Packers Offensive Line...What's the situation??

armand34

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We are all a little worried as Packer Fans about the offensive line. Bulaga will help provide another option in the group, but is it me, or does our offensive line seem weaker then everybody elses. I mean physically weaker, I don't see any of them dominating in any spot on the Line. The only one that impressed me last year was TJ Lang, and frankly I think he is currently our best and most versatile Lineman on the team. Hopefully this other guy Newhouse and the potential of being release will push Daryn to have a consistent and potent year. I'm a huge fan of Tauscher because he truly made a difference when he came back on-board.

We all remember the Allen Barbre experiment, OMFG! How can the coaches be so wrong about that guy. Mccarthy, "...we just have to work on his technique." I want to see Chad, TJ, Wells/Spitz, Bulaga, Tauscher...I think that's the best we got going into this season...hopefully the others I didn't include will provide great depth.

NFL Videos: Bengals Defense Highlight, WK 02 vs. Packers 2009
 

NYPacker

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I'm just happy that we finally have some depth. If injuries occur then I won't be worried as much as I was last season.
 

ARod12

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I agree Lang is very versitle but I like the idea of having the 5 set starters with 5 set backups I know its tough as the season goes on due to injuries but still I think stick them at a position where they stand the best chance to help the team. I dont however think Lang is our best linemen, Sitton is far and away the best linemen on the team. I really like these two rookie tackles though and I still think stick them as backups at the two tackle positions and let them learn from two of the greats.
 

KiDcUdI

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They dont look dominant physically probably because we run the ZBS instead of the power running scheme.It favors athleticism over strength.
 

JBlood

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Nobody knows more about the line than Campen and Philbin, and they can't figure it out.
 

NYPacker

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Could be Bulaga if camp goes well

No way, I'd let Bulaga focus strictly at playing LT. Lang should be Tauscher's primary backup. Lang played admirably last season and looked really good in the limited amount of snaps that he did get. Lang is our RT of the future.
 

FrankRizzo

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Yeah I agree with that, let these guys work on ONE position and get it to the best of their ability.

But where is Marshall Newhouse's best position? Anyone know?
Which is TJ Lang's best natural position?
Will Spitz backup Colledge at LG and be the first one in at RG if Sitton goes down?
 

NYPacker

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Except that Spitz and Colledge are average at best, and Newhouse could be the longterm solution, whereas Sitton is the franchise RG for the next 10 years...

Exactly! Colledge is a great backup LG and Spitz a good backup LG/C combo. If Newhouse can give us better production at LG and team with Sitton to be our guard tandom of the future (which neither spitz or colledge seem to be) then why not do it?

Very valid points. But I was speaking in terms of this season. Exactly where do these guys fit on the depth chart this year? Once either Spitz or Colledge hit FA in the next offseason, then that's when I'd turn to Newhouse for a starting LG.
 

NYPacker

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Yeah I agree with that, let these guys work on ONE position and get it to the best of their ability.

But where is Marshall Newhouse's best position? Anyone know?
Which is TJ Lang's best natural position?
Will Spitz backup Colledge at LG and be the first one in at RG if Sitton goes down?

Let them work where they have experience doing so. I know Lang has been a LT in college but he did have a lot of snaps playing RT. Newhouse is an enigma, he's been a stud LT at TCU but has experience at 3 other spots. We already have Bulaga for the LT position but I would keep Newhouse there as a 3rd string backup just in case. Alternatively we can keep Newhouse on the left side by developing him into a LG. Imo the best spot for him would be RG since we don't really have anyone to back up Sitton. Spitz and Colledge are already in a battle for the LG spot so there's no use in wasting time squeezing Newhouse in there.
 

PackersRS

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Let them work where they have experience doing so. I know Lang has been a LT in college but he did have a lot of snaps playing RT. Newhouse is an enigma, he's been a stud LT at TCU but has experience at 3 other spots. We already have Bulaga for the LT position but I would keep Newhouse there as a 3rd string backup just in case. Alternatively we can keep Newhouse on the left side by developing him into a LG. Imo the best spot for him would be RG since we don't really have anyone to back up Sitton. Spitz and Colledge are already in a battle for the LG spot so there's no use in wasting time squeezing Newhouse in there.
Except that Spitz and Colledge are average at best, and Newhouse could be the longterm solution, whereas Sitton is the franchise RG for the next 10 years...
 

claybillings

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Except that Spitz and Colledge are average at best, and Newhouse could be the longterm solution, whereas Sitton is the franchise RG for the next 10 years...

Exactly! Colledge is a great backup LG and Spitz a good backup LG/C combo. If Newhouse can give us better production at LG and team with Sitton to be our guard tandom of the future (which neither spitz or colledge seem to be) then why not do it?
 

olwig420

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I am willing to bet that our starting line is going to be made up of all veterans at the start of the season, Tauscher, Colledge, Spitz, Sitton, Clifton. We will be shuffling in the younger guys during the games and watching how they do. They will have to earn playing time in game. They don't want another Barbre situation again this year where we throw him in and hope he can hang. We know the Vets can play well together. They know the playbook and with them all healthy and with promising backups, they should all be able to stay at one position in camp and be ready to rock come regular season. I think Lang is great but just had surgery on his wrist and will need a little time to be at full strength otherwise he could have a chance at a starting possition. I also think Colledge put in his time this off season to step up and be better. You don't want to start rookies right off the bat if you don't need to. We need to ease them into the NFL and let them gain their confidence so they can grow into great players. We also need to keep the young guys playing one position until they know it and are good at it before switching them all over the place and slowing down their progress. It has been written that they realize they did this with Lang and I don't think they will do it again.
 

JBlood

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Is Spitz just average? Didn't he win the center job over Wells when last season started?

Another mistake by the line coach. Campen and Philbin can't decide who should play, or what position they should play. It's the same every year. Hopefully not this one.
 

NYPacker

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Is Spitz just average? Didn't he win the center job over Wells when last season started?

Spitz managed to beat out Wells because he's a more physical/aggressive lineman(this why he should stay at guard!) I believe that Wells was the more capable guy in terms of making the adjustments and coordinating the blocking. Wells has the better mental capacity, he quarterbacks the offensive line.
 

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Another mistake by the line coach. Campen and Philbin can't decide who should play, or what position they should play. It's the same every year. Hopefully not this one.

Had Spitz not gotten injured HE would've been our starting center. But then Wells took advantage of the situation and played well. Fortunately Spitz can play more than one position so he might be starting somewhere else along the line by the time TC is over.
 

FrankRizzo

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Spitz never really "beat out" Wells at center per se. It was the same as Barbre never really beat out Tauscher or Breno or the rookie TJ Lang.

The coaches just decided they wanted Spitz at center because he is bigger. When they announced that, even MM said it was tough because Wells is one of their best 3 or 4 OL.

Wells has done a good job for a few years. He reminds me of ole bag of Donuts Winters. Not pretty, not huge, just does a pretty good job and has a lot of pride.

I hope he starts 16+3 games at center in 2010-11.
 

PackersRS

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Spitz never really "beat out" Wells at center per se. It was the same as Barbre never really beat out Tauscher or Breno or the rookie TJ Lang.

The coaches just decided they wanted Spitz at center because he is bigger. When they announced that, even MM said it was tough because Wells is one of their best 3 or 4 OL.

Wells has done a good job for a few years. He reminds me of ole bag of Donuts Winters. Not pretty, not huge, just does a pretty good job and has a lot of pride.

I hope he starts 16+3 games at center in 2010-11.
The coaches wanted a better run blocking OL, that's why they put Barbre and Spitz.

But thing is, both were so putrid at pass blocking, that it just didn't compensate the little else they brought in the run department...
 

Pugger

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Hmmm, I don't remember it the way you guys do about Spitz. I thought he was named the starting center and a lot of folks speculated that the Packers would try to trade Wells and get something for him. Thankfully we kept both players and after Spitz got hurt we had Wells to turn to.
 

NYPacker

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Hmmm, I don't remember it the way you guys do about Spitz. I thought he was named the starting center and a lot of folks speculated that the Packers would try to trade Wells and get something for him. Thankfully we kept both players and after Spitz got hurt we had Wells to turn to.

Yeah I remember that as well. Some were speculating that Wells would be on the trading block. Glad that didn't happen otherwise we would've needed to draft both a LT AND a C this offseason.
 

FrankRizzo

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Even Dietrich-Smith !
Don't forget about him.
Some think he will become a good starting center for us in a few years.
 

FrankRizzo

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You're right pugsley, a lot of us and the writers speculated that the Packers might try and deal Wells.
Lucky for us, Thompson doesn't like to trade his players usually (i.e. Kampman). Or maybe he knew that Spitz' back was shaky and he needed to keep Scotty here.
 

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