Packers tackling adversity
Packers are set with Bakhtiari out
The Packers are well prepared to deal with the loss of left tackle David Bakhtiari.
GREEN BAY - When the Green Bay Packers signed Billy Turner to a fouryear, $28 million contract on March 14, 2019, some league scouts thought general manager Brian Gutekunst had overpaid just to give coach Matt LaFleur a much-needed zone run blocker.
Turner had started 25 games in six seasons, never finding a permanent position during stints with the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos.
From 2014-18, the third-round pick of the Dolphins started 12 games at right guard, eight games at left guard, four games at right tackle and one game at left tackle. He started 11 games for the
Broncos in ’18 and he played well enough that general manager John Elway wanted to sign him to an extension before the start of free agency.
But Turner, 27 at the time, and his agent rightly predicted someone would pay a lot more for him.
Two years and $16 million into Turner’s career with the Packers, he is about to become the most important person on the team’s offensive line.
Assuming LaFleur sticks with the plan that went so well at midseason when left tackle David Bakhtiari missed
three games due to a broken rib, Turner will start at left tackle Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
And he will remain there until Bakhtiari returns sometime in the middle of next season after suffering a devastating knee injury during practice Thursday. Bakhtiari is one of the best tackles in the game and there is no replacing his ability to handle any pass rusher oneon-one, but the Packers can more than survive with Turner.
Coming out of North Dakota State in ’18, Turner measured 6-7 and weighed 315 pounds. His arm length was 34 inches, his hand size 10 inches and his wing
span 82 inches. He had a vertical leap of 28 inches and ran the 40-yard dash in 5.16 seconds.
Physically, he is more impressive than Bakhtiari, who coming out of Colorado measured 6-4 and weighed 299 pounds with an arm length of 34 inches, hand size of 9.5 inches and wingspan of 79.95 inches. Bakhtiari had a vertical leap of 25.5 inches and a 40-yard dash of 5.18 seconds.
Bakhtiari benched 225 pounds 28 times and Turner did it 25.
Bakhtiari’s overall athletic ability and unusual flexibility for a player his size is what separates him from most tackles. The work he has put in preparing his body to play each season and his mental makeup have made him the player he is.
“He’s the leader in the room,” offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said a few days after Bakhtiari signed a record-setting four-year, $92 million deal Nov. 14. “To have that stability and that presence and a guy who performs the way he does, it’s invaluable what he does for everybody as far as how he goes about his business.”
Turner has flown under the radar in terms of contributing to the Packers’ 12-3 record and opportunity to earn home-field advantage for the playoffs.
Second-year pro Elgton Jenkins made the Pro Bowl, probably in part because he has played every position on the offensive line this season. Turner has quietly played three positions and if you were to ask the coaches what his permanent spot is, they couldn’t tell you. He started 16 games at right guard in ’19 but has started six games at right tackle, four games at right guard and three games at left tackle this season.
When Bakhtiari broke his rib against Tampa Bay, the coaches originally decided to keep Turner at right tackle and insert veteran Rick Wagner at left tackle. The 31-year-old Wagner struggled and the decision was made to move Turner to left tackle and put Wagner at his natural right tackle spot.
The Packers went 2-1 during Turner’s three starts, beating Houston and San Francisco on the road and losing at home to Minnesota.
Turner was more than solid. He gave up no sacks, one quarterback hit and one quarterback pressure in 199 snaps.
Rodgers completed 75 of 106 passes for 680 yards and 11 touchdowns during that three-game stretch, good for a 122.4 passer rating.
Granted, Houston’s defense ranked 30th and Minnesota’s ranked 28th, but the 49ers came in seventh, and while they were handcuffed on offense because of so many players on the COVID-19 reserve list, they weren’t down any of their recent defensive starters.
The Packers rushed for 111 yards and threw for 305.
During those games, LaFleur was smart enough to give Turner some help, especially in the first two games against the Texans and Vikings, lining the tight end up on his side on 23 of the 62 plays and 34 of the 75 plays, respectively.
Consideration must be given to the game plans with those numbers, but for the most part Bakhtiari has a tight end on his side 20 times a game, so Turner was given more help.
Turner has been a far better pass blocker this season than last (10 sacks allowed) and part of that is that he appears way more comfortable playing at the tackle position. His length allows him to spread out and make it harder for pass rushers to disengage with quick moves at the line of scrimmage.
He’s strong enough to handle most bull rushes and quick enough to push those who try to take the corner against him past the quarterback.
“I think Billy has done a tremendous job all season long no matter where he’s played: right tackle, right guard, left tackle,” LaFleur said. “You know, he’s got the right mindset, the right attitude. He comes to work every day ready to go. He’s a true pro.”
The amount of shuffling LaFleur and Stenavich have had to do this year has helped prepare them for a situation like this. They have three starters on the offensive line – Turner, Jenkins and Lucas Patrick – who can play three or more positions.
They have a rookie guard in Jon Runyan who has played 161 snaps on the left side and could help on the right if they absolutely need it.
The player they need to stay healthy the most is Wagner, who has battled through a knee injury since the second Minnesota game and will gut it out against the Bears after exiting the Tennessee game last Sunday. If Wagner goes out, LaFleur doesn’t have another tackle to replace him and would either have to move Jenkins there or move Turner there and Jenkins to left tackle.
Either way, that would leave Runyan and Patrick as the two guards.
For now, the way LaFleur can help mitigate Bakhtiari’s loss is to make use of Turner’s run blocking on the left side. He has his two best run blockers – Turner and Jenkins – together and if he were to put tight end Marcedes Lewis to that side, that would be a tough combination for any defense to deal with.
Turner had been practicing all week on the right side and basically had one day to get himself ready to move to left tackle. The way the run game performed last week against Tennessee, it would make sense for LaFleur and his staff to come up with a run-heavy game plan against the Bears.
When the playoffs come around, Turner will be back up to speed at left tackle and they can put more responsibility on his shoulders.
Either way, they’re glad to have him.