Evan Dietrich-Smith Signed with the Buccaneers
The Green Bay Packers will have their fourth starting center in the past four years in 2014. Last year’s starting center, Evan Dietrich-Smith, signed with Tampa Bay on Friday.
It’s a four-year deal that averages around $3.6 million annually, which you can bet is more than the Packers were offering.
Now, we’re not going to sit here and pretend Dietrich-Smith was some sort of world beater or anything, but the Packers clearly have a question mark — again — in the middle of their offensive line.
More on that in a moment. First, let’s review how the Packers seem to bone it when it comes to the center position every year in recent memory.
After the 2011 season, the Packers decided to let center Scott Wells, a solid veteran, test free agency. He subsequently got offered an asinine deal by the St. Louis Rams and took it. The Packers then turned to 13-year veteran Jeff Saturday, signing him to a two-year free agent deal. He wasn’t so good. With two weeks remaining in the season, he got replaced by Dietrich-Smith in the starting lineup.
After the season, Dietrich-Smith was a restricted free agent. The Packers signed him to a one-year tender. In 2013, Dietrich-Smith went out and started all 16 games. And now, he’s gone.
So much for continuity!
So now what’s the answer? Well, it’s second-year pro J.C. Tretter at the moment.
Tretter, a fourth-round pick, played tackle at Cornell. He was considered by most a better prospect at guard in the pros. He was considered by the Packers to be their center of the future, even though he’s never played the position.
That’s not to say he can’t play the position. We just don’t know what the hell he can do since he broke his ankle on the first day of OTAs last year. He was activated from the physically unable to perform list in early December, which makes it fair to say this guy is a work in progress.
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Can’t say I like this move at all. Rodgers was stumping to get this guy back. I can see taking a pass on other teams leftovers but 3.6 mil a year for some continuity. WTF!
Good riddance!!
“He was considered by the Packers to be their center of the future, EVEN THOUGH HE’S NEVER PLAYED THE POSITION.”
Son of a bitch….
Apparently Tampa likes white dudes with full sleeve tattoos . EDS, Crabtree.
What a fucking asshole. Where is the loyalty? Where is the desire to win something? Tampa Bay is not winning the Super Bowl anytime that I can foresee. Just when it looked like the offensive line might finally be settled, we have to deal with. Oh and the word around the campfire is that TJ Lang would be the starting center, unless they find someone else.
His loyalty is in his checkbook. For an extra million bucks per year yours would be too. You’d go work for the competitor of your company in a minute for the right price.
Not always. Think about Leroy BUtler. I guess it is part of that assymetircal relationship between a fan and the team he loves. The fan loves the team far more than he is loved by the team, and that is even more the case between a fan and players.
This is why, with some exceptions, I try to view it as applauding the uniform and not so much the player. When Jermichael Finley scores a touchdown or makes a big play (which happened far less than should have been the case given his potential), I applaud and yell and scream for the uniform, the colors and that G logo, not for Finley the person, because i do not like him as a person based on what I know.
I was fooled by Greg Jennings, and disappointed by Scott Wells (who was one of my favorite players). And don’t even bring up a certain ex-Packer who stabbed us all in the back–traitor.
Some players though, like Woodson, Reggie White, Jordy Nelson, Tramon Williams, Aaron Rodgers (so far), Leroy Butler, Chewy, and of course Donald Driver, I like and revere as persons as well as players.
I had hoped EDS would have fit more in that latter categoy. He became a starting center because of his time with the Green Bay Packers. Thanks for nothing, I guess.
He is no Scott Wells but was servicable and now we have another hole to fill. For fuck’s sake.
Damn damn damn. Dude was worth $3.6 mil per year, don’t like this move.
His physique is more of a Guard/Center than that of an Offensive Tackle.
(JC Tretter, I mean)
Seems as if neither outfit fell in love with each other, and it lead to a pissing contest. Never heard much from EDS about wanting to stay in GB.
If I had my druthers, I’d prefer a C with about 15-20 extra pounds, better to fight off the DTs and NTs in the league.
Hope this Tretter guy isn’t accident-prone. Not only the ankle in a non-contact drill, but he broke his nose before the Senior Bowl — spotting someone in the weight room.
How the fuck do you break your nose spotting someone? Unless it’s Arnold and he blasts the weight up at 50mph.
He’s so strong that he jerked the bar into his face.
He’s so motivating that he got “one more” quicker than he expected.
These are the good options…
Would have preferred to have EDS back, but I would not have matched $3.6 M. That seems like a lot of money to give a guy who had 1 decent season.
Ultimately, you have to pay your tackles, and of course, we have Sitton to pay. So, the center should pretty much always be a revolving door unless you can find a guy willing to stick around for less than $3 M a season.
Add Center/ Guard to the growing list of “need” for this upcoming draft. Boy oh boy, Ted must be gearing up for the most awe-inspiring draft class we’ve witnessed yet! A quality, capable center is necessary to make the proper calls and this sets the O-Line back, yet again. Expect Aaron to be running for his life and let’s hope he doesn’t get hurt again.
Cheers to the youngest team in football!!
So you have a “needs list”, eh? Ketchman has you pegged.
If EDS was AJ Hawk he would have been signed 2 minutes past midnight after FA’cy opened for an ungodly amount of money. Too bad center isn’t as important as a pile-jumping ILB who happens to be the GM’s favorite player. Same old, same old.
If Lang moves to C and Barclay moves to G, or the other way around, and either Sherrod or Bulaga take RT, I think we’ve improved the line a bit. EDS was gritty, tenacious but he had to be because he was undersized. he’s not a pro bowl caliber guy. I think EDS didn’t like TT because they brought in Saturday instead of handing the job to him.