The Green Bay Packers don't work if MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn't stay upright and healthy. That's why the team's offensive line is so important and that's why free agent tackle Bryan Bulaga was of the utmost importance to the front office this offseason.
But Green Bay brass can rest easy now as all signs point to Bulaga returning for the 2015 season.
"The #Packers are expected to keep OT Bryan Bulaga, source says. They are closing in on a deal. High priority for them," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted.
Bulaga, a former first round pick, has struggled with injuries over the course of his career. However, he played in 15 games last season and finished the year in impressive fashion.
"This past season was easily the most important for Bulaga's career," Chris Phillips of Pro Football Focus wrote. "Coming off consecutive season-ending injuries, he needed to prove that he could stay on the field and perform up to his peak 2011 level. To tell the story of his season you need to break it into two halves. Over the first half Bulaga graded at -0.7 overall, but after the bye in Week 9 he found his groove and turned into the Pro Bowl level talent he was prior to his injuries...From Weeks 10-17 his +12.6 grade ranked ninth out of all tackles and topped all right tackles. His 97.1 Pass Blocking Efficiency rating over that time ranked sixth overall. This second-half run was exactly the finish he needed to propel him towards free agency."
Bulaga is likely seeking a deal in the vein of San Diego Chargers offensive tackle King Dunlap, who signed a four-year deal worth $28 million (with $13 million in guaranteed money). The Packers will have to fit both he and Randall Cobb's new deal under the 2015 salary cap.
