JC Tretter: 2015 Packers Player Report Card
By JerseyAl
JC Tretter
- Age: 24
- Ht./Wt: 6'4", 307lbs
- College: Cornell
- NFL Experience: 3 years
Expectations coming into the season: Tretter came into the season being looked at as the primary backup at center, second backup at guard and possible emergency backup at tackle. Cornell grad would be expected to know the play assignments at all five offensive line spots.
Player’s highlights/low-lights: Tretter played his emergency jack-of-all trades role to perfection, starting three games at center for Linsley and one at left tackle for Bakhtiari. If McCarthy was a little braver, perhaps he would have started Tretter for Bakhtiari in the first Cardinals game instead of moving Josh Sitton there. Tretter's only lowlight was a very slow start against Washington, where he gave up an early sack/safety. To his credit, he recovered and had a solid game the rest of the way. In his play at center, he did have a few errant snaps in the shotgun, one resulting in a 14 yard loss against the Bears.
Level of Expectations met: Tretter was there when needed, wherever needed and was generally not a liability, something that could not be said for some other Packers OL reserves.
Grade: B
Player’s contributions to team success: Originally drafted with thoughts to mold him into the starting center, injuries derailed that plan and then Corey Linsley became the guy. Saw no action over the first half of the season, but that changed as the OL was hit with injuries. Tretter played well wherever he was put. Registerd 123 special teams snaps.
Grade: B
Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Perhaps a week too late, Tretter was inserted as the starting left tackle for the injured David Bakhtiari against Washington. Things started off horribly, as he took a false start penalty and then allows a sack/safety on the Packers' second series. He stayed calm, righted himself and did a nice job the rest of the game.
Grade: B
Intangibles/misc: While almost the exact same height/weight as David Bakhtiari, Tretter is not considered to be big enough to play offensive tackle. That probably comes down to body types, as Tretter more resembles the former tight end he once was. That also explains why Tretter is so good getting to the next level and blocking downfield. Tretter could easily be the starting center for the Packers, but is probably a victim of his own versatility. He can cover multiple positions while Linsley can not. so he's likely more valuable to the Packers in his current role.
Grade: B
Overall Grade: B
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"Jersey Al" Bracco is the Editor-In-Chief, part owner and wearer of many hats for CheeseheadTV.com and PackersTalk.com. He is also a recovering Mason Crosby truther. Follow Al on twitter at @JerseyalGBP.
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Comments (18)
jeremyjjbrown
February 04, 2016 at 06:09 pm
Why Tretter didn't start at LT before Sitton I have no idea...
Bearmeat
February 04, 2016 at 06:49 pm
Because virtually every move MM made from after the NFC CG loss last year until the end of the AZ game this year went awry... so of course they started Sitton. :(
Tundraboy
February 06, 2016 at 04:10 pm
Agree. He certainly was in crisis management mode most of the year.
Packer_Pete
February 04, 2016 at 08:56 pm
Because the OL coach doesn't really know how to evaluate talent.. also Tretter played RT for a few snaps the season before that and was not very good. But he improved this season. I'm not sure, maybe he should be C, Linsley RG and TJ Lang RT - Lang played that in college. Bulaga never makes it through a whole season in any way.
Evan
February 05, 2016 at 07:19 am
I don't know about Tretter at RT long-term, but I do like the idea of Tretter at C and Linsley at G to replace either Lang or Sitton when their contracts are up.
RCPackerFan
February 05, 2016 at 07:27 am
I have really wondered about this. I don't know if can play guard but he has the strength to do so.
I would like to see him get trained at both C and G so if Sitton or Lang get hurt this year they could move Tretter to Center and put Linsley at G.
JerseyAl
February 05, 2016 at 07:50 am
That should be on the coaches' to-do list this off-season and training camp.
RCPackerFan
February 05, 2016 at 08:05 am
Completely agree...
I really do like Tretter at Center. His speed to pull and trap from the center position really adds something to the offense. Linsley is good, but Tretter is so much quicker.
Its a good problem to have 2 starting caliber centers on the roster.
Razer
February 05, 2016 at 07:17 am
Tretter's value to the O-line and this team cannot be understated. Filling in as he did in two key areas, kept this season from being a total disaster. Linsley and Tretter may be two of Thompson's best value picks ever.
RCPackerFan
February 05, 2016 at 07:29 am
I really don't get why they didn't put Tretter at LT against Minnesota vs moving Sitton out there...
I said before the game I would have rather put him at LT and kept Sitton at G.
Tretter is clearly our 6th best OL. His versatility is a huge asset.
JerseyAl
February 05, 2016 at 07:52 am
the answer to your first statement: Because McCarthy will always do what he considers the safer move, like using a veteran over an inexperienced player, even if out of position. Has done this his entire time here with regards to the offensive line.
RCPackerFan
February 05, 2016 at 08:16 am
This was one of the decisions that McCarthy made this year that I completely disagreed with. And I know Tretter had been hurt before that so perhaps he was still lingering with the injury and that played part in the decision.
That being said I think McCarthy really erred in a few decisions this year.
That was one of them.
The other was not playing Janis/Abbrederis before he did. I'm not saying they should have been starting and playing 75% of the snaps. Just saying they should have found ways to use them.
I get trying to do the safer moves. At the same time playing safe isn't always the right thing to do. Sometimes you have to trust your young players to step up. Tretter showed that when he played at LT. I thought Abbrederis and Janis did that when given the chance.
Tundraboy
February 06, 2016 at 04:21 pm
MM almost never takes a chance. Giving new players an opportunity to get some game experience is not his way of doing things . It's only when it is Next man up only applies when there is no alternative. Hope he has learned to trust his players abilities more and not hold them back because they have not mastered the playback, or do not have enough game experience.
Thegreatreynoldo
February 05, 2016 at 08:20 am
Amen, Jersey Al. Though I might have used the word conventional instead of safer.
Tundraboy
February 06, 2016 at 04:12 pm
And a few other things as well.
croatpackfan
February 05, 2016 at 08:22 am
I thought that Don Barcley was playing LT against Arizona Cardinals in December, not Josh Sitton. Josh was LT against Vikings in week 17th!
Thegreatreynoldo
February 05, 2016 at 08:34 am
Excellent summary. I was going to write that you are still on fire until I realized Jersey Al wrote it instead of Ross {that is not a jape - Ross wrote several excellent report cards in a row, so just keep it up Al and I'll write the same for you. I did give your article a thumbs up).
Only thing missing is whether Tretter or Linsley is the better overall center. There is a hint in the article when you wrote about Tretter being a victim of his own versatility, but I could read that several ways. Actually, I am not sold on the notion that Tretter can play OG full time.
While this is fine for next year, Tretter will be in a contract year, and I am guessing he will command something close to OC starter's money. He might be cheaper, but Tretter is not going to be the really cheap alternative to replacing Sitton or Lang, nor will he likely play OG as well as either of those two can. I hope Lang's shoulder surgeries are successful, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that we need a RG this season. I've not heard much about Bakh and Sitton in terms of upcoming surgeries. My over/under on OL offseason surgeries was 3 (Lang, Bakh and Sitton with Bulaga being the wild card) but still waiting to hear about that for the most part.
Since'61
February 05, 2016 at 08:40 am
Tretter was far and away the best backup OL this season. Barclay and Josh Walker were both disasters. I think MMs decision to use Sitton at LT versus Minn was based on the possibility of Linsley being reinsured during the Viking game. If Tretter is at LT and Linsley is hurt then MM needs to make 2 OL moves during a game. With Sitton at LT MM just needs to insert Tretter at Center if Linsley goes down. In any case it didn't work and I agree that Tretter should have been at LT over Sitton. Agree with grade. Thanks, Since '61