Clifton: 'I'm not retiring'

[SkinBasket]

Great. Another season of running exclusively to the right side.

[Smidgeon]

...and (hopefully) decent pass blocking on the QB's blindside. Of course, if his play drops precipitously, he still provides a bridge to Bulaga. In that scenario, he'll stay on the team as a top-notch backup.

[Gunakor]

Clifton was elected to the Pro Bowl this year. We don't have another Pro Bowl caliber player to take over at Cliffy's position. Cliffy stays and I'm happy.

Let's run to the right.

[red]

good news

[mraynrand]

Cliffy stays healthy, you want a guy like that protecting the blindside -especially on a pass heavy team that needs to keep their QBs melon hit-free. Upgrade the LG, and maybe the center and let Cliffy do the pass-pro until you find the heir.

[packerbacker1234]

Guy was a probowl pass blocker this year on a team that primarily passes the ball. He shut down Harrison in the super bowl.

Good to hear he is going to give it one more go at least. Hopefully his body agrees.

[rbaloha1]

Played well and maybe has 1-2 remaining. True warrior.

[Gunakor]

Cliffy stays healthy, you want a guy like that protecting the blindside -especially on a pass heavy team that needs to keep their QBs melon hit-free. Upgrade the LG, and maybe the center and let Cliffy do the pass-pro until you find the heir.

I like Scott Wells. He's proven his doubters wrong enough times to win me over. And Colledge had himself a pretty decent season too. I'm actually okay with upgrading depth on the OL but leaving the starting 5 as is, unless a can't miss guard/tackle is sitting there at #32.

[esoxx]

Great news about Cliffy. Thing is, if someone out plays Cliff in training camp he'll be the starting LT. They don't hold positions for guys in GB based on past performance. They have the dog eat dog mentality needed in this cutthroat sport. Truly is what have you done for me lately.

[SkinBasket]

Guy was a probowl pass blocker this year on a team that primarily passes the ball. He shut down Harrison in the super bowl.

Good to hear he is going to give it one more go at least. Hopefully his body agrees.

Part of the reason for that is that Clifton and College run block like retards. At least Clifton has the excuse of being an old cripple and he is still a decent pass pro.

[mraynrand]

I like Scott Wells. He's proven his doubters wrong enough times to win me over. And Colledge had himself a pretty decent season too. I'm actually okay with upgrading depth on the OL but leaving the starting 5 as is, unless a can't miss guard/tackle is sitting there at #32.


Having Cliffy's knees hold up was a gift, a reprieve. There's no way you can count on that happening for another season. Not that it won't necessarily, but you cannot go into next season with Cliffy and garbage behind him (now the guy to effectively replace him may be on the roster, but that's not my point. So I'm glad Cliffy wants to come back, but you have to have his successor ready to go, game 1 next season.

[3irty1]

Clifton will never lose you a game. A true dancing bear and I'll be thrilled to get him back. Plus Bulaga still needs some work IMO.

[bobblehead]

Great news about Cliffy. Thing is, if someone out plays Cliff in training camp he'll be the starting LT. They don't hold positions for guys in GB based on past performance. They have the dog eat dog mentality needed in this cutthroat sport. Truly is what have you done for me lately.

I wish that were true, but if it were there would be things that have been different recently. The incumbent must screw up or be injured before he is replaced has been the rule of thumb. If cliffy is doing the job, but Bulaga is a superior LT, likely Cliffy will stay put. I don't have a problem with guys not being rushed in though, as seasoning is beneficial more often than not. (Rodgers was a better QB than Brett in '07 I think, but he had to wait as Brett was playing well).

[Joemailman]

Great. Another season of running exclusively to the right side.

....all the way to the Super Bowl.

[Fritz]

Cliffy stays healthy, you want a guy like that protecting the blindside -especially on a pass heavy team that needs to keep their QBs melons hit-free. Upgrade the LG, and maybe the center and let Cliffy do the pass-pro until you find the heir.

A-Rod has tits?

[pbmax]

A-Rod has tits?

He looked slightly girlish when Cameron was feeding him popcorn.

[vince]

Bulaga did a fine job against Woodley, who's a beast. So did Clifton vs. Harrison. That was huge.

[Joemailman]

Clifton gave up 1 sack to Harrison, his only tackle of the game, and my recollection is that Rodgers had to hold the ball fairly long on that play. Woodley had 1 sack against Bulaga. Not bad at all when you consider how often the Packers threw the ball, and with minimal protection schemes.

[gbgary]

no problem with him staying. and as far as running goes...fugit! who needs to run? :wink:

[Fritz]

He looked slightly girlish when Cameron was feeding him popcorn.

Agreed. It looked - how do they spell it? "ghey"?

[Joemailman]

I would love to see Bulaga at LG next to Clifton next year. Of course, for that to happen, Lang has to be able to handle RT, or they need to draft a rookie OT as good as, or close to Bulaga.

[Fritz]

I have to laugh. When I first glanced at the thread title, I thought it read "Clifton: I'm not retarded."

[Bretsky]

Great. Another season of running exclusively to the right side.


and that should make us happy IMO because he's far better than anything else we have there

[Pugger]

I thought the O line did a nice job against Pitt in the SB.

[mission]

Great news. I was worried one or two of the vets would leave after getting a ring.

Clifton played very well against Harrison (who I thought was going to be a huge factor) and I don't think adding youth immediately is going to improve our offensive line. We're not much of a running team but we'll still get good yards against average run Ds (we haven't played any besides Philly) next season with Starks/Grant.

Clifton had one of his best games ever on Sunday and it makes sense for him to come back and lead this team and his line.

I love this team.

[bobblehead]

I would love to see Bulaga at LG next to Clifton next year. Of course, for that to happen, Lang has to be able to handle RT, or they need to draft a rookie OT as good as, or close to Bulaga.

Bulaga is a true tackle, Lang is the tweener. I would bet good money that Lang plays LG before Bulaga does.

[3irty1]

Bulaga is a true tackle, Lang is the tweener. I would bet good money that Lang plays LG before Bulaga does.

I agree. Lang's best position is probably LG anyways. I'd look for Newhouse to enter the longterm plans at tackle.

[Patler]

Where Bulaga eventually ends up may depend on how McDonald, Newhouse and Lang develop. Is McDonald a guard or a center? Can Newhouse actually play LT or not? Is Lang a guard or RT? There seems to be disagreement on those issues, depending on which coach is talking. It seems like Bulaga can be plugged in almost anywhere, LT, LG, RT. Whether the others will be players or not is uncertain, but with a little luck and another draft or two the Packers could have an entirely rebuilt line in a couple years with Sitton as the oldest starter.

[vince]

I think McDonald is going to play a lot for the Packers before it's all said and done, I'd guess at center. I think we'll hear a lot more about him next training camp.

I'm not so optimistic about Newhouse. I don't think he has the feet to play tackle, and his back troubles could continue to plague him.

[Patler]

I'm not so optimistic about Newhouse. I don't think he has the feet to play tackle, and his back troubles could continue to plague him.

Interesting you say that, because it is his feet that got him moved to LT. The Packers originally planned on using him at RT or even guard, but said his feet were so good they had to give him a shot at LT first. They also said he moves more naturally from LT than anywhere else on the line. The back issue is a concern.

[Lurker64]

Well, the good side of things is that they don't immediately need to find another offensive tackle this year urgently. But it's still something to worry the personnel men. The last time they tried replacing an offensive tackle in the offseason it didn't go so well (I wonder what Allen Barbre is doing right now).

[vince]

Interesting you say that, because it is his feet that got him moved to LT. The Packers originally planned on using him at RT or even guard, but said his feet were so good they had to give him a shot at LT first. They also said he moves more naturally from LT than anywhere else on the line. The back issue is a concern.
He's always played LT. I think it's likely because he didn't adjust well to the right side. They have to say something. I'm going by what I saw in practice. I've watched him in practice drills on a few ocassions and the difference between him and Clifton, Bulaga, and even McDonald is significant. Other than Cliffy, McDonald has some of the most agile feet on the line. Obviously I haven't seen a lot of him, but I'm just trusting what I saw.

[Packgator]

(I wonder what Allen Barbre is doing right now).

He's on the Miami Dolphins roster.

[VermontPackFan]

He's on the Miami Dolphins roster.

Is he really? Goodfor him, always liked him. He wiff'd on his opportunity in GB but still liked him...

How about Breno G? Did he finish out with the Vikings?

[vince]

I especially liked Brandt's comments on Clifton, so I'll put this here, but the whole article is good.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Andrews-answers-Tuesdays-mailbag-2174.html

Andrew's Answers: Tuesday's Mailbag

Before this space heads into in-depth coverage of the NFL labor dispute as it now reaches a crescendo after two years, we close the 2010 regular season with today’s mailbag about the now-Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, a team I know a little bit about:

What does a Super Bowl championship mean to the Packers and Packer nation?

It is hard to overestimate its impact to an already-devoted fan base. It will cement the Packers in the lives of hundreds of thousands of existing fans and create new generations of fans forming an allegiance with this group of players.

The Wisconsin community wraps itself around the Packers in a way unique to professional sports. Fans truly feel that the team is part of them, not only due to the public unique ownership structure.

I was simply a front office employee but recognized and constantly asked about the team. Whether someone tapping me on the shoulder while pumping gas to ask “Is Aaron Rodgers really going to replace Brett one day?” or at my son’s parent-teacher conference being asked about Donald Driver’s contract status, the team dominates conversation.

Watching the faces of Packer fans after the game Sunday brought me back to the raw sensations that sports fandom can bring. As we head into an offseason dominated -- lockout or not -- by the business of football, it is good to know that the emotion and pride that being a fan can bring are still flourishing.

You've said that personal slights motivate Aaron Rodgers. What do you mean?

Aaron is quietly and internally motivated by hearing his abilities questioned. He has a memory like an elephant when it comes to these. From the moment he arrived at the Packers, he mentioned things like Jon Gruden passing on him in the Draft after promising he would take him and Ron Jaworski questioning his skills in pre-Draft coverage. Now, those two gush about him regularly on Monday Night Football.

Aaron takes great satisfaction in proving comments by critics to be folly. His is Northern California cool on the outside, but fiercely motivated. He told us from the moment he arrived that we would not regret taking him. I think there are no regrets.

You know the team and signed many of the players. For whom do you feel best?

There are many, including several back-office employees toiling in anonymity, but here are three:

Donald Driver was the only current player at the Packers when I arrived in 1999. We roomed next to each other for a while at the Midway Motor Inn and he used to stop by to chat. A seventh-round pick, skinny as a rail, was confident he would be mentioned along with the Packer great receivers.

I saw countless receivers come through that were faster, bigger, and stronger than Donald, who outlasted them all with that skinny body. Now “Quickie” is not only the leading Packer all-time receiver but a Super Bowl champion.

Chad Clifton is a mountain of a man who suffered a sever pelvic injury from a hit by Warren Sapp in November 2002. In 2004, we were signing him to a six-year deal for $32.4 million (a deal he played all the way through before re-signing this year). When he and his wife came into my office late that night to sign, there were tears in both their eyes as he signed the papers. Eighteen months prior, he didn’t know if he would walk again, let alone play football.

Chad is as much a fixture at Lambeau Field as the field itself. He is always the first in the building and the last to leave, a warm presence to all the staff. Now he’s a champion.

Charles Woodson may be one of the greatest signings in NFL free agency yet was not in demand as a free agent. Although we were offering the most money, Charles would not have signed with the Packers had more teams been interested. And when Charles came into the organization in 2006, he and Mike McCarthy clashed, as Woodson was used to a less structured environment in Oakland.

Charles and Mike worked through that and Charles became a force. In my nine years with the team, I never saw a player that looked so superior to others in his abilities. He is truly an elite talent, and a thoughtful, emotional and proud person. He’s been a wonderful influence for that position group with the Packers.

I read you were part of changing the culture in Green Bay when Mike McCarthy arrived. What does that mean?

Mike’s mantra from when he arrived was “accountability and availability.” Towards that end, I negotiated all contracts to include significant portions of their total values to include money tied to: (1) attendance of at least 85% of the team’s offseason workout sessions, and (2) 45-man game day active roster bonuses. There was certainly resistance to these requests due to the long Green Bay winters, but eventually we were able to put that language in all rookie and veteran contracts.

What do you think of McCarthy?

Mike’s a solid football coach who’s worked hard for his success. I knew him when he was a quarterbacks‘ coach with the team in 1999 under Ray Rhodes, and saw a similar guy when he was head coach. I think Mike’s best asset is “emotional intelligence” about his team and his players: knowing how to pace his use of emotion, anger, cursing, etc. so that it has optimal effect. That was obvious throughout this playoff run.

And what do you think of Ted Thompson?

Ted is a supreme evaluator of football talent, especially college players. He, like all of us who worked in the front office over the past decade, was tutored by Ron Wolf and his excellence. Ted is most in his element on the sideline of a college football practice or in a dark room watching film of football players.

His weakness, as he will admit, is in the communications aspect of the general manager position. He prefers platitudes and simple statements to more open and honest communication, which has frustrated many fans looking for reasoning behind certain decisions. It is nice to seeTed’s years of arduous scouting is getting proper recognition. The team’s player procurement is in good hands.

Ted and the Packers‘ success will continue to lead to more teams trying to adapt to the “draft and develop” strategy that has worked so well in Green Bay. To be successful, a team needs to be patient, trust their scouting and identify of the right guys to extend long-term. It is a model that, when working, leads to potential long periods of sustained success. The Packers are a shining example.

[VermontPackFan]

[QUOTE=Gunakor;576317]Clifton was elected to the Pro Bowl this year. We don't have another Pro Bowl caliber player to take over at Cliffy's position. Cliffy stays and I'm happy.

Same here that is great news, he basically shut down Harrison for the game w/o much help. Kudos to Clifton & Bulaga for a great playoff run and SB game.
I still think we should spend a high draft (rounds 1-3) pick on an OT this April and throw him into the competition for future/backup LT or RT.

[denverYooper]

I especially liked Brandt's comments on Clifton, so I'll put this here, but the whole article is good.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Andrews-answers-Tuesdays-mailbag-2174.html



Thanks Vince. I usually enjoy what the guys at NFP have to say. This article also reminds me that Clifton kissed the Lombardi on its way to the podium. Most guys just touched it but he grabbed it and gave it a smooch.

[Packgator]

How about Breno G?

Last I heard he was with Seattle. I believe he is still on their roster.

[Freak Out]

Very nice read. Clifton is a warrior and deserves our respect.

[Iron Mike]

Last mock draft that I looked at had us taking Carimi from Wisconsin.

[3irty1]

He's always played LT. I think it's likely because he didn't adjust well to the right side. They have to say something. I'm going by what I saw in practice. I've watched him in practice drills on a few ocassions and the difference between him and Clifton, Bulaga, and even McDonald is significant. Other than Cliffy, McDonald has some of the most agile feet on the line. Obviously I haven't seen a lot of him, but I'm just trusting what I saw.

Newhouse looked lousy at guard because he couldn't uncoil fast enough. Almost like he's too long. Its a similar story with the left side of the Bear's line. Chris Williams is playing LG because Frank Ominyale's can't uncoil fast enough with his 36" arms and ends up getting walked back. Frank isn't necessarily the better LT but as a unit they are getting the most out of what they have. Newhouse has the body of a top drawer tackle. It makes sense to let him fail there before kicking him inside. Lang is just the opposite. His best position should be inside.

[Lurker64]

Last mock draft that I looked at had us taking Carimi from Wisconsin.

If you read Mock Drafts between now and the draft, you will see at least 25 different names in that #32 spot.

From Mock drafts I've read *today* I've seen Green Bay taking: Anthony Castonzo, Mike Pouncey, Mark Ingram, Mikel LeShoure, Jimmy Smith, Corey Liuget, Cameron Heyward, Ryan Williams, Gabe Carimi, Aaron Williams, Rahim Moore, and Marcus Cannon.

And we haven't even had the combine yet!