Quote:As noble an idea as this might seem to be, the odds are pretty strong that Monroe will receive a contract extension from the organization. 

 

I don't see them trading him away when they're already going to be forced to replace 60% of the offensive line in order to fix what is wrong there.  He is still a young player who is established as one of the best LTs in the game right now.  Those don't grow on trees.  Look how long it took for us to find a guy we could rely upon.  It took Monroe a while to become the player he is today.  Now that he's starting to establish himself, people want to hand him his walking papers and start all over?  Why?  Because we hope Joeckel can be a good LT right out of the gate once Monroe is gone?

 

I know it's great fodder for fans to suggest we should trade just about any player who represents quality to this team, but I really think Monroe is probably one of the cornerstones of the rebuilding process regardless of having Joeckel on the roster.  Having two quality offensive tackles is something that will be needed moving forward, especially if we do indeed draft a franchise QB in May. 

 

Will he be an expensive re-sign?  Absolutely.  So what?  Is it your money?  The team has the cap space to pay him whatever fair market value will be without any cause for concern. 

 

Barring health issues, Monroe is just entering the prime of his career.  He could realistically be a fixture on this line for another 5 years.  Why would we trade him away and then have to turn right back around and find a replacement at OT when we have a proven entity on the roster?