The offensive O-line, Barclay the answer?

[Pugger]

You think they're better off with Lang at RT and EDS at LG or Barclay at RT and Lang back at LG?

How serious is Lang's ankle sprain?

[Fritz]

How serious is Lang's ankle sprain?

I don't know, but I hope it's not serious. This injury business is ridiculous, totally ridiculous. And how about Nelson's injury?

As for Barclay, despite MM's protestations, it would seem he called more running plays after Barclay went in. My hope is that MM, who says he "self scouts" all the time, will learn from his second-half play calling. That shit worked.

As did the play-calling on the first two drives of the game. I watched those first two drives and thought, finally, it's exactly what we've been clamoring for. Running the ball, looking for Finley over the middle, short passes.

How about another dose of that next week, Mikey?

[mraynrand]

I know what you mean but McGinn pointed out in his column his arms are longer than Lang's and TJ is still battling an elbow injury. It was part of his case for making the switch.

I'm not gonna look it up, but wasn't that one of the reasons Lang wasn't a Tackle prospect - stubby arms? Barclays arms just looked stubbier - perhaps it is the stubby frame.

[mraynrand]

He actually has the same arm length as Bulaga, although he is shorter at 6-3-7/8.

linemen are big these days. 6-3-7/8 seemed short to me ....

[pbmax]

I don't know, but I hope it's not serious. This injury business is ridiculous, totally ridiculous. And how about Nelson's injury?

As for Barclay, despite MM's protestations, it would seem he called more running plays after Barclay went in. My hope is that MM, who says he "self scouts" all the time, will learn from his second-half play calling. That shit worked.

As did the play-calling on the first two drives of the game. I watched those first two drives and thought, finally, it's exactly what we've been clamoring for. Running the ball, looking for Finley over the middle, short passes.

How about another dose of that next week, Mikey?

He did. First half versus second half it was 2:1 pass versus 1:1 with running plays having a slight edge. And a lot of those runs were wide right. I assume this is meant to force the LDE to respect contain from any formation with a running back and give Barclay an extra moment.

Not sure what to make of running game. We've seen the backs do it before but not with this O line. Hard to say if it goes that well again.

What I can say is that Barclay is decent as a run blocker and EDS can cut a D lineman in pursuit. Saw him drop the DT twice to th eground with a cut block.

[sharpe1027]

Barclay did alright out there. I now have confidence that he is much better than A. Barbre. If Lang can't play, I think Barclay will in for more of a challenge against the Lions. On the plus side, he'll have more reps to get ready and MM can take the week to game plan around his strengths and weaknesses. On the negative side, the Lions also get a week to game plan to expose any weaknesses.

[denverYooper]

You have to wonder if they have been a.) working on more running plays in practice and b.) will continue to do so given the results of yesterday's game.

[pbmax]

M3 said the initial report from the Docs was that Lang wasn't serious. We just don't want to hear the dreaded "high-ankle" sprain tossed around in diagnosis.

[denverYooper]

M3 said the initial report from the Docs was that Lang wasn't serious. We just don't want to hear the dreaded "high-ankle" sprain tossed around in diagnosis.

Good sign. As long as he didn't say "significant"...

[woodbuck27]

Whee boy, like holy shit, I don't think this'll work, but i hope the hell it does.

I can't imagine that we get far down the play-off road with a green kid like him at RT, but stranger things have happened, like Tausch.

" I don't think this'll work, but i hope the hell it does. " KYpack

It's right here:

Fr: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packe...166363056.html

Having drafted right tackle Bryan Bulaga in the first round and left tackle Marshall Newhouse in the fifth round of the 2010 draft and backup left tackle Derek Sherrod in the first round of the 2011 draft, Thompson is deep in young, developing talent.

The next starters whose contracts are up are Newhouse and Saturday after the 2013 season.

"Locking up T.J. was great," said Bulaga, who has three years left on his deal. "We have a chance to really get things going having these same guys around for the next couple years.

"We have to make things happen. I think we jell well as a unit; it's just a matter of going out and playing. That's what it comes down to. You look at it and we have guys who have played a lot of football and are still young, so you can't be upset about that."

Of the starters other than Saturday, Sitton is the oldest at 26, Lang and Newhouse are 24 and Bulaga and Sherrod are 23. Sitton has started 54 games, Lang 20, Newhouse 13 and Sherrod none.

Saturday saw the value in keeping an offensive line together in Indianapolis, where he was quarterback Peyton Manning's center for 10 seasons. During the 13 years Manning started, his offensive line was generally a constant.



Marshall Newhouse is still raw. We have to allow patience with him.

We see good things with our starting guards in their best positions. T.J. Lang at LG and Josh Sitton at RG. We like Bryan Bulaga at RT.....and await Don Barclay or give him time to develop as an NFL tackle in a starting and backup role. We await LT Derek Sherrod to return healthy and finally ready to contribute coming off a serious injury. Sherrod, who was slated to back up both tackle positions, has been slow to recover from the gruesome broken leg he suffered in December. It is what it is with regards to this injured and recovering tackle.

Evan Dietrich-Smith is maybe going to take over fr. Jeff Saturday who's seen his best play behind him but EDS is with our team primarily to back up all three interior positions.

We've Don Barclay as our backup for the tackle positions and Greg Van Roten as a backup at the guard positions.

I know it's about the now; but as fans what can we expect with all the adversity we're seeing on our OL. We hope for our teams HC to game plan to accomodate situations. To ensure that that game plan has contingency plans, as often in the NFL the situation swings in the other direction.

GO PACKERS !

[Tony Oday]

Draft a stud Center, seriously that would be awesome. I mean really for draft pics we need a RB, OLB and a C...what else do we need?....oh yeah a Kicker but those are late picks anyway.

[woodbuck27]

If I look at our OL today I see that the depth chart is 'only seven players' deep. Not enough eggs left in the carton.

(*) = Backup

LT Marshall Newhouse.......(*) Don Barclay
LG Evan Dietrich-Smith.....(*) Greg Van Roten
C Jeff Saturday...............(*) Evan Dietrich-Smith
RG Josh Sitton ...............(*) Greg Van Roten
RT T.J. Lang...................(*) Don Barclay

Count them...7 offensive lineman.

GO PACKERS !

[Fritz]

If I look at our OL today I see that the depth chart is 'only seven players' deep. Not enough eggs left in the carton.

(*) = Backup

LT Marshall Newhouse.......(*) Don Barclay
LG Evan Dietrich-Smith.....(*) Greg Van Roten
C Jeff Saturday...............(*) Evan Dietrich-Smith
RG Josh Sitton ...............(*) Greg Van Roten
RT T.J. Lang...................(*) Don Barclay

Count them...7 offensive lineman.

GO PACKERS !

Okay, let's really stretch this thing: if Barclay turns out to be leading candidate for the Bruce Wilkerson Award, sending Lang back to his left guard spot, is anyone up for suggesting that EDS slide over to center and send Saturday to the bench?

Anyone?....Bueller?....Anyone?

[sharpe1027]

Okay, let's really stretch this thing: if Barclay turns out to be leading candidate for the Bruce Wilkerson Award, sending Lang back to his left guard spot, is anyone up for suggesting that EDS slide over to center and send Saturday to the bench?

Anyone?....Bueller?....Anyone?

Maybe next season.

[KYPack]

Lotta tough choices.

Lang wasn't setting the world on fire at RT.

Move him back to LG, and go with the kid at that spot? Maybe.

EDS seems to have leveled out.

Even with practice time and the knowlege he's starting, he doesn't appear to show that much improvement. His job looks like he is the "human tool" on the interior.

Barclay at RT means you can help at one spot & the rest sink or swim.

This season has shown that on any given play one of 'em can sink.

Even Sitton hasn't really regained his level of play from two years ago.