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Over the next two weeks Bryan Bulaga Jersey , Acme Packing Company will take a look each position group on the Green Bay Packers and provide insight into how they performed during the 2018 season. Today, we examine the tight ends.After a strong 2017, even with a plethora of injuries, the Packers seemed to feel confident with the offensive line going into 2018. However, the 2018 season ended up with some mixed reviews. Let’s give a quick overall recap before getting into the individual notes.David Bakhtiari has taken over the mantle from the recently retired Joe Thomas as the best pass blocker in the NFL and we saw a significant improvement from center Corey Linsley, as well. Lane Taylor and Bryan Bulaga played through various injuries for a good chunk of the season as they held down their respective positions. We also saw the team find a couple of competent backups that could make some waves while looking for a starting position in the future.The Packers moved on from right guard Jahri Evans in hopes that Justin McCray would take a hold of the position. His play wasn’t anything special and he struggled with injuries. McCray could not get the position back after he was healthy and the Packers turned to Byron Bell, who didn’t fare too well.Here are some more in depth individual thoughts on the offensive line and the APC grade for 2018:STARTERSDavid Bakhtiari - LTWe’ll start with the easiest player to evaluate on the offensive line. David Bakhtiari is arguably the best left tackle in the NFL today. He gained his first First Team All-Pro selection (he has two Second Team All-Pro selections) this year but was once again absent of the Pro Bowl. If you’re upset about the Pro Bowl snub, don’t be. Bakhtiari doesn’t need to be named to or attend a pointless scrimmage to show that he’s one of the best players in the league. He agrees as well, as he declined to go to the game as an alternate.Bakhtiari ranked number one by Pro Football Focus in pass protection and while his run grade isn’t as high, it really doesn’t matter. The Packers threw the ball 640 times this season compared to only 333 rushing attempts. Having the best pass blocker in the NFL keeps Aaron Rodgers safe on his blind side and, at only 27 years old, Bakhtiari is hitting his prime as one of the best in the league. Lane Taylor - LGLane Taylor had a subpar year at left guard in compared to previous seasons. Taylor usually has one of the best jobs being sandwiched between David Bakhtiari and Corey Linsley. Those two can cover up for Taylor’s deficiencies as he gets help from Linsley in pass protection but, with the Packers struggling mightily at right guard, Taylor was left by himself in pass pro this year and his weakness showed. He surrendered eight sacks as well as being in the top ten for pressures allowed. As much as he struggles in pass pro, Taylor’s strength comes in the run game. The double teams by Taylor and Linsley can be a thing of beauty and he opened some massive holes for Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. He has good power in his steps, gets good leverage on the defenders and can push aside most defensive tackles on his own as well. However, as I mentioned above, the Packers only had 333 rushing attempts this year, which was fewest in the league. So, the Packers didn’t play much into Taylor’s strengths. To get the most from Taylor going forward, the Packers must address the right guard spot. Then, let being surrounded by two of the best in the league help with Taylor’s weaknesses so he can once again be a valuable cog in the offensive line. Corey Linsley - CI think we have an heir apparent to David Bakhtiari as one of the most under-appreciated players in the league in Corey Linsley. Linsley doesn’t get much love in the awards categories but has become one of the best centers in the league. Linsley is the quarterback of the offensive line by getting all the blocking schemes and audibles communicated and blitz recognitions called on the line. While watching the games, if you hear a voice that isn’t Aaron Rodgers, it’s Linsley. It’s amazing how quickly he recognizes what the defense is doing and gets it communicated. On top of that Kyle Murphy Jersey White , he keeps getting better at his run blocking and helps his guards constantly in the pass game. Linsley is in the prime of his career and the Packers have him locked up for two more years. Good stability for Green Bay at the center position. Byron Bell - RGHere is where we hit the biggest void of the season for the offensive line. Right guard was a disaster and Byron Bell just happened to be the guy to take the fall for most everything while starting nine games at right guard. Bell looked overmatched at points in every game this year. He was regularly beat in pass protection and didn’t get any push in the run game. To add insult to his poor play, Bell ended the season on injured reserve with a knee injury.Right guard should definitely be the top focus on improving the offensive line in the offseason. There isn’t much in the free agent pool at the guard spot, with Mark Glowinski re-signing with the Colts, so Brian Gutekunst will need to either focus early in the draft at selecting someone or letting one of the younger players take the reigns similar to how Lane Taylor locked in the left guard spot after Josh Sitton was released in 2016. Bryan Bulaga - RTBryan Bulaga had a typical year compared to most of the years in his career. When he was healthy and playing, he was a very good right tackle. His strength comes in his pass protection. Even with all the knee injuries, he still has a quick kick slide and uses his hands as well as anyone. Bulaga is the grinder who knows where his weakness is and uses his technique and strength to make up for those deficiencies. The biggest kick with Bulaga has been his injury problems. While he started 14 games this season, he was in and out of many of those games with various injuries.Bulaga has one year left on his contract and is still a very good player. Keeping him around for 2019 should be in the cards due to there being few, if any, free agents who would be as good as him. However, 2019 could be the swan song for Bulaga as he has the younger Jason Spriggs (or a draft pick) waiting in the wings.TOP RESERVESJason Spriggs, TackleWhile struggling for his first few seasons after being a second round pick in 2016, Jason Spriggs seemed to have turned the corner in the right direction this past season. Spriggs started two games at right tackle and filled in for injuries in 13 games overall, including some snaps at left tackle. The right side definitely fared better for Spriggs as he didn’t look like he had the chops to protect from the left side too well. That doesn’t seem to be a big deal though as Bakhtiari doesn’t look to let go of the left tackle spot anytime soon. While Spriggs still didn’t look like as good as the starters when he played, he has adapted to the NFL over the past few seasons and has shown some promise to possibly taking over at the right tackle spot whenever the Packers move on from Bryan Bulaga. Hopefully, he continues to make progress under new offensive line coach Adam Stenavich otherwise he’ll be destined for a swing tackle role if he sticks around after his contract expires next season.Lucas Patrick, GuardLucas Patrick seems to be progressing similarly to Jason Spriggs. He started slow in his first couple seasons and now has developed into the top reserve for the interior of the offensive line. While he played well in his limited starts, you can see that he needs to improve his footwork and pass blocking to get a permanent starting spot. Patrick started two games at right guard and two games at left guard throughout the season. He has a similar style to Lane Taylor where he is a better run blocker but, being inside, he can have some cracks in his pass protection as he will get help from the center depending on the call. His versatility in the interior makes him valuable and follows a similar path as past reserves who stepped into a starting position. Justin McCray, GuardJustin McCray had a tough 2018. McCray looked to be the next young player to step up and take hold of an open position but injuries got in his way. He started the season at right guard but was replaced by Byron Bell after a shoulder injury in the week three loss to Washington. He got a couple more starts throughout the year but didn’t live up to his strong 2017. The nice thing about McCray is that he is still young and can right the ship. Best case scenario, his experience will give him the opportunity to start fresh and impress Adam Stenavich into considering him for the right guard spot again in 2019. Worst case, he will provide a competent interior backup that will fill in where needed.THE REST Gerhard de Beer, Alex Light, Adam Pankey Womens Vince Biegel Jersey , Nico Siragusa, Cole MadisonThese five got little to no playing time in 2018. Alex Light and Adam Pankey got a few snaps here and there but nothing significant. The bright spot is the Packers seemed high on those two at the end of the year and will bring good competition for the reserve positions. Gerhard de Beer, who easily wins the best name on the team award, and Nico Siragusa were signed late in the year and will look to make some noise in OTAs and training camp. Cole Madison never reported to the team due to personal issues. Hopefully, he gets those issues taken care of and can show people why the Packers took him in the fourth round last year.OVERALL GRADE: B-minusThe Packers offensive line has some mixed results throughout the 2018 season but they were definitely not a black eye for the offense. They did struggle giving up 53 sacks this years, but they also did have Aaron Rodgers holding onto the ball longer than usual and they also threw the ball the third most times in the league. Even with the fewest rushing attempts in the league, they paved the way for the running backs to average five yards per attempt, the second highest yards per attempt in the league. Sure a lot of that might be due to Aaron Jones breaking some huge gains but he’s not getting all those yards without someone opening holes for him. While the right guard position was the weak point, the rest of the starters stayed healthy most of the year and we saw Jason Spriggs and Lucas Patrick prove to be quality backups. The future remains fairly solid for new offensive line coach Adam Stenavich. He will have to find a replacement at right guard but the rest should be around in 2019. One thing is for sure: another year of the majority of the offensive line returning means a strong cohesion going forward. GREEN BAY, Wis. 鈥?Packers coach Mike McCarthy appreciates how veteran receiver Randall Cobb excels at doing the little things in practice, such as perfecting his footwork and timing.If Cobb can just get over his hamstring injury, he might be able to help on the field, too, with the Packers desperately trying to keep their longshot playoff hopes alive.Packers CoveragePackers at Bears to open 2019 scheduleTop Tweets: Brewers make hilarious ‘Mean Girls’ parody videoMatthews signs with Rams after 10 years with PackersPackers re-sign tight end Marcedes LewisTop Tweets: Nikola Mirotic loves being a Milwaukee BuckGrades for Packers early moves in 2019 NFL free agencyPackers make big splash in free agencyPackers’ Gutekunst making free agency pretty funPackers clear cap space, release LB Nick PerryFree-agent frenzy: DE Smith, S Amos, OL Turner to sign with PackersCobb practiced again on Thursday as the Packers get ready to face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.Out since Week 9, Cobb has been limited to just five games this year because of the lingering hamstring injury.His history with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and ability to get open in traffic could help especially in giving the Packers (4-6-1) another target on third down. Green Bay is just 24th in the league on third down conversions (37 percent).“You go down on a Wednesday of practice, you’re in a unit drill, and you’re kind of at whatever speed you’re going, and he’s out there doing all the little things exactly right,” said McCarthy, who singled out Cobb as a mentor for young receivers.“Well it would be great to get Randall back. I think today will give us some information,” McCarthy said.Looking good as of Thursday http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-josh-jackson-jersey , when Cobb was limited for a second straight day.“I think there’s a pretty good chance,” Cobb said. “I think this is the best I felt in a long time, so I’m excited to get back out there.”The versatile Cobb has caught seven of 11 targets on third down this year, averaging 17.9 yards a catch. In his career, Cobb has 125 receptions on 188 targets on third down, averaging 14.2 yards and converting 92 first downs.He worked out before the聽loss at Minnesota聽before being held out. Cobb was just a spectator when the Packers converted just 2 of 10 on third down.“Pick up whatever the third and down distance is,” Cobb said when asked about getting better on third down. “That’s all it really comes down to is finding a way to move the sticks. That’s just executing when it comes down to making the plays.”Besides Cobb, the Packers also don’t have Geronimo Allison because of a season-ending groin injury. Tight end Jimmy Graham is trying to play through a thumb injury. That has meant more attention to聽No. 1 wideout Davante Adams聽, who is still good enough to have already reached career highs of 1,022 yards on 77 catches. Rookies Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown have had to take more snaps, with mixed results.Rodgers spoke this week about taking some “calculated risks”. Lately, that has meant moving Adams around to different spots; getting running back Aaron Jones the ball in space; and working in Graham.Plus, Rodgers added, “hopefully getting Randall back this week, which would be a big boost for us.”Especially on third downs.“If that means breaking a tackle, making a guy miss or hitting the open man or whatever that is, we’ve got to find a way just to make sure we’re taking care of our jobs,” he said.NOTES: Left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) returned to practice as a limited participant, an encouraging sign after McCarthy said he thought Rodgers’ blind-side protector might focus on rehab on Thursday. It’s important with the Packers getting ready to face Cardinals pass-rusher Chandler Jones (11 sacks). Starting left guard Lane Taylor (quad) was also limited. … Bashaud Breeland (groin) returned to practice, while fellow CB Kevin King (hamstring) was limited for a second straight day. … Graham was limited.