woodbuck27
07-27-2006, 08:35 AM
Youth might reign supreme in the middle
Rookie guards could rule
By ROB REISCHEL
Special to Packer Plus
Posted: July 26, 2006
Green Bay - Jeff Jagodzinski was doing all he could to not perspire heavily. And for a man who rarely slows down, that's not easy.
On this day, Green Bay's offensive coordinator was discussing the Packers' interior line. And Jagodzinski was reminded the Packers will most likely have three first-time starters there when the season opens Sept. 10.
Without question, Jagodzinski's Old Spice was being put to the test.
"Is it a little scary? I don't know, maybe a little," Jagodzinski said. "But what's the alternative?"
Unless the Packers add a free agent or make a trade - which remain distinct possibilities - there is none. That means the likely starters inside are rookies Daryn Colledge at left guard and Jason Spitz at right guard and third-year man Scott Wells at center.
Wells has made 12 career starts, including four at center, and appears ready to take his game to the next level. But Colledge and Spitz are complete unknowns.
Both rookies are highly regarded prospects, but neither has ever taken a NFL snap and will be given the colossal task of keeping quarterback Brett Favre clean.
"I'm comfortable. Obviously if they earn the starting position, I'm comfortable with them because they've earned that opportunity," Packers first-year coach Mike McCarthy said of playing two rookie guards. "I've played young guys before. Last year (in San Francisco) we played seven rookies on offense.
"There obviously is a process you have to go through. I think when you have so many of them, it's not very comfortable. You have to call a different game; I think your approach is different. Regardless of who our starting guards are, we're going to be young, but I don't think it's going to change the way we're going to try to play.
"To me, that's the most important thing from an offensive or defensive standpoint. As long as we're able to stay multiple and be able to attack within our scheme, and we're not limited because we are so young, I think we'll be fine."
It'd be hard to imagine the Packers being worse off than they were a year ago.
Free-agent Adrian Klemm bombed in his attempt to replace Mike Wahle at left guard. Rookie seventh-rounder Will Whitticker flopped as Marco Rivera's replacement at right guard and is now being tried at tackle. And age and injuries caught up with center Mike Flanagan, who was allowed to leave for Houston in free agency this off-season.
Although the Packers were decimated by injury at the skill positions, their problems up front led to a complete collapse of the offense. In the matter of 12 short months, the Packers fell from 10th to 30th in rushing yards per game, 12th to 31st in average gain per rush, third to 18th in total offense and fifth to 22nd in points per game.
Not only was there little room for the running backs to maneuver, Favre clearly didn't trust his protection. Favre bears the majority of blame for his league-leading 29 interceptions, but shaky blocking didn't help matters.
"We struggled last year, so there's obviously going to be a lot of concern with this unit, and it's going to be up to us up front to get our offense back to being respectable," right tackle Mark Tauscher said. "We have to perform at a much better level than we did last year."
So here comes the kiddie corps, who will do all it can to fix Green Bay's hole in the middle.
Wells should provide a good starting point. The third-year player from Tennessee is scrappy, tough and one of the Packers' strongest linemen.
Wells (6-foot-2, 304) is somewhat undersized for the mammoth defensive tackles he'll see in the NFC North, but his speed and athleticism are perfect fits for the new zone-blocking scheme Jagodzinski brought from Atlanta. In fact, Jagodzinski said Wells reminds him a great deal of the Falcons' Todd McClure, an undersized player who has become one of the game's elite centers.
"I really like Scotty Wells," Jagodzinski said. "I think he's going to be pretty damn good for us. He's just what we want at center."
The same could be said of Colledge at left guard.
Colledge (6-4, 299) is quick, athletic and has drawn some comparisons to Wahle. While at Boise State, though, Colledge struggled against elite competition and had an up-and-down Senior Bowl week. But the Packers made Colledge their starter just days after they took him in Round 2, and unless he falls on his face during training camp, he will begin the year with the first unit.
"They kind of just threw me in there, handed me a playbook and said, 'Go.' So you're swimming a little bit," Colledge said. "But I think I'm getting better and better at it every day and I'm making the adjustments I need to make. And as I get more comfortable in the offense, I'll become a more aggressive player and a better player."
Spitz took a major jump during Green Bay's 14 voluntary practices in June. And in the process, he passed second-year man Junius Coston at right guard.
Spitz, who can also play center, doesn't have the chiseled body a player like Colledge does. And he was knocked at Louisville for a lack of consistency. But he's smart, a hard worker and extremely strong.
"He picks things up very fast for a young guy," McCarthy said of Spitz. "I don't recall working with a young guy that has the discipline with his hands on the inside. I think he's an excellent hands player for a guy that young.
"He's picked it up, he's comfortable. We've had him play two positions, sometimes three, where the other guys were able to settle more into one position, and I think that's a true credit to him. So I'm very pleased with his progress so far."
The Packers have plenty of questions inside, but it's just the opposite on the edges. Green Bay's tandem of Tauscher and left tackle Chad Clifton rivals Cincinnati (Willie Anderson and Levi Jones), Indianapolis (Tarik Glenn and Ryan Diem), Philadelphia (Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan) and Washington (Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen) as football's finest.
Tauscher was Green Bay's best offensive lineman in 2005. He's consistent, has better athleticism than given credit for and was named the 14th-best tackle in the NFL by "Pro Football Weekly."
Clifton is arguably Green Bay's most talented lineman and was named the fifth-best tackle in the league by PFW. But he lacked focus and struggled in 2005.
Clifton led the Packers with 10 penalties and allowed 3½ sacks after giving up just five from 2002-'04.
It's now up to McCarthy and Jagodzinski to get Clifton playing at his 2004 level.
"Chad Clifton is a Pro Bowl-talent guy. There's no question at all," Jagodzinski said. "That's up to him whether he wants to get to Hawaii or not."
Coston and second-year center Chris White spent the majority of 2005 inactive on Sunday's. But each is hoping to excel this summer and crack the starting lineup.
Coston appeared in prime position for just that before lacking intensity, focus and consistency in June. So the coaching staff replaced him on the first team with Spitz.
White, an undrafted free agent from Southern Mississippi, was one of the biggest surprises of last year's training camp. He'll have to be even better this summer to give Wells a run for his money.
The Packers love the potential of rookie fifth-round round tackle Tony Moll, a converted tight end. But his body must be reshaped, and he won't play a major role this season.
It remains to be seen if Whitticker can play left tackle. If not, he's probably in danger of being cut.
Klemm is certainly in danger of being released, too. His only real chance to stick might be to prove he's capable of backing up Clifton. But Klemm didn't help his cause when a posterior cruciate knee ligament injury sidelined him for all but one practice this off-season.
With so much youth and inexperience, Green Bay has the makings for a pretty good line down the road. The problem is, they'll be asked to perform at a big-time level in just more than six weeks.
"I don't think the coaches and I know the players aren't looking at '07 and '08," Tauscher said. "We're looking at '06-'07. We're going to be fine. We've got a lot of talent, we have a lot of youth. But with that said, we have a lot of excitement and guys willing to learn. And that counts for something, too."
From the July 27, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Rookie guards could rule
By ROB REISCHEL
Special to Packer Plus
Posted: July 26, 2006
Green Bay - Jeff Jagodzinski was doing all he could to not perspire heavily. And for a man who rarely slows down, that's not easy.
On this day, Green Bay's offensive coordinator was discussing the Packers' interior line. And Jagodzinski was reminded the Packers will most likely have three first-time starters there when the season opens Sept. 10.
Without question, Jagodzinski's Old Spice was being put to the test.
"Is it a little scary? I don't know, maybe a little," Jagodzinski said. "But what's the alternative?"
Unless the Packers add a free agent or make a trade - which remain distinct possibilities - there is none. That means the likely starters inside are rookies Daryn Colledge at left guard and Jason Spitz at right guard and third-year man Scott Wells at center.
Wells has made 12 career starts, including four at center, and appears ready to take his game to the next level. But Colledge and Spitz are complete unknowns.
Both rookies are highly regarded prospects, but neither has ever taken a NFL snap and will be given the colossal task of keeping quarterback Brett Favre clean.
"I'm comfortable. Obviously if they earn the starting position, I'm comfortable with them because they've earned that opportunity," Packers first-year coach Mike McCarthy said of playing two rookie guards. "I've played young guys before. Last year (in San Francisco) we played seven rookies on offense.
"There obviously is a process you have to go through. I think when you have so many of them, it's not very comfortable. You have to call a different game; I think your approach is different. Regardless of who our starting guards are, we're going to be young, but I don't think it's going to change the way we're going to try to play.
"To me, that's the most important thing from an offensive or defensive standpoint. As long as we're able to stay multiple and be able to attack within our scheme, and we're not limited because we are so young, I think we'll be fine."
It'd be hard to imagine the Packers being worse off than they were a year ago.
Free-agent Adrian Klemm bombed in his attempt to replace Mike Wahle at left guard. Rookie seventh-rounder Will Whitticker flopped as Marco Rivera's replacement at right guard and is now being tried at tackle. And age and injuries caught up with center Mike Flanagan, who was allowed to leave for Houston in free agency this off-season.
Although the Packers were decimated by injury at the skill positions, their problems up front led to a complete collapse of the offense. In the matter of 12 short months, the Packers fell from 10th to 30th in rushing yards per game, 12th to 31st in average gain per rush, third to 18th in total offense and fifth to 22nd in points per game.
Not only was there little room for the running backs to maneuver, Favre clearly didn't trust his protection. Favre bears the majority of blame for his league-leading 29 interceptions, but shaky blocking didn't help matters.
"We struggled last year, so there's obviously going to be a lot of concern with this unit, and it's going to be up to us up front to get our offense back to being respectable," right tackle Mark Tauscher said. "We have to perform at a much better level than we did last year."
So here comes the kiddie corps, who will do all it can to fix Green Bay's hole in the middle.
Wells should provide a good starting point. The third-year player from Tennessee is scrappy, tough and one of the Packers' strongest linemen.
Wells (6-foot-2, 304) is somewhat undersized for the mammoth defensive tackles he'll see in the NFC North, but his speed and athleticism are perfect fits for the new zone-blocking scheme Jagodzinski brought from Atlanta. In fact, Jagodzinski said Wells reminds him a great deal of the Falcons' Todd McClure, an undersized player who has become one of the game's elite centers.
"I really like Scotty Wells," Jagodzinski said. "I think he's going to be pretty damn good for us. He's just what we want at center."
The same could be said of Colledge at left guard.
Colledge (6-4, 299) is quick, athletic and has drawn some comparisons to Wahle. While at Boise State, though, Colledge struggled against elite competition and had an up-and-down Senior Bowl week. But the Packers made Colledge their starter just days after they took him in Round 2, and unless he falls on his face during training camp, he will begin the year with the first unit.
"They kind of just threw me in there, handed me a playbook and said, 'Go.' So you're swimming a little bit," Colledge said. "But I think I'm getting better and better at it every day and I'm making the adjustments I need to make. And as I get more comfortable in the offense, I'll become a more aggressive player and a better player."
Spitz took a major jump during Green Bay's 14 voluntary practices in June. And in the process, he passed second-year man Junius Coston at right guard.
Spitz, who can also play center, doesn't have the chiseled body a player like Colledge does. And he was knocked at Louisville for a lack of consistency. But he's smart, a hard worker and extremely strong.
"He picks things up very fast for a young guy," McCarthy said of Spitz. "I don't recall working with a young guy that has the discipline with his hands on the inside. I think he's an excellent hands player for a guy that young.
"He's picked it up, he's comfortable. We've had him play two positions, sometimes three, where the other guys were able to settle more into one position, and I think that's a true credit to him. So I'm very pleased with his progress so far."
The Packers have plenty of questions inside, but it's just the opposite on the edges. Green Bay's tandem of Tauscher and left tackle Chad Clifton rivals Cincinnati (Willie Anderson and Levi Jones), Indianapolis (Tarik Glenn and Ryan Diem), Philadelphia (Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan) and Washington (Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen) as football's finest.
Tauscher was Green Bay's best offensive lineman in 2005. He's consistent, has better athleticism than given credit for and was named the 14th-best tackle in the NFL by "Pro Football Weekly."
Clifton is arguably Green Bay's most talented lineman and was named the fifth-best tackle in the league by PFW. But he lacked focus and struggled in 2005.
Clifton led the Packers with 10 penalties and allowed 3½ sacks after giving up just five from 2002-'04.
It's now up to McCarthy and Jagodzinski to get Clifton playing at his 2004 level.
"Chad Clifton is a Pro Bowl-talent guy. There's no question at all," Jagodzinski said. "That's up to him whether he wants to get to Hawaii or not."
Coston and second-year center Chris White spent the majority of 2005 inactive on Sunday's. But each is hoping to excel this summer and crack the starting lineup.
Coston appeared in prime position for just that before lacking intensity, focus and consistency in June. So the coaching staff replaced him on the first team with Spitz.
White, an undrafted free agent from Southern Mississippi, was one of the biggest surprises of last year's training camp. He'll have to be even better this summer to give Wells a run for his money.
The Packers love the potential of rookie fifth-round round tackle Tony Moll, a converted tight end. But his body must be reshaped, and he won't play a major role this season.
It remains to be seen if Whitticker can play left tackle. If not, he's probably in danger of being cut.
Klemm is certainly in danger of being released, too. His only real chance to stick might be to prove he's capable of backing up Clifton. But Klemm didn't help his cause when a posterior cruciate knee ligament injury sidelined him for all but one practice this off-season.
With so much youth and inexperience, Green Bay has the makings for a pretty good line down the road. The problem is, they'll be asked to perform at a big-time level in just more than six weeks.
"I don't think the coaches and I know the players aren't looking at '07 and '08," Tauscher said. "We're looking at '06-'07. We're going to be fine. We've got a lot of talent, we have a lot of youth. But with that said, we have a lot of excitement and guys willing to learn. And that counts for something, too."
From the July 27, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel