When Taylor Decker, instead of taking a pay cut, asked the Detroit Lions for his release, he surely didn't expect to still be available in the latter part of September. But here he is, with some potential landing spots never fully coming to fruition, without a team and ostensibly one of the best available free agents.
Decker, likely playing just this year and with a tilt toward contending teams, may be waiting for an injury to an offensive tackle to open up an opportunity somewhere. That wait may be over.
Green Bay Packers right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele suffered a knee injury in Week 2, and on Tuesday he told reporters he suffered a torn patellar tendon. He will miss the rest of the season.
The Packers moved Jordan Morgan from guard to left tackle after losing Rasheed Walker in free agency. He could, in theory, move to right tackle, leaving a spot open at left tackle, or Anthony Belton could step in for Bako-Bewele.
Or, someone could be signed or traded for to replace Bako-Bewele. In any case, there are some options and some potential moving parts.
Packers could make Taylor Decker turn them down
Decker is of course a left tackle by trade, and he held down the fort there fairly well over 10 seasons in Detroit. Any idea the Lions could move him to right tackle in 2021 when he returned from an injury, in order to keep Penei Sewell on the left side (where he has moved to this year to replace Decker, of course) never got traction.
An easy correlation to his desire to play, which can be a question, might be Decker's willingness to play right tackle if a team with a need there called. Depending on their plans, the Packers very well might call now.
If he wants to play, Decker is not in position to be too choosy when it comes to employment prospects for this season. With that, it's worth wondering if the vibe Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network picked up from him during a conversation in March still holds.
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"I will tell you that he’s pretty anti-playing for the Bears or Packers" Rogers shared on the "Lions Collective" podcast. That’s the Lions background in him. I know Ben Johnson did it and that was the right situation for him, but Taylor feels kind of dirty about the idea. It just isn’t interesting to him."
The Chicago Bears were an absolutely ideal-looking landing spot for Decker, with an short-term need at left tackle and his tie to head coach Ben Johnson. That has since been diminished by the quick return to practice of Ozzy Trapilo, after his own torn patellar tendon, but the fit stood for a good while.
Up to now, the Packers have never really been a potential landing spot for Decker. Time will tell if anything happens, but there's a non-zero chance he gets a call from Green Bay soon.
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