Offensive line in 2014

Tyler Larsen 6' 4" 313 C-G Utah St 4-5 rd.  Might work.

Tretter was drafted to replace EDS and will get every opportunity to do so. He is bigger, more athletic, and speculatively brighter. Gotta see how it translates on the field. 

From the ownership meetings:

McCarthy has said that Bulaga will play Right Tackle, they talked a few weeks ago. And Bakhtiari stays at LT.

Hersch told me Bahk was terrible at LT? This makes no sense. 

Very underrated C IMHO...Gary Andersen knew how to recruit...a lot of his kids the last 3-4 years have found places on NFL rosters.

Another kid I am familiar with who is quality is Colorado State C Weston Hatcher. If he's there in round 3, definitely worth a look.

Yeah, I hate dislike the continuity

About the Packers center position, they do not draft college centers. The Packers only rarely draft college guards. I think their rational is that colleges put the most athletic  offensive line men at the  tackle position.

Judging from what the Packers did in the past they will draft a tackle this year and move someone on their team to center. They do have several candidates  for the job.

A trip down memory lane?

Don Barclay's work at center an audible for Green Bay Packers

 

Tom Silverstein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

August 3, 2013

 

GREEN BAY—Here’s a legitimate question: why is Packers tackle Don Barclay playing center in training camp?

 

Is it that he has previous experience?

 

“He did it … his freshman year for about a week,” line coach James Campen said.

 

It has been interesting watching the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Barclay take reps at center, a year after he bailed the Packers out at right tackle during a surprisingly productive rookie season.

 

Barclay is in the hunt for the starting right tackle job—at least that’s what Campen says—but his work there has been diluted to some degree because he is being forced to learn how to play center. Why, you ask, would he be forced to play there?

 

The truth is, it wasn’t planned that way. The Packers drafted Cornell’s J.C. Tretter in the fourth round with the intention of letting him compete with Evan Dietrich-Smith for the starting job. But Tretter suffered torn ligaments in his ankle doing a fumble drill in OTAs and is out until at least midseason.

 

The Packers have four other centers in camp: second-year men Garth Gerhart and Greg Van Roten and undrafted rookies Patrick Lewis and Lane Taylor. But Campen has to prepare for the possibility none of them will make the team, which would leave him without a backup center.

 

That’s where Barclay comes in. He’s got a good chance of making the team and the Packers feel he can pull it off at center.

 

“He’s an aggressive kid,” Campen said. “He’s a hard-nosed player. We’ve got six kids taking snaps. We can’t have them all take snaps. We have a plan and we’ll make sure it allows you enough opportunity to see what they all can do.”

 

The part that sticks out the most is Barclay’s struggles with shotgun snaps. It’s totally new to him and he has bounced three or four along the ground during practice. It disrupts the tempo of the workout, but it’s the price you have to pay to train someone at a position he hasn’t played.

 

The two he had in practice on Thursday were the result of him mistiming the snap count with quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ signals, he said. Rodgers makes a lot of calls at the line of scrimmage, and the center has to know when to be patient and when to hurry.

 

“The things with the snaps, it’s a progression,” Campen said. “It will go away. It takes time. We’re not accepting the fact the ball is on the ground, but it’s just a work in progress. More times and more reps, and when you see it on film and you see another guy doing things, the footwork, hand placement and being calm, those things all factor in. He’s working his butt off.”

 

Assuming Bakhtiari and Bulaga stay healthy (a big IF) and if Sherrod is the swing tackle (another big IF), I could see the Packers trying Barclay at Center again.  At a minimum he has starting experience.  

"We’ve got six kids taking snaps. We can’t have them all take snaps"

Thanks Captain Obvious.

"We have a plan and we’ll make sure it allows you enough opportunity to see what they all can do.”

Who is the "you" Campen is talking about here??? The player? The media? Times Four?

His comments aren't easy to 'cypher....

Is that Campen's fault, or Tom Silverstein's fault.

Another McCarthy comment said they have several options at C, including Lang, Tretter, Barclay and Sitton. 

Please don't mess with Sitton again. 

Lang does it all the time.

Post Draft & Free Agency....

GB drafted a developmental Center to compete with JC Tretter and Garth Gerhart

ergo ipso facto, they think Tretter is the starter in 2014

GB did not add an OT...

ergo ipso facto; they must believe Sherrod can contribute at OT this year

Full Speed Ahead

The plan may be to have Tretter penciled in as the starter, but I don't think it's a lock.  He's never played an NFL game and is a converted lineman to Center.  I think it's his position to lose, but no guarantee he's the starter.

Tretter is penciled in as the starting center but he can play other positions along the line. It would be nice to have flexibility to move him when injuries occur.

"flexibility" and "versatility" are buzzwords that are killing this team.  Pick a spot, learn it and continue to learn it some more.  I have little to no confidence with certain position coaches on both sides of the ball to actually get the most out of players while other coaches are outstanding.

It annoys the **** out of me that MM has to turn his focus to certain areas to get better production, which speaks volumes to his coaching but indicts his loyalty.  Last year, Oline and run game.  This year, defense.

I prefer coaches that can actually do their job.  Yes, it's just part of the bigger picture including what talent TT can bring in but to me position coaching and "mad scientist" schemers are becoming a glaring problem.

Unless they are capitulating to the fact that injuries will continue to ratchet up continually or hoping the coaching is going to get stronger they need to take a step back on "versatility" and "flexibility" and get players that can actually play one position at a high level.  SOME versatility is needed and necessary but those words get thrown around so much it equates to mediocre.

Just start calling everyone "hero", same damn thing.

Injuries are part of it, only keeping 53 is part of it and only having 46 on game day is part of it. The other point that MM made was that because of the CBA limits- they don't get as many reps as they did in the past and that held them back too

With fewer reps for the starters, it means ever fewer for the back-ups and versatility guys. Too many dumb rules from that CBA are limiting the coaching time available and putting a crimp on draft and develop.

Its really hurting the game, but DeMaurice had to win something and what he won was less time playing and practicing football. DUM

Good point.  It essentially sets you up for the crap shoot scenario, train your guys up in one position and adjust for injuries as they come or keep the constant shuffle going which leads to relatively shaky stability overall.   Again, having SOME guys with versatility makes sense but there needs to be a couple of anchors, especially on Oline.  Sitton is one, Lang continues to grow.  You would hope your tackles would be your anchors but the high draft picks can't stay off the training table.  

As far as Tretter, I have no doubt this kid takes the center position and owns it IF they keep him at C and let him fully acclimate.  You're asking a very smart, athletic kid to start, that's still a big challenge.  I think they would do him a disservice if "versatility" gets in the way.

Did you ever know that you're my hero?

A hero ain't nuthin but a sandwich

And a gyro is neither.

Ty Webb would be proud of your "profoundness"!

I'd like to think Barclay has been snapping footballs since January.  He's not good enough to expect to keep his RT job when Bulaga comes back.  He should be training himself for every opportunity that comes his way.    

I hope Barclay has been very busy too, I'd love a battle with him involved

Here's a recent write up with TJ Lang talking about the switch from left to right side and their plans for 2014

Last season, the Packers compiled 150 rushing yards in a game eight times, nearly tripling the three such accomplishments over the previous three seasons combined.

http://m.packers.com/news/head...0-ad3a-4845cde6f57a/

MM did say of Linsley: "It's good to draft (a center) that's actually played the position."

So it seems like MM is echoing what Henry seems to be saying. 

I would have to agree. TT likes to draft OT's and convert them to the inside (Lang and Sitton) but you need to have some anchors who are very good at one position. 

He was talking about the Tootsie Roll center at the middle of a Tootsie Pop.

I can admit when I am rong

Where's the "dislike" button for Fedya's post?

"The Packers will be starting their 4th Center in 4 years !

The meme-ophiles are satisfied, they have something to cling to over the summer

Of course the Packers have also started 5 LT's since the SB run in 2010

Clifton, Newhouse, Bulaga (for about 15 minutes), Lang for a game and Bahktiari

GB has also seen College, EDS, Lang and Sitton at left guard

And Sitton, Lang and Barclay at RG, maybe even EDS too

And Newhouse, Sherrod, Barclay and Bulaga at RT

Given this scenario, why would people bitch about an OL being cross-trained ?

As long as it isn't a 75 year old Jeff Saturday, we should be fine!

I think most reasonable fans would simply like to see continuity along the O-Line. I understand the need for cross-training in the event of injuries or other issues that arise (suspensions, etc.)

Tretter = 

Because continuity is a good thing.  Keep shuffling guys around and you get mediocre starters at all positions.  

Jack-of-all-trades....Master of none!

Continuity is a very good thing for an OL, but the current reality is that it seems  pretty damn hard to achieve.  The shuffling is mostly injury related as far as I know and unless you can fix the injuries, its going to continue. Bulaga = prime example

He was drafted at LT, but GB moved him to RT because Clifton was still here. Then after playing well, but getting hurt at RT, GB "moved" him to LT, only to see him get injured again...and now back to RT. It sucks but I don't know how you get around it

Makes that '03 OL look like a real anomaly, but damn did they have continuity and it showed on Sunday

You're also dressing what?  7 OL on game day?  If you don't have the ability to move around, you're screwed if the wrong guy gets hurt.  If your 2 backups on game day play exclusively LT and C and your RG gets hurt, then what?  You have to move one of the four remaining guys to RG.  Playing one position only is definitely better for continuity's sake, but it's not realistic.  You don't dress 10 OL and you don't swap them out like hockey lines.