Green Bay Packers are in Tough Spot with Bryan Bulaga

When it comes to deciding on Bryan Bulaga’s future with the team, the Green Bay Packers are in a difficult spot.

When it comes to how to attack this offseason, GM Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers are going to have some difficult decisions to make.

Of course, they have holes to fill at wide receiver, inside linebacker, and defensive tackle, along with some needed depth at tight end and cornerback. However, given their available cap space in 2020, they aren’t going to make four big signings like they did last offseason. So deciding which needs to address and where becomes more difficult.

But with that said, while those are needs that have to be taken care of at some point, Green Bay’s toughest decision this offseason is in regards to free agent right tackle, Bryan Bulaga.

In a perfect world for the Green Bay Packers, they’d probably prefer to move on from the soon to be 31-year-old tackle who has battled injuries for much of his career and is projected to land a three-year contract worth over $10 million per season according to Spotrac.

However, is that the best decision for this team? I think it’s easy to argue that the answer is no.

For one, Bulaga is coming off of a very good season. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he allowed just four sacks and four quarterback hits in 2019 and keep in mind that he was up against some of the best edge rushers that the NFL has to offer on a weekly basis. And despite his injury history, since suffering an ACL injury in 2017, Bulaga has started 30 of the last 32 regular-season games for the Green Bay Packers.

Realistically, any of the other alternative options that don’t include re-signing Bulaga, are going to weaken a key position.

The answer to right tackle certainly isn’t on the roster at the moment. We don’t want to have to see Billy Turner working in open space on a regular basis, moving Elgton Jenkins after an excellent rookie season doesn’t seem like a wise move either, and to put it simply, we all saw what happened when Alex Light had to play meaningful snaps.

And while Jared Veldheer is an option and filled in nicely last season when needed, there’s no guarantee that he re-signs with the Packers as it was reported by Adam Schefter that there are other teams vying for his services in 2020. It’s also worth pointing out that over a 16 game season, he’s likely to be exposed much more than what he was with the small sample size we saw in 2019.

Yet if Green Bay does decide to roll with Veldheer in 2020, well then that also takes away some of the flexibility that they have in the draft. It’s hard to envision them relying on Veldheer for more than one season, which means that the Packers will almost have to spend an early-round draft pick on a long-term solution at right tackle. And when a team feels like they have to take a certain position, well that’s how over drafting happens.

So as you can see, this isn’t exactly an enviable spot that the Green Bay Packers are in. Historically they don’t hand out third contracts to offensive linemen and as they say in the NFL, it’s better to let go of a player a year early than a year too late. Not to mention that signing Bulaga could mean not landing a player like Austin Hooper or Cory Littleton.

Yet on the flip side, choosing to cut costs at a premier position like tackle with a quarterback that will turn 37 this season, is a dangerous game to be playing, and one that could backfire.