Cory's Corner: Josh Myers Is Larger Than Life

The 2021 2nd round pick is centering into focus. 

This is the time of year when everyone talks about unsung heroes and diamonds in the rough. People always want to know what’s next. 

And after a week of practice, it appears that Josh Myers is the next long-standing center for the Packers. 

“I gotta say the center, Josh Myers,” Aaron Rodgers told NFL Network. “For a guy to come in as a draft pick, as a rookie, to be that comfortable, it’s pretty impressive.”

It’s always high praise when Rodgers floats your name in camp. But when it’s a rookie offensive lineman, it holds even more weight. Myers was ranked as the 20th offensive linemen in the 2021 NFL Draft according to CBS Sports and the No. 3 center according to Sports Illustrated. 

Myers had big shoes to fill after the position had seen plenty of stability the last seven years, including a Pro Bowl appearance last season from Corey Linsley.

“We’ve had some great ones over the years that I’ve been fortunate enough to play with,” Rodgers said. “Obviously Corey Linsley for the last number of years, JC Tretter before that, Scottie Wells was a great center for us and a number of other guys that we’ve had over the years at that spot. He’s very comfortable, very comfortable with the system, comfortable in his own skin, he’s a big, big fella. He’s probably the biggest center I’ve had in front of me, but I like the way that he’s stepped in and controlled the huddle and the calls the first four days.”

Rodgers isn’t wrong. Myers is a 6-foot-5, 310-pound lumberjack that will make the future Hall of Famer comfortable for years. The thing that really impresses me about Myers is that he played in 31 games at Ohio State and was named captain last year. He just doesn’t understand the game, he understands people and teammates. That isn’t always easy to do, especially from the offensive line.

Just because Myers is from the same school that Linsley went to, doesn’t mean that Myers will have the same type of longevity in a Packers uniform. However, after a week of camp, it appears that Myers has the mental acuity and physical prowess of a sturdy NFL veteran. 

And the reason why Rodgers and others feel that way about Myers is simple. “Through consistency and proving myself day in and day out, not just physically,” Myers said earlier in camp. 

He may be a rookie, but he isn’t looking too far down the road. And he’s smart enough to know that he doesn’t know everything. The Packers found another great offensive lineman. It was Elgton Jenkins in 2019 and now Myers in 2021. 

 

 

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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn

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4 points
 

Comments (52)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Galacticat's picture

August 03, 2021 at 06:53 am

Myers “will make the future Hall of Famer comfortable for years”. Years? YEARS?? Ummm, ok Cory…whatever you say, dude. Years…loll 😂

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NickPerry's picture

August 03, 2021 at 06:49 am

Yes, I think Cory forgot about this past summer for a minute but be nice...

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Gopack12's picture

August 03, 2021 at 07:40 am

I agree it’s for years to come.. Rodgers isn’t going anywhere.. he did what he did to foster change in the packers organization and thankfully it worked.. it’s becoming apparent that love is not going to cut it, the packers will extend Rodgers at the end of the year and love will be another garrapollo

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13TimeChamps's picture

August 03, 2021 at 08:34 am

"it’s becoming apparent that love is not going to cut it"

It's becoming apparent to who? Are you at the practices?

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Coldworld's picture

August 03, 2021 at 08:49 am

Agreed. Give Love a break. Even the most rose colored glasses Rodgers fan must realize that Love is not responsible for any of this and nor is his upside or lack of it somehow tied to Rodgers ability. Actually he seems a little ahead of where Rodgers was at the same point, not that that means he’s ready or will have the same future upside. Leave the kid alone and hope that he’s good enough to help if Rodgers gets dinged.

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mnbadger's picture

August 03, 2021 at 12:33 pm

Amen CW. GPG

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Since'61's picture

August 03, 2021 at 10:16 am

In fairness to Love I think that we need to give him more time than 4 days of practice in shorts before his is written off.

The big hurdle for any player transitioning from college to the NFL is the speed of the professional game compared with college. As a QB the question will be how long it will take for the game to slow down for him. It could easily be 2 or 3 seasons for him to reach that point if at all. It will be up to the coaches to determine his level of progress and if he is able to transition to the speed of the professional game.

Any player at any position deserves the benefit of the doubt for their first 2-3 seasons in the league. Let's support Love until he gives us a reason not to. Thanks, Since '61

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dblbogey's picture

August 03, 2021 at 10:34 am

You need to come to grips with the fact Rodgers is playing his last year in Green Bay.

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porupack's picture

August 03, 2021 at 01:13 pm

I thought this article was about Myers. Will Myers stop blocking when Aaron leaves as you believe? Just messin with ya... Ok, I guess we'll work on our grips. Thanks for the advice.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

August 03, 2021 at 07:40 am

Hey, all that was to get Randall Cobb back and vent about some players the current GM didn't even cut. According to Rodgers it must be all solved then.

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LambeauPlain's picture

August 03, 2021 at 10:40 am

Unless Cory was referring to Jordan....

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CoachDino's picture

August 03, 2021 at 04:18 pm

"And after a week of practice, it appears that Josh Myers is the next long-standing center for the Packers".

"Just because Myers is from the same school....doesn't mean he will have the same type of longevity in a Packer uniform"

Which one is it?

Plus all this w/o one day of practice in full pads or even a scrimmage?

I agree knowing the calls and getting a boost of confidence from AR is great and a good sign can we just hold off on the judgement.

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NickPerry's picture

August 03, 2021 at 06:47 am

Love to hear this...Those so called "Experts" all said Creed Humphrey was the best Center and the Packers took Meyers over Humphrey. Yesterday I heard Humphrey wasn't doing so well in KC. Now I don't know what that really means after 4 practices without pads, but it's pretty awesome all we hear for the most part is praise about Meyers

Don't look now but the Packers are building one of the BIGGEST and probably one of the best or THE BEST O-Lines in the NFL, even with a rookie at center. Once David Bakhtiari gets back just forget about it. Just think about it for a minute...

From left to right .... Bakhtiari, Jenkins, Meyers, Turner, and Dennis Kelly at RT... Lets not forget about the depth the Packers have AND the versatility. Rodgers jersey should be pretty clean after every game this year, but what I'm really looking forward to from this O-Line is watching Aaron Jones and AJ Dillion just CHEW UP opposing defenses.

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RCPackerFan's picture

August 03, 2021 at 08:31 am

"Lets not forget about the depth the Packers have AND the versatility."

This is exactly it. The starting OL should be really, really good. BUT what I think will make this group special is the depth and versatility. We will have any combination of backups with Runyan, Patrick, Newman, Van Lanen, Hanson, Braden, Nijman. Runyan, Patrick and possibly Newman could be looking to start as well. Some of these guys will probably end up on the PS, but either way they have really good depth. This list doesn't include any rookie that may emerge as camp goes on too. Usually when pads go on players start to separate themselves a bit. Maybe a guy like Coy Cronk or Jon Dietzen emerges.

We have Stenavich to thank for the OL's versatility.

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Coldworld's picture

August 03, 2021 at 08:54 am

Is versatility all on Stenavich or is this also a product of scouting/recruitment? It seems to me that while Stenavich is proving an inspired hire, there has also been a desire to find players with very particular attributes. Meyers being one such (although for immediate start not versatility in his case).

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RCPackerFan's picture

August 03, 2021 at 09:02 am

We definitely can give credit to scouting/GM for that as well. But the work Stenavich and crew did last year especially was truly amazing. Getting the players ready to play in those different spots takes a lot of coaching. I'm just trying to give extra credit to Stenavich to getting the players ready.

The scouting/GM getting the players there has been really good too. They have found players that can be versatile. Look at this years draft for example. They drafted Myers. He could be OC or OG. (will be OC though). They drafted Newman and Van Lanen. Both could play OT or OG. Last year they drafted Runyan. He could be RT, OG or even possibly OC.

Gutey signed Turner who can play OT or OG.

They seem to have a philosophy of finding players who can be versatile. But its up to Stenavich and crew to get them ready each week.

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Coldworld's picture

August 03, 2021 at 09:10 am

That’s fair, as I said, Stenavich has proved to be a great hire. It just seemed to me that there is more at work as well.

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LambeauPlain's picture

August 03, 2021 at 10:56 am

Stenavich was a good hire it seems. Young coach really connecting with young O linemen. Luke Butkus too.

I do believe versatility on the OL has been a core principal of Coach Matt, not just in positions but in being equally good in pass pro and wide zone run blocking....and Gutey has brought in players to meet it. I believe the other ingredient is a high football IQ. Jenks is sharp as a tack according to coaches who said he was a quick study. Same for Meyers, Runyon, And the other young players. Bodes well for the future.

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porupack's picture

August 03, 2021 at 01:19 pm

Yep, I mentioned it before.... packers just have the production line figured out, and crank out top Olinemen right off their conveyor belts. Its an OLineman factory up there. Draft late in each round, then patiently wait till later rounds....and pick the hungry guys, then mentor with patience. GB is the Olineman' Napa valley.

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RCPackerFan's picture

August 03, 2021 at 06:58 am

The real test is about to begin for Myers. When pads come on, that is when we will see how he handles going against Clark and others.

If Myers can come in and start at OC right away, our OL will be much better because of it. Our OL projected starters, possible starters and backups really have given us possibly one of our best OL's in GB ever. I don't think anyone could argue that it is the most versatile we have ever had.
Right now the biggest question is about Bakhtiari's injury, and how soon he will return. Bringing in Dennis Kelly definitely helps until he can come back and maybe longer. He could be our RT, Turner could either play LT for the time being or move into OG. Jenkins could play LT or any other spot on the OL. Patrick can play either OG spot or OC. Runyan can play either OG spot and he has been training at OC also. I do believe he could swing out to RT if needed. Newman can go OT or OG. Van Lanen could possibly do the same.

For the OL to get to the next level though I do think it starts with Myers. He has big shoes to fill, but it sounds like he has had a great start. We don't need him to be the next Linsley, but we need him to be as good of an OC as he can be.

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PeteK's picture

August 03, 2021 at 07:46 am

Yes, I'm excited about this young line and you forgot Braden.

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RCPackerFan's picture

August 03, 2021 at 08:34 am

You are correct. I did forget him.

I am curious to see what he does once pads go on.

What I do really like though is there is a mix of veteran and young guys. Bakhtiari, Kelly and Turner are the older veterans. With Patrick, Jenkins in the middle. Then we have a lot of 1st and 2nd year guys who have a lot of skills.

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Coldworld's picture

August 03, 2021 at 09:06 am

To date they have been looking at pass protection due to the lack of pads. So the emphasis is on agility, recognition. Now we see what happens when contact is involved and strength and leverage come in to play in the passing game. We also start to see something in the run game, about which little is of value in shorts.

Let’s see how some of these younger guys fare in pads and we should start to see which, if any, of those behind them start to show now. The process of weeding out behind the starters is only really about to start. The real test with those who have been around will come against players they don’t know the tendencies of.

That’s also very true of a C. How will he cope against unknown players, formations and calls? I’m optimistic, but pads first then make the calls against others before I believe fully. C is just as much mental as physical. He looks great, I’m optimistic, but let’s see him properly tested before we anoint him ready.

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Roadrunner23's picture

August 03, 2021 at 07:07 am

Whoa! Slow down the hype train just a bit Cory at least till the kid has a chance to put pads on!

I’m excited for Myers too but let the kid earn his stripes before you put him in E. Jenkins territory.

Glad the kid looks good!

ND

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PeteK's picture

August 03, 2021 at 07:51 am

However, it's a great start if especially the center is comfortable with the mental side of the game and he will have help on both sides.

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LambeauPlain's picture

August 03, 2021 at 11:05 am

Certainly....yet the rookie getting a shout out from #12 raised my eyebrows a bit.

He would know if he is managing the huddle, making the correct calls presnap and making his blocks. Sure, it is sans pads, but Rodgers would not complement him if he was missing things, being the perfectionist he is.

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stockholder's picture

August 03, 2021 at 07:40 am

Glad everyone is so high on Meyers. I did like Humphreys tape a little more. But I also believed that Meyers was the better fit for GB. Looking at the competition he faced. I can't fault Gute for taking him. The need was just to great. Hopefully he'll be everything we needed.

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Lphill's picture

August 03, 2021 at 07:42 am

Runyan needs to get into this lineup maybe he is Turners replacement .

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PeteK's picture

August 03, 2021 at 08:04 am

Hope so, it would save about 5 mill in 2022 cap space.

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Coldworld's picture

August 03, 2021 at 09:38 am

If you are right he will be getting ample opportunity to prove it. May the best men win.

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Gopack12's picture

August 03, 2021 at 08:01 am

I agree with the Comment that Myers will protect Rodgers for years to come. Rodgers isn’t going anywhere, he did what he did to foster change in the packers organization and thankfully it worked. It’s becoming very apparent that Love is not gonna cut it , the Packers needed another year to confirm this... and now that they did they will extend Rodgers and Love will be the next Garapollo.

-14 points
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PeteK's picture

August 03, 2021 at 08:11 am

We'll get our first glimpse and most Packer fans will be rooting hard for his success.

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Coldworld's picture

August 03, 2021 at 10:18 am

Posting the same comment twice half an hour apart doesn’t make you more right, just increases the likelihood that you are an under-bridge dweller.

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13TimeChamps's picture

August 03, 2021 at 10:40 am

Well he did go from 'apparent' to 'very apparent'. Lol

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SpikeHyzer's picture

August 03, 2021 at 11:14 am

Well, he DID take the name of one of the worst Packers in history as his screen name.

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SpikeHyzer's picture

August 03, 2021 at 11:16 am

The spoken agreement is that Rodgers WILL be traded during the upcoming off season.
It's practically a done deal. He's gone and this IS the last dance.
Nothing is yet apparent about Love. He was very good to great 2/3s of the time in practice while Rodgers was out. The Pack knew--just as they did with Aaron--that he was a long term project.
There is a slim chance that Rodgers is forced to stay here for the final year of his contract if Love isn't ready yet, but it's going to be Love who will be protected by Myers for the next decade (and good thing).

0 points
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Jeff Hayes's picture

August 04, 2021 at 08:57 am

Time to get off the Rodgers boat it's sinking fast, The Love boat if a nice shiny new cruise ship with all the updated amenities.

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marpag1's picture

August 03, 2021 at 09:13 am

Classic 'haven't-even-seen-him-in-a-game-yet' overreaction.

3 points
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MITM's picture

August 03, 2021 at 10:11 am

The best part of July/August

4 points
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SpikeHyzer's picture

August 03, 2021 at 11:12 am

He's actually been seen in well over 50 games at the very next highest level of the game.
You have no idea what you're talking about.

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marpag1's picture

August 03, 2021 at 01:39 pm

Thanks for that insight, Josh Myers' mom.

You say "Well over 50 games at the very next highest level," eh? LOL!!

OK, never mind the obvious fact that games played in college prove little to nothing about NFL success. According to the Ohio State website, Myers played in 33 games as a Buckeye. Where are you getting the other 17+ games, big boy? Ah, maybe you're counting his games at Miamisburg OH High School? Yeah, that's "very next highest level" too, right?

https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CareerStats.pdf

Stop talking straight out of your ass.

-3 points
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dekan51's picture

August 03, 2021 at 10:53 am

I hope AR is under center for years to come, and is as productive as ever. But it is also nice that the Pack FO finally addressed the need for a competent back up QB, who could grow into the job and maybe even take over if AR leaves either by choice or by injury. A recent article talked about how Gute and company wanted either a WR or OL 2 years ago, but all were off the board when their pick was coming. The next guy they liked was JL, so they were aggressive and got him, and it is coming very apparent that they made a terrific choice. He is making some eye popping plays. Is he making mistakes? Of course. Is he out playing AR? Of course not. He is a young and raw talent who needs time, but he is progressing nicely, and I am excited to see him play in the preseason....

4 points
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LambeauPlain's picture

August 03, 2021 at 11:18 am

Meyers is a great interview too. Well spoken, reflective and humble. I can see why he was elected Captain for the Buckeyes. He will be a great wingman for Jenks and Patrick/Turner. I was hoping for Humphries, given his wrestling background and sterling collegiate career.

But Meyers has impressed me. Just like Jenks did out of the gate.

3 points
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SpikeHyzer's picture

August 03, 2021 at 11:19 am

I knew he was a great pick for us and that our O Line coaches are the best in the biz and would have him ready for day one as the anchor to what will again be a top 5 O Line in the league.
They would not have let Linsley go otherwise, which was a smart move for an aging player who just had his first major injury.
Love will be under center behind Myers for the next decade!!
(well, after this silly Last Dance is done and Rodgers gets out of town with another Super Bowl)

2 points
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blacke00's picture

August 03, 2021 at 11:35 am

I'm not a overly frequent contributor to this site but I comment from time to time. I like reading what others have to say and smart some are and many others who think they are.
One comment I have made and have not seen (but may have been said, I just didn't see it) is that the "center" of the O-Line (with the 2 guards) are really the most important part of the offensive strategy. Like chess, you need to "control" the 4 center squares, in baseball, strong "up the middle" with a good catcher, SS, second baseman and center fielder and in basketball control the area around the basket. I'm sure other sports are the same.
Having a "strong" center in FB is the absolute key a successful Oline. The LT gets the glory but the center is ultimately where the bread is buttered!
I hope Meyers pans out and by all reports he just may.

4 points
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JohnnyLogan's picture

August 03, 2021 at 11:47 am

I have been in the trade Rodgers camp but now that he’s back if the drama is smoothed out over the course of the season I’d. be for reworking his contract if both parties are in agreement. I believe it can be done.

I hope Love shows well this year but he is nowhere near what Rodgers was coming in. Even before Rodgers was drafted he had people’s eyes popping. I remember watching Cal vs USC, when the Trojans were #1 in the nation…Rodgers completed 23 straight passes and almost beat them. How he lasted til the Packer pick is still a mystery but he was, in my eyes, after watching that game, destined for greatness.

Hope for either Love to show well or accommodation between the Pack and Rodgers.

1 points
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flackcatcher's picture

August 03, 2021 at 01:06 pm

It's the Cap JL, the Cap. This is something that the front office can no longer avoid. Russ Ball has done fine work in keeping the Packers under for years, but with Covid as the trigger, Cap Man finally caught up with them. Keeping Rodgers is an impossibly at 20% of the total Cap. And even if the Packers wanted to, it would take a complete and total teardown of the roster to make it happen. With no bump in TV money until 2023 Rodgers is only the first of many veterans to say goodbye from this organization. Gutekunst knows it's too, otherwise the Packers would never have gone as far in Cap hell (55 million) this year. As one of the CHTV writers put it: "Superbowl or Bust" has never been so true this year.

3 points
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JohnnyLogan's picture

August 03, 2021 at 04:16 pm

I realize Rodgers has a $45 million cap hit but contracts can get torn up and renegotiated. If they make the decision to ride him for 3 more years isn’t it possible to lower next year’s cap? There will also be guys coming off the books; the Smiths, King, Lowry, Lancaster, probably half a dozen more. Or is it impossible?

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PatrickGB's picture

August 03, 2021 at 02:22 pm

Meyers is not as good as Lindsay. Lindsay is a fire plug and strong as heck. But there is no way the team could have kept him on another contract. Yet Meyers has a future here and is better than Patrick at center. I think that he has the smarts and will grow into his role easily. He has good coaching and is getting all the reps he needs to be ready for the season.

2 points
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Archie's picture

August 03, 2021 at 04:56 pm

Makes me wonder whether Turner will be traded/cut.

0 points
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mnbadger's picture

August 03, 2021 at 08:12 pm

I'm with you on that one Archie. A few weeks back I suggested that he'd be traded to a team that suffers OL injuries during TC for DL or ILB talent. We'll see in a few weeks. GPG

1 points
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packer132's picture

August 03, 2021 at 10:07 pm

Turner will play this year for the Pack and start. The line is very deep, though a lot of young guys who need time to learn. Runyan, Myers, Van Lanen, Newman should make the team or practice squad. Unfortunately, there will be injuries and never can have enough veteran linemen.

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