Will Sherrod be ready to contribute this year?

[bobblehead]

From all I've read, he looked better earlier in camp than he does now - my guess is that he's now getting more and more of the offense and it's confusing to him. He might be getting paralyzed by the information overload. But can he learn enough to contribute this year? It sounds to me like the answer is no - he'll be a game-day inactive for at least the first half of the season, depending on the injury situation.

As has been said before in another thread by Harlan, it seems like a weird mix of talent - three left tackles, nobody who can really back up at left guard or right tackle (I think I read that McDonald can play RG but is shaky on the left).

I wonder if Newhouse's troubles learning the right side are insurmountable. If he could back up right and left tackle, that would allow for some more flexibility in terms of who to keep.

I think its mainly the confusion factor. He has fared well in one on one battles from what I have read, but he needs to get the assignments down cold.

As for his watching and doing nothing when he got beat....that is a product of not knowing how to react. I read he gave up like one sack his entire college career.

[KYPack]

A little perspective: the Packers have 5 very good starters. Vikings would love to have the Packers OL problems.

I am unhappy about the depth at OL and DL, but maybe that is a salary cap era phenomena.

Point well taken, Blue Hound.

The Queenies or the Bears will grab one of our cuts in Sept, IMHO.

[RashanGary]

In April

They have a tape out with every offensive snap of Southern Miss vs Kentucky. I watched Sherrod.

One thing I notice about really good OT's, they slide, plant, punch, slide, plant, punch in a very natural rhythmic way. Bulaga had that coming out of Iowa. The guy hoodie drafted this year had that. When that punch is coordinated with the steps, it knocks guys back and really adds to the pass set.

Sherrod didn't have that. He seemed to put his arms out, but there wasn't much impact. He didn't have a regular slide/plant/punch technique, at last not a powerful pronounced one like some other guys. Instead of punching guys back, he just kind of stayed in front of his guy and moved back slowly into the QB. It was good enough in college, but if he doesn't knock Julius Peppers back a step, he'll go right through him.

I think Sherrod is much more of a project than Bulaga. Bulaga had good coaching and good technique from day 1. I think there is a reason teams like to draft OL from pro-style systems. Sherrod is a naturally huge guy, he's a great athlete, he's a hard worker, smart guy and he's pretty good already, but I think it's going to take a year before we really want him protecting AR's blind side. Unlike Bulaga, he seems to have a couple glaring technique holes in his game coming out. That's probably why he fell to us. Teams never know how a guy will transition if they didn't see him do it in college.

[3irty1]

Meh, Bulaga didn't win the RT job right out of camp. Sherrod has been playing guard for like 3 weeks. By the time we need him he'll be ready.

[Patler]

Meh, Bulaga didn't win the RT job right out of camp. Sherrod has been playing guard for like 3 weeks. By the time we need him he'll be ready.

No he didn't win the RT job right out of camp, but I think he mostly had won the LG job away from Colledge. But Bulaga was injured and missed a couple weeks, so Colledge held his spot.

[rbaloha1]

Larry McCarren is not an advocate of flip flopping. Hopefully they figure out which players should be on the left or right side.

[wist43]

The learning curve can be steep for an OL... but Sherrod looked completely lost.

Maybe he's a 8 year starter and pro bowl calibur player in a few years, but right now, they can't put him on the field - Rodgers would be on IR by week 3.

[bobblehead]

Larry McCarren is not an advocate of flip flopping. Hopefully they figure out which players should be on the left or right side.

Some guys can do it and some can't. Lang can go back and forth, because he gets by on nasty scrappiness. He doesn't use great leverage. It doesn't surprise me that a long athletic guy like Sherrod is struggling at guard where you can't ride a guy wide. I would ride guys 9 yards upfield on the left side, but I sucked on the right. I am right handed and liked to get my right hand under the shoulder pads and twist a guy out and then run him wide as he tried to turn. I was quick, so I did it well. I can't speak for all the guys on the Packers without analyzing them a lot more, but its not a clear cut thing that applies to all. Bulaga seemed to have no problem switching to guard or the right side. Very technically sound.

[KYPack]

I think Harlan asked about this guy. I got a candidate, the best back-up LG has:

An awful number (56?)
An ugly body
A squatty physique (6'? maybe)
Huge Thunderthighs at 315 Lbs
And is a longshot to make the roster.

Sampson Genus played his ass off at LG. I finally watched the end of the Card game (4th Quarter) Genus may not be pretty, but he knows the LG job. Suh or any of the top guys would probablyeat him alive, but he's done easily the best job of anybody at LG. He probably goes PS, but I feel a helluva lot better after seeing that tape on him. He may not be the answer, but at least he would be an alternative for back-up at LG

[Deputy Nutz]

You take a young guy without OTAs and you force feed him a another position he is not acustom to playing and then flip him back to tackle and people bitch that he can't block. I had no problems with him last week. He had a horrible week against the Cardinals, but he is talented and if he just had the chance to focus at left tackle I think he would be more than capable to back up Clifton. He might not have the mental capacity to bounce around and that is ok. The coaching staff should have known better, and Thompson should not pressure the coaching staff to play first round picks.

Sherrod should be just fine, he is athletic enough he just stalled out mentally right now.

[KYPack]

You take a young guy without OTAs and you force feed him a another position he is not acustom to playing and then flip him back to tackle and people bitch that he can't block. I had no problems with him last week. He had a horrible week against the Cardinals, but he is talented and if he just had the chance to focus at left tackle I think he would be more than capable to back up Clifton. He might not have the mental capacity to bounce around and that is ok. The coaching staff should have known better, and Thompson should not pressure the coaching staff to play first round picks.

Sherrod should be just fine, he is athletic enough he just stalled out mentally right now.

Agreed 100%. I saw him on the sideline after he gave up an ugly sack at LT. He looked like the lone survivor in a 3 car wreck. He was flat stunned.

The kid had his awful rookie PS game. Time to move on. Nutz, watch that kid Genus and tell us what you think.

[Deputy Nutz]

Good feet, completes his assignment. I watched the fourth quarter and with his size he needs to initiate contact and drive block, he can't get beat with his hands. Right now he is competing for the 9th spot on the offensive line.

Cilfton
Sherrod
Lang
Wells
Sitton
Bulaga
Newhouse

these guys are the locks to make the team.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I would think the camp battle now is between Newhouse and Sherrod at LT.

[vince]

I would think the camp battle now is between Newhouse and Sherrod at LT.

I remember when you said the cards were stacked against Lang in the guard competition. I think the cards are stacked against Newhouse in this competition. He needs to get himself ready to play RT. Someone needs to be ready to play RT and it's not Lang.

[vince]

Good feet, completes his assignment. I watched the fourth quarter and with his size he needs to initiate contact and drive block, he can't get beat with his hands. Right now he is competing for the 9th spot on the offensive line.

Cilfton
Sherrod
Lang
Wells
Sitton
Bulaga
Newhouse

these guys are the locks to make the team.

I think you can add McDonald to that list.