To prepare for training camp, we will be breaking down every player on the Green Bay Packers' 90-man roster in more detail, looking at contract terms and 2013 statistics, before we make our prediction for which players will make the 53-man roster at the end of training camp.
We continue our roster breakdown with a look at the Packer's returning offensive tackles.
#75 Bryan Bulaga
6-5, 314 lbs
How acquired: first-round pick, 2010
2014 Contract Terms (signed for 2014 only)
Base salary: $2,565,500
Workout bonus: $100,000
Total compensation: $2,665,500
Cap number: $3,829,000
2013 Statistics
(Missed all of 2013 to injury)
It's been over 20 months since Bryan Bulaga last appeared in a regular season game. Because that's such a tremendous length of time, it's easy to forget just how dominant Bulaga became before his injuries. In 2011, Bulaga allowed only one sack and two hurries, a blocking performance that rivaled Josh Sitton for best on the team. He opened the 2012 season poorly (three sacks and three hurries), but was nearly flawless from Week 6 until a hip injury ended his season. Despite the injury, head coach Mike McCarthy thought enough of Bulaga to flip the entire offensive line in order to position him at left tackle. An ACL tear derailed those plans, however, and now Bulaga finds himself back on the right side.
#69 David Bakhtiari
6-4, 300 lbs
How acquired: fourth-round pick, 2013
2014 Contract Terms (signed through 2016)
Base salary: $495,000
Total compensation: $495,000
Cap number: $608,850
2013 Statistics
16 games played, 16 starts
Blocking (PFF): 10 sacks allowed, 5 QB hits allowed, 28 hurries allowed, 13 penalties
While David Bakhtiari was nobody's definition of a franchise left tackle, his ability to jump from an underweight underclassman to a 16 game starter deserves recognition. Like most rookie linemen, Bakhtiari struggled early on as he acclimated to the NFL game. The majority of his sacks and hurries allowed came during the first half of the season (and the Thanksgiving massacre in Detroit). That doesn't excuse those mistakes, but it demonstrates progress. As Bakhtiari enters 2014, he's well prepared for the leap in performance that many offensive linemen experienced during their second year (see Bulaga, Bryan).
#67 Don Barclay
6-4, 305 lbs
How acquired: undrafted free agent signee, 2012
2014 Contract Terms (signed for 2014 only)
Base salary: $570,000
Total compensation: $570,000
Cap number: $570,834
2013 Statistics
16 games played, 16 starts
Blocking (PFF): 9 sacks allowed, 6 QB hits allowed, 27 hurries allowed, 6 penalties
For the second time in as many years, Don Barclay stepped in for an injured Bryan Bulaga and didn't completely soil the bed. His performance certainly wasn't stellar; he consistently gave up pressure and was a shell of his 2012 form in the run game. However, for a sixth lineman Barclay offers a lot of value. He can line up at right tackle, both guard spots, and perhaps even center. He's also started enough games that his teammates have an intuitive understanding of how he plays and how they need to react. Entering his third year, the team has hopes that he can break out should another injury or two befall the offensive line.
#78 Derek Sherrod
6-5, 321 lbs
How acquired: first-round pick, 2011
2014 Contract Terms (signed for 2014 only)
Base salary: $1,275,273
Total compensation: $1,275,273
Cap number: $2,100,637
2013 Statistics
1 game played
Blocking (PFF): 1 hurry allowed
Any discussion of Derek Sherrod starts and ends with the gruesome broken leg he suffered near the end of his rookie year and the prolonged recovery process. While it's difficult to say whether he'll ever have the same agility and strength that made him a first-round pick, it's a positive sign that he even appeared in a game again. With the injury finally behind him, it's his time to prove that Derek Sherrod's NFL career can be discussed in the present and future tense, not the past tense.
#77 Aaron Adams
6-5, 305 lbs
How acquired: waiver claim, 2013; assigned to practice squad
2014 Contract Terms (signed through 2015)
Base salary: $420,000
Total compensation: $420,000
Cap number: $420,000
2013 Statistics
(Spent entire season on practice squad)
Surprised to see this name here? Aaron Adams quietly spent the entire 2013 season developing on Green Bay's practice squad. Even after Bryan Bulaga tore his ACL, the Packers' depth at the position prevented Adams from ever being seriously considered for a call-up. His size and the year of investment suggests the team thinks he can play, but he'll probably need an injury or Sherrod failing to seize the opportunity to make the 53.