Packers Game Changing Offensive Moves: The Draft Day Slide of Bryan Bulaga
by Brandon on Apr 30, 2010 1:37 AM CDT
in Green Bay Packers Draft
Email
Print
Sponsored Post: This post is presented by Sprint. Bringing you the first wireless 4G network from a national carrier. Only on the Now Network.
Rob Reischel reported that GM Ted Thompson "was trying not to even look" as the player he coveted, LT Bryan Bulaga, slipped out of the top 10 and to the Green Bay Packers at pick No. 23 overall. Unless injury strikes incumbent LT Chad Clifton or RT Mark Tauscher, the selection of Bulaga is unlikely to become a game changing move in 2010. But it could be in the near future.
Back to Thompson and his assessment. Despite his belief that Bulaga is the "real deal", he has made some mistakes in the first round. Maybe it's karmic payback for having QB Aaron Rodgers fall to them in 2005. While LB A.J. Hawk is not a bust, he's never played like a top 5 talent either. DT Justin Harrell is an ongoing disappointment. DE B.J. Raji is not bad, but his rookie season was far from dominant. Just something to keep in mind.
Assuming Bulaga is indeed the left tackle of the future, and he'll have a long career similar to Clifton, then he'll be a great pick. He doesn't have to dominant and wind up in the Pro Bowl immediately, like former Badger LT Joe Thomas, for his selection to become a success. If he can become as good as Clifton then he could change how the Packers view the draft over the next 10 years.
When LT Ken Ruettgers retired after 1996, the Packers began a frustrating search for a new left tackle. They drafted LT John Michels in 1996, then LT Ross Verba in 1997, with 1st round picks, while choosing LG Mike Wahle in 2nd round of the 1998 supplemental draft originally as a left tackle prospect. After using a high draft choice in 3 consecutive seasons, Clifton brought stability to a troublesome position in 2000, and it changed how they approached the draft. Between 2002 and 2005 they didn't select an offensive lineman higher than the 6th round.
Now the left tackle position is secured for several years. Instead of constantly searching for the next starting left tackle they can pursue other positions, and hopefully in next April's draft they can finally draft the pass rushing LB they really need too.
41 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
To say the LT position is secure with Bulaga for the next ten years is way premature.
They may have said it was secure after drafting Michels. Then said it again after drafting Verba, and one more time after Wahle.
Let’s see Bulaga play first, shall we?
I certainly hope he is the solution.
by Darrell L on Apr 30, 2010 3:24 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
difference
There is a difference between Bulaga and Michels… Michels was a reach by Wolf, who has since acknowledged as much, who should have been at best a 2nd rd pick. Wolf was desperate for a LT then… Verba was mostly a OG projection in the NFL, who was forced to play LT out of necessity. Bulaga was a rated hightly LT prospect and fell to the Packers. I never thought he was top 5 player, even top 10 was a stretch, but certainly he was a top 15 player in the draft, IMO…
Your point is well take tho… Lets see his play on the field before we annoint him the next LT.
by Strohman on Apr 30, 2010 2:06 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
Isn't it just as bad to say that name along with Bertt Farve's name??????
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
MIchels was a strange case.
Remember how he lost weight during the season? By the end of the year (when he got the hook) he was down to 270 or so and he looked more like a linebacker than an LT. He couldn’t anchor anymore and he got bullrushed a lot.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Apr 30, 2010 6:53 PM CDT up reply actions
weight
Why do you think Charles Brown fell so far into the 2nd rd… Theres alot of concerns that he won’t be able to gain more or maybe even hold his weight once camp starts. Two a days are brutal and really causes most players to lose weight. Little less an issues since teams don’t do as many two a days!
I agree, if Bulaga has trouble with O’Brien Schofield how is he going to shut down Jared Allen twice a year?
I think there’s a good chance he CAN do it but it’s a bit too early to declare left tackle solved
"I would say my biggest flaw, my Achilles heel is my tireless work ethic"-Kenny Powers
Bulaga was fresh off his illness when he faced Schofield and Graham
or so I hear. The illness kept him on the bench for a while.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
I have to think that Bulaga would be a slightly less talented version of Joe Thomas, if he didn’t have the thyroid. Thomas also has short arms, shorter than Bulaga, and he has played well and overcome that deficiency w/ his intelligence and technique. If Bulaga had not had the thyroiditis, he would have shown that he too can overcome that same dificiency! Clearly THomas is better than Bulaga will likely ever be, but thats no shame on Bulaga. I think he is smart enough to know his limitations and he will overcome them w/ his intelligence!!! I have little in the way of doubts about Bulaga.
Pure conjecture.
How do you know this?
Clearly THomas is better than Bulaga will likely ever be
Statements like these are so ridiculous. Bulaga could very well be much better in the long run than Thomas. He could also be worse. The point is that you have no way of rationally concluding this.
Again, like Darrell L said,
Let’s see Bulaga play first, shall we?
When I retire, I want to have Ted Thompson's job!
Thomas
Joe Thomas was a can’t miss prospect at LT… Coming out NOBODY doubted his abiltiy to play LT. And he stepped into the NFL and made All Pro as a rookie! There are questions about how well Bulaga will be as a LT. Do you think Bulaga is going to come in and beat out Clifton and start every game and make the Pro Bowl??? Didn’t think so… LMAO
I also said “lets see him play first.”
by Strohman on Apr 30, 2010 6:04 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
forget
he missed 3 games I believe, but it was probably because doctors didn’t know what it was. I have a similar issue, and at one point my resting heart rate was about 110. That is probably why he sat out, but it’s not a problem once it’s regulated with medication. I go to Iowa, and after those three weeks he was medically fine (maybe a little out of shape though). anyways, definitely not an issue. players with diabetes do just fine, and there is no reason to say bulaga’s thyroid will hold him back
by blackhawkeyes on May 1, 2010 11:26 PM CDT up reply actions
thyroid
The Dr.s knew what it was, but because his heart rate was drastically elevated, they wouldn’t allow him to practice, work out or do any physical training as long as the thyroiditis persistend. He did miss 3 games and started again the same week he was cleared. He lost 15 lbs in those 3 weeks and came back weak and lethargic. His 1st game back was Michigan, where Graham got his 2 sacks, than vs Wisconsin where he had trouble w/ Schofield. After that he had gotten most of his strength and stamina back THe infection and inflammation in his thyroid is no longer present and he doesn’t need to take medication any longer
so basically we're in agreement.
I mentioned the heart rate and the out of shape. I was more talking about this:
I have to think that Bulaga would be a slightly less talented version of Joe Thomas, if he didn’t have the thyroidmy point is that if you think Thomas is a better player, he would still be the better player even if bulaga didn’t have the thyroid issue. the thyroid has nothing to do with his current skills as a player. if you argued who had a better senior year, fine, I could agree with that. I might have overreacted, but the coverage of bulaga’s illness this fall at Iowa was over the top and I was sick of hearing about it as a concern with the draft
by blackhawkeyes on May 2, 2010 2:40 AM CDT up reply actions
gotcha
Yeah… should have read, “even if he didn’t have the thyroid” Thomas is just better… No doubt
What I was try to get at, and didn’t do a good job of, was that w/o the thyroid Bulaga would have played well all season, even against Graham and Schofield. And alot of the questions about him prior to the draft wouldn’t have existed… Cuz just like Thomas is smart enough to overcome his deficiencies, so would Bulaga… Short arms or not…
by Strohman on May 2, 2010 12:46 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
agreed, too many questions.
time for answers…is it August yet?
by blackhawkeyes on May 2, 2010 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions
NFL draft scout
Its not going to say it now since they updated it and the draft has passed but believe me before the injury he was considered a 1st rd pick, 2nd at the latest.
Well, I saw those sort of reports before his ACL spontaneously exploded after seeming completely healthy
Kiper had him going highly before an unfortunate accident on a crappy Orlando practice field.
Schofield was a defensive leader and a better player statistically than Carlos Dunlap.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Apr 30, 2010 10:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Schofield?
If your asking where Schofield ended up going… He went late in the 4th to AZ Cards! Being that I live in Scottsdale AZ, and follow the Cards as my DISTANT #2 team, I will have the opportunity to watch him play quite a bit!
Lucky
I loved watching Schofield play. He is so slippery out there. He always finds ways to get back to the Qb. Give his full 100% every play too. I think he’s going to become a good player in the NFL.
by packallday555 on May 4, 2010 1:59 AM CDT up reply actions
"Unless injury strikes incumbent LT Chad Clifton or RT Mark Tauscher..."
Right. So the odds of Bulaga making an impact (either good or bad) in 2010 is pretty much 100%. There’s virtually no chance those two guys make it through the year unscathed.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Apr 30, 2010 6:55 PM CDT reply actions
There goes the lid on the pessimism jar...
It’s not like we have Hideki Matsui at LB…
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Apr 30, 2010 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I don’t even think it’s pessimism, rather realism. Watching Clifton last year he didn’t look to good. It seemed like every other week he would have to leave the game for some period of time with a minor injury, and he ended up missing a few games. He didn’t seem real stable, and even when he was healthy his play wasn’t all that great.
Thinking Tausch will get injured seems like less of a chance to me. I thought he looked good last year after he came back from injury but we have to keep in mind he is 33 years old.
by packallday555 on May 1, 2010 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Ditto
I remember reading reports last season that Clifton wouldn’t practice much during the week simply to reduce the amount of wear and tear on his body. At this point in their careers these two guys are a bit more fragile than most of the other guys on the team. It’s nothing against them, it’s just that the human body is designed to take so much wear and tear and these guys have been been out there for a long time.
by PackApologist on May 1, 2010 3:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Haha yeah, their is a really good chance of either of them going down.
By the way, it’s nice to see you back around these parts.
by packallday555 on Apr 30, 2010 11:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Not to be a prick...
…but is this a Packers blog or an advertising ploy for Sprint and NFP?
Where’s the analysis, the rumors, the inside scoop?
Where’s the talk about rookie camp and the play of UDFA OLBs Tim Knicky and Frank Zombo? I realize it’s downtime, but seriously, I’m sure you can find something better to post than an interview where the best response was “you can never have too many good players on your DL.” What a nugget!
"stay (green and) gold"
by Green and Bold on Apr 30, 2010 11:40 PM CDT reply actions
Rumors and inside scoop
Analysis (I’d call it opinion) yes, but I’ve never claimed to have heard rumors or had the inside scoop. This post is something I would have written anyway. I’m still trying to talk myself into loving this pick and I’m not there yet. I’m trying hard to see him as the next Chad Clifton and not the next Ross Verba. And yes Sprint is a good advertiser and we take some extra steps for them (and I really do like my Sprint phone). NFP isn’t an advertiser, but I just felt like giving them some extra props since Andrew and Matt were kind enough to respond to my email questions.
Don't Mind Me
Just frustrated about the lack of Packers news in general. I understand that a story or a lead just can’t be made up out of thin air. Still, I always love to come to APC to read stuff that isn’t on JS or GBP’s radar. I need my Green and Gold fix anyway I can get it.
"stay (green and) gold"
by Green and Bold on May 1, 2010 5:19 AM CDT up reply actions
It is the toughest time of the offseason
The draft is done. The minicamps don’t start for a while yet, and even then it’s only minicamps. The Packers aren’t one to make any kind of big splash. We don’t even have a will he or won’t he drama anymore. It’s all nice and quiet over at 1265 and we just have to wait till late Julyish before things really pick up again.
by PackApologist on May 1, 2010 9:41 AM CDT up reply actions
Is it just because it's tough to love offensive linemen?
Let’s face it, we need them, we really want good ones, but it’s just not easy to love an offensive line pick. This is especially true in the first round. If we got Hughes, then we could all dream of the blitz schemes with him and Matthews, but it’s tough to get that same excitement from a LT.
The best hope is that this guy pans out, can play the position, and we don’t have to worry about it for 7-10 years.
by PackApologist on May 1, 2010 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Acme Packing Company
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
SBNation.com Recent Stories
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Chad Ochocinco gets robbed, mourns loss of Starbucks gold card
- Robert Griffin III will be first NFL player with Roman numerals on his jersey
- Alex Smith joins the burgeoning ‘stats are for losers’ movement
- Roger Goodell wants Wi-Fi in every stadium
- Plaxico Burress wants to workout for the Dolphins; Dolphins don’t want Plaxico Burress
