I'm nervous about hoping for a rookie to start at LT for us next season.

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I understand where you are coming from with that bozz, but I see a few tackles coming into the league this year and making an immediate impact like Joe Thomas or Jake Long did. I believe Bryan Bulaga can be one of these types of players.

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If they don't bring Clifton back next year, I'm not seeing a lot out there that's a better idea, aside from using Lang at LT (I'm not all that against this, for the record). The list of UFAs I've seen is full of nothing. Ideally, they draft a Bulaga-type who should be capable of getting on the field in reasonably short order, and they also convince Chad to stay around on the cheap for another year. That way if the kid needs extra seasoning Chad's there to bridge the gap. I wish it was a year where there was a guy like Thomas that the Pack could land, but the names I'm seeing (Gandy, Heyer, etc.) aren't at all inspiring. Next best bet is getting someone who could hang on the right side and letting Lang have LT, I suppose.

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I'd be more nervous about Clifton.

I remember when both Clifton and Tauscher had to start. Everybody thought they would be no good then because we had not 1 but 2 starting rookie tackles.

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"They" say that the draft is not very deep for the OL this year. With that said there are a whole lot of teams selecting ahead of GB. The quality OT's will most likely be gone by the time GB is on the board.
If GB land's a quality OT in the 1st round. Great but I am not going to count on it.

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I like the idea of a rookie LT coming in and locking it down.

But Long was 1st overall, Thomas 3rd overall. Both were the top OT taken in their drafts.

We will be selecting at 23 and probably have to take the 4th, 5th or 6th OT.

Also, although I'm desperate for us to take a LT in the 1st round I'd rather we not handcuff ourselves on a need pick. If all the good OTs are gone and there is a blue chip defensive back on the board I'd rather go for the value.

That's why I hope we don't rely on the draft. If Lang is given a full season to make the LT job his own I think he could be the answer.

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Forget the first round pick.
He may as well have been on IR. How many games was he actually active for? How many snaps has he taken? When has he ever shown he can even play any spot on the line? Is he even a tackle? Is he worth the roster spot he takes up? Same questions I ask about Harrell. Thus, the reason for me giving him his title.

So by your definition, any player who does not make a significant contribution within his first two seasons is "another Justin Harrell." I think that's an overdramatic term to use for a player like Giacomini.

Unlike Harrell, who was expected to make an impact right away, Giacomini has always been regarded as somewhat of a project. It's not surprising that he's been slow to develop. That happens with offensive linemen sometimes. Flanagan, Wahle, and Rivera are examples of O-linemen who were injured and/or just plain stunk for their first two or three years but eventually turned out to be very good. Possibly that could happen with Giacomini.

I'm not sure why you ask if he's a tackle. He's always been a tackle, and nothing but a tackle, as far as I know.

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Taking it one step further. This means every player who is drafted, even those in the 5th (Giacomini) 6th and 7th need to be held the the same standards as a 1st round selection. The players who were drafted and then cut must be worse than Harrell. Rodgers, another 1st round pick who did not see much playing time in his first 3 years, must have been a "Harrell" too.

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Breno plays for a team that was in limbo with its offensive line, and didn't even fall into the shuffle of players moving around or plugged in. Why not? Does an offensive lineman progress at the rate of an NFL quarterback? Thats what I grab from wpr's wacky comment. He has THAT much to learn to block? He has to sit and watch, and learn how to block? Meanwhile, we will probably draft an offensive tackle, that will probably be asked to come right in, and start AND at a reasonably high level. Yet, he's(Breno) still a project.

Again, forget the "tongue in cheek" comment I made. Forget the first round pick. Breno has been a roster spot, with very little promise, and very little value.

I guess I'm a little ill-informed when it comes to the progression of really good offensive lineman. Are there other linemen who sit on the bench for a couple of years, and then really break out and become great blockers?