Rookie TJ Lang to Start at RT on Sunday vs. the Cowboys

[SnakeLH2006]

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NFL&id=5343&line=158920&spln=1

Rookie T.J. Lang will start at right tackle for the Packers on Sunday against the Cowboys.
It will be Lang's first start on the right side after starting two games at LT earlier in the season. Packer people have been clamoring for this since early in the season after Allen Barbre struggled mightily. They re-signed RT Mark Tauscher in October, and he started last week but injured his knee in the second half. It's do-or-die for the Pack this week.

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At least McFatty is acknowledging that Lang as a rookie is better than Darren (let's get some grass stains on the backside of my jersey to prove I played) Colledge, or Allen (how did I get all these helmet stains on the right side of my sleeve from dudes whipping past me) Barbre.

Lang looks okay as a starting OT his rook year....esp. having the ability to start at LT or RT now. I like this kid.

Taucher, just like Snake stated in an earlier thread when they signed him, was gonna start and did at RT (till he got hurt again). Now it's time to see if Lang can handle RT (Barbre can't).

Thank god for some dudes with some nuts that don't fail their ass off week after week on the OL. Lang is ok in my book, esp. as a rookie.

[channtheman]

I sorta just wish they would stick Lang at the one position they know he is going to play so he can concentrate on that only and really blossom.

Next week we'll find out he will be the starting center.

[Scott Campbell]

Pretty tough assignment for a rook.

[denverYooper]

Pretty tough assignment for a rook.

Not as tough as starting at LT and facing Jared Allen. He gave up less pressures that game than Barbre did, too.

[Scott Campbell]

Pretty tough assignment for a rook.

Not as tough as starting at LT and facing Jared Allen. He gave up less pressures that game than Barbre did, too.


I meant getting switched around like that. It's tough enough being a rookie starter without being asked to play 2 positions.

[ThunderDan]

Scott-

I think it is a good move to make. I really think Mr. Lang is our answer at RT longterm. We will need to draft a LT next year.

[bobblehead]

I've always thought the switching around stuff was a convenient excuse. I sadly even used it myself when College played LT one week.

Bottom line, Lang is a scrapper. He is a better OL now than College or Babre, and probably even Cliffy at this point.

I won't shock anyone when I say that I believe 50% of the problem in our OL has been due to the poor play of Babre. This switch is long overdue and might make more of a difference than anything we could do.

[bobblehead]

Scott-

I think it is a good move to make. I really think Mr. Lang is our answer at RT longterm. We will need to draft a LT next year.

Problem is that THIS was the year of the LT. They are very rare physical specimens. Not sure how many top notch ones are coming out this year, but getting one without drafting top 10 isn't easy. We drafted Michaels, Verba, and Cliffy before hitting on one after Ken Reutgers retired, and even when we finally hit one with cliffy he never was much of a run blocker....U-71 to the right side baby.

[denverYooper]

Pretty tough assignment for a rook.

Not as tough as starting at LT and facing Jared Allen. He gave up less pressures that game than Barbre did, too.


I meant getting switched around like that. It's tough enough being a rookie starter without being asked to play 2 positions.

Gotcha. And he was trained at LG up until the 4th game, to boot.

[denverYooper]

I've always thought the switching around stuff was a convenient excuse. I sadly even used it myself when College played LT one week.

Bottom line, Lang is a scrapper. He is a better OL now than College or Babre, and probably even Cliffy at this point.

I won't shock anyone when I say that I believe 50% of the problem in our OL has been due to the poor play of Babre. This switch is long overdue and might make more of a difference than anything we could do.

1st half of Tampa game - 0 sacks
2nd half -6

Tausch played the first half and went down. Barbre played most of the second...

[rbaloha1]

Lang should be okay. Expect help from tes along with rb chipping.

Maybe Lang solidifies the position. Barbre moves to lg and eventually replaces Colledge.

BTW Peter King from SI named Oher first team All NFL for the midseason. Recall some of the board members wanting Oher. Good call.

[Guiness]

I've always thought the switching around stuff was a convenient excuse. I sadly even used it myself when College played LT one week.

Bottom line, Lang is a scrapper. He is a better OL now than College or Babre, and probably even Cliffy at this point.

I won't shock anyone when I say that I believe 50% of the problem in our OL has been due to the poor play of Babre. This switch is long overdue and might make more of a difference than anything we could do.

1st half of Tampa game - 0 sacks
2nd half -6

Tausch played the first half and went down. Barbre played most of the second...

I wish I thought you were kidding, but I strongly suspect you are not. Wow is that some kind of impressive out of Tauscher, to say the least.

All I can say about this move is that I hope they're doing this because they see Lang as the long term solution at RT, and he's going to stay there. Not some excuse like 'getting the five best guys on the field' or some crap like that. If Lang grades out ok as an LT, then keep him there even if Cliffy is ready to go. We already saw the shit we were in when caught w/o a suitable replacement at that position.

Interesting about Oher. Wasn't he the one they did that TV special about, had had a mess of trouble as a kid? A guy like that could have a ton of motivation.

[SnakeLH2006]

I thought the kid didn't pretty well at RT. Hardly noticed him....that's a good thing lately with the state of our OL. Great win though!

[Brohm]

Will he be the RT the rest of the way? I saw Barbre suited up on the sidelines, no action though. I hope they let Lang play it out.

[SnakeLH2006]

Will he be the RT the rest of the way? I saw Barbre suited up on the sidelines, no action though. I hope they let Lang play it out.

I hope so, Brohm. It's amazing a rook like Lang can step in and bring more consistency than most of the other vets starting on that OL. Kid seems pretty tough, and you gotta keep in mind he started something like 50 straight games as a college starter. I think he's a keeper.

Taucher has some talent left, but doubt he can stay healthy at this point. Barbre more than had his chance IMO to prove he could start at RT. Time for Langy here on out.

[bobblehead]

Lang should be okay. Expect help from tes along with rb chipping.

Maybe Lang solidifies the position. Barbre moves to lg and eventually replaces Colledge.

BTW Peter King from SI named Oher first team All NFL for the midseason. Recall some of the board members wanting Oher. Good call.

I screamed all offseason to get one of the big 4 tackles coming out, but I think Oher has been playing RT this season so far (not positive).

I'm hoping Raji comes on so strong I don't stay mad over us not taking oher.

[Lurker64]

I screamed all offseason to get one of the big 4 tackles coming out, but I think Oher has been playing RT this season so far (not positive).

I'm hoping Raji comes on so strong I don't stay mad over us not taking oher.

Oher was starting on the right side, and has played a little bit on the left because of injuries to the two guys in front of him. From what I've seen (and I've only watched about 4 Ravens games this year so I could be wrong), he's better on the left. He's a bit too passive to be a dominant RT, but that characteristic is good in an LT (since it's more of a reactionary position.)

I don't think that this is necessarily a bad year for tackles either. We're not likely to be in a position to draft an elite one this year (at least, I hope not) but this is a pretty good class for LT prospects: Russell Okung, Bruce Campbell, Bryan Bulaga, Charles Brown, Trent Williams, and maybe Anthony Davis are all first round LT prospects (and I'm almost certain I'm missing somebody here, I mean... how many people had Jason Smith on top of their LT list in November of last year?). It's hard to get excited about LTs this time of year because there's so much college football to watch and to get a good sense about LTs you really have to watch those guys specifically, but it's not as though there aren't good ones most every year.

Sure, the physical prototype of the NFL LT is hard to fill, but the upside of that is that LTs are so much the superstars of the line that almost everybody who fits that prototype gets discovered and funneled into football (Michael Oher got pulled out of the ghetto, Jonathon Ogden gave up an Olympic shotputting career, etc.) However, NFL nose tackles may be even harder to find. I wouldn't worry too much about Raji, defensive linemen don't usually live up to their draft status in their first year (particularly DTs). Give him a year of NFL training and NFL coaching, and he'll be a lot better.