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Of all the moves made this offseason by the Green Bay Packers, the re-signing of LT Chad Clifton was the game changing move of the offseason. If NT Ryan Pickett hadn't received the franchise tag then NT B.J. Raji would be the new starting nose tackle. If RT Mark Tauscher hadn't been re-signed then OT T.J. Lang would have been the new right tackle. But they would have had to use their 1st round pick on an offensive tackle, or made a trade for one, if they had lost Clifton.
It might have been expected that Clifton would return to the Packers, but his free agent visit to Washington proved there was a market for him. If he had gone to the Redskins and Lang was penciled in as the starter then there would have been a lot written about how the Packers needed to make an move. Either through the draft or via trade for someone like the Ravens LT Jared Gaither. The media, and probably myself as well, wouldn't have left the possibility that Lang in 2010 would have been like RT Allen Barbre in 2009 alone. The same could have been said about Lang at right tackle too, but it's different when he's protecting his QBs blind side.
What really surprised me about this post was that I didn't say it was the departure of DE Aaron Kampman. But the more I think about it, the more his departure reminds me of when RB Ahman Green left in 2007, and how the combination of age and injuries made the decision a good one. I've got no hard feelings towards Kampman, but I'm not sure he's going to be worth the money anymore.