• Articles
  • News
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Website Terms of Use
  • Contact
Total Packers - Green Bay Packers Blogs and News
  • Home
  • Analysis
  • Packers News
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Analysis
  • Packers News
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
No Result
View All Result
Total Packers
No Result
View All Result

Packers Offensive Line In Flux, Lang Still Doesn’t Have A Home

Monty McMahon by Monty McMahon
March 25, 2010
in Uncategorized
8
T.J. Lang
Let me play for God's sake!

The Green Bay Packers have more than a few questions along the offensive line entering the season.

One of them is where second-year man T.J. Lang will play. While most of us expect him to compete for and eventually take over the right tackle spot, Packers’ coach Mike McCarthy doesn’t necessarily agree.

“There’s a difference in opinion there. I think T.J.’s long-term, this is just me personally, Joe Philbin, James Campen and Jerry Fontenot, we go round and round about it, I think T.J.’s long-term is at guard. I think he’s a natural left guard, when I look at his body. But he is young. He needs to develops strength to hit that. He is a very young second-year player. There’s a lot of room for development. But you can’t argue with the fact that he’s a more natural tackle because that’s where he has played. He feels more natural at tackle because that’s where he has played. I definitely feel he could play right tackle today if he had to. And I think he’s done a solid job at subbing in there at LT when needed.”

This points to the continuation of a frustrating trend with McCarthy – moving offensive lineman all over the line so they can’t get comfortable at one position.

What’s even more confusing is McCarthy will supposedly have two players competing for the left guard spot – last year’s starter Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz, who started last season at center, but has also played guard. We fully expect Spitz to win the spot, as College has been one of the Packers’ worst offensive linemen the past two years.

Is McCarthy planning on throwing Lang in the mix at left guard too? I don’t see how that helps anyone.

Overall, the Packers line is again in flux this offseason, but it’s not because general manager Ted Thompson has done anything to address one of the team’s biggest weaknesses. It’s because McCarthy either doesn’t have the right parts or because he can’t decide where to put the parts he has.

Surely, the Packers will choose an offensive lineman somewhere in the draft – hopefully in the first round – but right now there are really only two solid starters. Those guys are center Scott Wells and right guard Josh Sitton.

Having Colledge and Spitz battle it out should improve the left guard spot, but then you’re looking at two past-their-prime injury risks at the line’s most important position, tackle. Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are slated to start, but Lang should overtake Tauscher at some point if given the chance.

The question is whether he’ll be given a fair shot or shuffled around like he was last season?

Clifton’s replacement, whether eventual or immediate, should come in the draft. This is one of the deepest drafts for offensive tackles in some time and the Packers should be able to nab a starter with pick No. 23.

“What’s going to happen in the draft?” McCarthy said. “That might affect the rotation, too. But I clearly think we can have almost two guys per position competing for starting spots. That’s a good position to be in.”

A good position to be in is to have five solid starters on your offensive line and to know who they are before training camp begins, Mike. A good position to be in is knowing your franchise quarterback isn’t worried about getting killed every time he drops back – a luxury Aaron Rodgers has never been afforded under McCarthy.

The problem with McCarthy’s good position is, most of the guys competing aren’t that good. Clifton missed a lot of time last season and it would be a miracle if he made it through this season intact. Even when he is healthy, Clifton isn’t that good anymore.

McCarthy is delusional if he thinks Allen Barbre can play right tackle. The Packers have tried to hand Barbre a starting spot each of the past two seasons and he’s played so poorly on both occasions he’s been sent back to the bench. That leaves Breno Giacomini, who couldn’t beat out Barbre for the starting right tackle spot last season, and Evan Dietrich-Smith, who made the Packers as an undrafted free agent last season.

Smith clearly has some upside, but whether he’ll compete for a starting spot in the near future is questionable.

Having mediocre players compete for starting spots isn’t a good position to be in, just ask the Detroit Lions.

The Packers need some real talent on the offensive line, not developmental players. But right now, it looks like the Packers are content to continue their frustrating love affair with the underachieving offensive linemen they already have on the roster, which is likely to spell trouble for Aaron Rodgers.

[ad#totalpackers468x60]

Tags: Allen BarbreBreno GiacominiChad CliftonDaryn CollegeEvan Dietrich-SmithGreen Bay PackersJason SpitzJosh SittonMark TauscherMike McCarthyoffensive lineScott WellsT.J. Lang
Previous Post

Packers’ Improve From Within Rhetoric Getting Old

Next Post

Johnny Jolly Headed To Trial In Texas

Mason Crosby celebrates after making the game-winning field goal

McCarthy’s Heart Broken Again at Lambeau. Packers Prevail 31-28 in OT

November 14, 2022
Elgton Jenkins

Aaron Rodgers Remains Healthy Thanks to Rookie Elgton Jenkins

November 17, 2019
Packers vs Jets 2018

Recapping Packers 2019 Off-Season Moves

July 9, 2019
Preston Smith chases Aaron Rodgers

When Aaron Rodgers Talks, the Packers’ Faithful Listen

June 12, 2019
Next Post

Johnny Jolly Headed To Trial In Texas

Comments 8

  1. Avatar for lebowski lebowski says:
    13 years ago

    I hope McCarthy somehow sees this article and realizes the fans’ frustration with his O-line juggling act. Get over that crap, and find a freaking punter, and we could actually win a playoff game.

  2. Avatar for jeremy jeremy says:
    13 years ago

    I don’t get McCarthy on this one either. Why shoe horn a guy who can play tackle in at guard? Especially when you already have a half dozen young guards, and no tackles under 32.

    It’s just stupid…

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Total Packers - Green Bay Packers News and Rumors

Find It!

No Result
View All Result

Recent Posts

  • Packers Season Recap: Best NFL Highlights from Green Bay
  • Comparing The 2022 First Round Wide Receivers with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs
  • Look Into the Top 5 Favorites of This Season’s 2023 Super Bowl
  • Reviewing Gutekunst, the Packers Roster and Coaches: Where Did it All Go Wrong: The Preseason Decisions
  • Packers Fall Apart in 4th: Lose 20-16 to End Season
  • Packers vs Lions – Game Day: Week 18
  • Packers Make Statement: Pound Vikings 41-17
  • Packers vs Vikings – Game Day: Week 17
  • Packers vs Vikings: The Pack Needs to Save the Season
  • Packers Deliver Huge Present: 26-20 Over Dolphins
  • Packers Bring Rams; Mayfield Back to Earth 24-12
  • Packers vs Rams – Game Day: Week 15

Popular Tags

A.J. Hawk Aaron Rodgers Brett Favre Brian Gutekunst Bryan Bulaga Charles Woodson Chicago Bears Chicago Bears Clay Matthews Clay Matthews III Dallas Cowboys Davante Adams Detroit Lions Eddie Lacy fans Featured free agents game analysis Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers Greg Jennings injuries Jay Cutler Jermichael Finley Jordy Nelson Julius Peppers Mike McCarthy Mike McCarthy Minnesota Vikings Morgan Burnett New England Patriots New Orleans Saints NFL Oakland Raiders Philadelphia Eagles predictions Randall Cobb Sam Shields San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks T.J. Lang Ted Thompson Ted Thompson Tramon Williams Ty Montgomery
No Result
View All Result
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Articles
  • News
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Website Terms of Use
  • Contact

© 2022 Total Packers -- This site is not affiliated with the Green Bay Packers or Packers.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Analysis
  • Packers News
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer

© 2022 Total Packers -- This site is not affiliated with the Green Bay Packers or Packers.com