Tag: Lane Taylor

It wouldn’t be a flashy signing, but the Green Bay Packers could bring Lane Taylor back in 2021 on a cheap, short-term deal. Taylor had one of the best training camps of his career in 2020 before a knee injury in Week 1 knocked him out for the remainder of the season.

He played 63 snaps during the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings before exiting the fourth quarter. While engaged with a blocker on a run play, Taylor’s knee appeared to bend awkwardly and then give out. Teammates consoled him as he was then carted off the field.

Taylor was having a good start to his eighth NFL season after winning the starting right guard job in training camp. Unfortunately, it was the second season in a row that Taylor suffered a season-ending injury. In 2019, he appeared in just two games before a torn bicep forced him to undergo surgery. Taylor then battled his way back to a starting role only to have another major setback.

Taylor was considered a potential cap casualty in 2020 until he dominated in one on ones during practice. That carried over to the regular season when Taylor did not allow a single pressure on 37 snaps in pass protection against the Vikings. He also received a run-blocking grade of 78.8, according to Pro Football Focus.

Lucas Patrick did a serviceable job filling in for Taylor for the rest of the season, however, that doesn’t mean Taylor doesn’t have a place moving forward.

Even if he isn’t a starter, it makes sense to offer Taylor a one-year contract for the veteran minimum. He would provide depth with the upside of being a potential starter. Taylor battled back from a significant injury in 2019 and could do it again.

The Packers need to bulk up their offensive line seeing that they may not have the money to re-sign All-Pro center Corey Linsley. With Linsley not expected back next season, Patrick or Elgton Jenkins are the most likely candidates to snap the football in 2021. That leaves an opening at guard, which could be filled by Taylor or 2020 sixth-round draft pick Jon Runyan.

Because he can likely be had for cheap, asking Taylor to come back makes a ton of sense for Green Bay. He knows the system and was a staple along the Packers offensive line from 2016-2018. Taylor appeared in 46 games, starting 45, missing only two games with an injury.

Given Green Bay’s needs this offseason, bringing back Taylor for one more year is a cost-effective approach that could pay off.

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#Packers RG Lane Taylor suffered a season-ending knee injury that will surgery, source said.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 14, 2020

The comeback season of Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Lane Taylor will end after just one game.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Taylor needs surgery after suffering a season-ending knee injury during Sunday’s season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Monday that Taylor’s season is over.

Taylor, who returned to the Packers on a restructured deal in 2020, played in just two games before suffering a season-ending biceps injury last year.

Motivated after missing 14 games, Taylor had a strong summer and won the job as the starting right guard to open 2020. He went down with a bad-looking injury in the fourth quarter Sunday and needed a cart to exit the field at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Packers got good news on Lucas Patrick, who left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury and didn’t return. He might be able to play in Week 2, per Pelissero.

On Sunday, the Packers used rookie Jon Runyan at guard after Taylor and Patrick both went down.

Taylor, 30, has an expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2020 season. He’s been with the Packers since the 2013 season, playing in 79 games and making 50 starts.

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The last 12 or so months have certainly been interesting for Green Bay Packers guard Lane Taylor.

He won a training camp competition at left guard last August, but just barely. He got hurt during practice after just two games and missed the rest of the season. He took a paycut to return to Green Bay, knowing four of last year’s five starters along the offensive line returned, including both guards. And now he might be on the verge of winning another starting job for Matt LaFleur, this time at right guard.

“I think Lane is a pro. He goes out every day and competes to the best of his ability. He has a lot of experience. He’s somebody we know we can count on,” LaFleur said Monday.

Taylor has 49 career starts, including 45 – primarily at left guard – between 2016 and 2018. Although Elgton Jenkins is locked in as the starting left guard, Taylor is in a position to win the job at right guard to start 2020, even though Billy Turner – who played all 16 games there last season – returned. Turner is also competing with Rick Wagner to start at right tackle.

Keeping Taylor out of the starting five might be difficult.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Taylor finished a perfect 14-0 in one-on-one pass-blocking drills during training camp. The one-on-one position drills are just one piece of the evaluation puzzle, but Taylor’s impressive individual record does highlight how effective he’s been after returning from last year’s season-ending biceps injury.

At the very least, Taylor’s work this summer has provided the Packers with options. His ability to handle right guard without issue has allowed for a true competition between Turner and Wagner at right tackle,

The Packers must now decide in the next 12 days which five players will start along the offensive line. LaFleur said he’ll continue to work the various combinations, including one with Taylor as the starting right guard, as the Packers prepare to take on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1.

“I think that’s still very much in play right now. We’re still working through those combinations. Until we feel we have the right five, we’re going to continue it that way,” LaFleur said.

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Heading into practice No. 8, one player is unbeaten in the 1-on-1 pass block/pass rush drill (among those with more than 2 reps).
 
Some thought he was going to be a cap cut. Now, it looks like he'll be a starting guard again.
 
He's 8-0, and it’s this guy ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/93M8OYawyp

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 24, 2020

Only one player was undefeated in one-on-one pass-blocking drills during the first seven practices of training camp, and it’s a veteran player fighting for a starting job along the Green Bay Packers offensive line.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Packers guard Lane Taylor is 8-0 in the valuable drill entering Monday’s practice, the team’s eighth of camp.

The Packers hold one-on-one competitions between position groups almost every day when the team is in pads. In the trenches, it’s a true battle, with one offensive lineman attempting to stymie one pass-rusher from creating a pressure in a somewhat unrealistic but still highly competitive drill.

Stop the rusher, the offense gets a win. Create a pressure, the defense wins.

Taylor, who missed all but two games last season after injuring his biceps, is winning the one-on-ones consistently while battling for a starting job at right guard this summer.

The Packers brought Taylor back for the 2020 season on a restructured deal, providing the offensive line room with a veteran option at both guard spots. Taylor, previously the starter at left guard, has played in 78 career games, including 45 starts between 2015-17. Although Billy Turner started all 16 games at right guard for Matt LaFleur in 2019, his starting job isn’t locked in as camp rolls on. LaFleur is holding an open competition between Taylor and Turner at right guard and Turner and Rick Wagner at right tackle.

It’s possible Taylor will emerge as the winner at right guard when it’s all said and done, especially if he remains so dominant in one-on-one drills.

A year away, a pay cut and the challenge of competing for a starting job provided Taylor with all the motivation he needed to produce a strong summer.

“My motivation was really to get back on track, to prove I’m not done,” Taylor said last week. “I’ve got many more miles, many more years to play. I just wanted to get back to my old self.”

He’s looking more and more like his old self to start Packers training camp.

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Lane Taylor’s restructured contract will save the Green Bay Packers just under $3 million on the salary cap in 2020.

Rob Demovsky of ESPN has the new contract details for Taylor, a three-year starter for the Packers who will now have to compete for a job during the final year of his deal:

Here's the breakdown of Lane Taylor's renegotiated last year.

Signing bonus: $100,000.
Base salary: $910,000.
Roster bonus: Up to $400,000 ($25,000 per game active).
Workout bonus: $90,000.
Salary-cap charge: $2.4 million.
Total cash: $1.5 million… https://t.co/3CDWxBkbZr

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) June 1, 2020

As noted by Demovsky, Taylor’s deal includes a signing bonus of $100,000 and has significant playing time incentives. He will count $2.4 million against the cap in 2020, saving the Packers just under $3 million.

Taylor played in only two games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2019. He was replaced by rookie Elgton Jenkins, who was terrific during his first season as the left guard.

Taylor’s dead cap number is now $1.35 million, giving him a terrific opportunity to make the team, either as a potential surprise starter at right guard or as a quality veteran backup at several positions.

Taylor, now 30, signed a three-year extension worth $16.5 million in 2017.

His new contract structure for 2020, via Over the Cap:

Year	Base	Signing	Roster	Workout	Cap number
2020	$910,000	$1,350,000	$400,000	$90,000	$2,400,000

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