2009 Offensive Line Analysis - Green Bay Packers

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Chad Clifton
Left Guard: Daryn Colledge
Center: Jason Spitz / Scott Wells
Right Guard: Josh Sitton / Jason Spitz
Right Tackle: Allen Barbre / Breno Giacomini

2008 Injuries:
T Chad Clifton: Week 9
C Scott Wells: Weeks 1-3
T Mark Tauscher: Weeks 15-17

2008 Statistics:

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
The Packers won seven fewer games in 2008 than they did in 2007 and although the defense was much worse, one of the reasons for the difficult season was the inability to create holes in the running game. The running game still averaged 4.1 yards per carry, the same as in 2007, but we were expecting much more from them after averaging 4.8 yards per carry in the second half of the 2007 season. Rodgers was sacked 34 times last season, 19 more times than Favre was in 2007, and part of that can be blamed on the offensive line but he also had a tendency to hang on to the ball longer than Favre did.

At left tackle, the Packers can count on the veteran Chad Clifton who was selected in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Packers. Clifton was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2007 despite being one of the NFL’s best pass blocking tackles for a number of years but he had a very difficult season in 2008. The 6’5” and 320 lbs lineman ranked 23rd amongst left tackles with 7.5 sacks allowed and was one of the biggest disappointments for the Packers in 2008. He is very strong and quite athletic for his size but has struggled opening holes in the running game and is not a great fit for McCarthy’s zone-blocking run scheme. Overall Clifton has always been a below average run blocker but his pass protecting skills made him a solid left tackle, unfortunately last year he was also below average in pass protection. At 33 years old, Clifton is slowing down but the Packers are hoping to get one more year out of him until one of the younger linemen is ready to take over for him. On the right side, Allen Barbre is the favorite to replace Mark Tauscher who suffered an ACL injury in week 14 and is unlikely to return to the Packers. Barbre is quite strong despite being listed at only 6’4” and 305 lbs and has good athleticism. He has all the physical abilities to succeed in the NFL but unfortunately he makes a lot of mental mistakes and has a difficulty understanding different assignments. Barbre was a backup at guard last season but the right tackle position should be much easier for him and he could become a very good starter. Competing with him will be Breno Giacomini who was a fifth round pick in 2008 but he has not been particularly impressive and recently had a surgery on his ankle. Adding depth are 2009 fifth round pick Jamon Meredith and 2006 fifth round pick Tony Moll who started 18 games in the past three years and is currently working out at left tackle to potentially replace Clifton a year from now.

Starting at left guard should be the 27-year old Daryn Colledge. He is a very athletic lineman but lacks the strength to create holes in the running game and often gets pushed back by bigger defensive tackles. Colledge was a tackle at Boise State and he is another candidate to move to left tackle to replace Clifton next year. Colledge has shown a strong willingness to learn and has improved a lot at guard but needs to continue getting stronger. Opposite of him is likely to be the 23-year old Josh Sitton. He was a fourth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and won the starting job last season in training camp but he suffered an injury that slowed down his progression. He is quite strong at 6’3” and 315 lbs and plays with intensity. Many believe that he could be a big boost for the Packers running game and in the two games he started last year, the Packers ran for 102 yards on 24 carries against the Titans and 211 yards on 27 carries against the Lions. He still has a lot to learn but he is a player with a lot of potential who could surprise this season. Duke Preston should be the top backup inside, fourth round pick in 2009 T. J. Lang will provide depth at both guard and tackle and Jason Spitz could also be moved to guard if he loses the battle for the starting job at center.

The battle for the starting center job between Jason Spitz and Scott Wells will be quite interesting to follow. Wells was a very solid player from 2005 to 2007 because of his awareness and his ability to read defenses and many believed he would be the starting center for the Packers for a number of years. However, he suffered a number of injuries last season which weakened him even more and he struggled the entire season. The favorite for the job is last year’s starter at right guard Jason Spitz who also started a few games at center while Wells was out. Despite being only 6’3” and 300 lbs, Spitz is much stronger than Wells and has all the abilities to be a starter at center. His potential is pretty limited and he will never be a great offensive lineman but he should look better this year with a strong guard on his right.

2009 Outlook:
The Packers offensive line may seem like a mess with so many battles but it is surprisingly in pretty good shape compared to last year. Four of last year’s five starters are still on the roster this season and Barbre should be an adequate replacement for Tauscher at right tackle. Spitz is likely to win the starting job at center and the combination of Spitz – Sitton should be an upgrade over the Wells – Spitz combination from last year. Chad Clifton is a concern at left tackle but he played with two bad knees all of last season and the Packers are hoping that he will bounce back this season after having surgery on those knees. In terms of depth, the Packers are in good shape and should not see much of a drop even if a few starters suffer injuries. Overall, we expect pass protection to be similar to last year (although the number of sacks may decrease since Rodgers has more experience) but the run blocking should be much improved and could surprise many.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles