Jeff Saturday

If true, I have even more respect for him. It's about the team and he understands that.

Good to see he recognized his limitations and it's a little curious that Saturday didn't share that with the local media.

I'm hoping this isn't true. I'd rather give credit to the coaches for playing the best players since that's their job.

"A good man knows his limitations."

I'd like to know where they got that idea, or if it was just Collinsworth babbling away trying to make some sort of Frank Capra drama out of a routine benching. It was him that said it, right? Whichever one said it, it was the first I'd heard anything about it, and that would be a little bit surprising considering how many sources the local Green Bay and Milwaukee beat writers have.

quote:

Originally posted by heyward:
I'm hoping this isn't true. I'd rather give credit to the coaches for playing the best players since that's their job.

My guess the decision was a blend of coaches and Jeff Saturday knowing his best days were are behind him. The NBC guys probably opted to "dress up" the story to help preserve Saturday's status as one of the best NFL centers in recent history...maybe rationalize his spot on the Pro-Bowl roster.

Yet he made the pro bowl, he was awfull all year, good in his prime, but he's lackluster and did hurt the team, and Rogers.

quote:

Originally posted by heyward:
I'm hoping this isn't true. I'd rather give credit to the coaches for playing the best players since that's their job.

The Packers under MM have sometimes shown a poor record when it comes to identifying which players need to be on the field. Especially on the OLine. Early in his HC career he had a very hard time deciding on his starting 5 to begin each season. And this season I don't know what they saw in Saturday that kept EDS on the bench so long. Then moving Lang to RT when a capable Barclay was on the bench.

quote:

Originally posted by FreeSafety:
The Packers under MM have sometimes shown a poor record when it comes to identifying which players need to be on the field. Especially on the OLine. Early in his HC career he had a very hard time deciding on his starting 5 to begin each season. And this season I don't know what they saw in Saturday that kept EDS on the bench so long. Then moving Lang to RT when a capable Barclay was on the bench.

I can understand their reluctance to go with a rookie UDFA at RT, especially when Lang has held up OK at that spot in the past. When injuries forced Barclay into the lineup, I thought there was a good chance GB was done as a SB contender.

quote:

Originally posted by mazrimiv:
When injuries forced Barclay into the lineup, I thought there was a good chance GB was done as a SB contender.

That is fine for us fans to think, but as heyward said above, it is the coaches jobs to recognize and play the best players.

They saw Saturday, EDS and Barclay since June. Practiced hundreds of times. Yet chose the wrong 5 to start the season and then, upon Bulaga's injury, chose the wrong series of moves to cope with it.

There may be a fine line between being unable to pick the right 5 versus unwilling to pick the right 5 in regards to the OL shuffle.

Maybe something about Saturday's experience made them more comfortable protecting the franchise... conversely, Barclay's lack of experience.

Wrong is wrong, doesn't matter why.

You are the coach with the responsibility of putting the best guys on the field.

You see them compete every day.

You have a lot of other football minds available for counsel.

Put the best players on the field.

Perhaps Barclay was not thought to be ready and reliable till the end of the yr?

I agree FS. They had no problem benching a healthy Donald driver last night so why would it be diificult to bench Saturday when even casual football fans saw Saturday getting abused.

Maybe it took Barclay 3/4 of the season to "develop?"

FS doesn't like to wait.

It could very well be that Barclay got much more coaching and was gotten ready after Bulaga got hurt. I find it questionable that it took a Lang injury to get him on the field and the best 5 players figured out.

Saturday sucking at center with EDS on the bench is a separate issue that took too long to remedy.

quote:

Originally posted by heyward:
I'm hoping this isn't true. I'd rather give credit to the coaches for playing the best players since that's their job.

Campen

quote:

Originally posted by FreeSafety:

quote:

Originally posted by heyward:
I'm hoping this isn't true. I'd rather give credit to the coaches for playing the best players since that's their job.

The Packers under MM have sometimes shown a poor record when it comes to identifying which players need to be on the field. Especially on the OLine. Early in his HC career he had a very hard time deciding on his starting 5 to begin each season. And this season I don't know what they saw in Saturday that kept EDS on the bench so long. Then moving Lang to RT when a capable Barclay was on the bench.

As far as Lang goes he played at LT previously and did a decent job. No one would've predicted he would fail so badly this time around. They made the change but I do agree oline coaching is piss poor.

As far as EDS, he is still seriously weak in pass protection. Point being, Barclay may develop into a capable starter but the simple fact is EDS and Barclay are depth, not starters. Luckily we haven't seen Newhouse get totally destroyed lately. This is a scrub oline at this point and while injuries is definitely the story, the coaching has been crap.

I don't think the Oline coaching has been great, but some guys are better gamers than practice players. I think Barclay and EDS may fit into that mold. It seems like Barclay learns quickly. He gets beat badly once by a guy, and then it doesn't seem to happen after that. Barclay also seems to be a mauler in the run game. EDS is a lunch-pail guy who will do just about anything to keep fighting. Rodgers must be more comfortable with EDS at center or my guess is Saturday would still be out there. And didn't they say something a while ago about Rodgers not being happy with Saturday's calls? I can't remember now, but I thought they were having trouble getting on the same page.

He is a class act. I hope they offer him a front office job at the end of this season.

Since when does being a good dude qualify you for a front office position for a NFL franchise?

Did TT hold Barclay out of active playing time like Harris?

Just askin if he fit the description.

If so, Saturday might of been on the rocks for awhile.

quote:

Originally posted by Pakrz:
Since when does being a good dude qualify you for a front office position for a NFL franchise?

This is when:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_...ed-front-office-jobs

Great player.

quote:

Originally posted by GBP1:

quote:

Originally posted by heyward:
I'm hoping this isn't true. I'd rather give credit to the coaches for playing the best players since that's their job.

My guess the decision was a blend of coaches and Jeff Saturday knowing his best days were are behind him. The NBC guys probably opted to "dress up" the story to help preserve Saturday's status as one of the best NFL centers in recent history...maybe rationalize his spot on the Pro-Bowl roster.

I'm guessing this is the more likely scenario. There wasn't much talk about him being benched, and every comment he's made publicly has been positive for EDS. Regardless of what really happened, he's been a class act. Pretty damn good career for a guy who went undrafted.

He'll be a great offensive line coach for some team.

quote:

Originally posted by Orono:

quote:

Originally posted by Pakrz:
Since when does being a good dude qualify you for a front office position for a NFL franchise?

This is when:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_...ed-front-office-jobs

Owned!!

Apparently.

The Packers future at C solved...


‏@WesHod
#Packers have released OL Shea Allard from the practice squad and signed C Garth Gerhart, 6-foot-1, 310-pound rookie out of Arizona State

@WesHod
And yes that's the longer brother of #Vikings RB Toby Gerhart

"Longer" brother? I guess moneyball measures everything.

@RobDemovsky
Jeff Saturday said that his benching didn't happen like @CollinsworthNBC said during Saturday's broadcast. CC said he asked to be taken out.

@RobDemovsky
Saturday didn't want to make it a big deal cuz, doesn't want to be a distraction but said he didn't go to MM & say he couldn't do it anymore

@ Dr. Bob

Him asking to be taken out never passed the smell test.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr._Bob:
"Longer" brother? I guess moneyball measures everything.

It's easier to measure a single digit rather than all the fingers and with centers size matters.