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2010 Offensive Line Analysis - Green Bay Packers

2010 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Chad Clifton
Left Guard: Daryn Colledge / T.J. Lang
Center: Scott Wells / Jason Spitz
Right Guard: Josh Sitton
Right Tackle: Mark Tauscher

2009 Injuries:
T Chad Clfton: Weeks 3-4 and 7-8
T Mark Tauscher: Weeks 1-8 and 10
C Jason Spitz: Weeks 6-17

2009 Statistics:

Overview:
The Green Bay Packers ranked third in points scored on offense and sixth in yards of offense in 2009 despite ranking last in the NFL in sacks allowed. The 2009 season was a good one in pretty much all categories except pass protection for the Packers and it led to their elimination against the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs.

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 and only Pro Bowl in 2007 despite being one of the NFL’s best pass blocking tackles for a number of years. 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. Clifton is slowing down but still remains above average in pass protection and the Packers are hoping to get one or two more years out of him until one of the younger linemen is ready to take over for him. On the other side of the line, Mark Tauscher is a very solid tackle who has never received the respect he deserves from scouts. He was a 7th round draft pick in 2000 and became the starter halfway through his rookie season when. Tauscher is not the strongest or most athletic lineman but makes up for those weaknesses with his excellent technique and intensity. Tauscher will however be 33 years old when the season begins and could be in his last season as a starter. He is still above average in pass protection, despite his age, but his run blocking has been a weakness for a number of years now 2010 first round pick Bryan Bulaga will very likely take over one of those starting spots within the next two years. Because he is better in pass protection than run blocking, Bulaga is likely the left tackle of the future for the Green Bay Packers. Adding depth is Allen Barbre who started the first seven games of the season at right tackle and was awful in pass protection. He has good run blocking skills but will need to improve his pass protection if he wants to be a starting tackle in the NFL.

There will be a nice competition for the left guard spot in training camp between Daryn Colledge and T.J. Lang. Colledge started 16 games last year including 13 at left guard and has been heavily criticized by Packers fans. Colledge was responsible for nine sacks last season but five of those came in his three starts at left tackle. He is a much better fit at left guard and should be the starter at the beginning of the year. T.J. Lang played over 300 snaps at both tackle positions but he struggled in pass protection so will likely be moved to guard this season. At 6’4” and 315 lbs, he has the size and strength to play at guard but might not yet be ready to be a full-time starter in the NFL. On the right side, 6’3” and 320 lbs Josh Sitton will start for the second consecutive year. He started all 16 games last season and was probably amongst the ten best at his position in both pass protection and run blocking. If he continues to improve, Sitton will be a serious contender for the Pro Bowl within the next two years. The 6’4” and 320 lbs fifth round pick Marshall Newhouse will add depth at guard but probably won’t see much action this year.

The battle at center between Scott Wells and Jason Spitz should be just as interesting as the one at left guard. Spitz earned the job in training camp last year but then moved to left guard for the next three games before suffering a season ending injury. After taking over in week two, Wells had a solid season all-around. 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. Injuries however slowed him down in 2008 and he will now have to fight off Spitz in order to keep the starting job. 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. Spitz could also move to left guard and play alongside Wells if Colledge and Lang fail to impress in training camp.

2010 Outlook:
The Packers offensive line was awful in the first part of the 2009 season but really settled down for the final seven games. The group of Clifton, Colledge, Wells, Sitton and Tauscher allowed only nine sacks in those final seven games and the running game had a respectable 4.1 yards per carry average in that same period of time. All five of those players will be back this season and if changes are made, they will be for the better. This line will definitely be much better than last year in pass protection but things could be slightly worse in run blocking. Even though Lang and Barbre were terrible in pass protection last year, the running game was more effective when they were in the line-up than with Clifton and Tauscher. With Spitz, Lang, Barbre and Bullaga, this line has a lot of depth and we probably won’t see much of a drop even if they have one or two injuries. The Packers running game should still average above 4.0 yards per carry and the sack total will likely drop below 30.

See all of our 2010 Offensive Line Analysis Articles