Packers' Bryan Bulaga: To Re-Sign, or Not to Re-Sign?

On draft weekend, 2010, Bryan Bulaga had his future lined out for him. The Iowa Hawkeye was ranked as NFLDraftScout.com's third-best tackle in the class. Ahead of him were Russell Okung, the eventual sixth overall selection of the Seattle Seahawks, and Trent Williams, the fourth overall selection of the Washington Redskins.

Bulaga would go No. 23 overall to the Green Bay Packers, but not before another tackle prospect came off the board. Anthony Davis, a Rutgers product, jumped Bulaga in the draft, going 11th to the San Francisco 49ers.

His tumble to the 23rd spot was steeper than many expected, including Bleacher Report's Christian Purcell, but his stock as a first rounder was vindicated on draft day. In late April, Purcell had Bulaga going in the top five to the Kansas City Chiefs.

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5. Kansas City Chiefs—Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

Bryan Bulaga's arm length is considered borderline to play left tackle in the NFL. With Branden Albert still on track to become the Chiefs starting left tackle, Bulaga will be a perfect fit at right tackle.

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Five years into the careers of these offensive linemen, only one has signed a contract beyond their rookie deals. Davis signed a five-year extension in the spring of 2013 for a total of $37 million, according to the Associated Press.

The other three tackles, though, are slated to be free agents in the near future. Williams, a two-time Pro Bowler, will likely net the most out of them all, based on credentials at this point in their careers.

Bulaga's turn for a new deal will come sooner rather than later, as he'll become a free agent in the next offseason. The question is, will the Packers be the ones in control of his future?

In 2013, Bulaga sustained an ACL injury during the yearly Family Night scrimmage. Due to the injury, he missed the entire season. He's since moved to starting right tackle, due to a rookie, David Bakhtiari, taking over his starting left tackle role in 2013 while Bulaga was on injured reserve. Mike Spofford of Packers.com noted the offensive line's movement in the early summer.

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Last season, Bryan Bulaga was just getting accustomed to his switch from right to left tackle when he was lost for the season to a knee injury during the Family Night scrimmage. That forced fourth-round draft pick David Bakhtiari into action, and the rookie took over as the all-important blind-side protector. He lined up all season alongside left guard Josh Sitton, who was making his own switch from the right side of the line.

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Against the Seahawks in the season opener of 2014, he sustained another knee injury, this time an MCL sprain. According to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky, Bulaga may have avoided tearing a ligament in his knee due to a knee brace he now is wearing following his 2013 injury.

While Bulaga is now back in the starting lineup, an injury-prone player isn't something a team would like to invest in long-term. According to surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who assisted in the ACL recovery of Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, only 55 percent of players remain in the NFL two years after a torn ACL is suffered. His injury history will be—and should be—large factor in determining Bulaga's second contract. The severity of repetitive knee injuries cannot be overstated.

Not only has his health been inconsistent, but Bulaga's play has been fairly up and down in recent weeks. Against the Miami Dolphins, Bulaga's kick-slide wasn't enough to hang with defensive end Cameron Wake, according to Sports Illustrated's Andy Benoit. Against the Carolina Panthers the next week, the script flipped. According to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the right tackle scored the highest Pro Football Focus grade for a Packers offensive player with a plus-4.5 mark for the game. 

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Its 3Q 35-3..OL still playing solid. LT/LG pick up twist while Bulaga shuts down one of leagues highest paid DEs 1on1 pic.twitter.com/CDkJNTOhdS

— Ben Fennell (@TheXOsOfLife) October 21, 2014"

Last week's performance against the New Orleans Saints was the yin to the yang of his Carolina game. Cheesehead TV's Aaron Nagler explained Bulaga's issue on turf on more than one occasion on Sunday. 

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Bulaga getting killed off the edge. Need to give him help. Speed on turf is his kryptonite.

— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) October 27, 2014"

 His Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade was a stark difference than his previous week's work. 

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Rough night for Brian Bulaga. Gave up 6 hurries and a sack on his way to a -3.4 pass blocking grade.

— Bryan Hall (@PFF_BryanHall) October 27, 2014"

The issue the Packers have it this: If they let Bulaga walk, they don't have much of a shot to replace him with somebody currently on the roster. Some believe center J.C. Tretter, who played left tackle at Cornell before being drafted in 2013, could move over to right tackle. But due to injuries, he has yet to even record a snap in a regular-season matchup. 

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One Green Bay beat writer suggests that JC Tretter could become the Packers' starting right tackle in 2015: http://t.co/T4bVjJv6fG

— Acme Packing Company (@acmepackingco) October 8, 2014"

One of the reasons Tretter may struggle to transition back to tackle is his size. Coming out of college, he was in the second-percentile in height for a tackle prospect, per MockDraftable.com. His arm length also ranked in the bottom fifth for the position.

On top of the questions regarding Tretter, two other tackles, Don Barclay and Derek Sherrod, are also slated to be free agents in 2015. Barclay, a victim of the Packers' offensive line injury bug, sustained an ACL tear in the preseason, just as Bulaga did just a year before.

Overall, Bulaga doesn't seem like an offensive lineman to whom you'd want to handcuff the future of the offensive line, but he has shown flashes of premier play. Maybe the injuries in his past have simply stalled his growth, and in his second contract he could breakout. That being said, his past injuries could be a harbinger of his future availability.

Too few available options on the current roster may force the Packers' hand into re-signing the right tackle. According to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky, the Packers are currently ranked in the top quarter of the league for money already committed in 2015, though. With the potential re-signing of other free agents, such as star receiver Randall Cobb, one begins to wonder if Green Bay has the resources to bring back Bulaga.

The tackle's performance in the second half of the 2014 will be crucial for his bank account. With so many questions on both sides of the negotiations, it should also be a focus of Packer fans from this point forward, too.