Official Training Camp Thread

[RashanGary]

Apparently the most impressive offensive linemen in the first padded practice were Lang and Newhouse.

Glad for both. It would be nice if we had a couple more solid lineman.

[smuggler]

Could Newhouse really be the long-term solution at left tackle? Things I'm hearing about him say it would be a possibility.

Newhouse - Sherrod - Lang - Sitton - Bulaga

Just musing guys.

[pbmax]

Apparently the most impressive offensive linemen in the first padded practice were Lang and Newhouse.

Newhouse got a lot of praise tonight. Could he play guard?

[pbmax]

Is it me or do the training camp reports seem disappointing this year? All I'm seeing are the chats. I want to read an article about which guys are catching the reporters eye and stuff like that. It sounds like Cobb and Williams are doing well. That's about all I'm getting right now.

Who used to do JSO? Was it McGinn or Cliffy?

Right now the GBPG is out in front, but there is not a regular recap, you have to find stories like the writeup on Newhouse that just popped up.

Packer Report has got some stuff, Packer Update does blog articles and two of the recent were training camp ones and Chris Jenkins (AP) and his Twitter account will take you to his stories (he seems to have been to every practice as well).

Just don't search for Wilde Twitter, because the first link is for Olivia Wilde and she is far more attractive than Jason.

[Lurker64]

Newhouse got a lot of praise tonight. Could he play guard?

Coming out of college, Newhouse looked like a classic tweener: not quite as athletic as you'd ideally want in a tackle, not quite as stout as you'd ideally want in a guard. The latter is probably more correctable than the former, but if he's uncomfortable playing inside, it's tough to fix that. If Lang wins the LG spot, he's probably the swing tackle off the bench.

[Lurker64]

Is it me or do the training camp reports seem disappointing this year? All I'm seeing are the chats. I want to read an article about which guys are catching the reporters eye and stuff like that. It sounds like Cobb and Williams are doing well. That's about all I'm getting right now.

Two things to consider: we've had three practices so far, only one in pads. Ordinarily, we'd have three practices, two in pads, on the first two days of camp. Also, don't compare the coverage you get at the beginning of camp, to the coverage you've gotten over the entirety of camp in a previous year. As the media guys watch, and talk amongst themselves they'll pick up on more things. You start out telling the stories that are obvious to you, and the less obvious stories will reveal themselves.

[3irty1]

He was the best TE in college football last year. He's short as far as NFL TE's go today. Fast. He tested so/so on the shuttle and 3-cone, but you watch him on the field, he's pretty darn good after the catch. . . .

Good athlete. Seems like he's a very skilled pass catcher and yards after TE.

Finley didn't test out as an elite athlete either. It seems like there are some athletic abilities that can't be measured. Every year, some of the best players in the NFL tested out as some of the most average athletes. And you look at these guys. . . Finley. . . . He's a frucking freak, but he tested average.

On offense these so-so athletes can end up being elite. On offense you have the element of surprise so being fluid is more important that being fast.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Williams had a less impressive night than his previous outings, Cobb still strong. I am hopeful of better reporting instead of Twitter, and that might happen now that the pads are on.

Twitter is helping lazy writers stay lazy. Real easy to type in 4-5 Tweets on practice and say that's your day with no real writing for the paper. Unless it's all Insider-y for the JS.

[Deputy Nutz]

It is my opinion that you don't need to force Sherrod into a starting position just because he is a first round pick. Last year Buluga didn't have a starting position so they forced him into a competition with Colledge for left guard. Bulaga is going to be a very good right tackle, the second most important position on the roster, but if Colledge didn't beat him out he would have been a left guard for the rest of his career. Sherrod needs to be groomed to play left tackle. The Packers should take their time with him and teach him the skills to excel at the position instead of confusing him with learning how to play a position he has never played.

[HarveyWallbangers]

It is my opinion that you don't need to force Sherrod into a starting position just because he is a first round pick. Last year Buluga didn't have a starting position so they forced him into a competition with Colledge for left guard. Bulaga is going to be a very good right tackle, the second most important position on the roster, but if Colledge didn't beat him out he would have been a left guard for the rest of his career. Sherrod needs to be groomed to play left tackle. The Packers should take their time with him and teach him the skills to excel at the position instead of confusing him with learning how to play a position he has never played.

I sort of agree. I think they are just seeing if he COULD play LG. However, if he turns out to be a better LG now than Lang or McDonald, why not roll with him? I don't think it would stunt his growth as a LT. I have a feeling that it's not going to be that easy, and he'll end up being on the bench. Thompson has drafted well, but let's remember that being the 32nd pick in the draft doesn't guarantee that he'll be any good. It looks like he's out of his element at LG. I would expect Lang and McDonald to get a long look. From the coaches comments before camp, I would not be surprised if McDonald end up being the guy. This season you could roll with Clifton-McDonald-Well-Sitton-Bulaga with Newhouse backing up at LT, Sherrod at RT, and Lang backing up at LG. Or substitute Lang for McDonald, and McDonald could be backing up at LG and C.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Do they have a fifth offensive lineman who is good enough to start? That is unproven.

[3irty1]

It is my opinion that you don't need to force Sherrod into a starting position just because he is a first round pick. Last year Buluga didn't have a starting position so they forced him into a competition with Colledge for left guard. Bulaga is going to be a very good right tackle, the second most important position on the roster, but if Colledge didn't beat him out he would have been a left guard for the rest of his career. Sherrod needs to be groomed to play left tackle. The Packers should take their time with him and teach him the skills to excel at the position instead of confusing him with learning how to play a position he has never played.

I just don't think that's how it works. Your backup LT is almost always someone starting elsewhere on your line. Its just that important of a position. Bulaga was put into competition with Colledge last year to a) provide competition for Colledge and b) See if there is a way to get your perceived best 5 on the field. If Sherrod is the talent his draft position suggests, its going to be tough to keep him out of the lineup, a lineup that has only one fair fight and that's at LG. Lang will win it easily because he'll be much better in the run game but if Sherrod is ok there he could be the backup for the whole left side.

[Fritz]

It is my opinion that you don't need to force Sherrod into a starting position just because he is a first round pick. Last year Buluga didn't have a starting position so they forced him into a competition with Colledge for left guard. Bulaga is going to be a very good right tackle, the second most important position on the roster, but if Colledge didn't beat him out he would have been a left guard for the rest of his career. Sherrod needs to be groomed to play left tackle. The Packers should take their time with him and teach him the skills to excel at the position instead of confusing him with learning how to play a position he has never played.

I completely agree here. Good post.

[Smidgeon]

I just don't think that's how it works. Your backup LT is almost always someone starting elsewhere on your line. Its just that important of a position. Bulaga was put into competition with Colledge last year to a) provide competition for Colledge and b) See if there is a way to get your perceived best 5 on the field. If Sherrod is the talent his draft position suggests, its going to be tough to keep him out of the lineup, a lineup that has only one fair fight and that's at LG. Lang will win it easily because he'll be much better in the run game but if Sherrod is ok there he could be the backup for the whole left side.

I know that I'm not a football talent evaluator, and I don't really know what players best suit what positions. But having said that, I think I'd personally be worried about the run game if Sherrod started at LG for the Packers. I've heard that he's great as a re-director on the edge, but that he wouldn't be that good pushing people around on the inside. I'm hoping that giving him snaps on the inside was a way for the coaching staff to accelerate his learning curve. And I'm hoping Lang just dominates from here on out, getting pushed by McDonald (who also develops to the point where he'd be a plausible replacement for Sitton of they don't get him signed to an extension).

I have a lot of hopes.

[3irty1]

I know that I'm not a football talent evaluator, and I don't really know what players best suit what positions. But having said that, I think I'd personally be worried about the run game if Sherrod started at LG for the Packers. I've heard that he's great as a re-director on the edge, but that he wouldn't be that good pushing people around on the inside. I'm hoping that giving him snaps on the inside was a way for the coaching staff to accelerate his learning curve. And I'm hoping Lang just dominates from here on out, getting pushed by McDonald (who also develops to the point where he'd be a plausible replacement for Sitton of they don't get him signed to an extension).

I have a lot of hopes.

Its not like Colledge was an all world run blocker. A dancing bear like Sherrod wouldn't be a step down IMO--especially in our scheme. I expect Lang to run away with the LG spot, he's a nasty run blocker and probably as good as Colledge was in pass pro. I see McDonald as a guy with perennial pro-bowl upside as a center. I think that's the position he'll wind up in as everyone wants a big center to be that nose tackle of the OL. Hard to see how Scott Wells plays into that though.