Offensive Line Is The Key

[Rastak]

I said DEs. If James and Udeze live up to their first round potential then watch out.

My bad. Yeah, good point. Personally, I think their defense is a long way from being sick. Their defense was worse than Green Bay's defense for the most part last year. They added Greenway, Leber, and Tank--but lost Johnstone, Cowart, Williams, and Chavous. Leber could be a good fit. Tank was a shell of himself the last two years, but could be okay if he returns to the guy of 2003. I'm iffy on Greenway. I think there's doubts whether he's physical enough yet. I think it will take a year before he's good. He has to get stronger. Even if the DEs pan out, they still have issues at LB, CB, and S. Of course, if they do pan out, it bodes very well for them. That would mean they'd have a hell of a front four.

I think Greenway will be ok in coverage but can he hold up against the run? Offord and Tank Williams are both hard hitting safties of the same mold and Winfield is a sure tackler so I think their run defense will be ok. Cowart was OK but didn't fit the tampa 2. Johnstone was a good situational player who's getting pretty long in the tooth. MLB is the biggest question. Coaching is the 2nd biggest in my mind. I like the Texas CB they picked in the draft and they have a couple of young guys that look promising. Edwards and Whitaker. I know Edwards took one to the house against the Pack last year.

It's all gonna come down to coaching I think for Minnesota, good or bad. For Green Bay, I think it's defensive line that will be key. If Colin Cole can play out of his head again and Kampman , KGB play very well Green Bay's defense will be very solid. I think Green Bay's question marks at defensive coaching are far less than Minnesota's. We'll have to see Manual in action and of course Hawk is a rookie but I'd be looking forward to watching that whole group if I were you guys. I'm predicting a top 15 defense for Green Bay.

[Merlin]

Merlin,

I agree with you on the importance of the offensive line. Sherman screwed up big time last year by failing to settle on a starting five until the week before the season opener. However, I disagree with you on Wells. I think he will be fine if they can just leave him at Center. He started at Guard last year just because Klemm and WShitticker were so bad.

Nice call on Lucier though. I didn't realize he has been a starter before with the Giants. He should have a real chance to make the team as a Center, and could even be a replacement at Guard if Coston or Colledge aren't ready.

I agreed with you, Wells is just a Center, nothing more. He needs to step it up if he is to win the job though. Lucier could be very good.

[wist43]

I said DEs. If James and Udeze live up to their first round potential then watch out.

My bad. Yeah, good point. Personally, I think their defense is a long way from being sick. Their defense was worse than Green Bay's defense for the most part last year. They added Greenway, Leber, and Tank--but lost Johnstone, Cowart, Williams, and Chavous. Leber could be a good fit. Tank was a shell of himself the last two years, but could be okay if he returns to the guy of 2003. I'm iffy on Greenway. I think there's doubts whether he's physical enough yet. I think it will take a year before he's good. He has to get stronger. Even if the DEs pan out, they still have issues at LB, CB, and S. Of course, if they do pan out, it bodes very well for them. That would mean they'd have a hell of a front four.

I think Greenway will be ok in coverage but can he hold up against the run? Offord and Tank Williams are both hard hitting safties of the same mold and Winfield is a sure tackler so I think their run defense will be ok. Cowart was OK but didn't fit the tampa 2. Johnstone was a good situational player who's getting pretty long in the tooth. MLB is the biggest question. Coaching is the 2nd biggest in my mind. I like the Texas CB they picked in the draft and they have a couple of young guys that look promising. Edwards and Whitaker. I know Edwards took one to the house against the Pack last year.

It's all gonna come down to coaching I think for Minnesota, good or bad. For Green Bay, I think it's defensive line that will be key. If Colin Cole can play out of his head again and Kampman , KGB play very well Green Bay's defense will be very solid. I think Green Bay's question marks at defensive coaching are far less than Minnesota's. We'll have to see Manual in action and of course Hawk is a rookie but I'd be looking forward to watching that whole group if I were you guys. I'm predicting a top 15 defense for Green Bay.

Green Bay's back seven will be better, but with no pass rush it's going to be difficult for them to be better than average. Look up "pedestrian" in the dictionary - it says: Packers DL.

As for Minnesota, I don't like Greenway at all, but I still think Minnesota's defense is much better than Green Bay's... Green Bay doesn't have anybody on their roster like Kevin Williams - he's a stud in the middle of that line.

[Bossman641]

I thought Wells played OK at center. It was at guard where he really struggled with bull rushes.

As for our DL, it all depends on the play of the DE's. I like our set of DT's. There's definitely not any stud in there, but they all bring a little something different to the table and can be mixed and matched to counter what the offense wants to do.

Montgomery needs to make a big step this year. There's no way that KGB and Kamp can play 90-95% of the snaps or whatever the number was like they did last year. I think we'll have a legit top 10 defense.

[gureski]

Allen is very unlikely to start. In fact, he's 50-50 on making the roster.

How could you make this assertion so early in the process? It's not like Allen is some practice squad kid or something.

I'm completely the other direction. Not only do I feel Allen is a great pick up for the team and that he will certainly make the roster and be an active part of the DT rotation..... I believe he is 50-50 to start!

I base my thoughts on Allen's background, his size, and the fact that some of the younger D-lineman on the team are about to be shown the door. It's early so I can't say I'm certainly right but with respects to your comments that Allen certainly wont start and is only 50-50 to make the team..... I don't see who exactly on the team is so good that they're elbowing Allen out of even competing for a starting job much less shoving him right to the street.

[gureski]

I've been looking for an opening to bring something up that I think is being overshadowed and that something is the version of the West Coast Offense that McCarthy and Jagodinski are bringing to G.B. and how this will determine the success or failure of the O-line this year.

For those of you that were around and attentive during the first years of the Holmgren/Wolf tenure.... think back to the offensive style that was played back then. Our O-line was nothing to brag about back then and they were playing with over the hill, past their prime players in guys like Tootie Robbins and Guy MacNtyre. Holmgren called short drops and short routes. Lots of TE stuff and dump offs to the RB's. Yes, some of that was due to the fact that the team lacked a true #2 WR next to S.Sharpe and a legitimate starting RB BUT it also was happening that way because of the way they ran the West Coast Offense. Some of that playcalling covered up the shortcomings of the offensive line. In essance, they made it work with what they had by utilizing the West Coast offense and its short drops and short routes. They spread the ball around. All that took the pressure off the O-line and made it play better then it probably should've if you looked at it on paper.

Can utilizing the West Coast Offense do the same thing to the current O-line unit that looks weak on paper?

In my opinion, this is the key to whether or not the O-line has success this year. It's not the zone blocking scheme....rather it's the verion of the West Coast that these guys use and the plays they call. If McCarthy uses the West Coast Offense properly, he can cover up some of the weakness of the interior of the O-line. One of the valid criticisms of Sherman/Rossley last year was that they kept running the same plays after key players were injured (or signed to other teams). They never seemed to deviate from their normal offensive philosophy until late in the season.

The main point is that the biggest "X" factor regarding the success of the O-line will involve the playcalling and utilization of the West Coast Offense by McCarthy and Jagodinski. The West Coast Offense has proven in the Packers past to be a means of covering up weaknesses on the offensive line. If they start the short stuff again and spread the ball around more including the TE spot........that will go a long way towards helping the O-line look good in 2006.

[jack's smirking revenge]

In regards to Allen, I've talked to a few Giants fans and they were GREATLY disappointed at the loss of that player, think we picked up a blossoming talent. Will that translate onto the Lambeau grass? Who knows. But I think its too early to dismiss him.

tyler

[Harlan Huckleby]

I'm only concerned that Allen has Cletedius Hunt's old number.

[gureski]

In regards to Allen, I've talked to a few Giants fans and they were GREATLY disappointed at the loss of that player, think we picked up a blossoming talent. Will that translate onto the Lambeau grass? Who knows. But I think its too early to dismiss him.

tyler

I agree. He's at least servicable and someone you can rotate in as a solid #3 or #4 guy. That's at the least.


Like I pointed out before....who exactly do the Packers have on the current roster that is running laps around Allen so much so that it's 50-50 that he'll even make the team?