Daryn Colledge Fan Club

[Bretsky]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/94671334.html

SUAP

[Zool]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/94671334.html


SUAP

As always, the comment section below the article is hilarious.

[pbmax]

Colledge's Quotes:

"Well that's kind of the promise every year, but due to injuries and things like that, I don't try to rely on that," Colledge said during the first session of organized team activities last week.

"I would absolutely love to be the left guard full time and take every rep in every game because I feel like that's my best position. It doesn't always work like that.

"For now, we're going to go in with the same goal we have every year: Bust our (expletive), stay healthy and have a great offensive line."

There is definitely a need for Colledge to play better. But Nickel hasn't figured out yet what he needs to do. She and Bedard are doing a good job of making it appear that Philbin and Colledge are at odds, when what is most clear is that Philbin doesn't agree with the problem as presented by the reporters.

[vince]

That's an interesting article. While Colledge doesn't explicitly use the excuse that the couple times he moved from guard to tackle hindered his performance, he certainly doesn't do anything to squash the notion either. In fact, he cleverly fuels that argument while letting others make it for him.

It seems to me that Philbin too is insinuating one thing while simultaneously explicitly stating something a bit different. Philbin is correct in avoiding criticizing a player through media channels, which is a clearly a basic tenet of this regime's approach from top to bottom. But he's not exactly gushing praise for Colledge or sqaushing the suggestion some excuse-making (in his opinion) may be going on either, so I think it's fair to interpret what he said a bit.

I get the impression that Philbin believes - or perhaps knows through individual discussions with Colledge - that Colledge is using the fact that he's played a bit of tackle in addition to guard as an excuse for any criticism of his play, and to the extent it's happening, it doesn't jive with McCarthy's philosophy of accountability.

[swede]

That's an interesting article. While Colledge doesn't explicitly use the excuse that the couple times he moved from guard to tackle hindered his performance, he certainly doesn't do anything to squash the notion either. In fact, he cleverly fuels that argument while letting others make it for him.

It seems to me that Philbin too is insinuating one thing while simultaneously explicitly stating something a bit different. Philbin is correct in avoiding criticizing a player through media channels, which is a clearly a basic tenet of this regime's approach from top to bottom. But he's not exactly gushing praise for Colledge or sqaushing the suggestion some excuse-making (in his opinion) may be going on either, so I think it's fair to interpret what he said a bit.

I get the impression that Philbin believes - or perhaps knows through individual discussions with Colledge - that Colledge is using the fact that he's played a bit of tackle in addition to guard as an excuse for any criticism of his play, and to the extent it's happening, it doesn't jive with McCarthy's philosophy of accountability.

+1

Credit Philbin for carefully refusing to criticize Colledge's play while at the same time telling him to grow up and accept the fact that his JOB is to do whatever the team needs him to do. It is very, very telling that he had some statistics ready to defend the team's position in regard to Colledge's comments. One can surmise he (Philbin) is sharing information he had already prepared for meetings with McCarthy or Colledge himself.

In one of the last paragraphs Colledge says the right things about wanting to be with his team preparing for a new season. I think he's a good guy and a decent player. He just rubs people the wrong way, and one still wonders if his tendency to be a little lawyerly bothers his coaches.

And look at the comments below the article. Holy cow do people have it in for Colledge. It reminds me of the animosity fans had for the big-talking Darren Sharper. I myself was really hard on Sharper and I wasn't sad to see him go. He was pretty good, he just wasn't as good as he thought himself to be. In the end, like Timmerman and Wahle, moving on will probably be Colledge's fate as well.

[pbmax]

That's an interesting article. While Colledge doesn't explicitly use the excuse that the couple times he moved from guard to tackle hindered his performance, he certainly doesn't do anything to squash the notion either. In fact, he cleverly fuels that argument while letting others make it for him.

He refused to say it has hurt him. They didn't quote that. What they did quote was then presented as if Philbin rebutted it. But he did not. Philbin rebutted a reporter's question that Colledge refused to answer.

If moving around the offensive line has greatly hindered the career of Daryn Colledge, he wouldn't say so last week.

To get a controversy, they used previous statements as a wedge and then presented them to Philbin as if this was a new point of contention. Philbin rejected them out of hand. Philbin even said if this was about a newer player, they might have some validity. Nickel conveniently does not tell us when the previous statements were made.

In the past, he has said that changing positions, mostly to fill in at left tackle when Chad Clifton was injured, might have affected his overall development.

There is no doubt Colledge doesn't want to move. In this, he is typical. What isn't explained is why he played so bad last year. We got heat, but no explanation. It is disappointing Colledge isn't talking solely about how he plans to do better, but this line of questioning isn't about that.

[Bretsky]

I give credit to Nickel for writing this; normally she's the fluffer

I wonder if we'd be more critical of the article if Bedard or McGinn wrote it ?

[pbmax]

It is very, very telling that he had some statistics ready to defend the team's position in regard to Colledge's comments. One can surmise he (Philbin) is sharing information he had already prepared for meetings with McCarthy or Colledge himself....

... In the end, like Timmerman and Wahle, moving on will probably be Colledge's fate as well.

I do find that snap total summary interesting, and it might mean this topic has come up before. But I would also expect an OC to know how many snaps a O lineman gets in a season and know how many years Colledge has been in the league. To guess to within a range of 500 is probably not hard, Philbin may be defending the staff or personnel people.

As for leaving, it will only be like Wahle or Timmerman in that Colledge may leave with some tread on the tires. But unlike the former two, he will leave to a low contract without a ton of suitors at his asking price.

[pbmax]

I give credit to Nickel for writing this; normally she's the fluffer

I wonder if we'd be more critical of the article if Bedard or McGinn wrote it ?

The topic is serious, the evaluation is poor. I would like to know why the staff thinks Colledge struggled. Even if switching to LT is Colledge's excuse, why did the staff believe in him to play guard AND LT? Was that Thompson?

[bobblehead]

There is no doubt Colledge doesn't want to move. In this, he is typical. What isn't explained is why he played so bad last year. We got heat, but no explanation. It is disappointing Colledge isn't talking solely about how he plans to do better, but this line of questioning isn't about that.

College didn't lead the direction of the interview though. What he DID say was that there was no way he was missing team activites. He says it would be unfair to Aaron, his teammates, the coaches and the fans. Thats a pretty solid statement by a guy NOT making excuses.

I've got no problem with DC off the field, and I'm hoping he gets off to a good start this year. I'm still a DC fan, but my loyalty was stretched at times last year.....if not for Babre I might have been down on DC even more.

[vince]

There is no doubt Colledge doesn't want to move. In this, he is typical. What isn't explained is why he played so bad last year. We got heat, but no explanation. It is disappointing Colledge isn't talking solely about how he plans to do better, but this line of questioning isn't about that.

College didn't lead the direction of the interview though. What he DID say was that there was no way he was missing team activites. He says it would be unfair to Aaron, his teammates, the coaches and the fans. Thats a pretty solid statement by a guy NOT making excuses.

I've got no problem with DC off the field, and I'm hoping he gets off to a good start this year. I'm still a DC fan, but my loyalty was stretched at times last year.....if not for Babre I might have been down on DC even more.

I agree that Colledge said the right things here, and I also agree that the reporter directed the responses, but a misguided or irrelevant question could easily be rebuffed. I think the direction of this article is appropriate given Colledge's record on this subject.

While I think there's a legitimate issue here worth reporting on, and the way it's being reported is generally fair, both sides are professional enough to get through it. Ultimately, what he said here and has said in the past may resurface to some extent, but this issue will mostly sort itself out on the field.

[vince]

I thought this was a good article that shows Colledge's approach to this offseason. I've been a critic of Colledge's play last year, but he seems to be taking a very constructive approach and attitude to his work this offseason. It makes me more confident now that, even if Colledge wins/keeps the job, we could see improved play at LG this year. I'll be happy to eat some crow in about six months.

http://www.espnmilwaukee.com/includes/news_items/40/news_items_more.php?id=3628&section_id=40

'I’m going to give them every reason to not get rid of me'
By JASON WILDE
jwilde@espnwisconsin.com

GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers returned to work Tuesday, and there was Daryn Colledge, again taking the snaps with the No. 1 offense at left guard.

Whether or not he’s still there when the regular season begins Sept. 13 at Philadelphia, well, Colledge figures that’s all up to him.

With Jason Spitz, his primary competition – and best friend – still sidelined following his season-ending back surgery of last year, Colledge has been working with the No. 1 offensive line throughout organized team activity practices, which resumed Tuesday after coach Mike McCarthy gave the players 10 days off following the first week of OTA workouts. Practices continue with Wednesday’s open-to-the-public (and the media) session and will run three-days-a-week until the team’s mandatory minicamp kicks off June 21.

And while Colledge has endured more than his share of criticism since joining the team as a second-round pick in 2006, he has been a mainstay on the line, seeing action in every one of the 67 games (including playoffs) the Packers have played during his four-year career.

So if Spitz, second-year man T.J. Lang (who’s out until training camp following wrist surgery) or anyone else wants to take away his starting gig once the competition heats up in camp, Colledge can guarantee one thing: They’re in for a fight.

“Right now, I’m the starting left guard until someone tells me otherwise. I’m getting almost every single rep, and until I’m informed otherwise, I’ll play that way,” Colledge said. “Who knows what they’ll do? That’s up to them. I’m going to give them every reason to not get rid of me.

“I’m not planning on going quietly into the night. I’m not going to lie down. I’ve got 63 starts counting playoff games, and I’m not giving those up for nothing. I plan on competing my ass off. I’m going to give them a reason to have to play me, and if they choose to go in another direction, that’s their decision.”

While there’s no denying that Colledge has been inconsistent at times at left guard, one also must grant that moving outside to left tackle when Chad Clifton has been unavailable – including when he went down in Week 2 with an ankle injury – didn’t help Colledge, either.

“I would absolutely love to be the left guard full-time and take every rep in every game at that (spot) because I feel like that’s my best position. It doesn’t always work like that,” Colledge said. “There’s injuries and there’s things that happen on the football field that are unexpected and you’ve got to react to it.”

Of Colledge’s 63 career starts, 59 have come at left guard, four at left tackle and one at right tackle – although he has shifted to left tackle a number of other times during games when Clifton was injured, as he was against Cincinnati last Sept. 20.

“Sure, I think any player is,” offensive line coach James Campen replied when asked if Colledge is more comfortable at left guard than left tackle, where he played in college for four years at Boise State. “Daryn was asked to back up left tackle last year, but the majority of his (practice) reps were spent at guard. I don’t know if he got any reps at tackle last year (in practice before Clifton’s injury).

“(This year), he’ll still go in there at left guard and that’s exclusively where he’ll play. We have other tackles now, so we’re covered at this point in time.”

With first-round draft pick Bryan Bulaga set to back up Clifton at left tackle and Lang viewed as the right tackle of the future behind veteran Mark Tauscher, Colledge can focus on improving at left guard. While he had a costly penalty late in the Packers’ season-ending loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Wild Card playoffs, his play improved during the second half of last season, when Lang took over as Clifton’s backup and Colledge knew he’d only be playing left guard.

“Obviously I didn’t have the first half of the season I wanted to have,” said Colledge, who was part of an offensive line that gave up 37 sacks in the team’s first eight regular-season games – and only 14 in the final eight. “I felt like I had a good last half of the season when I got focused on left guard.”

There were reports after Colledge received a second-round tender (a one-year deal for 2010 worth $1.76 million) in March as a restricted free agent that he was unhappy with his deal, but Colledge vehemently denied those reports at the time and did so again when OTAs began. Instead, Colledge said he missed the start of the offseason workout program – his signed his tender on May 10 – while working out at home in Boise, where his altered diet and workouts

“Everybody thought I wasn’t here because I was holding out, but it was nothing like that,” Colledge said. “I was at home taking care of myself physically and mentally so I can be the best offensive lineman I can be. Aaron (Rodgers) deserves it, this team deserves it and the city deserves it. And I expect to do it.”

If Colledge’s past responses to having his job security challenged are any indication, don’t bet against him.

When he was benched following the preseason opener at San Diego as a rookie in 2006, he regained the starting left guard spot in the second week of the regular season when Spitz suffered a thigh injury. In 2007, he held off competition for his job after a Nov. 4 game at Kansas City, and although he was benched during a loss at Dallas on Nov. 29, he was back starting when the playoffs began. And during training camp in 2008, he retained his starting gig by thoroughly outperforming Allen Barbre.

“In his defense, this kid comes to work every day,” Campen said. “Every time Daryn has been challenged – this isn’t the first time – (he’s responded). And I’ll make it perfectly clear, too – there’s a bunch of challenges on that offensive line now. It’s not just a focal point right there. But he has responded every time. And I expect him to respond. I do.

“Now, whether or not he is the starting left guard, other people are going to respond as well. But as far as Daryn backing down from a challenge or saying, ‘What the heck, the odds are against me,’ that’s not in his makeup whatsoever. Yeah, he takes some criticism, but I’ll say this: As far as an accountable person, he is always available and ready to go.”

Now he just has to play better.

“I feel like – and I need to feel like – I’m the best option there is available,” Colledge said. “Whether that’s competition between me and Barbre, or me and Spitz, or me and T.J. Lang, I’ve got to feel like I’m the best guy there is. I’ve got to give them the reason to play me every year.

“This year, I’ll do what I do every year – compete my ass off, play left guard the best I can, and then see where the cards fall. And if I get to be the left guard and everybody stays healthy, I think we’ve got a great opportunity. If I’m not the best player, then they’ve got somebody else out there that’s making this team better and I’ll push that guy.”

[retailguy]

I'll be happy to eat some crow in about six months.

And I'll be happy to join you on that. Sincerely.

On that note, I won't be losing any sleep over that mea culpa, because I doubt it's happening.

[pbmax]

I forgot that Clifton left the Cincinnati game. That explains, to some degree, why that game looked so bad in the game charting from Pro Football Focus.

Of Colledge’s 63 career starts, 59 have come at left guard, four at left tackle and one at right tackle – although he has shifted to left tackle a number of other times during games when Clifton was injured, as he was against Cincinnati last Sept. 20.

All in all, he should have one goal for improvement: pass protect better.

[Joemailman]

Colledge has always seemed to be a guy who needs to be prodded and pushed in order to stay motivated. That's disappointing, but it is what it is I guess. The good news is that I think the Packers have better depth on the OL than they've had since Colledge has been here. There may be enough to keep competition to keep Colledge motivated. If he doesn't perform satisfactorily, I don't think MM will hesitate to go with Spitz or Lang.