If you've watched a Green Bay Packers game in the past several years, you've seen a lot of quarterback Aaron Rodgers running around in the backfield, nimbly dodging pass-rushers as he scans the field, keeping his focus on his receivers and, more often than not, escaping the pressure just in time to uncork a frozen rope 40-yards downfield.
While some of this movement from Rodgers is simply a product of his style of play - he's very much a gunslinger - much more of it comes from the mediocre and often uninspiring play of the offensive line in front of him.
While Josh Sitton has proven a high quality starter and T.J. Lang a good, if not great player, at the two guard spots, the tackle position has often left much to be desired for Rodgers, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson.
To help assuage this issue - and, no doubt, taking into account the expected loss of one of last season's starting tackles, Bryan Bulaga, in free agency - Thompson and his scouting team have been paying close attention to and are now squarely "in the mix" on Colorado State offensive lineman, Tyler Sambrailo ahead of next week's NFL Combine and the 2015 NFL Draft.
"...the feeling is Sambrailo's athleticism and ability to easily move around the field makes him a perfect fit for the Aaron Rodgers led Packers," writes Tony Pauline of Draft Insider.
Pauline notes that Sambrailo, who played against lesser competition in the Mountain West Conference and had a middling performance at the Senior Bowl, needs a good showing at the combine to keep his draft stock trending upward.
"The Colorado State tackle struggled at times during the Senior Bowl and teams came away questioning his functional football strength," writes Pauline. "On the other hand his athleticism is not a concern (still remember watching as Sambrailo caught a touchdown pass last season). Sambrailo may not have the fastest forty time on Friday but check and see how his shuttle and 3-cone times stack up against the rest of the offensive linemen."
The Packers' interest in upgrading their offensive line is understandable - despite finishing this past season tied for seventh in the league in fewest sacks allowed, Rodgers was struggling with injuries throughout the final regular season stretch and into the playoffs.
When your quarterback is your most precious asset and he finishes the season hampered by various injuries, it's always a good idea to add pieces in the offseason capable of protecting him and keeping him upright and intact on a more consistent basis.
