-packers

Demonstrating the Value of Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga to Packers

By: Zach Kruse , NFC North Lead Writer

Feb 13, 2015

Comment woodbuck27:

This article discusses both Bryan Bulaga and Randall Cobb in terms of their value to the Packers offense. This thread was getting buried under the weight of so much else so I decided to get it to the front page.

[smuggler]

I think losing either Hayward or Daniels is easy to recover from. As for Tretter, he should compete at center and if he's better, you have to start him over Linsley. Barclay would probably be the backup at RT. If Lang or Sitton go down, you move Tretter over and insert Linsleyat center. This idea that you keep one of your best five linemen on the bench is silly.

[woodbuck27]

I think losing either Hayward or Daniels is easy to recover from. As for Tretter, he should compete at center and if he's better, you have to start him over Linsley. Barclay would probably be the backup at RT. If Lang or Sitton go down, you move Tretter over and insert Linsleyat center. This idea that you keep one of your best five linemen on the bench is silly.

Are you OK with Bryan Bulaga walking?

[Pugger]

The question will be is Ted willing to pay Bulaga $6M? What did he make in 2014? I really hope we can keep this O line together. If we can we have the makings of one of the top units in the league.

[woodbuck27]

The question will be is Ted willing to pay Bulaga $6M? What did he make in 2014? I really hope we can keep this O line together. If we can we have the makings of one of the top units in the league.

His CAP hit in 2014 was $3.829 M$.

See - http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/cap/2014/

[mraynrand]

As for Tretter, he should compete at center and if he's better, you have to start him over Linsley. Barclay would probably be the backup at RT. If Lang or Sitton go down, you move Tretter over and insert Linsleyat center. This idea that you keep one of your best five linemen on the bench is silly.

That all depends on Tretter being better than Lindsley at center. Because Lindsley is so good, it gives them some options. The whole Bulaga thing hinges on what they think of Tretter at tackle I think. Although I'm guessing they think he can play RT, I don't think they are willing to roll the dice on that one. If they do let Bulaga walk, it probably means they are OK with Tretter at tackle.

[mraynrand]

I don't think Casey Hayward is that good of a player. Between you and I, I'd rather have House or Hyde

Hayward and House are two different d-backs. House can play with the fast receivers on the outside, Hayward cannot. Hayward is more dynamic than Hyde, but Hyde is dependable, if lacking in high end speed and quickness (but is Hayward really any quicker or faster?). Hayward seems to have built a rep for having a knack being around the ball. Q is whether he is really that instinctually better than Hyde. If not, you don't need to pay him, but it will leave you a little thin at d-back (overall) if Twill walks too.

[Joemailman]

That all depends on Tretter being better than Lindsley at center. Because Lindsley is so good, it gives them some options. The whole Bulaga thing hinges on what they think of Tretter at tackle I think. Although I'm guessing they think he can play RT, I don't think they are willing to roll the dice on that one. If they do let Bulaga walk, it probably means they are OK with Tretter at tackle.

I suspect TT is willing to make Bulaga one of the top paid RT's in the NFL. That would be somewhere in the 6-7 million range. The question is whether some team out there is willing to pay Bulaga what the top LT's get. That would be in the 10 million range, and TT won't go there.

[smuggler]

That all depends on Tretter being better than Lindsley at center. Because Lindsley is so good, it gives them some options. The whole Bulaga thing hinges on what they think of Tretter at tackle I think. Although I'm guessing they think he can play RT, I don't think they are willing to roll the dice on that one. If they do let Bulaga walk, it probably means they are OK with Tretter at tackle.

This is absolutely true. But Joemailman had suggested he was fine with leaving Tretter off the field, regardless.