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Cheesehead
Green Bay - When his three promising rookies checked out of Lambeau Field for the off-season this week, Green Bay Packers offensive line coach Joe Philbin had a message for them that they probably weren't expecting to hear.
Be prepared for a fight for your job, Philbin told them.
As much progress as Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz and Tony Moll made during their first season in the National Football League, starting a combined 38 games, the clock starts ticking on next year in a couple of weeks. If they think they're guaranteed of anything, Philbin said, they're mistaken.
"They're going to need a little time away; they've been in this building a lot the last 5½ months," Philbin said. "I think they'll need a little time to catch their breath.
"But the big thing we stress with these guys is there is going to be a new competition; it's not quite like college football. Even though as nice a job as they did, and I impressed upon them today, when you come back March 20, understand there's going to be a different environment."
Philbin's point was that no one can predict the future and if any of the three doesn't approach his off-season conditioning program that way, he's going to leave himself vulnerable for being replaced. They'll probably be staring new competition in the face before the off-season ends.
"Who knows? We may draft a guy in the first round, we may not draft anybody," Philbin said. "They don't know that, I don't know that. But one thing you do know is there is going to be new people sitting in that room that are hungry for jobs."
The Packers used three of their 12 draft picks last year to draft the linemen: Colledge in the second round, Spitz in the third and Moll in the fifth.
All three players received invaluable experience serving as starters and have the potential to be the foundation of the offensive line for many years to come. However, all three weren't as physically ready for the NFL as some of the competition they faced and it showed in the team's inconsistency in running the ball and need to devote extra blockers on passing downs.
The Packers play with linemen who by NFL standards are undersized because they emphasize quickness and mobility in their zone-blocking scheme. Colledge finished the season at 296 pounds, Spitz was at 295 and Moll was below his listed weight of 308.
If they are going to compete at those weights, they're going to need every bit of strength they can get, which is why Philbin wants them in the weight room as soon as possible. None of the three was in weight and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson's lifting program during the winter months last year and were able to focus on maintaining strength only during the regular season.
But once the three have taken time to let their bodies heal, Philbin would like them to get an early start on the off-season program.
"They're going to be doing things between now and March 20 when the official off-season program begins," Philbin said. "That's obviously important. I think they can make a lot of progress. You have to remember they're still young guys, they're in their early to mid-20s. I think there's room for some significant improvement."
As a group, the three intend to spend a lot of time around Green Bay.
Colledge and Spitz own homes in the community, and Moll intends to return after spending time with his family in California. All three know what the goal is this off-season.
"We have a lot of things already crossed off the list," said Moll, who started 10 games, five at right tackle and five at right guard. "I think the No. 1 thing is how well we worked together. We hang out outside of football; during meetings we're sitting together. That's the No. 1 thing.
"Now it's getting stronger with each other. We've been talking about that. We're going to come back around the same time."
Philbin said all three had different goals.
"From Tony Moll's standpoint, I would think you'd have to say he's probably the one who needs the strength work the most," Philbin said. "Spitz has very good upper-body strength and could use some lower-body strength.
"And Daryn's thing we really stressed with him is flexibility more than anything else, kind of his balance and playing with a little better pad level. I think some of the things he can get done in the weight room will help him accomplish those goals."
Colledge, who started 15 games, all but one of which was at left guard, bounced back from being benched at the end of training camp to be perhaps the most effective of the three. Like the other two, he took his lumps trying to block the likes of Minnesota's Pat Williams and Kevin Williams, Chicago's Tommie Harris and Detroit's Shaun Rogers.
Although the running game wasn't very good and the tight ends often had to stay in to block on passing downs, the three are certain they gained a lot from the season.
"I don't think we're going to know for a long time what we really got done, but we all got an opportunity to start 10 or more games, and that's something special," Colledge said. "I don't think there's another team in the league that did that. And we've got guys from the second to the fifth round that all got in there and did their job and did it reasonably well. It's just a testament to good coaching and a bunch of good guys."
Be prepared for a fight for your job, Philbin told them.
As much progress as Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz and Tony Moll made during their first season in the National Football League, starting a combined 38 games, the clock starts ticking on next year in a couple of weeks. If they think they're guaranteed of anything, Philbin said, they're mistaken.
"They're going to need a little time away; they've been in this building a lot the last 5½ months," Philbin said. "I think they'll need a little time to catch their breath.
"But the big thing we stress with these guys is there is going to be a new competition; it's not quite like college football. Even though as nice a job as they did, and I impressed upon them today, when you come back March 20, understand there's going to be a different environment."
Philbin's point was that no one can predict the future and if any of the three doesn't approach his off-season conditioning program that way, he's going to leave himself vulnerable for being replaced. They'll probably be staring new competition in the face before the off-season ends.
"Who knows? We may draft a guy in the first round, we may not draft anybody," Philbin said. "They don't know that, I don't know that. But one thing you do know is there is going to be new people sitting in that room that are hungry for jobs."
The Packers used three of their 12 draft picks last year to draft the linemen: Colledge in the second round, Spitz in the third and Moll in the fifth.
All three players received invaluable experience serving as starters and have the potential to be the foundation of the offensive line for many years to come. However, all three weren't as physically ready for the NFL as some of the competition they faced and it showed in the team's inconsistency in running the ball and need to devote extra blockers on passing downs.
The Packers play with linemen who by NFL standards are undersized because they emphasize quickness and mobility in their zone-blocking scheme. Colledge finished the season at 296 pounds, Spitz was at 295 and Moll was below his listed weight of 308.
If they are going to compete at those weights, they're going to need every bit of strength they can get, which is why Philbin wants them in the weight room as soon as possible. None of the three was in weight and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson's lifting program during the winter months last year and were able to focus on maintaining strength only during the regular season.
But once the three have taken time to let their bodies heal, Philbin would like them to get an early start on the off-season program.
"They're going to be doing things between now and March 20 when the official off-season program begins," Philbin said. "That's obviously important. I think they can make a lot of progress. You have to remember they're still young guys, they're in their early to mid-20s. I think there's room for some significant improvement."
As a group, the three intend to spend a lot of time around Green Bay.
Colledge and Spitz own homes in the community, and Moll intends to return after spending time with his family in California. All three know what the goal is this off-season.
"We have a lot of things already crossed off the list," said Moll, who started 10 games, five at right tackle and five at right guard. "I think the No. 1 thing is how well we worked together. We hang out outside of football; during meetings we're sitting together. That's the No. 1 thing.
"Now it's getting stronger with each other. We've been talking about that. We're going to come back around the same time."
Philbin said all three had different goals.
"From Tony Moll's standpoint, I would think you'd have to say he's probably the one who needs the strength work the most," Philbin said. "Spitz has very good upper-body strength and could use some lower-body strength.
"And Daryn's thing we really stressed with him is flexibility more than anything else, kind of his balance and playing with a little better pad level. I think some of the things he can get done in the weight room will help him accomplish those goals."
Colledge, who started 15 games, all but one of which was at left guard, bounced back from being benched at the end of training camp to be perhaps the most effective of the three. Like the other two, he took his lumps trying to block the likes of Minnesota's Pat Williams and Kevin Williams, Chicago's Tommie Harris and Detroit's Shaun Rogers.
Although the running game wasn't very good and the tight ends often had to stay in to block on passing downs, the three are certain they gained a lot from the season.
"I don't think we're going to know for a long time what we really got done, but we all got an opportunity to start 10 or more games, and that's something special," Colledge said. "I don't think there's another team in the league that did that. And we've got guys from the second to the fifth round that all got in there and did their job and did it reasonably well. It's just a testament to good coaching and a bunch of good guys."
