Bretsky
07-22-2007, 01:29 AM
Green Bay - Starting with Scott Wells in the seventh round of the 2004 draft, the Green Bay Packers have selected four, perhaps five, competent offensive linemen. Because of those decisions, the worst should be over for a unit that hit bottom in 2005.
"I think it is, yes," said James Campen, the team's assistant offensive line coach under Larry Beightol and Joe Philbin the last three years who was promoted to the No. 1 job in January.
"Pre-draft last year, we didn't have numbers. And certainly that draft class turned out to be pretty good. There's still much, much improvement to be made. We're still probably the youngest line in football. But I really think it will be a good group."
In fact, Campen said he saw no reason why, in time, this line couldn't become as effective as the Chad Clifton-Mike Wahle-Mike Flanagan-Marco Rivera-Mark Tauscher configuration that was the foundation of 46 victories from 2001-'04.
Left guard Daryn Colledge often has been compared to Wahle on the basis of his size and athleticism, and right guard Jason Spitz has some of the same muscle and grit that were at the core of Rivera's Pro Bowl career.
Though ranked by division scouts in late December as the fourth-best center in the NFC North, Wells is held in much higher regard by the Packers.
Add tackle-guards Tony Moll, who followed Colledge and Spitz in the '06 draft class, and rookie Allen Barbre, a fourth-round choice coming off an impressive spring, and the Packers have five players 26 and younger they are confident can play.
"As a group, they will tell you they haven't arrived," Campen said. "By any means. They're dedicated sons of a gun. It's almost getting back to. . . they're bonding. They lift together, do things together. The improvements the group made last year with each game, we expect that to carry over. We want to hit training camp from a different expectation standpoint."
Clifton, for once not rehabilitating from off-season surgery, is pain-free and looking more like a player in the middle of his career than near the end. He's bullet-proof as a pass blocker and, on a line that wasn't very good at the point of attack, probably the main reason the team ran left so much in '06.
Now Clifton needs to become much better on his back-side cut blocks, the unnatural but critical element of the zone-running scheme that returns largely unchanged from its rocky debut in Green Bay.
"He has had his best off-season in my four years here," Campen said. "He feels terrific."
Tauscher, with 96 starts compared to Clifton's 100 in their seven seasons, was a more effective cut-blocker than his line-mate but left something to be desired straight-ahead. Before the Packers consider replacing Tauscher, however, they should remember that he has allowed merely 12 sacks in his career.
"Very good pass protector," Campen said. "He just wills it that he's just not going to get beat. He's 'Steady Eddie.' As smart a football player as anyone in that room."
In Pro Football Weekly's annual summer rankings of players, Wells wasn't included among the top 21 centers. The Packers disagree, saying he's one of the best.
"What we're asking him to do in this scheme, what we run and how we do things, for me, I wouldn't want another center," Campen said. "People say he's just a seventh-round pick. Well, this kid can play."
From sorting out fronts and blitzes to anchoring against bulk to releasing quickly on linebackers, the Packers say the squatty Wells performs with intelligence, strength and heart.
"He has a tremendous desire to win every snap," said Campen, who played center for the Packers from 1990-'93. "Sometimes he will get a little overaggressive, and we've tempered that a bit. He's a consummate pro."
Colledge had a better year than Spitz and Spitz had a better year than Moll, who made five starts at both right guard and right tackle. But together with Barbre, it's tough to say what the pecking order will be in two months, let alone in a year or two.
Benched after the exhibition opener, Colledge regained his job due to injury in Week 2 and never gave it back. The Packers did keep in more blockers than is desirable to help their rookie guards, but the fact remains that Colledge didn't allow a sack in 14 starts inside.
"Very savvy football player at this point of his career," Campen said. "Good fundamentals. Good hand placement. He does need to improve his strength, and he has done that this off-season. Understands commitment and what it takes to win."
Spitz came in as the strongest and most ready-to-play of the three rookies. A modest athlete, Spitz is athletic enough to be a long-term answer, according to Campen.
"He's a jewel to coach," he said. "He's a funny kid that brings a great camaraderie to the O-line. He's a grinder. He needs to improve on his flexibility and movement skills."
Moll, a tight end until spring 2006, accomplished much, much more than expected. He will open camp at right tackle but has four-position versatility. He has made much-needed strength gains.
"He's a kid that will not back down from anybody, even if it's a 10-time Pro Bowler," Campen said. "He's a mauler. He's got up-side."
Barbre was a left tackle at the Division II level and could eventually succeed Clifton, but for now he will learn how to play guard on the left side. Upon first glance, Campen isn't ready to categorize him as developmental.
"I think he could help us this year," he said. "Absolutely. Should be a good football player. He finishes everything. Very fast and very explosive. He has football mentality."
Three center-guard types competing to back up Wells are Tony Palmer, Junius Coston and Tyson Walter. Palmer underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-January and couldn't practice this spring but should be OK when practice starts. Coston is another top athlete who hasn't been competitive enough or skilled enough to see the field. Walter is an insurance policy.
Of the 14 linemen, all but two were with the Packers in some capacity last year. Plus, every lineman that played a regular-season snap in '06 returns.
"I don't think there's a kid that we're going to camp with that can't play in the NFL," Campen said. "Are we better than last year? Absolutely."
"I think it is, yes," said James Campen, the team's assistant offensive line coach under Larry Beightol and Joe Philbin the last three years who was promoted to the No. 1 job in January.
"Pre-draft last year, we didn't have numbers. And certainly that draft class turned out to be pretty good. There's still much, much improvement to be made. We're still probably the youngest line in football. But I really think it will be a good group."
In fact, Campen said he saw no reason why, in time, this line couldn't become as effective as the Chad Clifton-Mike Wahle-Mike Flanagan-Marco Rivera-Mark Tauscher configuration that was the foundation of 46 victories from 2001-'04.
Left guard Daryn Colledge often has been compared to Wahle on the basis of his size and athleticism, and right guard Jason Spitz has some of the same muscle and grit that were at the core of Rivera's Pro Bowl career.
Though ranked by division scouts in late December as the fourth-best center in the NFC North, Wells is held in much higher regard by the Packers.
Add tackle-guards Tony Moll, who followed Colledge and Spitz in the '06 draft class, and rookie Allen Barbre, a fourth-round choice coming off an impressive spring, and the Packers have five players 26 and younger they are confident can play.
"As a group, they will tell you they haven't arrived," Campen said. "By any means. They're dedicated sons of a gun. It's almost getting back to. . . they're bonding. They lift together, do things together. The improvements the group made last year with each game, we expect that to carry over. We want to hit training camp from a different expectation standpoint."
Clifton, for once not rehabilitating from off-season surgery, is pain-free and looking more like a player in the middle of his career than near the end. He's bullet-proof as a pass blocker and, on a line that wasn't very good at the point of attack, probably the main reason the team ran left so much in '06.
Now Clifton needs to become much better on his back-side cut blocks, the unnatural but critical element of the zone-running scheme that returns largely unchanged from its rocky debut in Green Bay.
"He has had his best off-season in my four years here," Campen said. "He feels terrific."
Tauscher, with 96 starts compared to Clifton's 100 in their seven seasons, was a more effective cut-blocker than his line-mate but left something to be desired straight-ahead. Before the Packers consider replacing Tauscher, however, they should remember that he has allowed merely 12 sacks in his career.
"Very good pass protector," Campen said. "He just wills it that he's just not going to get beat. He's 'Steady Eddie.' As smart a football player as anyone in that room."
In Pro Football Weekly's annual summer rankings of players, Wells wasn't included among the top 21 centers. The Packers disagree, saying he's one of the best.
"What we're asking him to do in this scheme, what we run and how we do things, for me, I wouldn't want another center," Campen said. "People say he's just a seventh-round pick. Well, this kid can play."
From sorting out fronts and blitzes to anchoring against bulk to releasing quickly on linebackers, the Packers say the squatty Wells performs with intelligence, strength and heart.
"He has a tremendous desire to win every snap," said Campen, who played center for the Packers from 1990-'93. "Sometimes he will get a little overaggressive, and we've tempered that a bit. He's a consummate pro."
Colledge had a better year than Spitz and Spitz had a better year than Moll, who made five starts at both right guard and right tackle. But together with Barbre, it's tough to say what the pecking order will be in two months, let alone in a year or two.
Benched after the exhibition opener, Colledge regained his job due to injury in Week 2 and never gave it back. The Packers did keep in more blockers than is desirable to help their rookie guards, but the fact remains that Colledge didn't allow a sack in 14 starts inside.
"Very savvy football player at this point of his career," Campen said. "Good fundamentals. Good hand placement. He does need to improve his strength, and he has done that this off-season. Understands commitment and what it takes to win."
Spitz came in as the strongest and most ready-to-play of the three rookies. A modest athlete, Spitz is athletic enough to be a long-term answer, according to Campen.
"He's a jewel to coach," he said. "He's a funny kid that brings a great camaraderie to the O-line. He's a grinder. He needs to improve on his flexibility and movement skills."
Moll, a tight end until spring 2006, accomplished much, much more than expected. He will open camp at right tackle but has four-position versatility. He has made much-needed strength gains.
"He's a kid that will not back down from anybody, even if it's a 10-time Pro Bowler," Campen said. "He's a mauler. He's got up-side."
Barbre was a left tackle at the Division II level and could eventually succeed Clifton, but for now he will learn how to play guard on the left side. Upon first glance, Campen isn't ready to categorize him as developmental.
"I think he could help us this year," he said. "Absolutely. Should be a good football player. He finishes everything. Very fast and very explosive. He has football mentality."
Three center-guard types competing to back up Wells are Tony Palmer, Junius Coston and Tyson Walter. Palmer underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-January and couldn't practice this spring but should be OK when practice starts. Coston is another top athlete who hasn't been competitive enough or skilled enough to see the field. Walter is an insurance policy.
Of the 14 linemen, all but two were with the Packers in some capacity last year. Plus, every lineman that played a regular-season snap in '06 returns.
"I don't think there's a kid that we're going to camp with that can't play in the NFL," Campen said. "Are we better than last year? Absolutely."