Packers activate guard J. C. Tretter to active roster and cut tackle Derek Sherrod

40 thoughts on “Packers activate guard J. C. Tretter to active roster and cut tackle Derek Sherrod”

1. The leg injury is always mentioned with Sherrod but I think that it did nothing but delay the inevitable. I would like to know who on the Green Bay staff is scouting and making the recommendations on these O-linemen. My count has us hitting on 1 maybe two guys over the last 6-7 years. The line has gone down since Clifton and Tauscher anchored the ends. I would blame Campen but it seems that he is making the best damn chicken salad with this sparrow meat. Packer faithful are yet again putting their blind trust in Tretter – a guy who has never taken a real snap or has gotten out of the training room.

   I keep looking for the ‘shaking my head’ emoticon. At least we are moving on.

   1. seems like you have unrealistic expectations for drafted players. since 2007 draft, they have selected 13 OL. only 2 of them were selected earlier than the 4th round. 10 of the 13 are still in the NFL and if Sherrod catches on w/ another team it’s 11. 1 of the remaining 2 (Schlauderaff) netted us a 6th-round pick from NYJ. the other (Datko) was a 7th rounder. Barbre, Giacomini, & Meredith all have started a number of games for other teams. Sitton, Lang, Bakhtiari, and Linsley have all outperformed their draft positions. Bulaga has been solid when healthy. That’s not counting finding value in UDFA’s like Barclay & EDS (who will likely net the Packers a compensation pick in ’15 draft).

      1. Yeah but Sherrod was a first round pick. It’s not the same as a seventh rounder flopping.

         If I remember correctly, Sherrod had trouble making the game day roster in year one because he was getting outplayed by the likes of Marshall Newhouse (a fifth rounder and still in the league). Sherrod was kind of like Giaccomini, another big guy. But Giaccomini was a seventh rounder, so worth the gamble. Sherrod, not so much. The guy just didn’t have the speed or aggressiveness to play in the nfl.

         1. my point is that Sherrod is the exception, not the rule. most of their OL picks have been pretty decent. if people would take a second to look at other teams’ track records in drafting OL, they would realize that. I also don’t think it’s fair to say Sherrod would never have been anything even without the injury. all we saw was 1 rookie season.

      2. You are right Greg, I do have high expectations for the O-line. I believe that Ted Thompson undervalues the position(s) and doesn’t devote enough to the O-line. To further complicate matters, he gets more wrong than right. I’ll include Bulaga in that statement, who can’t handle speed rushers, who hasn’t been very effective in the run game and who has missed more games than played.

         While your references may be right, it doesn’t change the fact that our O-line is very average at best. If we were in the business of player development then all our project work on the people you mentioned would be worth something. After 5 years, I am still looking at a running game that can’t find holes and a QB that is playing the wrong kind of hurry-up when it comes to offense.

         1. how many gm’s get more right than wrong at OL? name them. can’t blame the gm for a guy getting hurt either. total sacks are not a good way to measure lines. we pass the ball alot more than other teams, so there are more opportunities for sacks.

            Rank in fewest pressures allowed per pass play
            2014:5th
            2013:4th
            2012:13th
            2011:10th
            2010:11th

            looks good to me. also, Arod is far from hurrying. 3 of the last 4 years, he’s been in the top 10 in the league in longest-time-to-throw. he actually holds the ball longer than many other qb’s.

            again, another case of assuming other teams’ OL’s in the league are better than they are just because you don’t pay attention to them or have an emotional investment in them protecting their qb’s.

            1. I don’t know what to say about people’s stats and I don’t know how other GMs do with their drafts. I don’t see a run game. I see good defenses dictate the game to our offense. And, I see another high round pick being showed the door.

               If you think we have a good O-line, with solid depth and we have been drafting well on this front then I guess its mission accomplished.

            2. You’ve got to quit confusing these people with facts. Clearly the facts don’t fit their opinions.

         2. Razer sums it up here.

   2. Blind trust? No “real” snaps? The guy played every offensive snap in the preseason games before getting hurt.

      1. We had a lot of pre-season stars. That’s when all the tryout players play. Tretter may not even get his starting job back from a fifth round pick. You forgot to add ‘again’ after “before getting hurt”.

         1. No, I didn’t forget to add “again.” But thanks for playing.

            Though I was wrong about something… Tretter only played a few more snaps than the current starting OL (minus Linsley). The tryout guys each had almost twice the snaps.

            Guess the coaches felt pretty good about him. Of course, we bloggers and laymen fans know a lot more than they do.

            1. I hope that you are right Chad – because there isn’t much behind Tretter

               1. I am not here to bash TT. His record on OL is at least ok. I think Razer and Chad both have valid points. I’ll just say that, yes, sometimes the coaches know a prospect can play right away. But it is also true that until the prospect plays an NFL game, he is not a proven commodity. I remember GB running wild to the left side behind Bakh and Sitton in the preseason, but not so much in real games. So right now I’ll just be rooting for Tretter since he seems to be the most talented alternative left to GB!

      2. Everyone knows that pre-season doesn’t mean jack. He may get into a regular season game and be manhandled. Verdict is definitely not out on Tretter.

         1. No one said the verdict was out. But to dismiss his work completely is disingenuous.

            Also, pre-season scores/outcomes don’t mean jack. Individual player performances, however, do. How else do the coaches evaluate these guys?

            1. Exactly Chad!!! I am pretty sure they know exactly what they have in Mr. Tretter and they are very very happy with him. You don’t need a “real game” to know this.
               Look at Aaron Rodgers. They let a hall of famer go and replaced him with a guy who never started a single game. The Packers are successful because they are smart and know exactly what they are doing.

2. It was obvious that Sherrod could not handle speed rushers while he was in there. Plus he had a few false start penalties. Better to move on and to see what Tretter has if he is called upon to back up. Next season we can have Barclay, Tretter and a draft pick for OL depth and we can chuck Taylor as well. Maybe, we draft a quality LT and move Bakh to 2nd string and really solidify this OL. Go Pack GO! Thanks, Since ’61

   1. Sounds like a very good plan,

      1. Thanks Tundraboy. So much of the draft process is a crap shoot. We can draft another OT in the 1st round and end up with another Sherrod or if we’re lucky another Forrest Gregg or Chad Clifton. We can’t know until they get on the field and play. Time will tell. For now we work with what we have. Thanks, Since ’61

         1. Second coming of Gregg is exactly what we need. Throw in someone like Ray N and I’ll be elated. We would be unstoppable.

            1. Sadly, I doubt that we will see anyone like Nitschke again. Our defense desperately needs a player who can dominate a game like Nitschke or Reggie White could. Even if we found such a player today’s rules would probably penalize him on every play. Thanks, Since ’61

   2. Barclay will be a restricted free agent. We’d probably have to tender him at the lowest level, right of 1st refusal, for $1.32 million, assuming a full recovery. If so, we could probably chuck both Lane Taylor and Garth Gerhart. While a top notch LT would look good, GB might have too many holes. Clearly if there are 3 guys w equal 1st round grades available when we pick, you would have to consider a DE, an NT, or an ILB before a OT. But, that said, GB should take the best player out of those positions.

      1. Reynoldo – I agree. Based on our 1st 8 games our top 3 needs for the draft are; DL/NT, OT and TE. As for ILB, yes we can use one but if we started Lattimore and Barrington behind at least a decent DL, never mind a good one, Lattimore and Barrington would probably look a lot better. I left out Hawk because I think he’s done and long overdue. Thanks, Since ’61

3. I predicted Sherrod would be another Marshall Newhouse and the malt liquor drinkers did not like it. Now that their hero cut him they all talk smack about him. It is amazing the double standard the malt liquor drinkers have. I was put down many times for stating the obvious about Sherrod/Newhouse and was spot on about both of them. Some of you malt liquor drinkers need to put your big boy pants on and grow a set instead of sticking your heads up MM/TT’s you know what. Just saying, sometimes you guys are blinded by the malt liquor you are drinking.

4. “He can play center, guard, and even tackle if he is called upon.”

   As could Barclay if he comes back. Incredible flexibility in your backup linemen…if Tretter/Barclay don’t displace someone in the interim.

   It says a lot about the trust they have in this guy since this move really makes him the default third tackle. If Bakhtiari gets hurt, I think Bulaga slides over to the left side and Tretter plugs in. If Bulaga gets hurt, Tretter plugs in.

   1. Remember they had trust in Newhouse and Sherrod too. Hell they thought Sherrod was the best thing since sliced bread.

      1. I don’t understand where these assertions “Hell they thought Sherrod was the best thing since sliced bread” come from.

         It’s easy to trust guys you don’t plan to play.

      2. Apparently in Big T’s world there are no varying levels of “trust.”

   2. incredible flexibility … of mediocrity. Which gets your QB sacked a lot.

      To me, I see a team w/o adequate depth on the O line forced year after year to play reserves out of position. To cover up this shortcoming in their own planning the staff says “look how versatile this guy is!!!!!!!!!!” And the cheerleader media parrot the story.

      Versatility my Aunt Fanny. I’ll trade every GB linemen afor 5 players who can play only their own position but play it damn well.

      1. Having starters who are proficient at their positions is a must, yes. But this is not saying “start these guys at these positions immediately”. They would be BACKUPs for a reason, and if they have the ability to BACKUP all OL spots, it creates tremendous flexibility on the roster.

         The number of actives you can carry on game day all but requires that you have guys who can play more than one spot on the OL.

         1. Whuch every team has, which makes GB’s “incredible” versatlity is better described s BG “Routine” versatilty.

5. I think we are going to see more screen plays and play action now or at least I hope. That will open up the run game more until we get a true tight end.

   1. Agree! Look at the difference in the Pats offense now that Gronkowski has returned healthy. A real threat at TE would be a huge difference maker on this Packer’s offense. Thanks, Since ’61

      1. Something we have both been waiting for since maybe Chmura. Finley being a different animal although I miss him.

6. I’m also very curious if Lang’s injury had anything to do with this. Seems like if Lang was healthy, Taylor would have been first on the chopping block in order to free up an OL spot.

   1. Maybe, but Gerhart, who is now the 3rd string center, might have been a candidate too. Due to injuries to Barclay and Lang, right now we are short on bodies.

7. I am not convinced that Bulaga can play LT. There was a time when teams put their best pass rusher up against the LT, but not as much anymore. Bakh at least is decent in pass pro. Still, Bulaga is a better run blocker, so it might make sense to place him next to Sitton and Linsley. Maybe we could run to the left and up the middle.

   As for Tretter, clearly the coaches love him. Sometimes the coaches just know that a guy can play. The coaches were quoted as stating that they almost immediately knew Bakh could play OT. I haven’t heard any coaches stating that Tretter can play OT though. They are high on him, but at center and perhaps guard. I am assuming that they are practicing Tretter at Guard right now. It would be a lot to ask of a rookie to step in at tackle w/o any reps (I know Tretter was an OT in college, but still).

   Injuries are always bad, but sometimes there is a silver lining. But for Tretter’s injury, I have no doubt Tretter would be the starting center. I am pretty sure we would not be wondering whether Linsley can play OT in a pinch (i.e. I don’t think Linsley can play OT). I think the coaches would have been too stubborn to insert Linsley at center even if he had outplayed Tretter during the preseason, unless it was by a wide margin. Now Linsely has proven himself at center. We will see what other positions Tretter can play. I think he can play center and guard at a high level. He might be okay at OT, at least on an emergency basis. If there is an injury, we had better hope he can.

8. TT OL draft picks: Bulaga and Sherrod (1st); College (2nd); Spitz (3rd); Barbre, Sitton, Lang, Tretter, Bakhtiari (4th); Coston, Moll, Giacomini, Meredith, Newhouse, Linsley (5th); Schlauderaff (6th); Whittacker and Datko (7th). That’s 18 prospects in 10 years.

   Schlauderaff, Whittacker and Datko, the late rounders, did nothing. Ditto Sherrod, perhaps due to injury. Bulaga, Sitton, Lang, Tretter, Bakh, Linsley look like very good picks, and College and Spitz were OK (all were starters for a period of years, if you include Tretter). Barbre, Giacomini just took too long to develop, but they went on to start for other teams. Moll and Newhouse were meh, but they also played. So that is something like 10 to 12 out of 18 who had enough talent to play in the NFL. I think that is doing reasonably well as a GM.

9. It is ok NOW to label Sherrod a bust?

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