JS article on O line

[ivo610]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/246093731.html

discussed how the packers hit on a tackle later in the draft while teams that went after one high in the draft didnt get much production out of them. Also discusses how Tackles drafted high havent turned around teams as well as our situation with the line going into next season.

 

[yooperpackfan]

I'd like Ted to resign EDS and keep this group intact.
I've been highly critical of the OL over the last 9 years but right now barring injury, I'm thinking this group may be on the verge of being very good.
I'm not as high on the OL coaching as I am on the players.
Coaching may be the real problem here.

 

[JBlood]

How can it be said that Fisher didn't perform well in Kansas City, a team who's offense improved markedly with his addition--oh, and Smith as well. For all of these guys, it depends on the QB play, and the bad teams, for the most part, have bad QBs. The Packers have been lucky to have Rogers playing behind an average-or below average- line since he became the starter. It looks now as if things are looking up-and there are a lot of "ifs"- but nobody can say that James Campen has been an offensive line coaching genius in the last 7 years. People will say that it isn't his fault that he was given the job to teach zone blocking when he had no experience with it. But that, of course, begs the question of why he was hired in the first place. Pittsburgh just hired their 3rd offensive line coach in the last 3 years, refusing to stand pat in an area that needs improvement. So changing coaches doesn't always work, but you don't know that unless you try it.

 

[El Guapo]

My only concern on the O-line is center and depth. If EDS is resigned then I'm a lot more comfortable. Tretter and Sherrod should be capable backups but are both inexperienced. Barclay and Newhouse are seasoned backups with limited potential but good stop-gaps.

I'd look for a mid-to-late round guard in the draft this year with maybe more focus on it in the 2015 draft.

 

[TJV]

It looks now as if things are looking up-and there are a lot of "ifs"- but nobody can say that James Campen has been an offensive line coaching genius in the last 7 years. People will say that it isn't his fault that he was given the job to teach zone blocking when he had no experience with it. But that, of course, begs the question of why he was hired in the first place. Pittsburgh just hired their 3rd offensive line coach in the last 3 years, refusing to stand pat in an area that needs improvement. So changing coaches doesn't always work, but you don't know that unless you try it.

I agree there’s no reason to think Campen is a coaching genius but IMO it’s difficult to assess just how good or bad he is. His critics seem to blame him for every failed O linemen but don’t give him credit for OL that succeed, like Sitton, Bulaga (I include Lang as well) and this season Bakhtiari. IMO the question is how good is the talent he’s been provided vs. how good he is at developing that talent. That’s not to say there haven’t been problems with the OL for much of his time as OL coach; I just think the cause(s) of those problems are in doubt.

I have made the point, in response to posters blaming Campen for the ZBS, that it wasn’t his idea to implement it and he never played it during his career. As for him being hired to teach it, he was promoted to assistant OL coach when McCarthy became HC (Campen was a holdover from Sherman’s staff). The OL coach in 2006 was Philbin and the OC was Jeff Jagodzinski. Jags was the only one with experience in the ZBS so he had a lot to do with teaching the ZBS that first season. As we know, Jags left before that first season was complete and Philbin was promoted to OC and Campen to OL coach after the season. As I’ve posted before, I think that was the time to either scrap the ZBS or bring in another coach with experience in the system. I preferred scrapping it because I think when it’s executed correctly it involves dirty tactics.

But that’s ancient history and luckily the Packers have moved away from using the ZBS as much as they did several years ago. Campen doesn’t have any excuses in that regard, but I still don’t know how much of the problems on the OL are due to Campen, how much to talent acquisition. My guess is it’s some combination of the two along with some bad luck with injuries. I would like to see EDS signed and no matter where they want Bakhtiari and Bulaga to line up, I’d hope they decide early if they’re going to try Bulaga at LT again. He needs to get acclimated there and Bakhtiari needs a lot of reps at RT if that’s his new position. And wouldn’t it be fantastic if Sherrod played well enough to challenge at any position on the OL? Not holding my breath on that but we can dream...

 

[Deleted member 6794]

My only concern on the O-line is center and depth. If EDS is resigned then I'm a lot more comfortable. Tretter and Sherrod should be capable backups but are both inexperienced. Barclay and Newhouse are seasoned backups with limited potential but good stop-gaps.

I agree with most of the stuff, but Newhouse is a free agent and there's absolutely no reason to bring him back.