Quote:I don't think Left Tackle really is one of the most valued pieces of the puzzle.  Not to say that the Offensive Line isn't important -- it obviously is.  But the offensive line as a whole is more important than the Left Tackle.  We drafted Eugene Monroe when Gene started his tenure.  He's generally considered a Top 10 Left Tackle.  How has our Offensive Line been again?  Someone remind me.  It's been excellent right?

 

Oh wait, it hasn't.  

 

I think fans will continue to overvalue the position of Left Tackle for a while.  Eventually they'll catch on, and realize that what's really important is the line as a whole.  

 

GM's on the other hand seem to be catching on.  

 

To compound the issue -- players aren't worth as much in a trade as fans think they are usually.  Once in a while you'll have a team overpay for a player (Indianapolis with Richardson).  Which makes the issue worse because "Cleveland got a 1st for Richardson!".  But Runningbacks, despite losing a lot of value, still have a major impact on the game.  

 

Just look at the Cardinals/Steelers trade.  If LT was such a valued position, surely even for Levi Brown the Cardinals could have gotten a 7th rounder, and not had to pay his salary.  They basically said "Here, take this player!  We'll pay him to play for you, we just don't want him anymore.  Just give us a 7th if he happens to fulfill a certain condition! Please!"  I mean a 7th rounder is practically a UDFA -- and the steelers put a condition on it, and still the Cardinals pay his salary.

 

Face it.  LT's aren't as valued as they once were. 

 

I'm not sure I'd go quite as far as you did.  I think LTs are still highly valued.  I think you'll continue to see tackles taken at the top of round 1, unlike interior linemen (typically).

 

But, in our situation, the reality is that we do have a capable LT playing out of position, and Eugene was not playing well in this scheme.  With his contract being up this year, they were unlikely to re-sign him, especially since they'd have to overpay to do so. 

 

I do wish we could have gotten more for him, but I'm not that bothered by it.  Recognizing that an upcoming FA isn't in your plans and getting something for them is a move we didn't make in the past, when we really should have. 

 

Bottom line, we saved 10m dollars a year and picked up a 4th/5th.  If they use that money to sign a RT and a OC, I'd have understood letting Eugene walk anyway.  Then you add in the two draft picks, and I'm okay with that move.

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