Tauscher resigns

[chuckleslove]

http://www.espnmilwaukee.com/includes/n ... tion_id=40

Well that clears the way for us to draft BPA with every single pick and probably move down some if TT feels the need and can pick up some extra quality draft picks. Took care of all of our own guys.

[eagle13]

Great news!

We still have 6-7 RFAs who have not signed their tenders.
Tramon & Jolly are critical. Spitz & Bigby important.

Still must draft a LT in 1st or 2nd rd.

[Turk Nowitzki]

Very nice, pretty much a perfectly executed offseason by TT, at least so far. We still need to pick a LT prospect but its not quite the same urgency is we had failed to resign our guys. But anyway, it's nice to get all these deals done so TT and company can turn their full attention to the draft. Go Pack!

[Wade-A-Holic]

I'm interested to see where this leaves Lang. He could probably win the left guard position, but do you want him starting there while he's also the primary backup tackle?

[notoriousTJ11]

Smart move

[LarryHarris]

Hope this means we won't have to see Barber anytime soon!

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

Great news. Hopefully Clifton and Tauscher can stay healthy all season.

[MickeyDavis]

Bedard:

Green Bay - Let me get this out of the way right at the top:

It's a very good thing for the Packers to have Mark Tauscher around for the next two seasons (Packers just confirmed it's a two year deal).

You couldn't find a better teammate or representative for the organization. He should finish his career playing for one team, and the Packers at that. A good football player, Tauscher's an even better person. And as a media member, I want 53 Tauschers on the team I'm covering. They don't come any more standup than him.

Having said that, the Packers' re-signing of Tauscher to be a starter -- if that is indeed the case (we'll make final judgement when the real numbers come out) -- doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Nor was it needed.

That's not a popular thing to say (and later on I'll take on Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, too, just for kicks), but it's the truth.

Re-signing Tauscher was a luxury -- a great one to have, to be sure -- but it was not a necessity like Chad Clifton was.

If Tauscher was brought back as a backup, then it would be absolutely understandable and something to be jumped at. I'm all for having a few well-placed veteran backups. The Packers could use more of them. Tauscher might top the list.

But to be the undisputed starter at right tackle? No, it doesn't make sense.

Here are some of the reasons:

1. It's a myth Tauscher spurred Packers' offensive turnaround

Aaron Rodgers and coach Mike McCarthy are among the many people that have pointed to Tauscher's insertion into the lineup as the reason why the Packers' suddenly turned it around on offense, especially in regards to protecting Rodgers.

In the words of McCarthy, I'd say that's a "convenient" way of looking at things.

Sure, you look at the numbers -- 10 sacks allowed in Tauscher's seven games, 41 in the other nine -- and it's easy to say Tauscher was a big factor.

He was a factor. But there were several factors:

* Allen Barbre was terrible (profootballfocus.com has him as worst RT in football). If Tauscher's replacement had been even mediocre, his impact wouldn't have seemed as dramatic. This can't be understated;
* The line stabilized. Daryn Colledge had finally started to settle back down at left guard after his misadventures at left tackle. Clifton, after injuries, was in the third of nine consecutive starts to finish the season when Tauscher took over against San Francisco in Week 11.
* Rodgers stopped holding onto the ball, and the offense got back to the quick passing game. It took a loss at Tampa Bay and being called out by his teammates, but Rodgers finally adjusted his game and started getting rid of the ball quicker. More three-step drops got the offense back into a rhythm.
* Packers' backs were against the wall. Being 4-4 after the loss to the Bucs, the Packers had no choice but to get their acts together or they were headed for an off-season of turmoil if things went downhill.
* Running game picked up after the Ahman Green signing lit a fire under Ryan Grant. Rarely had Grant been so explosive and broken more tackles at the second level.

So there were many things that happened around the same time, and they all contributed to the Packers' offensive resurgence. It's impossible to say that Tauscher was the reason.

2. Should be able to replace performance level

I don't fully endorse their numbers, but I think the ratings over at profootballfocus.com are OK to use a blunt instrument and when they seem to be in line with what happened on the field.

According to PFF, Tauscher was medicore overall. He was OK as a pass blocker (rated fourth out of five starters) and poor as a run blocker. It's not like Tauscher was coming off a Pro Bowl season.

Of course, Tauscher was coming off ACL surgery -- that has to be factored in -- and should be better the second time around.

3. The big one: It's past time to move on

Here's where the Packers currently stand with their offensive line depth chart:

Tauscher and Clifton will be starting their 11th year together this season. And the Tauscher signing says one thing for sure: the Packers are no closer to finding their replacements now than they were three years ago.

That's unacceptable.

OK, evidently Barbre won't be able to hack it. But why the heck has Breno Giacomini taken up a roster spot the past two years (active three times in 32 games) and kept around while players were jettisoned at other positions (Jamon Meredith, Anthony Smith) if he's not at least ready to compete for a starting position this year?

Why can't Lang compete for the starting job heading into his second year?

Again, if the Packers plan was to let Giacomini and Lang battle it out for the starting spot and then have Tauscher around as the backup plan, then that would be brilliant. But it seems highly unlikely Tauscher would return unless it was as a starter.

(That the Packers don't feel they have players ready to compete at right tackle -- let alone left tackle -- at this point is a fairly strong indictment of Ted Thompson's ability to draft tackles. At least he gets points for owning up to it.)

It's also now very crowded on the Packers' offensive line. They kept nine offensive linemen last year, although they could keep another since they likely won't be keeping three fullbacks again.

You have the five starters: Clifton, Spitz (a projection), Wells, Sitton and Tauscher. Lang definitely stays, and Colledge isn't likely going anywhere (if Tauscher was the plan, Packers could have enticed more teams to go after Colledge by tendering him at the third-round level). Dietrich-Smith will likely stay because you can't be sure about Spitz's back and the Packers seem to be moving towards having a backup in each spot so they don't have to move three to help one like last season. And you have to think either Barbre or Giacomini stays, if not both.

So at the least, that's eight, possibly nine spots.

And Thompson almost always drafts two offensive linemen. It's a given they will take a player that can develop into a left tackle in the first three rounds. What if he's taken in the first round and is the best right tackle right away?

I could see Spitz or Colledge being dealt at some point. Spitz has the most trade value if he proves to be healthy. And either Barbre or Giacomini is gone.

If that happens, Lang would be the left guard backup, Giacomini would backup Tauscher, and the rookie would get to solely develop at left tackle.

If those things happen, the Tauscher signing makes more sense. Perhaps they will.

But as it stands right now, the Tauscher signing was a luxury, not a necessity. That the Packers took advantage of the uncapped year and opened up the checkbook to make sure they're OK along the offensive line should be applauded (and you can bet McCarthy is thrilled). Going young hasn't worked out well.

However, at some point in time, as Thompson said at the Senior Bowl, it's time to see what your other guys can do.

"As you evolve in the NFL eventually you're going to have to go out there and sink or swim, and we're going to ask a lot of our guys, and (Giacomini's) going to be one of them," Thompson said.

With Tauscher back in the fold as a starter, the Packers will be delaying that another year.

Was that necessary? It shouldn't have been.

[SugarRay34]

Was just going to post that MD and wanted to get some thoughts on what Bedard has to say here. I think he is way off base here. Tauscher played real solid football considering he just came off his 2nd torn ACL. I think this year although a year older, should be playing some great football. Even if Lang was ready to compete I still would rather have Tausch for this year based on experience alone. I usually like the stuff Bedard puts out but this was a p.o.s. imo

[Wade-A-Holic]

Bedard is right to point out that other things changed aside from the return of Tauscher, but as SugarRay34 pointed out, Tauscher played very (surprisingly for some) well.

I have already said I wonder where this move leaves TJ Lang. I believe he can play, and I think the coaching staff agrees. This Tauscher deal could very well end up being him starting for one more season and then Lang taking over then, which I guess I don't have a huge problem with.

[El Duderino]

Bedard is right to point out that other things changed aside from the return of Tauscher, but as SugarRay34 pointed out, Tauscher played very (surprisingly for some) well.

I wouldn't go so far as to say he played very well, more like he was just solid. One thing Bedard was correct about is some fans overrated how good Tauscher played based on how incredibly bad Babre was. Because Babre was historically bad, the just decent performance of Tauscher made him look fabulous in comparison. Granted, Tauscher was coming off an injury with no training camp to be better prepared.

I have already said I wonder where this move leaves TJ Lang. I believe he can play, and I think the coaching staff agrees. This Tauscher deal could very well end up being him starting for one more season and then Lang taking over then, which I guess I don't have a huge problem with.

While i'm glad Mark is back simply for depth and peace of mind reasons, i'm curious to see what the contract details end up being and if that could impact whether say Lang performs a little better in camp than Tauscher, but Tauscher still gets the starting RT job. Maybe though McCarthy/Ted want to have Lang available as the backup tackle on both sides, especially in case Clifton has to miss a few games given what a mess it was last year without a reliable backup tackle on either side. Then Ted drafts a LT prospect in the first two rounds that they hope can take over next season and Lang takes over the RT job.

[Newz]

When the offensive line was as bad as it was last year, you need to keep whatever quality guys you had. Tauscher may have been slightly overpaid, but he should help the line and the depth of the line a lot... It also will give us another year (most likely) to allow Lang to develop more before taking over.

Lang should now be able to back-up both tackle spots and will see playing time considering Clifton/Tauscher will most likely not be healthy the entire season.

I agree that we still need to take a tackle prospect in the first three rounds and hopefully we take at least one interior lineman as well along the way. I'm still hoping for Iupati or Pouncey in the first round, personally.

[-Jragon-]

Signing Tausch was the only option besides counting on the draft one more time so this is a good move. Insurance policy if nothing else. Finally Ted learned his lesson about relying on draft choices for offensive line production. The O-line needs veterans with good chemistry and communication.

[eagle13]

Mark Tauscher can earn up to $8.7 million over 2 years
The two-year contract Green Bay Packers right tackle Mark Tauscher agreed to over the weekend can earn him as much as $8.7 million in salary and bonuses.

Here's the breakdown, as passed along by my colleague Pete Dougherty:

* Tauscher will receive a $1.8 million roster bonus this year in addition to $1.4 million base salary.

* In 2011, his base salary jumps to $4.1 million.

* In each year, Tauscher can earn a $200,000 workout bonus and $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses.

For the insurance he provides - came pretty inexpensive. Only $3.4 to $3.9 mil this year. Doubt he's around next year. Great value.

SB push! GO PACK!

[Newz]

I am perfectly fine with that deal.

[chuckleslove]

That deal is better than I had worried.

Definitely seems like it is lined up for him to be a one year player and then get cut.

[-Jragon-]

Very well done. Definately a bargain.

[xTitan]

The simple truth is if McCarthy and his half wit offensive line coach was smart enough to play and start TJ Lang at the RT spot from the start, we would never have seen Tauscher come back, because Lang would have never given that position up.

[eagle13]

The simple truth is if McCarthy and his half wit offensive line coach was smart enough to play and start TJ Lang at the RT spot from the start, we would never have seen Tauscher come back, because Lang would have never given that position up.

100% correct IMO.

HOWEVER until we draft a prospect to replace Clifton, and until that pick proves to be able to effectively block Jared Allen, Julius Peppers, etc. we need Lang available to back both sides. So if we didn't have Tauscher who’d be playing if (when) Chad misses snaps (games)? Barbre is worse than College. The only thing we know about Breno’s game performance is the coaches won’t give him any. Oh and Barbre beat him out for RT. Get that? Breno got beat out by Barbre. Ouch!

THANK GOD Tauscher & Clifton are both back AND we have Lang available behind both. IF our rookie LT (where-ever drafted) and Lang prove to have been ready this year – its only one year invested in Tauscher & Clifton and it was uncapped. Great depth helps win SB!