Offensive Line Solutions In House?/ update

[ARodsBelt12]

Been thinking about our offensive line issues and I got to thinking maybe the solutions are already on the roster. Now obviously this maybe wishfull thinking and there are some major "ifs" here but heres my thoughts:

LT: Sherrod, Newhouse, possibly Bulaga. Open competition during camp, Sherrod getting healthy and winning would be ideal otherwise give Bulaga a chance
LG: Lang or Barclay. This pretty much depends on the C position outcome.
C: EDS, Barclay, Lang. Open competition during camp. I really thought Barclay brought some toughness to this line and would be ok inside.
RG: Sitton
RT: Bulaga, Barclay, Sherrod. Loser of LT battle or possibly Barclay, ideally Sherrod shows enough to keep Bulaga here.

Like I said, trying to be optomistic here but I think we have the talent on the roster to put together a solid line barring injuries.

What do you all think?

 

[HyponGrey]

I think Sherrod is LT only, Barclay is not a C, and that the biggest problem on our line this year was injury and how it caused us to keep shuffling guys which screwed with their performance. I also think both Sherrod and EDS will get their shots. We may draft a challenger for EDS, but more likely we just draft a backup to compete with GVR for the backup interior spot. If we give Newhouse half the help we gave Barclay we'll be fine.

 

[Poppa San]

...

What do you all think?

I agree our line is offensive.
I think you over estimate the ability of Sherrod who hasn't had an NFL training camp yet and is coming back from a serious leg injury to beat out Newhouse and Bulaga. I think not this year. You underestimate the ability of EDS (if resigned) to play center. That is the position he had been training for the past two years. It will be his to lose. Lang got starters pay to be the LG and he has earned it. Barclay needs much work yet to be a good tackle. I see him developing as an interior backup for a few years. If Sherrod lost mobility from the leg, he may become a contender at guard which may push Barclay back outside. The mgmt was high on Datko last preseason so he may be in the mix at tackle also. I think TT is content to wait and see yet this year but he might just grab another lineman in the upper half of the draft.

 

[TJV]

IMO: Barring injuries, the interior of the OL is set, the starters will be Lang-EDS-Sitton. The only questions are at OT and only because right now the LT spot is completely up in the air. IOW if they were sure the competition between Sherrod and Newhouse would result in a competent LT, Bulaga would be cemented at RT.

 

[rodell330]

The future LT is NOT currently on the roster. Instead of all this Steven Jackson talk we should be making noise about bringing Jake Long in if TT wants to spend money.

 

[Oshkoshpackfan]

The future LT is NOT currently on the roster. Instead of all this Steven Jackson talk we should be making noise about bringing Jake Long in if TT wants to spend money.

Jake long has trouble being cleared by doctors because on knee/leg issues. The last thing we need is another high paid bench warmer due to injury. No way I would even consider him, he was great at one time, now he just has that big name he carries with him. He won't last a full season no matter what team he plays for, bet on it !!!!

 

[rodell330]

Jake long has trouble being cleared by doctors because on knee/leg issues. The last thing we need is another high paid bench warmer due to injury. No way I would even consider him, he was great at one time, now he just has that big name he carries with him. He won't last a full season no matter what team he plays for, bet on it !!!!

i'll take that bet.

 

[TJV]

Instead of all this Steven Jackson talk we should be making noise about bringing Jake Long in if TT wants to spend money.

If Long passes his physical, equating what it will take to acquire him to what it will take to acquire Jackson is a joke.

I would prefer DL, S, LT, and LB over RB but thinking the Packers can acquire Long...

 

[rodell330]

If Long passes his physical, equating what it will take to acquire him to what it will take to acquire Jackson is a joke.

I would prefer DL, S, LT, and LB over RB but thinking the Packers can acquire Long...

What makes you think he like Jackson wouldn't take less to win a SB? he did come from Miami you know? and he has had some durability issues which would make his asking price cheaper. 3 yrs for 12 mil is a steal for a LT of Longs caliber.

 

[13 Times Champs]

To answer the question. No

 

[HyponGrey]

Canty couldn pass our med exam, what gives you any shred of hope Long would? Exactly what we need, another LT on the injury report.

 

[FrankRizzo]

With the recent excitement of our "new running game" thanks to the great drafting of 2 potential studs in Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin, it got me wondering: could ANY RB look good behind this offensive line?
Seriously... how often are there holes for backs to run thru?
I thought DuJuan Harris did pretty damn good all things considered.

I know McCarthy has said this off-season that the left side of the OL has to block better.
But will they? Who, and how?

Is it coaching on the OL that's the problem, or are there guys who need to be replaced?
I don't see either of those 2 guys drafted as upgrading the offense. For sure not this year.

Can someone convince me I am wrong? Remember, many of you said Bulaga was playing poorly last year BEFORE he popped his hip out.

 

[rodell330]

It's really hard for me to accept the fact that Sherrod might not play. I need to see him at LT because i hate the fact that the guy was a 1st round pick who never reached his potential..or really even played. I can honestly say i have no clue who the LT is., so i'm not even going to give myself a ice cream headache trying to figure it out. Bad problem to have.

 

[FrankRizzo]

It's really hard for me to accept the fact that Sherrod might not play. I need to see him at LT because i hate the fact that the guy was a 1st round pick who never reached his potential..or really even played. I can honestly say i have no clue who the LT is., so i'm not even going to give myself a ice cream headache trying to figure it out. Bad problem to have.

You can understand why I still hold a grudge against Marshall Newhouse, who was playing LT that horrific day in Kansas City, being beaten like a drumb all day long by Tamba Hali, and who ran around and crashed into the RT Sherrod's leg, snapping the bone in 2 places, basically ending the career of a promising rookie OT.

Teddy took supposed franchise bookend OT's in back-to-back drafts, 2010 & 2011, and they both got hurt in that ****** game in Kansas City.
Our dreams of a repeat, and undefeated season, ended that horrific day... we went 15-1 but lost all momentum starting there and then the bye sitting Rodgers.
Newhouse lost me that day. (Am I more over-dramatic, or unforgiving?)

 

[El Guapo]

You're both

We didn't draft any stud linemen in the first round so I won't expect any of them to start. Therefore we've got to work with what we had. I liked Barclay on the right side but that is Bulaga's spot. If Sherrod can't nail it down then shift over Bulaga. That's not ideal but better than the alternatives. EDS will have the center position locked down so I'm not worried about the interior.

 

[mradtke66]

I'm still not sold on Barlcay being a starter yet. He was pretty good run blocking, but pretty terrible in pass protection. He didn't blow games for us, but that's because he got tons of help. If he makes a jump, that's one thing and it could certainly happen. My gut says he needs one more year of work to be a complete player.

Our interior starters, baring anything weird happening, are Lang, EDS, Sitton.

Right now, given the choice between Bulaga, Lang, EDS, Sitton, Barclay vs. Newhouse, Lang, EDS, Sitton, Bulaga, I take the line with Newhouse. Quite simply, Newhouse is better in pass protection that Barclay.

Once camp opens, I do expect all kinds of competition to find the best combination at tackle. The tricky parts is that Sherrod and Newhouse are both LT-only guys. They're good dancers and lack pop in the run game. Assuming Sherrod is healthy, those two will probably get the first crack at it. Datko might be the same. He looked more like a dancer, but maybe he's toughened up on the practice squad.

Similarly, Barlcay is a RT-only guy. He's a big mauler. I worry about him at RT on an island. I don't even want to think about him at LT.

Bulaga is good enough to swing, Datko might be.

The rookies are more projects. The true tackle is kind of small at 299. The other kid looks more like Sitton. Maybe he could hack it outside, maybe not.

 

[easyk83]

With the recent excitement of our "new running game" thanks to the great drafting of 2 potential studs in Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin, it got me wondering: could ANY RB look good behind this offensive line?
Seriously... how often are there holes for backs to run thru?
I thought DuJuan Harris did pretty damn good all things considered.

I know McCarthy has said this off-season that the left side of the OL has to block better.
But will they? Who, and how?

Is it coaching on the OL that's the problem, or are there guys who need to be replaced?
I don't see either of those 2 guys drafted as upgrading the offense. For sure not this year.

Can someone convince me I am wrong? Remember, many of you said Bulaga was playing poorly last year BEFORE he popped his hip out.

The players need to play but sometimes there is only so much the players can do with a garbage scheme. MM's game plan against KC was horrific, pass pass pass punt all game long against one of the league's worst run defenses. Pass protection tends to get difficult when the opposing team know's you're going to pass every single play. Ryan Grant managed 66 yards on a measly 12 carries, what would have happened if the Packers mixed in an additional 8-18 carries, the world wonders.

 

[easyk83]

I don't believe that our line is as bad as many of us like to think. I think that if we just balance the Offense a little bit more and don't overly rely on the Pass that our protection will look better and that our O-line will actually improve in the run game as well. It's tough for a unit to get better at run blocking when it never does it and it's tough to pass protect when you're always passing.

 

[realcaliforniacheese]

Our line was in so much constant flux last season that it is hard to get a true read on how good it will be this year. Barclay looked like a rookie but he has had a year of baptism by fire, so maybe he makes a jump this year. I think it was a valid point that if you are pass happy like we were the D is going to tee off on that. In the zone blocking scheme there are no road graders and so you won't see those big gaping holes. The line shifts and the back has to have the vision to see the hole and make the cut. I think Harris showed that the holes were there.

If the line can stay healthy and congeal as a unit I think there will be plenty of opportunity for Lacy, Franklin and Harris to find holes. I think this is where Franklin has an edge over Lacy. Lacy is a big bruising back but he also played behind the best road grading type line in college football. But who knows.

I hope we have an answer the first game of our season. I am paying big bucks to go see these guys pound on the Diners.

 

[GeeDogWarrior]

MM's game plan against KC was horrific, pass pass pass punt all game long against one of the league's worst run defenses. Pass protection tends to get difficult when the opposing team know's you're going to pass every single play. Ryan Grant managed 66 yards on a measly 12 carries, what would have happened if the Packers mixed in an additional 8-18 carries, the world wonders.

I thought you were describing the Seattle game... or the Indy game, I (tried) forgetting that awful Chiefs game.
I have no clue what it is with Mike in those sorts of games against suspect run defenses, I remember in the playoffs against the Eagles - we'd run it on 'em just cause it was common sense, we'd throw it on Pittsburgh cause their secondary was suspect .... now it's like all we try to do is throw it deep and expect great stats.

Be nice if there was a little more direction/purpose to our offensive gameplan.

 

[HyponGrey]

I kinda think Bakthiari will wind up a possible starter. I like him a lot better than Barclay

 

[ExpatPacker]

Looks like there are changes incoming:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...e-undergoes-a-makeover-4u9q9at-205911961.html

So it's pretty much confirmed that Bulaga will move to LT, the position he played at Iowa, and Sitton will move to LG with him because MM feels that Sitton and Bulaga are our best 2 OLs and work well together. So Lang will switch to RG, and Newhouse, Barclay and Sherrod will compete for the start RT job.

Bakhtiari and Tester will be worked in depending on how they do in the upcoming training camps.

 

[longtimefan]

Looks like there are changes incoming:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...e-undergoes-a-makeover-4u9q9at-205911961.html

So it's pretty much confirmed that Bulaga will move to LT, the position he played at Iowa, and Sitton will move to LG with him because MM feels that Sitton and Bulaga are our best 2 OLs and work well together. So Lang will switch to RG, and Newhouse, Barclay and Sherrod will compete for the start RT job.

Bakhtiari and Tester will be worked in depending on how they do in the upcoming training camps.

Was just going to post this..

Thanks!!

I edited title to reflect there is an update

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[longtimefan]

Sherrod had a 2nd surgery...But what type? To remove screws, or something more serious? No one seems to know, pretty tight lipped so far

 

[13 Times Champs]

Bulaga can't be worse at left tackle than Newhouse.