Run Game Analysis: Its the Guys Upfront

[Bretsky]

All that was proven in Sherrod's rookie year is that he is out of position at guard. I don't take too much away from that.

IMO if he was remoted ready at LT he'd have been practicing there

[pbmax]

So if Sherrod comes in the league at 21 and misses his first three years he still has hope because he's 24. Yet, if he comes in at say 23 and misses his first three seasons he's done b/c he's almost 27? It's not all about age. Eventually you will give up on both the 24 year old and 27 year old.

snip

Bulaga now will miss two seasons, but he is not damaged goods like Sherrod. Bulaga had two unrelated injuries and before this most recent injury was regarded as our best linemen.

Not sure if this was Harlan's point, but a player at any age who has played for 3 seasons is less likely to get better than player who has not yet made the starting lineup. Now the most likely reason the second player isn't in the lineup is that he stinks, but in Sherrod's case that is still, possibly, untrue.

What we do know is that we have a lot of tape about how Newhouse plays and while he might still be improving, its not going to be by leaps and bounds. I think much of the latter career resurgence of lineman is getting themselves into advantageous situations of scheme, coaching and personnel (ie. free agency or waivers).

Also, two distinct injuries are not better. Maybe less complicated, but not encouraging.

[Bretsky]

Right. But he is every bit the china doll as Sherrod.

BB has played a lot of game for us at a high level; one might call him a China Doll and I would not argue
But if BB is a China Doll Sherrod is nothing short of the second coming at Justin Harrell at this point

[Bretsky]

Unless he faces a good opponent like Seattle's D line. He is good, but he has limitations. Even forgetting Seattle, he had a terrible start to 2012. I think its correct to be concerned about how he would have fared at LT in pass pro. It was about the 3rd most common topic of conversation and he had just begin to turn it around prior to his injury (first two topics: is defense better and why cannot we pass against cover2).

He had the better fortune of having his catastrophic injuries after he was established as a starter.

At the end of 2013, Bryan Bulaga will have been available for 37 of 64 games (57%) in his illustrious career (right now, its 37/48 or 77%).

At the end of 2013, Derek Sherrod might have been available for 30 of 48 games (62.5%). As of right now, its 14 of 32 (43%).

We'll see who is the Justine.

OK....since we are pinning stats here.........

On the field BB has been a contributor in 57% of the games and he's shown he can start at the NFL Level in some sort of capacity at worst........and perhaps at LT given our failures to find a starter at LT

While Sherrod has been available in 43% of the starts, he's started in 0%

[Joemailman]

IMO if he was remoted ready at LT he'd have been practicing there

No, they gave him a chance to battle for the LG position because they still had Clifton at LT. The idea was to try to get their 5 best OL in the lineup. It didn't work because he struggled at LG, but Sherrod wasn't going to be given a real chance to replace Clifton at that point.

[pbmax]

No, they gave him a chance to battle for the LG position because they still had Clifton at LT. The idea was to try to get their 5 best OL in the lineup. It didn't work because he struggled at LG, but Sherrod wasn't going to be given a real chance to replace Clifton at that point.

That is stil mind boggling to me. Bulaga was thought to be a guard by some coming out of college. Sherrod was one of those guys who scouts almost unanimously said couldn't or shouldn't play guard. Worse was the decision to give him only 3rd team reps at LT as Newhouse got the second team snaps.

I would wonder if McCarthy interferes too much here. But one of the few public squabble, he claimed Lang struck him as a Right Tackle and the coaches wanted him at Guard. I still think he is more a tackle than guard.

[pbmax]

OK....since we are pinning stats here.........

On the field BB has been a contributor in 57% of the games and he's shown he can start at the NFL Level in some sort of capacity at worst........and perhaps at LT given our failures to find a starter at LT

While Sherrod has been available in 43% of the starts, he's started in 0%

Mike Flanagan is calling me I will let you know what he thinks about this line of reasoning.

Newhouse has contributed (by that definition) more in the past two years than Bulaga, but we know that isn't a good thing.

[pbmax]

Just as a note, Bob McGinn gave some good marks to Lane Taylor at Guard.

Good notes column on the game by Bob: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packe...219147971.html

[Teamcheez1]

Sherrod has not played football in 602 days. I have serious doubts about him ever playing a down of football if he still can't get on the practice field.

This should be his last shot with the Packers. I might agree to PUP him for the first 6 weeks of the season, if the coaches are sure he can begin practicing afterwards. Otherwise, I see no reason to waste any more time with him.

[Joemailman]

That is stil mind boggling to me. Bulaga was thought to be a guard by some coming out of college. Sherrod was one of those guys who scouts almost unanimously said couldn't or shouldn't play guard. Worse was the decision to give him only 3rd team reps at LT as Newhouse got the second team snaps.

I would wonder if McCarthy interferes too much here. But one of the few public squabble, he claimed Lang struck him as a Right Tackle and the coaches wanted him at Guard. I still think he is more a tackle than guard.

Ever since it looked like Bulaga might beat out Colledge at LG in 2010 (before the first of his injuries), I've felt he had the potential to be an outstanding Guard. It will be interesting to see what they do next year if Bakhtiari, Barclay and maybe even Sherrod play well at OT this year. I agree that Sherrod looks like strictly an OT to me. When I watched college film of him after the Packers drafted him, I thought he had a lot of similarities with Clifton, both in terms of strong and weak points.

[Patler]

I don't think of Sherrod as a china doll at all. He has had one injury, just hasn't been able to come back from it yet.
Bulaga on the other hand has been hurt on a regular basis, each time something different. A true china doll.

We have gone around in circles about this for several years. In my opinion, Sherrod showed very little (or nothing) his rookie season. Others think differently. Sherrod did not spend the year at guard, only part of training camp. Through out the season, he was a tackle, and given the chance to unseat Newhouse in a couple games late in the season he was unable to do it. In 2011, he wasn't better than the 2011 version of Newhouse. If he was, he would have played, because he had the chance. With no practices since then, and a significant injury to boot, he is probably even worse right now than he was then. Can he overcome that? Maybe, but not likely this year. Maybe with a full off season and TC next year, but I don't expect anything from him this year.

[Joemailman]

Just as a note, Bob McGinn gave some good marks to Lane Taylor at Guard.

Good notes column on the game by Bob: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packe...219147971.html

That's worth noting because McGinn was touting Barclay last year when a lot of people didn't know who he was.

[Joemailman]

I don't think of Sherrod as a china doll at all. He has had one injury, just hasn't been able to come back from it yet.
Bulaga on the other hand has been hurt on a regular basis, each time something different. A true china doll.

We have gone around in circles about this for several years. In my opinion, Sherrod showed very little (or nothing) his rookie season. Others think differently. Sherrod did not spend the year at guard, only part of training camp. Through out the season, he was a tackle, and given the chance to unseat Newhouse in a couple games late in the season he was unable to do it. In 2011, he wasn't better than the 2011 version of Newhouse. If he was, he would have played, because he had the chance. With no practices since then, and a significant injury to boot, he is probably even worse right now than he was then. Can he overcome that? Maybe, but not likely this year. Maybe with a full off season and TC next year, but I don't expect anything from him this year.

The one problem I have with your argument is that in my opinion the coaching staff has tended to overrate Newhouse. So I don't assume that the decision to go with Newhouse over Sherrod in 2011 was necessarily the right decision. These are the same guys who thought Barbre was ready to be a starting RT in 2009. And who tried to give the RT position to Newhouse this year, even though Barclay finished last year as the starter there. Now it looks like Barclay has the edge.

I agree that it is quite possible that Sherrod contributes nothing this year.

[pbmax]

Through out the season, he was a tackle, and given the chance to unseat Newhouse in a couple games late in the season he was unable to do it. In 2011, he wasn't better than the 2011 version of Newhouse. If he was, he would have played, because he had the chance.

I do remember this, but barely and with no details of when or where.

I have twice searched for mentions of it at the GBPG site and at JSO. Turned up nothing for 2011 on this. Can anyone else come up with something (maybe even a PR thread?).

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

I don't think of Sherrod as a china doll at all. He has had one injury, just hasn't been able to come back from it yet.
Bulaga on the other hand has been hurt on a regular basis, each time something different. A true china doll.

We have gone around in circles about this for several years. In my opinion, Sherrod showed very little (or nothing) his rookie season. Others think differently. Sherrod did not spend the year at guard, only part of training camp. Through out the season, he was a tackle, and given the chance to unseat Newhouse in a couple games late in the season he was unable to do it. In 2011, he wasn't better than the 2011 version of Newhouse. If he was, he would have played, because he had the chance. With no practices since then, and a significant injury to boot, he is probably even worse right now than he was then. Can he overcome that? Maybe, but not likely this year. Maybe with a full off season and TC next year, but I don't expect anything from him this year.

I'll give Bulaga a pass since he has shown he can play. He is a starting linemen in the NFL. I agree Sherrod didn't show much as a rookie even when he was healthy. That followed by probably two full years wasted puts the odds of him turning out slim. Its possible he might follow the path of Mike Flanagan or Frank Winters, but its more likely he follows the path of Justin Harrell.