Left Tackle

[PatsFan2]

How about dem ...J.E.T.S jets jets jets even the Biggest Pats Homers can't knock this move.

 

[PatsFan2]

Calling Mayo calling Wolf kiss and make up with Trent Brown tell Him we all know the fallout was all BB. Hey We could do worse than Trent Brown.

 

[NashuaPats]

We definitely have a plan to get Biscuit carted off.

I think the plan is to keep carting him back on.

 

[btdrnks]

Taking Penix at 11 would be Special Olympics Teams-sized stupid.

WR at 11, Pennix and an OT at 23/34.

 

[Wozzy]

Becton seems like Trent Brown 2.0. Plenty of talent but a lazy pain in the ass.

Trent Brown actually played well for a stretch of his career... Becton not so much.

 

[Wozzy]

Well Yosh Nijman is gone, signed to the Panthers.

That leaves like two younger OT's left who could start at left tackle immediately in Oli Udoh and Andrus Peat, before the Pats will have to start interviewing some NFL senior citizens and praying.

They have gobs of money... this is just dumb and irresponsible at this point.

 

[DW Toys]

I think the plan is to keep carting him back on.

Cousins, This is out of left field. but the best bet might be D.J. Humphries. The multi-time Pro Bowler was let go in a CAP move by the Cardinals. Yes he had an ACL in the next to last game, but his rehab is doing well. Speed is not an issue with a 300+ lbs OT it's stability and stamina. He was due $17mm plus on a non guaranteed contract, so the release was inevitable.

But he was highly revered by the Team and his Fan base there. He's only 30 and might be the opposite of "crabby appleton" Trent Brown as far as his desire to help the Team and continue his superb career.

He might not play until mid season Can we throw a body in their for a few games and get this All Pro to spend a few years at LT for us to mentor (we are into a mentor phase, right?) as a solid contributor to bringing us back? Tyron Smith is 33 and who knows how many games he would miss but he was deemed as a solution here.

I am sure the DJ contract will be performance based.



The 30-year-old remains optimistic that he'll be able to make it back onto the field at some point during the upcoming 2024-25 season. “Everything in the recovery is going smooth. I'm feeling much better,” Humphries said. “Swelling on my knee went down, it's moving good.
“Whatever the obstacle is, we are attacking it and achieving our goal,” Humphries said. “Every day I’m going to rehab like I’m trying to get a Super Bowl out of this knee. Whatever I have to do to make sure I am moving the needle. This ain’t the end of it for sure.”

DW Toys

 

[mgteich]

Hopefully there aren’t a ton of teams left that want a LT in free agency. I’m personally counting 8-10 that could use an upgrade.
T. Brown
C. Leno
D. Bakhtiari (oft injured/stud when healthy)
D. Smith
D. Humphries (Depending on recovery)
J. Jones
A. Dillard
Y. Nijman

Surely we can land one of these guys that can fill in at LT.

We need a LT for a year, until our top LT draftee is ready.

 

[DW Toys]

Well Yosh Nijman is gone, signed to the Panthers.

That leaves like two younger OT's left who could start at left tackle immediately in Oli Udoh and Andrus Peat, before the Pats will have to start interviewing some NFL senior citizens and praying.

They have gobs of money... this is just dumb and irresponsible at this point.

Cousin Josh Jones? We were connected to him some years ago.

Or I proposed this yesterday. Trevor Penning was Drafted 19th by the Saints in the 2022 Draft. He is 6'7" and 325lb, athletic and mean,
He was stud in preseason and got hurt. He came back in 2023 and was clueless. He came for small school Northern Iowa and the transition has been trying to the point of bust. He has all the tools and runs under a 5.0 40 so has tools. His Teammate Spencer Brown was clueless for the Bills for a few years and he is now a staple on their offensive line.

The Saints are desperate for WR help. We have one that needs a change of scenery as well from the 2022 Draft. Thornton for Penning.

Wish Scar could get a hold of him. Can we get him to flip the switch?
DW Toys

 

[203Pat]

Well Yosh Nijman is gone, signed to the Panthers.

That leaves like two younger OT's left who could start at left tackle immediately in Oli Udoh and Andrus Peat, before the Pats will have to start interviewing some NFL senior citizens and praying.

They have gobs of money... this is just dumb and irresponsible at this point.

I have generally liked the free agency approach so far. Not in love with it but didn't hate it as much as some did but not solidifying tackle so far is changing my view. We came into this off-season with three obvious needs. Quarterback, tackle, and receiver. We needed to fill one of those holes in free agency and ideally mine would have been tackle if we went the veteran approach. Bill neglected tackle last year (at least in the starting caliber range) and it looks like the new regime is doing the same. Jonah Williams was a solid option and still young and signed a reasonable deal with the Cardinals. Tyron Smith is aging and has been banged up quite a bit but signed a pretty cheap deal with the Jets. I would have rather overpaid for either one of those guys to at least close one of the major gaps on the roster and allow them to free up the draft approach somewhat.

 

[hornetfb85]

We need a LT for a year, until our top LT draftee is ready.

Yep, William Campbell in 2025

 

[mgteich]

I have generally liked the free agency approach so far. Not in love with it but didn't hate it as much as some did but not solidifying tackle so far is changing my view. We came into this off-season with three obvious needs. Quarterback, tackle, and receiver. We needed to fill one of those holes in free agency and ideally mine would have been tackle if we went the veteran approach. Bill neglected tackle last year (at least in the starting caliber range) and it looks like the new regime is doing the same. Jonah Williams was a solid option and still young and signed a reasonable deal with the Cardinals. Tyron Smith is aging and has been banged up quite a bit but signed a pretty cheap deal with the Jets. I would have rather overpaid for either one of those guys to at least close one of the major gaps on the roster and allow them to free up the draft approach somewhat.

We signed two of the first three OTs signed, a RT and swing.that started on both sides.

I’ve. wondered whether we were goin to draft one or two LTs in the first 3 rounds. I don’t expect us to sign a 4 year starter in free agency. I see us signin a bridge, perhaps Becton. I could even see Chubacca starting as ou bridge veteran LT.

 

[Sicilian]

We signed two of the first three OTs signed, a RT and swing.that started on both sides.

I’ve. wondered whether we were goin to draft one or two LTs in the first 3 rounds. I don’t expect us to sign a 4 year starter in free agency. I see us signin a bridge, perhaps Becton. I could even see Chubacca starting as ou bridge veteran LT.

Yup, right now there are four potential scenarios I can see:

1) There's a veteran LT still out there they haven't signed/traded for yet who will be the starter in 2024

2) Whoever they draft in the top 100 of the draft wins the job right away

3) Okorafor is the guy for a year (which might not look great, but it is what it is)

4) (biggest unknown and least likely) Calvin Anderson makes a bid for the role, one year removed from whatever the hell was going on with him. Not something I want them to COUNT on, but it's in the mix as a longshot at least.

But with who's out there now, I wouldn't expect the 2024 starting LT to also be the 2025 starting LT, unless it's the rookie winning the job.

 

[Wozzy]

I have generally liked the free agency approach so far. Not in love with it but didn't hate it as much as some did but not solidifying tackle so far is changing my view. We came into this off-season with three obvious needs. Quarterback, tackle, and receiver. We needed to fill one of those holes in free agency and ideally mine would have been tackle if we went the veteran approach. Bill neglected tackle last year (at least in the starting caliber range) and it looks like the new regime is doing the same. Jonah Williams was a solid option and still young and signed a reasonable deal with the Cardinals. Tyron Smith is aging and has been banged up quite a bit but signed a pretty cheap deal with the Jets. I would have rather overpaid for either one of those guys to at least close one of the major gaps on the roster and allow them to free up the draft approach somewhat.

Agreed, I liked what they have done so far in free agency, liked it a lot… but now they’re frozen in time like that was anywhere close to enough.

Even setting aside money potentially needed to extend Duggar or Barmore, they have plenty of money and cap space.

If they signed a left tackle like Oli Udoh or Andrus Peat to a 2-4 year deal, they could take left tackle off the draft board in the first three rounds entirely. Great!

Instead it feels like they’ll sign oft-injured David Bakthari or some other senior citizen instead and left tackle will be a revolving door or weekly mystery to see if he is available to play. This would be fine if they were broke… but they’re not, they’re flush with cash.

 

[hornetfb85]

 

[skinnydog]

Got it, so a benched RT is slated to be the starting LT

 

[Pape]

Got it, so a benched RT is slated to be the starting LT

I really ****ing hope not.

 

[hornetfb85]

Ifffffff, and this is a big If, they do some medical on DJ Humphries and they say he will be good to go week 4 to 6, I would be ok with Okorafor for a bit. Otherwise it will likely end in disaster

 

[Patsgofor4]

Got it, so a benched RT is slated to be the starting LT

Was he benched for poor performance or for another reason?

Rapoport: Patriots Signing Former Steelers OT Chukwuma Okorafor (Updates)

UPDATE, 9:03 a.m. Friday: According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Okorafor’s contract with the Patriots is a one-year deal with a base value of $4 million. Okorafor can earn up to $8.25 million in the deal, likely based on incentives. The $8.25 million is just below the $8.75 million that Okorafor was...

steelersdepot.com

This article indicates that it may have been the latter. only gave up 1.5 sacks over his seven starts, which does not seem bench-worthy from a pass protection standpoint.

 

[Sicilian]

Was he benched for poor performance or for another reason?

Rapoport: Patriots Signing Former Steelers OT Chukwuma Okorafor (Updates)

UPDATE, 9:03 a.m. Friday: According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Okorafor’s contract with the Patriots is a one-year deal with a base value of $4 million. Okorafor can earn up to $8.25 million in the deal, likely based on incentives. The $8.25 million is just below the $8.75 million that Okorafor was...

steelersdepot.com

View attachment 57156

This article indicates that it may have been the latter. only gave up 1.5 sacks over his seven starts, which does not seem bench-worthy from a pass protection standpoint.

Yeah, I think talent wise he's starter level. The two big questions are:

1) Were his attitude problems an intrinsic thing, or a result of Matt Canada being an incompetent OC? (I lean to the latter).

2) Would he be as good a LT as he was a RT, all other things being equal? That one is a legitimate question, as there aren't many guys that are equally effective at both. If nothing else, it's an unknown that would bear watching.