Putting Jenkins at Center without extending him.
IS the biggest Blunder you'll ever see.
(Truthfully Since trying him at RT! )

1. If he F**ks up, he walks.
2. Did anybody ask him ?
Before they Dumped Myers.>
3. Winners don't have excuses.
4. affordability

Please get them all signed somehow. Then get some more signed. Nothing happens in the NFL without good lines, and it helps to GREAT lines. Wouldn't it be nice if Kraft could do more in the passing game than help out a struggling O-line? Might help to open the backs up in the passing game more also.

Not sure why you say Jenkins is at his best at guard when he has played just as well at center. He was a little rusty with snapping the ball in that game against the Lions last year, and he had the misfortune of filling in at center in a rainstorm. But he should be fine at center going forward. Longer term, his cap hit is 18.5 million in 2026, which is the last year of his contract. I think they can afford that, but I'm not sure. I'm thinking he is our center for the next two years, then they let him go. I'm leery about awarding a third contract to an offensive lineman after what happened to Bakhtiari.

Good analysis. Jenks is simply very good NFL OL. I am not ready to state "he is at his best at guard". He has played the most snaps there and proven his worth. It is also entirely possible he would have had more All Pro/Pro Bowl selections at C.

I look at it as which position does Jenks play that makes the best OL for 2025. I believe that is at C, unless LaFleur gets all wild and "urgent" in camp and moves Tom there. Would the HC ever to that? Yeah, me neither.

It's early, and a lot can happen in camp competition and staying healthy...yet it seems going in, three OL positions are settled. LG, C, RT. Expect a competition at LT and RG between Morgan and drafted OL guy.

Walker and Rhyan, are both in K years. So even if they earn the starting jobs and play solidly, given the market value for solid FA OL, it may be difficult to sign even one of them, let alone both.

Jenkins has a big cap hit next year. Although it’s aged now, he was signed to his last contract when thought of as a possible T option prior to injury. He’s also turning 30 at the end of this year. Since his injury he’s been good, but not as good arguably.

Just in isolation, we’d be having this discussion about him without the acquisition of another G at a starters pay and the departure of our C. Going to C may extend Jenkins career as his athleticism declines, but it’s not guaranteed that he’d going to.

I think he’s the most obvious existing candidate, but the best current guard pairing could well be him and Banks. Rhyan has also played some C and then there’s the possibility Monk develops. Even if Jenkins is our C this year, it’s also possible that’s an interim holding move for this year only.

The answers to this will only come from practice and play. If Jenkins thrives then maybe we see an extension. If others push him legitimately or he’s a weak point at C then maybe be not.

Jenkins was our best G this year. He’s a valuable piece, but if Rhyan or Morgan rival him at G, freeing him up (with Banks) to play C, C is likely his only ticket to an extension. If the Gs don’t work out and he is forced to stay at or return to G then there are wider questions that likely change the equation.

Gb should really push hard for Jarod Wilson as he is : the best center in this draft class , he could backup Jenkins this year and take over in 26 , we can than move on from Jenkins either by trade or cut and save cap . Wilson meets most of gb’s specs per Paul bretl per Paul he needs to learn for a year than could become long term center. I would also love one of Harmon, grant, or Nolan in first to replace k Clarke next yr and save 20 cap than address wr, cb , etc. rds 3-7 Also move on from Jaire those three moves save around 60 million on cap next yr. I would also draft wr Tory Horton in third and Donte thorton either fifth or if need be in fourth those two replace doubs and Watson almost perfectly - fill in with cbs, te , ilb in later rds

I don't think you overthink this at all. He is one of the best guards in the league so you leave him there. They thought putting him at tackle would be a good move and it was a disaster. If you need a center go get one but don't put uncertainty where uncertainty doesn't currently exists. It is better for run concepts to have your better player at guard and most pass protections as well.

It would be worthwhile to discuss the differences between the guard and center positions. Guards are paid more on average, so I'm thinking the standards for athleticism at that position are higher, compared to center. Guards operate in space a little more than centers do, so they probably need to have better movement skills. My understanding is that any guard who can master the ball handling and communication skills needed at center is physically capable of playing the position. Those are not high level skills, although some players just don't have the knack for them apparently. (This is not an issue for Jenkins.)

I've noticed that it's not uncommon for a guard to be able to play tackle in a pinch, but you rarely see a center who can do that. (Although the Packers had a center, Mike Flanagan, who was pretty good at LT when called upon!)

AFter the Bakhtiari experience, I think it's unlikely he'll get a third deal. He'll make $20M in 2026 and would only cost $4M in dead money if he were released after this season. $20M sound like a lot, but after Banks got $19M, maybe $20M isn't that much for Jenkins.

This season, it's Walker-Banks-Jenkins-Rhyan-Tom. You can ponder other alignments, but this is how it'll end up.

When they let Meyers walk, the talk was of moving Jenkins to center.
I'm not a fan of playing musical chairs along the O line.

My 1st reaction, was don't try to fix what isn't broken.

I also thought of the future a bit with Walker and Tom needing new deals soon and the cap ramifications thereof.

Then BAM....Gute sign Banks for 77 million. I'm like...who is this guy?

I don't know Gutes game plan here, are we going to have 150 million/year tied up on our O line and QB soon?

I do know one thing, Morgan's on the cheaper end of all this, now all we have to do is cross our fingers and hope he gets on the field and performs.

We'll see how this all unfolds.

A little premature to say he’s at his best playing guard when you’ve never seen him play center in the NFL.

Here's the way I see it. If Jenkins is a significant upgrade at center over Myers (and the odds are high he will be) and Banks isn't a massive drop off at guard (and the odds are he won't be), then the line will have improved substantially. Banks isn't as good as Jenkins, but he's solid. I can't envision Jenkins being anything other than MUCH better at center than Myers. Net gain on the line and potentially a very big one of Banks turns out well.

Time to make myself unpopular.

Jenkins has been underwhelming. He makes sense as a starting guard for a team quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers. He is an elite pass blocking guard. His run blocking is average. We shall see what Love does this year. Right now, Jenkins is blocking for Josh Jacobs.

I have no doubt that Jenkins can be a good or even a very good center. Center prices have increased but it is still $18M, 2nd highest is $14M and 3rd is $13.5M. Jenkins will be 31 in 2026 and is scheduled to make $20M in cash while having a $24M cap number. His cap savings ($20M) to dead money ($4.8M) ratio is 4 to 1. That's called an easy out. If Jenkins is outstanding as a center, perhaps the Packers reach an accommodation with him under which he can make $20M but a fair amount will have to be as an incentive.

2025 is probably Walker, Banks, Jenkins, Morgan, and Tom. They have a logjam on high prices in 2026:
$20M/$19.25M/$20M/$3.2M/$24M is not going to be the cost of the 2026 offensive line. Something is going to give. Not sure if it gives before the 2025 draft or after this season. Would you take pick 60 for Rasheed in the 2025 draft?

Jenkins played a substantial amount of center when in college, this is not a new position for him. In fact, if folks paid attention, Jenkins moved to center during the Eagles playoff game then got hurt a play or two later so Rhyan took over.
The drafting of Morgan makes more sense now. Gute's drafts are often done to adjust to the future along with the now. They won't have enough money to sign both Walker and Tom at the tackle slots next year. Both could be int eh $15-20 million range, along with Banks' contract, would have three players with about a fifth of the cap space, not counting Love, Jacobs, McKinney, etc. The guess is they will sign Tom and let Walker walk. Morgan(or Tom) moves to left tackle. Look for them to draft another guard/tackle this year, maybe two.

That's why I'm thinking if the Packers get an offer to trade back they will. They will need extra picks to fill some holes opening up in 2026. Free agency is becoming so expensive they simply can't obtain all the help they need via that route.

The most likely option is Jenkins playing Center followed by and even split between right guard or at the right price traded. I don't see the packers paying Banks star money to see if he can cut it at right guard. They either see Banks as an upgrade for Jenkins in the run game at LG with Jenkins sliding to Center or they are beginning the phase out sequence for a Jenkins exit. No chance he plays next year as I don't see Jenkins taking a pay cut and the cap savings are huge. 20 mil cap savings will go a long way paying for extensions for Tom and Rhyan.