DAVID BACKTIARI----MORE DRAMA------IS IT REAL ????

[Fosco33]

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/2023/09/21/packers-lt-david-bakhtiari-addresses-knee-injury-playing-on-turf-week-3-status/

[Guiness]

Because he's younger, cheaper, and plays to the whistle. Also, he's developing nicely to where he's a fringe starter at OT already. I think they know what Njiman is and he's hit his ceiling, whereas Walker is still getting better. This team is all about developing young talent and upside right now.

Njiman is rumored to be a little softspoken and not as nasty, and I think the coaches were hoping to see more fire out of him with competition vs. Tom and others. He's a luxury to have, but with Bakhtiari's knee issues probably worth it. For now.

That is absolutely a thing. I knew a kid who had all the tools - 6'4" or so, played guard/tackle at 260 in HS and youth city league and dominated. ALL the running plays followed him. Stupid fast, coaches had him run with the RBs in practice because it was silly for him to run with the other linemen.

Got to college, bulked up to 295lb...but never started. First guy off the bench at all 4 OL positions, but never started. Just wasn't damn mean enough, didn't want to cause pain.

[bobblehead]

Nijman was in and out of the game several times. Walker was not good. Yosh pissed someone off to the point they are playing the lesser talent at this point.

[KYPack]

One of the reasons for Walkers being subbed out was they were running Walker was lining up as a TE. He had to report in as an eligible receiver. Then he had to leave the field for the next play bc they needed a regular TE in the game. Can't say that he played great, but I'd think he is very close to Nijiman's level. They have to be looking at allowing Yosh to walk in the off season. So there a lot of balls in play in this situation.

[bobblehead]

One of the reasons for Walkers being subbed out was they were running Walker was lining up as a TE. He had to report in as an eligible receiver. Then he had to leave the field for the next play bc they needed a regular TE in the game. Can't say that he played great, but I'd think he is very close to Nijiman's level. They have to be looking at allowing Yosh to walk in the off season. So there a lot of balls in play in this situation.

I saw that regarding Walker coming out. Strange situation. They probably have them ranked pretty close, but agree they won't be matching what Nijman will get offered so they are getting Walker snaps. If they thought there was a real gap between the 2 they would have used someone else in that TE eligible role so Walker could stay on the field.

[Fritz]

I read the transcript of that interview Bakh did, and found his comments on Guter to be fascinating. Bakh said he's been able to go in, sit down, talk to Gute, vent (about the press, I think) - and then he said Guter was really good, very open, a good listener, that they'd had really good conversations. About 180 degree difference from the way that Rodgers seemed to think about Guter.

[run pMc]

Bakhtiari on IR.

https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/9/28/23895182/green-bay-packers-news-david-bakhtiari-injury-update-knee-surgery-salary-cap-dead-cap-contract

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport it sounds like rest of season:

Here’s my understanding of where this all stands. Sources say he had a knee scope yesterday. So, that was the first surgery. My understanding is that first surgery was a precursor to the second surgery, which should happen a little down the line here — a little more of a, I would say, substantial surgery, one aimed at fixing the cartilage issue that has plagued him for a little more than a year.

Bakhtiari is 31 years old. He’s coming into the final year of his contract. From what I am told, he does not want to retire. He wants to keep playing. He wants to keep playing for the Packers and these surgeries which will likely take him out the rest of this season, barring some significant development, are likely to put him on the field to start the 2024 football season.

They converted $15M this year to bonus for cap space, that's not looking like a great move. He'll count $41M against the cap next year.

Bakhtiari signed a four-year, $92 million extension in 2020 that has paid him out $71 million of those dollars since just before his initial ACL tear. Since that injury, Bakhtiari has only played in 13 games for Green Bay, recording 679 offensive snaps for the team.

[call_me_ishmael]

I read the transcript of that interview Bakh did, and found his comments on Guter to be fascinating. Bakh said he's been able to go in, sit down, talk to Gute, vent (about the press, I think) - and then he said Guter was really good, very open, a good listener, that they'd had really good conversations. About 180 degree difference from the way that Rodgers seemed to think about Guter.

Agreed

[bobblehead]

I can't imagine offering him any kind of a deal for 2024 short of the league vet minimum (after we cut him of course). He has made a mountain of money to sit. If another team wants to gamble that this is finally the surgery to repair his knee let them.

[call_me_ishmael]

I can't imagine offering him any kind of a deal for 2024 short of the league vet minimum (after we cut him of course). He has made a mountain of money to sit. If another team wants to gamble that this is finally the surgery to repair his knee let them.

He's under contract for next year. I doubt they cut him, look at that cap hit. There is no upside to cutting him. Why not hope he bounces back and signs a big contract and you get a #2 compensation pick?

[SudsMcBucky]

He's under contract for next year. I doubt they cut him, look at that cap hit. There is no upside to cutting him. Why not hope he bounces back and signs a big contract and you get a #2 compensation pick?

This isn't correct. There's $21.5MM in cap savings if he's cut after this year. If cut, they would take a $19.1MM cap hit. If they keep him w/o restructuring, his salary would be an additional $21MM, for a total of over $40MM. That just isn't feasible.

[Guiness]

Maybe, but is one game enough data to go off of yet? I really don't think so. People are fabricating a pattern that doesn't exist at this point. The reality is we don't know. Once there's a pattern, then we have something to go off one. A single game is not a pattern.

Arthroscopic surgery and IR. We can be pretty sure this wasn't drama now.

[Fritz]

It's hard to imagine them bringing him back for forty mill, if they could save half that by cutting him after the season or whenever.

This next offseason: offensive linemen, safeties, and interviewing defensive coordinators to get the right one this time. That's what's needed.

[RashanGary]

Arthroscopic surgery and IR. We can be pretty sure this wasn't drama now.

Even if he didn’t want to play on turf with an iffy knee, that’s not drama imo. Bretsky likes to create drama

[call_me_ishmael]

This isn't correct. There's $21.5MM in cap savings if he's cut after this year. If cut, they would take a $19.1MM cap hit. If they keep him w/o restructuring, his salary would be an additional $21MM, for a total of over $40MM. That just isn't feasible.

Gotcha. I must have been looking at the wrong year.