Joe Douglas comments about Alijah Vera Tucker's 5th year option

He sounds drunk.

 

It's interestinig to say the least. I guess he's had it with all the OL injuries over the last 3-5 years. It makes him look bad when players can't stay healthy, and now that his job is on the line, he probably figures that he needs to be more circumspect before just routinely handing out a big contract, especially since the cap will be a lot tighter next season with all the other players that need to be extended and FAs that need to be re-signed. I hope it's probably just a negotiating ploy to get a cheaper contract out of AVT's agent, but we'll see. Maybe they're going to not take the 5th year option and are going to wait and see if he can stay healthy and how he plays this season, even though it could wind up costing them more.

It makes me wonder if something has happened behind the scenes that has been kept from the media. Maybe AVT is contemplating retirement. Maybe he hasn't been working hard to stay in shape or recover from his last injury. Maybe AVT has been very critical of Saleh or Carter or Hackett behind the scenes.

 

His breathing pattern throughout the press conference was strange imo--maybe he always breathes that way, or maybe he was nervous, or idk what.

Didn't make me feel like he was a general leading the army though.

 

He definitely sounded uncomfortable with the question and wasn't prepared to answer it, but he didn't even remotely sound drunk to me. His speech wasn't slurred. He was just trying to be very careful about what he said and how he said it, and was fumbling for the right words. It was almost like he got caught doing something wrong with his pants down. I'd say that something is definitely up.

 

For Douglas to have that bad of an answer for a question that he had to know was coming is just embarrassing. I hope he and Saleh both take the time each day to personally thank Aaron Rodgers for their continued employment with this franchise.

 

The hesitation has to be durability concerns, as the 5th yr option is guaranteed for injury.

It’s a risk worth taking tho, sign the 5th year absolutely.
JDs lack of resigning players and lack of anticipation and vision for the future has always baffled me.
If you don’t sign AVTs 5th year, and let’s say chase a TE in the draft as he said he is open to, it’s possible we have no OTs starting next offseason, no OG, no QB, no coaching staff or GM.

Sign AVTs 5th year, draft one of the big Samoan OLs this year, and look developmental QB in this draft as well.
Those would be the type of moves that would show JD has a vision beyond this year, will have finally corrected the OL long term for most part, and might just save his job.

 

I will never understand the disconnect between Joe Douglas and offensive linemen.

 

Kinda sounds like he was drunk and his wife caught him with an unauthorized $1500 deposit on the joint checking account to FanDuel.

 

I would absolutely exercise the option

no question

 

The first thing out of his mouth was either a bald faced lie or an exhibition of pure incompetence.

 

I may be in the minority here, but I probably don't pick up the option. The option is 15.3 mil. https://overthecap.com/fifth-year-option-projections, line 14.

He missed a large chuck of two years, and he is a guard, not tackle IMO. When you factor in the salary and risks, then probability of actually resigning him even without picking up an option, perhaps the wise thing to do is to pass. Also it might depend on what we do in a draft. If we end up with likes of Fuaga, Fautanu, or some other good interior prospect even later in the draft, the writing may be on the wall.

 

Can we again revisit what a bad idea it was to trade up for AVT?

 

A phrase which is fit to describe any Joe Douglas press conference.

 

If we do not pick up the option we will have to pay him more.later.

 

I'm just going to replay this video every time I start thinking I was wrong that he should hit the road. This fucking dude has been hiding from the press since Rodgers went down and now that he has a mic in his face he can't answer simple questions about pending player negotiations without sounding like he was up all night doing blow with co-eds instead of studying for the oral test. Amateur hour in this place, man.

Some team that is just looking for a guy to play guard at a high level is going to strike it big time when this guy walks.

 

It's sad that we're wasting yet another year on this guy and his handpicked head coach.

Given the incompetence of this bunch, I wouldn't be at all shocked if the Jets took another pass rusher at #10.

 

I agree to an extent. It would depend upon whether that could be renegotiated. I'm not paying $15.3 million to an oft-injured OG. If he is willing to sign an incentive-laden deal, with easily reached incentives if he stays healthy, great, then I'll sign him to an extension now with a lower base salary for the 5th season, which would escalate in 2026 if he stays healthy for the full 2024 and 2025 season. If that cannot be done, or he's unwilling to sign such a deal, then I wouldn't pick up the 5th year option, and I'd look to either let him play out his contract this season and then offer to match whatever offers he gets in FA if he stays healthy this season, or let him walk in FA.

We really don't need to add another OL player that we have to add for next year, especially since we don't know for certain how Simpson will play, but we don't want to grosslly overpay and oft-injured OG, either.