Updated: Colledge OK at LT. Only Gave up 2 sacks in Bye Week

[Rastak]

Next year, Bobblehead. Next year.

But this year was the year that had 4 LT's that could be top 5 picks in most drafts. Even if we reached we would have gotten a good one. All 4 were equal or better prospects to the dude the Jets got at 4 when we got hawk. LT's don't come from nowhere in round 4, most of them are high first round picks...especially the great ones.

Who, Oher?

Jason Smith was/is hella raw; Andre had/has weight problems, Monroe had/has a bum knee, and Oher is an idiot.

There was no Joe Thomas in this draft. In a draft with a Joe Thomas caliber prospect, I'm not sure any of these guys would have been taken in the top 10.

Plenty of idiots in the NFL, even on the roster of your favorite team right now. Not just your's but mine too.....Oher is holding his own. He's holding his spot down and getting it done.

[woodbuck27]

He hadn't taken any reps at LT heading into that game. At least wait and see how he performs after actually having taken reps at the position during practice in the lead up to this weekends game. Besides, while Odom is no legend, he is a pretty good pass rusher. He got 2 sacks in week 1 against a LT that didn't give up a single one a season ago. And, to be fair, Odom only got three sacks on Colledge, the other two were on Cliffy. No telling whether he'd have wound up with 3 or 4 or 5 even if Cliffy hadn't gotten injured. He's no NFL legend, but he's scary good nonetheless.

Is that the excuse or the problem? MM has to be prepared to substitute someone at LT in the event that Clifton falls and he has been and will finally. There is no excuse for MM not to substitute Colledge at LT for some snaps in a game situation. Adversity is a fact of life in the NFL and MM has to be prepared to deal with it effectively.

GO PACKERS!

[Fritz]

I'd rather have a BJ than any of this year's top LT prospects.

I guess it's a good thing I'm not the
Packers' GM!

[MJZiggy]

Why is that good? You made the same choice he did...

[mraynrand]

prospectitude?

[Waldo]

Next year, Bobblehead. Next year.

But this year was the year that had 4 LT's that could be top 5 picks in most drafts. Even if we reached we would have gotten a good one. All 4 were equal or better prospects to the dude the Jets got at 4 when we got hawk. LT's don't come from nowhere in round 4, most of them are high first round picks...especially the great ones.

Who, Oher?

Jason Smith was/is hella raw; Andre had/has weight problems, Monroe had/has a bum knee, and Oher is an idiot.

There was no Joe Thomas in this draft. In a draft with a Joe Thomas caliber prospect, I'm not sure any of these guys would have been taken in the top 10.

Plenty of idiots in the NFL, even on the roster of your favorite team right now. Not just your's but mine too.....Oher is holding his own. He's holding his spot down and getting it done.

I understand that. He does look very good.

Our RT is the same way. Extremely talented, but dumb.

Hindsight is great. The OL especially LT, is noted as a thinking man's position. A lack of on field intelligence is a significant blow to an OL in prospect evaluation.

Oher is just not a top 5 OL prospect. That doesn't mean he can't excel, and from all appearances he's going to (thus far he's been the best OT taken in the draft), but that is only with the benefit of hindsight.

As a prospect he just wasn't a safe enough choice to go very high.

[Waldo]

He hadn't taken any reps at LT heading into that game. At least wait and see how he performs after actually having taken reps at the position during practice in the lead up to this weekends game. Besides, while Odom is no legend, he is a pretty good pass rusher. He got 2 sacks in week 1 against a LT that didn't give up a single one a season ago. And, to be fair, Odom only got three sacks on Colledge, the other two were on Cliffy. No telling whether he'd have wound up with 3 or 4 or 5 even if Cliffy hadn't gotten injured. He's no NFL legend, but he's scary good nonetheless.

Is that the excuse or the problem? MM has to be prepared to substitute someone at LT in the event that Clifton falls and he has been and will finally. There is no excuse for MM not to substitute Colledge at LT for some snaps in a game situation. Adversity is a fact of life in the NFL and MM has to be prepared to deal with it effectively.

GO PACKERS!

Then why was everyone cheering the ending of the "musical chairs"?

[Gunakor]

He hadn't taken any reps at LT heading into that game. At least wait and see how he performs after actually having taken reps at the position during practice in the lead up to this weekends game. Besides, while Odom is no legend, he is a pretty good pass rusher. He got 2 sacks in week 1 against a LT that didn't give up a single one a season ago. And, to be fair, Odom only got three sacks on Colledge, the other two were on Cliffy. No telling whether he'd have wound up with 3 or 4 or 5 even if Cliffy hadn't gotten injured. He's no NFL legend, but he's scary good nonetheless.

Is that the excuse or the problem? MM has to be prepared to substitute someone at LT in the event that Clifton falls and he has been and will finally. There is no excuse for MM not to substitute Colledge at LT for some snaps in a game situation. Adversity is a fact of life in the NFL and MM has to be prepared to deal with it effectively.

GO PACKERS!

But that would have taken reps away at LG. You don't practice all week expecting an injury. You anticipate the possibility, but you don't prepare that way. If Colledge had split reps at LG and LT during the week of practice, how can you be sure he'd be as effective at LG? That's a VERY valid reason not to have him split reps at 2 positions.

[SnakeLH2006]

Again and again. Snake was elated to grab Raji when we did. No probs there. It was either that or an ELITE ass OT prospect. Most often (but most likely top OT prospects come in the first or 2nd round of the draft). We got Raji. He'll pan out as ELITE at some point (if he doesn't pull a JH and just bust out...doubt it though).

Waldo, this topic wasn't a diss to your knowledge (you have plenty...more than most all Rats). But Colledge at OT is not the answer.

I think DC is great at OG. But the prob. is that they (MM) like to rotate the line, instead of just pulling up a straight backup when someone goes down. That needs to change. Too much flux=unprepardedness and questions. At OG, Colledge is pretty damn good over the last season, at OT he really got his ass handed to him last week. No one can dispute that.

He's great with smarts on run-gapping, and at pass-protect as a LG. Really good...

At LT, he's a pariah. Worth some limited cash ($5 million at LG, but as Cliffy's godsend at LT....pathetic.) I threw things at my HDTV watching DC go out and about getting whooped with no technique (but really is there such a thing when you barely touch the DE and get just absolutely roasted...and not only on the sacks...?...like play after play...DG is lost at LT, no?).

Arod had NO TIME. That is not a guy worth alot, regardless of position. NFL players play. Dude had/has absolutely zero instincts at LT. Maybe Cliffy (I thought he was done for the last 2 years....) is of some value. OBVIOUSLY, else his big contact would not have been honored.

Maybe Favre was so good for so long cuz he had 2 bookend OT's (Cliffy and Tauch in their primes protecting him). No? I think ARod can be great, but those sieves at both OT spots make me sick.

Bottom Line:

Colledge will NEVER be ProBowl caliber. Too freaking weak at the POA (point of attack) at OT.

I don't like Colledge as an OT, but maybe that hinges on MM as he likes to shift his top 6-7 guys around, maybe he should just get some backups at LT that CAN/DO play LT. Colledge is/has proven to be a HUGE ASS sieve at LT. That CANNOT continue. He made no future money for himself at LT (ain't like Odom is Julius Peppers), but at LG he's pretty damn good. That's all.

[Waldo]

You're pretty fired up there snakey.

Lets see him with some practice time under his belt. He's looked pretty good when he's spent some time at LT and had practice. You just can't expect a guy to come in and play shut down LT after not taking a single snap there in the last 10 months.

Face it, "no musical chairs", what was hailed as the answer, was a really dumb idea.

[Gunakor]

Bottom Line:

Colledge will NEVER be ProBowl caliber.

You're right, he probably won't be. That isn't the point. Chad Clifton was well into his 30's before he made the Pro Bowl - for the first and only time in his career - following the 2007 season. And as a backup to boot.

Can he get the job done adequately enough that the offense will function? That's really all I'm concerned with. He doesn't have to be a top 2 LT in the NFC for me to be happy. There's plenty of guys who don't make the Pro Bowl that are good enough to get the job done. Guys who actually practice at and play LT full time, something Colledge hasn't done in his career. Give him a chance. He hasn't really had one yet.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Bottom Line:

Colledge will NEVER be ProBowl caliber.

You're right, he probably won't be. That isn't the point. Chad Clifton was well into his 30's before he made the Pro Bowl - for the first and only time in his career - following the 2007 season. And as a backup to boot.

Can he get the job done adequately enough that the offense will function? That's really all I'm concerned with. He doesn't have to be a top 2 LT in the NFC for me to be happy. There's plenty of guys who don't make the Pro Bowl that are good enough to get the job done. Guys who actually practice at and play LT full time, something Colledge hasn't done in his career. Give him a chance. He hasn't really had one yet.

Nail on the head.

How many pro bowl LTs did we have when we went back 2 back to the SB?

[SnakeLH2006]

Colledge wasn't quite the F-5 disaster like he was in week 2 vs. week 3, but I still hold my doubts if he can hold his own at LT (fish out of water, not enough strength to hold the point of attack vs. quick, stronger DE's).

Anyway, Snake NEVER thought that Cliffy was that good in his last 2 years (age, injuries) but it looks like he might now play again (and if he does, he'll get roasted if he plays hurt)...but it can't be any worse (Cliffy injured vs. Collledge healthy, no?). Colledge just sucks at LT:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hspJHS4VnDlkJ_8YDQ6Bq0_IMO4A

Status of injured Packers LT Clifton unclear heading into Monday's Vikings matchup

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – 6 hours ago

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers left tackle Chad Clifton did not practice again Friday, decreasing his chances of playing Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Clifton had a setback while rehabilitating his sprained right ankle Friday but will try to practice again Saturday. McCarthy said Clifton would "at best" be a game-time decision Monday.

Clifton was hurt in a Week 2 loss to Cincinnati and sat out Sunday's victory at St. Louis. Daryn Colledge has filled in for Clifton.

Also, the Packers added defensive linemen Johnny Jolly and B.J. Raji to their injury report as limited participants in practice Friday. Jolly has an abdomen injury that flared up in practice Thursday and Raji aggravated an ankle injury in the same practice.

[esoxx]

Screw the Pro Bowl talk. All I want to see out of Colledge is some form of competence from him at LT, something that hasn't been seen so far and that worries me greatly going in to this game.
DC is a very good guard, worked all offseason at that position and was looking forward to a solid year. He prefers guard and felt settled in the position. I don't think his heart's in to LT and his confidence has to be shaken.
I view his performance Monday night as the key to the outcome.

[MJZiggy]

Screw the Pro Bowl talk. All I want to see out of Colledge is some form of competence from him at LT, something that hasn't been seen so far and that worries me greatly going in to this game.
DC is a very good guard, worked all offseason at that position and was looking forward to a solid year. He prefers guard and felt settled in the position. I don't think his heart's in to LT and his confidence has to be shaken.
I view his performance Monday night as the key to the outcome.

I've seen enough interviews and clips of DC to confidently say that his confidence is not shaken. In this situation he will dig in and do what he needs to do to get his feet under him. You just made my point, though. He's spent his whole NFL career at guard. Give him a chance to get used to tackle.