OL Appears to be Set Up Well for Foreseeable Future
There have and will be more changes along the Green Bay Packers' offensive line, but the unit appears to be set up quite well for the foreseeable future.
By Paul_Bretl
Whether you’re looking at sacks given up, pressures allowed, DVOA, or ESPN’s pass-blocking and run-blocking win rate metrics, there’s a good chance that the Green Bay Packers offensive line ranked first or was at least very close. By many metrics, this was the best offensive line unit in football last season.
They were also very good in 2019, and frankly they’ve been good for much of the Aaron Rodgers’ era. However, despite their recent high-level success, the offensive line has undergone some changes over the last two years and there are likely more to come.
Due to a number of factors, some of which includes age, health, and money, the Green Bay Packers chose not to re-sign Bryan Bulaga last offseason. This year, given the salary cap crunch and the contract Corey Linsley demanded on the open market, Green Bay had to let him walk too.
Looking ahead to the 2022 offseason, there is the very real possibility that the Packers move on from Billy Turner in lieu of the $4.1 million in cap savings. Not to mention that Lucas Patrick will be a free agent and at this point I’d say it’s likely that he won’t be back.
Yet even with all of these changes, in part, because GM Brian Gutekunst has prioritized the offensive line these last two drafts, Green Bay appears to be well equipped to handle these recent and potential future departures while still putting on the field a high-level offensive line unit—which as we all know, is vital to any team’s success. This Packers team wouldn't have been nearly as good as they were last year without the stellar offensive line play they received.
For starters, David Bakhtiari, who is the best left tackle in football, is signed through the 2024 season. The incredibly versatile Elgton Jenkins still has two years remaining on his rookie deal and will receive a well-deserved extension at some point.
It’s early, but as Larry McCarren noted, Josh Myers “looks and acts the part” of a starting NFL center. He has the potential to hold down the position for 6 plus years like his predecessor Linsley did. Jon Runyan Jr. could be starting as early as this season after showing a lot of promise in his, albeit limited, playing time last season.
Rookie Royce Newman has seen ample snaps during OTAs and mini-camp with the starters at both guard positions as well as right tackle. Offensive line coach Adam Stenavich has seen a lot of growth from Ben Braden and expects him to compete for playing time in 2021 at both guard and tackle.
Meanwhile, there is plenty to like about what Simon Stepaniak and Cole Van Lanen can offer this team—although admittedly both may still need some time to develop, which they will have. And then there is perhaps the biggest wildcard of the bunch in Yosh Nijman, who could be a cut candidate, but on the flip side, if he lives up to his potential, he is a starting-caliber player.
It's also important to note that Runyan and Stepaniak have three years left on their rookie deals, while of course, the incoming rookies, Myers, Newman, and Van Lanen, have four years remaining. This not only gives the Packers several young potential starters, but they're cost effective as well--an important aspect when it comes to team building.
Now having said all of that, the caveat that I have to add is that really everyone mentioned here not named Bakhtiari and Jenkins is a relative unknown to some degree. But expecting several of these players to become reliable starters isn’t exactly a major leap either; in fact, for a few of these players I’d say that’s expected.
The game of football has certainly changed over the years but games are still won and lost in the trenches—just look at last year’s NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl as evidence. And when it comes to the Green Bay Packers, they appear to be in great shape along the offensive line as we look to the coming years.
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__________________________
Born and raised in Green Bay, WI and I still call it home. After my family, watching the Packers, sharing my opinions on the team through my writing and interacting with other fans is my greatest passion. You can find me on Twitter at @Paul_Bretl.
Comments (50)
stockholder
June 21, 2021 at 11:06 am
If a Rookie can play Center as well as Linsley. This group should be solid for years to come.
CoachDino
June 21, 2021 at 03:18 pm
Thats not happening but if he can minimize the differential impact with the potential to some day play nearly as well thats very good news.
Lphill
June 21, 2021 at 11:10 am
Runyan needs to start somewhere.
Savage57
June 22, 2021 at 06:16 am
With all of the options the Packers seem to have at guard, the competition for interior line spots should reveal who's got the goods and who doesn't. And that's a real good problem to have. If Runyan shows he's the man, or can make the switch to RT like pops, all the better.
Your comment led me to wonder about something else. Think other OL's are little jealous about Runyan's name recognition as the son of a NFL legacy player?
blondy45
June 21, 2021 at 11:48 am
Well written and factually accurate. I am hopeful that our young O-linemen which we have assembled over the last 2-3 years will be quite effective. I have high hopes for Stepaniak, I like him a lot. In fact I believe we have more talent in our O-line than any other position group on the team. I have previously stated we have too much O-line talent and need to trade for D-line bodies. In the NFL though there is never too much talent. Of all the position groups, IMO we could trade lesser unproven O-line talent for D-line upgrades. Even Lucas Patrick could be an option but only for a proven D-lineman.
greengold
June 21, 2021 at 02:37 pm
stockholder and Lphill, I agree with both of you here.
I think Myers is that guy, one who can provide a seamless transition from the best C in the NFL last season in the departed Corey Linsley. (Just projecting out before TC, where the rubber meets the road).
Might also be a good time to consider what a phenomenal job OL Coach, Adam Stenavich, has done for the Packers. I think he is WAY better than James Campen ever was, and it is possible he is making some hay for Green Bay here, where these younger talents are actually developing into quality players.
Jon Runyan is a beast, and a great OG who should by all rights be starting this year.
Here is where I believe the landscape might change a lot for the Packers. If Runyan starts at RG, we are now talking about RT value, and a lot of players who will be competing for that job, along with the backup OG positions.
At RT I could easily see Ben Braden and/or Yosh Nijman being developed enough to take over as a starter. There'a a chance Royce Newman surprises in TC. I wouldn't put it past him to be a legit contender for the job. Coy Cronk is an outlier here too. As for OG, it is a very long list of candidates behind Runyan for a backup spot.
This might be a place where the Packers can realize/maximize some cap savings in possibly trading Billy Turner and/or Lucas Patrick. Both players are very solid performers, at multiple positions. However, the Packers have loaded up with a lot of great talent at both OG and OT. The cost savings of moving on from Turner and Patrick will be significant. $6M or so altogether? More?
Both Turner and Patrick are highly marketable players.
The competition seems solid all over the OL, and that could work to the Packers advantage on the trade market before roster cut downs to 53.
Leatherhead
June 21, 2021 at 02:07 pm
I’m all for saving money, but not on the line. I’d rather pay blockers and economize on skill position players, like we did this past season.
Nothing works on offense unless people get blocked.
greengold
June 21, 2021 at 02:42 pm
Yeah, I wasn't thinking "we're good" based on all the numbers present. Really just thinking later into TC/Preseason, and how those competitions might play out.
I love Billy Turner. Not talking about ditching him. Rather, wondering how the competitions for those roster positions might shake out.
If they have 2 or 3 OTs who they feel are ready to take that next step, I could see the Packers making a move with Turner at RT on the trade market. They could wind up getting a premium for him from another team who lost a starter. Eh, interesting to think about.
With regards to Patrick, there looks to be a ton of depth there, and it wouldn't surprise me if that writing is already on the wall. Runyan is more than likely ready to start today at RG. Stepaniak could easily challenge here as well.
Leatherhead
June 21, 2021 at 06:19 pm
Here’s the thing: Guys get hurt. And then your #6 and #7 guys are starting and #8 and #9 are your main backups. So until you are damn sure that you’ve got at least nine guys you can count on you don’t let any of them go.
Assuming everyone is healthy, the Oline is probably gonna look something like Bakhtiar/Jenkins/Myers/Patrick/Turner.
That’s not bad. It leaves Runyon as our top backup, and some untested projects. So no way in hell am I considering releasing anybody to save money unless there’s no choice.
greengold
June 22, 2021 at 04:15 am
True. I guess I got overzealous with it a bit. While we may have depth right now to pull that off, we did just extend to a 17 game schedule. The Packers look like they are in a really good spot at OL this season.
Let’s see. Where else can we save a bunch of money?
Stroh
June 21, 2021 at 11:53 am
The Packers are very well set for the future at OG and C. They have no depth at OT and indeed will need a RT soon. No way they can count on Nijman to be a competent swing OT. All the draft picks the past 2 years project to be interior players on the OL. It has to be an issue moving forward unless they make the move permanent of Jenkins to RT. He can play RT, but he's an All Pro as an OG/C and a good RT. I would keep him inside and find a true RT soon to be a swing OT this season and possibly a starting RT in the future. I hate the idea of taking an All Pro OG and making him a good RT. Keep the All Pro at his best position, unless its due to injury, as in the case of Bahktiari.
greengold
June 21, 2021 at 12:34 pm
You do know that Yosh Nijman, as a 4 year starter in the ACC at Virginia Tech, held the 2019 NFL Draft's #4 pick Clelin Ferrell, #7 pick Josh Allen, #13 pick Christian Wilkins, #16 pick Brian Burns and #17 pick Dexter Lawrence to ZERO SACKS? Playing both RT and LT?
It is possible Yosh Nijman is a dud or a stud. No one knows. The quiet we've known all offseason on the subject has been noticeably deafening.
You can't say one way or the other.
As for Jenkins, who cares? If he's an All-Pro OG, OC or OT? Who cares? It is entirely possible he starts at LT for Bakhtiari to start the season, then swings over to the starting job at RT. He most likely can play anywhere at an All-Pro level.
That would allow for other players at OG, where we are "well set for the future" at to step up, should any of Simon Stepaniak, Ben Braden, Royce Newman, Yosh Nijman or Coy Cronk be unable to handle RT.
Billy Turner is currently our starting RT, but there looks to be way more depth behind him than either one of us could imagine, really. Something tells me OL Coach Adam Stenavich has done a great job with all the candidates there, and I don't see than changing anytime soon.
Sorry Stroh, but I'm really encouraged by the players they have there, and the coaching.
And, what the hell is a "true RT?" Like, former LT Brian Bulaga???
Do these true RTs that you want have to come from the first 2 rounds of the draft? First 3 rounds? Like former 4th Round pick David Bakhtiari?
CoachDino
June 21, 2021 at 03:32 pm
Great conversation...
Agree with the who cares if he is a great LG or RT but the issue is "is" he going to be a great RT while we already know he's a great Guard.
Plus OTs get paid a lot more than Guards, at this point could they pay both Bahk and Jenkins Big OT money, due to the crazy bad cap situation (that may improve by 2023).
Yosh is a mystery for all the reasons GG pointed out. How come he is a solid College OT but can't get any snaps at the NFL level YTD? Something's not right.
I dig the OG strategy, OG is the easiest position to land starters in later rounds. (WR & RBS as well) So why draft a 6th rd position that has a 10% probability of becoming a starter when OG have the Highest % in the 6th rd at around (est.) 30%. (Something like that has been proven out by PFF and others) Plus guards are cheap.
As far as what round OT come from, yes OT have a severe drop off after rd 2 (Unlike guards) Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just stating probabilities.
You know me GG, I try and stay positive but i'm like a Missouri native "Show me". To me the take away is the Packers have done an admirable job in giving the team the best chance of succeeding but the players still have to prove it. Again to another one of your points, sometimes guys like Bakh beat the odds but there's the other side of the equation where guys you think will, don't.
greengold
June 21, 2021 at 04:34 pm
Yeah, I'm certainly not declaring that Yosh is going to start. I'm just finding the quiet surrounding him very, very similar to that quiet we witnessed from Gutekunst & Co. with the WR group surrounding the 2020 draft. That's all.
I found Yosh not participating in the Voluntary Minicamp to mesh with this a bit. I mean, if he was battling for a spot...
I really would not be surprised if they have Yosh coached up to take over as a starter at RT. Similarly, I wouldn't be surprised if he just isn't working out and they cut him.
It is kind of crazy, but this staff guards its secrets pretty well on the personnel side.
What I was pointing to with Yosh were the facts of the matter, the resume he walked into GB with as what was regarded by many as "the steal of UDFA" in 2019. He allowed only 12 pressures total in his 4 year career as a starter at both LT and RT (10 QB hurries, 1 QB Hit, 1 Sack) in his 334 pass blocking snaps.
Yeah, he needed a lot of technique work, but, those numbers against that level of competition for that long a span? The guy has to know how to play OT.
What we have to acknowledge is a sometimes rare convergence of good, proven, late draft choices or UDFA signings, FA signings, combined with a great, proven coaching staff. Ask the Bengals and the Jaguars how rare that is...
Anyhow, I just think Adam Stenavich has shown himself to be a high quality OL Coach, based on the musical chairs he was forced to coach up at multiple positions over the past two years, both resulting in NFCC game appearances and 13-3 records.
I think, like their Head Coach, Matt LaFleur, this is a super bright, capable bunch of coaches. You add the right talent to that, and we might witness some stuff we haven't really seen since the Holmgren days.
Just a thought with regards to some of the players we have acquired Day 3 or later, and how they actually might surprise moving forward. I really do think Player Development will be as good or better than the Mike Holmgren days under Matt LaFleur and his staff. It should be interesting and fun to watch.
Conversely, I cannot wait to see what Jerry Montgomery & Joe Barry do together on our DL. There have been a lot of very confident money moves and statements regarding Lowry & Lancaster. Maybe with Pettine gone, we win trench battles on both sides of the war... for a change.
Coldworld
June 22, 2021 at 08:53 am
Last year it was stated that Nijman was working exclusively at LT. Not sure what that signifies, but it doesn’t look as if they planned on using him at RT at the time. Looking forward to seeing who shows up when the pads go on. Until then it’s essentially agility and technique drills.
Slim11
June 22, 2021 at 07:34 am
Maybe the more accurate description of Brian Bulaga is a "complete RT." He was equally adept at pass blocking and run blocking.
Compare him to the likes of former Packer Don Barclay. He was thought to be a competent run blocker but not as good as a pass blocker. Compared to Barclay, I like the OL on this roster more.
Jenkins will be good wherever he lines up. At the moment, however, he's a dominant LG. Do you want to move a dominant player to another position where he's less effective? Part of his effectiveness probably comes from playing next to Bahktiari.
PatrickGB
June 22, 2021 at 04:37 pm
GG, I did not know that about Nijman. I was just about to write him off as one of the first to get cut. I still wonder why we have drafted so many guards or tackles projected as guards. I would have liked to see a few more DT’s to choose from but that’s not my call.
greengold
June 23, 2021 at 06:11 am
It’s true, PatrickGB.
As a matter of fact, the only sack Yosh Nijman did give up in his 4 year career as a starting LT/RT at VT was to that Ximinez kid the NYG took in like R5, and that was on a busted play. I did a ton of research on Yosh after he was signed UDFA just to learn more.
He went undrafted mostly because teams couldn’t get past the titanium rods surgically inserted into his legs when he was younger, when his body mass outgrew his bone structure. Despite that, he was a top performer at the NFL Combine in a number of OL categories. 6-7 318. ELITE RAS rating of 9.8 and one pt. shy of ELITE SPARQ rating.
Yosh did have technique issues, like the typical rookie will with hand use and footwork. Regardless, he was a high quality run blocker and pass blocker in his 4 year career. The Packers signed him UDFA 2019, and have quietly been protecting him on the roster/PS and developing him ever since.
Stroh
June 22, 2021 at 10:12 pm
Ninjman has done absolutely nothing in the NFL. So far he's big and athletic but he's never been better than decent even in college! No way in hll you can expect anything from him!
Jenkins is an All Pro OG/C, but at RT he's probably average at best.
Finding Bahktiari in rd 4 was an absolute fluke! Starting OT RARELY make it out of rd 1or 2! I didn't say Bulaga was a true RT. he was a guy that could play either side!
You're a putz to say that sh!t.
greengold
June 23, 2021 at 06:39 am
“Putz.”
Please, Stroh, enlighten us on the wonders of those OTs taken R1 and R2 from Yosh Nijman’s draft class...
Need some help?
Jonah Williams, Andre Dillard, Tytus Howard, Caleb McGary, Jawaan Taylor, Greg Little, Cody Ford, Dalton Risner, Max Scharping... we’ll wait.
An OL you’ve signed UDFA to develop probably won’t do much in the NFL while your developing him, with arguably the league’s best players in front of him. No, he hasn’t done anything. Once again, we don’t know, because there is no information being put out there by the team, rendering your comments baseless.
At least I’ve done some research, and had gone up a few times to watch him practice, live, in pads his rookie year.
Don’t forget about those OTs from R1 & R2. I know how they’ve fared, but why don’t you go ahead and tell us all how great they are?
Are you going to pull the 3-4 year draft development card? If so, then shouldn’t the same be applied to Yosh Nijman, just now entering his year 3?
MarkinMadison
June 21, 2021 at 12:34 pm
The way the reps were divvied up in camp I don't know why anyone is talking about Nijman at this point. Maybe that will change in July, but I haven't seen any reason to expect him to be in the competition for right tackle this year, or even swing tackle.
I think where we part company is on Braden and Newman. Either could make Turner expendable, either this year or next year. Probably next year given Bakh's injury. I haven't seen any video out of camp, and I don't think they had pads on at all. So I'm waiting for July. I want to see how those guys do in one-on-one drills with the Smith Bros. & Gary. Then we will know something.
greengold
June 21, 2021 at 12:41 pm
Hey Mark, I think the point is that no one knows what his status is with the Packers. Except for the Packers.
No one knows anything, but we can talk about it... If we can't do that, then what's the point of discussing anything here?
You're right that no one has said a word about Yosh. No one. No one said anything about our WRs last year either. They seemed to do quite well.
MarkinMadison
June 21, 2021 at 09:13 pm
I mean, us, here. Personally, I've never been high on Yosh. Given that other people were given snaps at T with the 1s, and he wasn't, and given that he received far fewer snaps last year than others, I've pretty well given up on him. You see something I don't see maybe. Go ahead, write away, that is fine. I guess in the realm of speculation though, I think his stock is way down right now.
greengold
June 22, 2021 at 04:23 am
Yeah, Mark. You could easily be right. These are the dull days... talking about Yosh...
Coldworld
June 22, 2021 at 09:10 am
Nijman was a ton of potential almost completely unpolished. Who knows what he is or isn’t. The Packers have said very little while keeping him on the roster since he was signed. If he was not considered to have potential I do not see why they would behave that way, still less why they were working him exclusively at left not right tackle. He’s not lacking in strength and finesse isn’t him at all. There is some reason why they went that direction. To me his stock is unchanged. It’s value is unknown.
On a broader perspective, Braden is another like Nijman (less athetically freakish but still very gifted) who had awful technique as well. If he’s finally acquired it ( he’s been in the league longer than Nijman), he could be real or close to being.
Of the others we know nothing, except that Runyon looked to have potential as a rookie. Whether he has more or less than others is impossible to tell since we have seen none of them due to injury and lack of preseason or them just being drafted/acquired.
I have to believe that the Packers are looking to pull a Linsley and find internal replacements, maybe this year, maybe next. So many Ts, Gs and Cs in camp (plus Jenkins). Winnow out the wheat from the chaff, and if you get lucky maybe reduce age and cost. If we are really lucky with the showing, it’s possible we might see a trade this year, but that would need us to believe we have youngsters too good to let go. Wouldn’t that be nice? I will settle for just promising young depth behind the starters though.
greengold
June 22, 2021 at 09:47 am
Yeah, Coldworld, that last bit is kind of where I was coming from in bringing up the possibility of maybe moving Turner in trade. Same for Patrick. Like it or not, the two of them together would bring huge cap relief in a time when we really need that.
If they do deem these younger guys ready, and I kind of felt they might judging by the silence on Yosh, and his not showing for Voluntary Minicamp, we might just see that happen. Couple that with insane OG depth, and Myers looking to be the starter, and Elgton Jenkins having been a top C, that possibility, to me, seems real.
We've got that rare convergence of good talent + high quality OL coaching. At some point, maybe that helps to become a commodity in GB. We'll be finding out before or shortly after Week 1.
btw, you're right. Yosh was being worked exclusively at LT last year, but he does have plenty of experience at RT from his days at VT. I remember Bakhtiari working with him a lot, and they seemed pretty tight. He might be ready. It is entirely possible Yosh starts at LT if Bak needs a little more time in the early part of the season, Elgton keeps his LG spot, Myers at C, then as it stands today, Patrick at RG and Turner at RT.
You look at the numbers Gutekunst added at OG, plus Royce Newman at RT, Braden apparently coming on... and Yosh being able to swing over to RT if needed...
I know this is going out there, and now is a wasteland of news, but, if they can make something of Coy Cronk??? Holy shit. That dude is a big wide body with 34 1/4" arms... he came in at 6-5 318. I bet OL Coach Adam Stenavich was drooling over what he could do with this kid.
Cronk walked in as a starter Freshman year at Indiana, and started all 3 years there. Second play of his Senior year, he got his ankle rolled up on, and was knocked out for the remainder of the season. He decided to transfer to Iowa for an opportunity to be challenged. He likes being pushed and driven. He wanted to up his game. COVID just changed what he was able to do there when the BIG10 season was abruptly postponed.
There is a chance this kid could be something special. Just throwing it out there.
Coldworld
June 22, 2021 at 05:44 pm
Yes, I’ve heard from some genuinely knowledgeable people that Cronk could be the steal of the year based on profile and play before that injury. He is definitely one I will be watching based on that alone. I confess he was not on my radar at all.
Stroh
June 22, 2021 at 10:22 pm
The only WR who did a thing last year was Adams! MVS is a deep threat and nothing more. Lazard is a #4 WR in the NFL. Good bench player but he's certainly shouldn't be a starter. The offense was prolific in spite of him!
greengold
June 23, 2021 at 05:07 am
Do you want a shovel?
Since'61
June 21, 2021 at 12:35 pm
We'll go as far as our OL takes us. Stevanich has done an excellent job of preparing the OL and adjusting to injuries.
The one issue I'm concerned with is that we have numerous players who were drafted in the 5th round or later. They can be developed into solid starting players however when you get into the playoffs we often face DLs manned by players who were taken in the 1-2 rounds as we did against SF and Tampa in the last 2 NFCCGs. At that point the talent difference rears it ugly head and we allow numerous sacks and continued pressure on our QB throughout the game.
We are slowly changing that paradigm with the additions of Jenkins and Myers. Hopefully we select an RT early in the 2022 draft and continue building the OL with upper tier players. Thanks, Since '61
porupack
June 21, 2021 at 01:23 pm
'61 I also wish Baktiari, Lindsley, JC Trettor could handle the 1st round DL opponents. And who was that first round Tackle that flamed out with one bad broken leg njury, but never could develop thereafter? And when we got a 2nd rounder from Indiana recently, super athletic RAS, that couldn't even get a start. Its no accident that I can't remember their names.
Its been long discussed that draft position doesn't mean much. Its nice for arguing probabilities....but bad predictor of any given individual. More important than draft round, is coaching, mentoring and developing. That is one area GBP has excelled for decade, developing a superior OL from late round picks. They can get late rounders, and mentor them for a couple years with low expectations to be thrown in the fire until they build mass, muscle memory and can begin to read opponents effectively. Seems compelling strategy than keep drafting first rounders and forego other positions (Dallas Cowboys and their now woeful defense). Late round OL players allowed GB to have infused of recent, a fairly good CB -Alexander, DT Clark, DE Gary and S Savage. GB's problem is they keep developing so many excellent OL players, that they perform themselves out of GB price range. A pretty good problem to have.
greengold
June 21, 2021 at 02:46 pm
Derek Sherrod & Jason Spriggs... ugh!!! No kidding, porupack. Whoah, those were bad picks.
Slim11
June 22, 2021 at 08:45 am
I agree about Spriggs but not Sherrod. He's an unknown.
When Sherrod was drafted, he was penciled in as a starter at guard, not tackle. He was a LT in college.
In addition, there were no OTAs because the owners wanted to renegotiate the CBA. Going into TC, Sherrod had little, if any, preparation like today's rookies and UDFAs just completed.
The Packers did Sherrod no favors. They did not set him up to succeed. The broken leg he suffered is part of a professional sports career. It sucks when it happens but those events do happen.
Coldworld
June 22, 2021 at 09:16 am
I don’t know that I blame the Packers for not helping Sherrod, but I do agree that he landed in a tough year and that we never found out if he was a good selection or not. He’s in a category with players like Terrance Murphy. Injury never allowed us to find out.
CoachDino
June 21, 2021 at 03:37 pm
Not saying there isn't validity to that argument but guards are very often lower rd picks and it wasn't the rd chosen that hurt the Packers but the injuries (Bahk and Lane out, Wagner with a bad wheel).
I just thought SF was a better team both in talent and execution of the scheme development.
Coldworld
June 22, 2021 at 09:29 am
I think you hit the nail on the head as to both the relevance of where players were taken and to SF being a much better team in 2019. They were.
There is no doubt that losing Bakh and Wagner’s knee finally giving out (leading him to signal his intent to retire) was a major factor that shifted the advantage to Tampa.
I do think we should not neglect the fact that in both games we were out prepared and out coached saliently during both games, one direct effect of which was to add unnecessary pressure on the O line. In both cases we failed to learn lessons (or solve them) posed during losses to the team earlier in the season. I don’t think that effected the outcome against SF (or at least that it very likely did not), I do think it was a major component of both the O line performance and game outcome significantly against Tampa.
jurp
June 22, 2021 at 06:37 pm
We'll probably never know if we were actually out-coached against TB on offense of if our QB ignored the Head Coach's play calls and ran plays his own way.
Coldworld
June 21, 2021 at 12:55 pm
With so many new faces as well as some largely unknown to us, Braden, Nijman and Stepaniak, the line is likely setting up for the next 4 to 5 years, or at least that’s the hope. I will reserve judgment on the future till I’ve seen players in pads. It does seem to me that the Packers feel that they do have tackle depth. Camp will shed a lot of light on this group.
Qoojo
June 21, 2021 at 02:02 pm
Plus, probably the most exciting thing is that they have good pad level. Just look at that picture.
CheesyTex
June 21, 2021 at 03:26 pm
And check out the guns and leg muscles on Josh Myers.
Packer_Fan
June 21, 2021 at 04:02 pm
With the drafts the past two years, there should be enough opportunity for a few to develop and keep the unit good and more importantly, deep. For injuries happen each year. And the bigger practice squad is a help too, for these draft picks that don't make the 53 limit have a chance to develop.
packer132
June 21, 2021 at 06:03 pm
I love the job Stenavich has done, and the OL should be good for years. They let Bulaga go at the right time, and I wanted to keep Lane Taylor though injuries piled up. When Packers drafted 3 in 2020 and 3 in 2021 you knew that Linsley was not affordable. Patrick was a FA as well as Nijman and Braden. There are 16 players fighting for 8 or 9 spots and camp will be very competitive. You can't run or pass without a very good line.
Packer_Fan
June 21, 2021 at 04:02 pm
With the drafts the past two years, there should be enough opportunity for a few to develop and keep the unit good and more importantly, deep. For injuries happen each year. And the bigger practice squad is a help too, for these draft picks that don't make the 53 limit have a chance to develop.
THESZOTMAN1
June 21, 2021 at 04:32 pm
I've been waiting for someone to mention the (too) frequent "Babes R Us" posts. Nice job Qoojo. Too funny. But shame on you for taking a poke at poor MM.
Szotman
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
June 21, 2021 at 07:12 pm
Going to be so much fun watching these players fight it out!
Coldworld
June 22, 2021 at 09:34 am
Really looking forward to the O line battle in camp and seeing what Barry has in mind on D. This should be a very highly competitive camp on both sides of the ball.
Doug_In_Sandpoint
June 21, 2021 at 08:54 pm
Ok. Offensive line is done for a few years. Now go focus on Dline.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
June 22, 2021 at 06:29 am
Soooo true!
While I feel good about the interior OL future until we see what we have at OT I will remain hopeful there is enough talent at that position. I had hoped the Packers would draft an OT in round 1 or 2 this year simply because I had felt with all the young talented interior OL someone could transition to Center. I do like the Myers selection though and excited for him.
Do believe Doug is right 'at this particular juncture in time' that a dominating DL needs to be selected high next year in the draft. This could change if the Packers end up with someone like Chubb, and or players like Zeke and Slaton show solid play/improvement.
greengold
June 22, 2021 at 07:41 am
Funny, Knock, I was thinking OC with the pick, allowing Jenkins to take Bak’s snaps until he came back.
What’s cool is Gutekunst didn’t over draft on DL, in what was considered a lesser DL class overall 2021. I’m sure he will add there next year’s draft, maybe more prominently. High.
TJ Slaton might surprise though. That’s a very big, fast man with a real motor.
OL considered a strength in this draft, some good talents were bound to slip. Seems the Packers got just what they wanted with their first 5 picks. Royce Newman in R4 and Josh Myers in R2 we’re both highly considered best scheme fits, with the versatility Gutekunst craves on OL. Hitting OL twice in their first 4 picks was smart, and they still covered the CB and WR positions like a blanket. Seems like a great draft this year. We’ll see.
Roadrunner23
June 22, 2021 at 07:10 am
Bring on training camp and let’s sort it all out!
Can’t wait!
Go Pack!