Jason Spitz or G/C Evan Dietrich-Smith... Getting calls?

[Patler]

I'd say it's the injury. Who knows? It may not be 100% yet. Trying to play on the OL with a bad wrist seems a bit problematic to me. The "bad coaching" didn't seem to hold back Josh Sitton. Or Lang last year. Or Bulaga this year before he got hurt.

My issue has always been that the players are who they were when they came in. Under previous staffs, players like Timmerman, Rivera, Wahle, etc. developed into outstanding players after having relatively poor starting performances. Good players like Clifton and Tauscher became rocks that could be relied on. Flanagan became a pro-bowl player too.


Look at the players under the current staff. Whitticker, Coston, Moll, Colledge, Spitz, Barbre. Has anyone of them improved significantly from what they were when they came? I don't think any one of them changed much at all. For that matter, has Sitton improved, or is he just what he provided when he first showed up. (I think it is too early to say for sure with Sitton.)

They obviously made no headway at all with Meredith in the short time they had him.

Now we have Lang who isn't playing as well as he did last year, perhaps for other reasons. Bulaga is totally unknown at this point.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I like Jordy as a kick return. I think he's solid at that. Not very dynamic at punt returns, and I don't really want Williams back there. Not sure what they'll do, if Blackmon can't go. Did they ever try Swain at punt returner? He's more quick than fast, and might not be a bad punt returner if he can catch the ball.

[Patler]

I like Jordy as a kick return. I think he's solid at that. Not very dynamic at punt returns, and I don't really want Williams back there. Not sure what they'll do, if Blackmon can't go. Did they ever try Swain at punt returner? He's more quick than fast, and might not be a bad punt returner if he can catch the ball.

I think they tried Swain last year or the year before in pre-season.

I really don't mind Jordy on kickoffs either. Can and has gotten the 30-50 yard returns, and always seems to get to the 25-30 yardline. Not exciting, but reliable. Jordy looks pedestrian on punt returns, however.

[Smidgeon]

I'd say it's the injury. Who knows? It may not be 100% yet. Trying to play on the OL with a bad wrist seems a bit problematic to me. The "bad coaching" didn't seem to hold back Josh Sitton. Or Lang last year. Or Bulaga this year before he got hurt.

Maybe Philbin's more active in coaching the OL this year...?

[retailguy]

I don't think you let go of Newhouse as shaky as Lang was in the preseason. You gotta wonder if the coaches are screwing the kid up, or it's just residual rust from his injury.

Are you suggesting that the Packers' O-line coaches might not be getting the absolute best out of a player??
Surely you jest!

Well, honestly, if our OL coaches are getting the "very best" out of the talent on the line, then Ted should be fired. Immediately.

[bobblehead]

I'd say it's the injury. Who knows? It may not be 100% yet. Trying to play on the OL with a bad wrist seems a bit problematic to me. The "bad coaching" didn't seem to hold back Josh Sitton. Or Lang last year. Or Bulaga this year before he got hurt.

My issue has always been that the players are who they were when they came in. Under previous staffs, players like Timmerman, Rivera, Wahle, etc. developed into outstanding players after having relatively poor starting performances. Good players like Clifton and Tauscher became rocks that could be relied on. Flanagan became a pro-bowl player too.


Look at the players under the current staff. Whitticker, Coston, Moll, Colledge, Spitz, Barbre. Has anyone of them improved significantly from what they were when they came? I don't think any one of them changed much at all. For that matter, has Sitton improved, or is he just what he provided when he first showed up. (I think it is too early to say for sure with Sitton.)

They obviously made no headway at all with Meredith in the short time they had him.

Now we have Lang who isn't playing as well as he did last year, perhaps for other reasons. Bulaga is totally unknown at this point.

I seem to agree with this, but what I can't figure out is, if we see it so obviously, why hasn't MM seen it and made a switch?

[HarveyWallbangers]

I don't think there's any doubt that Sitton has improved. I can't say whether the OL coaches are any good or not. Tauscher, Wells, and Clifton were already vets when the coaches got here. Colledge has improved, but he's still way too inconsistent. Maybe that's just the player. Kind of like Bryant McKinnie with the Vikings. Sitton has improved. I thought Spitz had improved, but the injury set him back. Barbre and Giacomini haven't improved. Lang looked like an improved player from the beginning of last year to the end.

[rbaloha1]

If you want to keep Spitz & EDS, though, don't you end up with ten?

Clifton
Colledge
Wells
Sitton
Tauscher
Bulaga
Lang
Newhouse
Spitz
Dietrich-Smith

So you have to then go short at another position. But which one?

Newhouse to PS. He's not ready to play anyway.

Newhouse would be scooped-up if on the PS. Disagree -- Newhouse is ready to backup Cliffy.

[Patler]

Newhouse would be scooped-up if on the PS. Disagree -- Newhouse is ready to backup Cliffy.

Not from what I saw last night. He looked slow and lumbering. If he backs up Clifton this year, Rodgers better be ready to run if Clifton goes down.

[rbaloha1]

Newhouse would be scooped-up if on the PS. Disagree -- Newhouse is ready to backup Cliffy.

Not from what I saw last night. He looked slow and lumbering. If he backs up Clifton this year, Rodgers better be ready to run if Clifton goes down.

Missed the game. Did Newhouse have more problems at guard or tackle.

Based on the first three preseason games, Newhouse was assignment sure and failed to get beat.

IMO Newhouse is built more like a guard.

[Fritz]

I think Newhouse on PS would get scooped up. I would keep him because, after all, someone has to be declared inactive on game day!

He looks like he has the potential to improve. I don't want to give away another rookie tackle to another team.

[Zool]

I don't think you let go of Newhouse as shaky as Lang was in the preseason. You gotta wonder if the coaches are screwing the kid up, or it's just residual rust from his injury.

Are you suggesting that the Packers' O-line coaches might not be getting the absolute best out of a player??
Surely you jest!

Well, honestly, if our OL coaches are getting the "very best" out of the talent on the line, then Ted should be fired. Immediately.

I guess you mean McCarthy. I think he's got final say on coaches.

[retailguy]

I don't think you let go of Newhouse as shaky as Lang was in the preseason. You gotta wonder if the coaches are screwing the kid up, or it's just residual rust from his injury.

Are you suggesting that the Packers' O-line coaches might not be getting the absolute best out of a player??
Surely you jest!

Well, honestly, if our OL coaches are getting the "very best" out of the talent on the line, then Ted should be fired. Immediately.

I guess you mean McCarthy. I think he's got final say on coaches.

Umm. No. My comment indicates that if the coaches are getting all the talent out of the players that there is, then there isn't much talent to get.... It was also tongue in cheek.

[pbmax]

Like Meredith, Newhouse will not survive PS for the season. If they want him, he would need to be the new project tackle who makes the 53, but collects 16 game checks for being inactive.

Two things:

1. If the Packers O line was a complete shambles (like the Houston Texans) then this offense could not have performed as well as it did during 2007 and 2009. By simply being mediocre, they look like a tire fire compared to their teammates.

2. The change of O lineman success rates from Colledge, Spitz, Barbre and Giacomini to the new crop of Sitton, EDS, Lang, Meredith, Bulaga and Newhouse make me think the Packers were identifying the wrong players for the coaches and systems. The lighter, more athletic types (former TEs) have suddenly disappeared from the drafts. I think the team had its personnel target trained on the wrong kind of player. Perhaps because of the coach or perhaps because of the O philosophy.

Only McCarthy was in a position before to know how to tell a GM what kind of lineman he needed to run his offense. And his best resource on the topic left for BC after one year. Neither Philbin and Campen had never had that responsibility before.

[Patler]

2. The change of O lineman success rates from Colledge, Spitz, Barbre and Giacomini to the new crop of Sitton, EDS, Lang, Meredith, Bulaga and Newhouse make me think the Packers were identifying the wrong players for the coaches and systems. The lighter, more athletic types (former TEs) have suddenly disappeared from the drafts. I think the team had its personnel target trained on the wrong kind of player. Perhaps because of the coach or perhaps because of the O philosophy.

Only McCarthy was in a position before to know how to tell a GM what kind of lineman he needed to run his offense. And his best resource on the topic left for BC after one year. Neither Philbin and Campen had never had that responsibility before.

I think there has been a very clear change it what they are looking for. The more recent picks seem to have about 15-20 lbs on the picks the first couple years under MM.