Article - Guarding the Pack

[Joemailman]

Anybody want to join the Kool-Aid Klub?

[Bretsky]

Anybody want to join the Kool-Aid Klub?

no

[MJZiggy]

There's a surprise.

[Bretsky]

There's a surprise.

Can't be too disappointed if expectations are not that high

[KYPack]

Well written article, KYP, but I disagree with your premise and your grading of the current Packer guards.

The key to good O Line play is stability and cohesiveness. The Packers O Line has made great strides in developing those two things over the last year or two. The article made the valid point that we had injuries at the Guard position, as well as demotion for inconsistency of Colledge. Even that, however, helps the development of the line as a unit, as your reserves get acclimated to playing together.

Great college guards don't correlate very well with great pro guards. The playing together factor is a lot more important than great individual talent--more so even for guards than for tackles, thus, the reason why pro teams didn't seldom draft guards as high as the first round.

If the suggestion is that we draft a Guard sometime lower down, I'd say yes, good idea. But if we're talking about the first round, probably even the 1st through 4th founds, I'd say no, don't do it.

Well Tex, then I disagree with you. The grades were issued based on performance and results. We got some pass protection from that position, but the run blocking was atrocious, so was the execution on screens. You can disagree, this being America and all, but the numbers don't lie. We sucked in short yardage, due in large part to the guards.

Injuries played a small part, but mainly we got poor play from that position. I still think it will improve due to another year of experience leading to an upgrade in play. I also think you will see at least one guard selected in the upcoming draft. A high pick? Yeah, probably not, but if any personnel group on the club could use some new players as an incentive for better play, it would be the guards.

Your point that college guys don't come in and play guard effectively is dern right.

We've learned that lesson by the progress of messers Colledge, Spitz, Coston, and Moll. I'm not saying we will draft a kid to play guard, I'm saying we draft a guard and make it known that one of the vets on the team better play better or they will be cut. Maybe that will get this bunch to get their asses in gear.