Wednesday wrap-up: Tauscher’s time finally nearing (plus an injury update)

The Green Bay Packers got back to work Wednesday in preparation for Sunday’s road contest with the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

They did so, apparently, with a new starter at right tackle: Mark Tauscher.

According to the Green Bay Press Gazette, Tauscher took most of the reps with the starting unit. That likely means Tauscher will take over for Allen Barbre at the position.

If that’s the case, it’s an interesting decision to make at this juncture of the season, one that I have to admit I’m not completely on board with.

Yes, Tauscher is a much more experienced and (likely still) better player than Barbre. But Barbre seemed to be at least getting his feet beneath him a little bit since his disastrous first game against Chicago. He hasn’t been great, but we seem to be talking about his struggles less and less as the season goes on. That’s what we call progress, kids.

Plus, this is only his first season as a starter (third in the league) so he clearly has more upside than Tauscher, 32, at this point. It’s great if Tauscher steps in right away and plays well, but what are the odds he’s brought back for next season even if that happens? Not very likely, in my mind. That means the Packers will probably once again turn to either Barbre or Breno Giacomini and the position will remain unsettled.

The No. 1 goal the rest of the way has to be making sure Aaron Rodgers doesn’t get killed. I understand that. Maybe Tauscher can help that cause more than Barbre, maybe not.

But in a season where a Super Bowl run is unlikely, a big part of me thinks the Packers should be working on growing a cohesive unit for the future. Barbre would be a part of that future; Tauscher would not.

Wednesday wrap-up: Tauscher's time finally nearing (plus an injury update)

The Green Bay Packers got back to work Wednesday in preparation for Sunday’s road contest with the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

They did so, apparently, with a new starter at right tackle: Mark Tauscher.

According to the Green Bay Press Gazette, Tauscher took most of the reps with the starting unit. That likely means Tauscher will take over for Allen Barbre at the position.

If that’s the case, it’s an interesting decision to make at this juncture of the season, one that I have to admit I’m not completely on board with.

Yes, Tauscher is a much more experienced and (likely still) better player than Barbre. But Barbre seemed to be at least getting his feet beneath him a little bit since his disastrous first game against Chicago. He hasn’t been great, but we seem to be talking about his struggles less and less as the season goes on. That’s what we call progress, kids.

Plus, this is only his first season as a starter (third in the league) so he clearly has more upside than Tauscher, 32, at this point. It’s great if Tauscher steps in right away and plays well, but what are the odds he’s brought back for next season even if that happens? Not very likely, in my mind. That means the Packers will probably once again turn to either Barbre or Breno Giacomini and the position will remain unsettled.

The No. 1 goal the rest of the way has to be making sure Aaron Rodgers doesn’t get killed. I understand that. Maybe Tauscher can help that cause more than Barbre, maybe not.

But in a season where a Super Bowl run is unlikely, a big part of me thinks the Packers should be working on growing a cohesive unit for the future. Barbre would be a part of that future; Tauscher would not.

Mid-week report: Injuries, Giordano, etc.

Starting on the injury front, courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Chad Clifton (ankle) will miss the next two games, at least. With the bye week falling after the Vikings’ game, he could be back against Detroit on Oct. 18. The Packers can get by without him for the Rams game, but to not have him lining up opposite Jared Allen will hurt and will also be a huge challenge for Daryn Colledge.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said he thinks Nick Collins (clavicle) will be able to go Sunday. At least Green Bay will be covered at one safety spot.

Brandon Jackson (ankle) was a limited participant. Jackson got hurt in the preseason and has yet to play this season. He’d be good to have back, as the line is struggling and Jackson is arguably the team’s best pass-protecting back.

How the Packers look, position-by-position, on offense

Now that the Packers have their 53-man roster set for the 2009 season, we wanted to take a look at the team, position-by-position, and give our thoughts on how the Pack really looks.

After all, we’re now less than a week away from the season opener.

I wanted to do this as one post, but it ended up being too much. So I decided to split things up into offense and defense/special teams. This is part one; part two will be up later today.

Labor Day? Day off? We at OBOD don’t know the meaning of the words.

Quarterback (2)

Starter: Aaron Rodgers

Backup: Matt Flynn

A position of strength, strictly because of Rodgers’ presence. The man some call A-Rodg is primed to break out with a huge second season as full-time starter as he is now fully out of Judas’ shadow. In fact, I’d say Judas now has to prove he’s as good as Rodgers.

If Rodgers goes down, though, this team is in a world of trouble. That’s not to say Flynn isn’t getting better and won’t someday become a solid backup, because he will. It’s just that Flynn isn’t ready to lead a team.

Running back (3)

Starter: Ryan Grant

Backups: Brandon Jackson, DeShawn Wynn

This group is good but not without some question marks.

Grant bounced back after injuries slowed him down for the first half of the season. I am pretty confident that will carry over to this season. The Packers being a more physical run-blocking team will also help.

Jackson is entering a crucial year. He has to show just why the team used a second round pick on him in 2007. He’s already hurt and might miss the season opener, so he’s not off to a good start. Wynn is definitely talented. If he stays healthy, he could easily surpass Jackson for the No. 2 spot. With Wynn, though, that’s a big if.

Fullback (3)

Starter: John Kuhn

Backups: Korey Hall, Quinn Johnson

I didn’t think the team was serious about keeping three fullbacks, but it looks like it is. All three bring a little something different to the table and the group is solid.

Kuhn is a more traditional fullback. He’s a solid blocker and occasional short-yardage and goalline back.

Hall is a good pass catcher and has gotten better as a blocker. Johnson is likely the fullback of the future and is a potentially punishing run blocker.

Wide receiver (5)

Starters: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver

Backups: James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Brett Swain

Arguably the best group of wideouts in the league, in terms of both talent and depth. Jennings has his new contract and will get even better, taking his place amongst the best in the league. On most teams, Driver is a No. 1 receiver. Yes, Driver is 34 but he plays like he’s 24.

Jones, if healthy, is a major playmaker and Nelson should build on his solid rookie season. Swain replaces Ruvell Martin and will bring athleticism that Martin lacked a bit.

Tight end (3)

Starter: Donald Lee

Backups: Jermichael Finley, Spencer Havner

What is now a very solid group has potential to be even better.

Lee is a good, if unspectacular, tight end. His numbers dipped a bit last year but should improve.

Finley is a freak, athletically, and will provide the Packers with a consistent red zone receiving option they’ve lacked in recent years. He’s ready to bust out, big-time. Havner is more of a pure blocking tight end and won’t provide much as a receiver.

Offensive line (9)

Starters: Chad Clifton, Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Josh Sitton, Allen Barbre

Backups: T.J. Lang, Scott Wells, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Breno Giacomini

Overall, I think the starters will be better than most think. Certainly, they’ll be more physical.

Clifton is aging, not as good as he once was and entering the final year of his contract. But, if healthy, he is still solid. Colledge was maybe the team’s most consistent o-lineman last year and should get even better. Spitz has a ton of talent but is still new to the position. Sitton is a nasty S.O.B. who has upside if healthy. Barbre is even nastier and will show why the team spent two years grooming him.

The backups, outside of Wells, are young and fairly inexperienced so the starters need to stay healthy.

–Chris Lempesis

Big-time offensive line developments

After Saturday night’s ass-kicking of the Buffalo Bills, head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters he hoped he’d find enough on the game tape to allow him to set his offensive line for the season.

Apparently, he did.

After Monday’s practice, McCarthy announced he had settled on five starters for 2009.

Chad Clifton (left tackle), Daryn Colledge (left guard), Jason Spitz (center), Josh Sitton (right guard) and Allen Barbre (right tackle) will comprise that group.

Not really a surprise, overall, but still interesting. Before camp started I thought Spitz, Sitton and Barbre would comprise the line from center-right. Not much happened to change that.

Spitz battled Scott Wells and while the battle seemed to be fairly even, Wells just didn’t do enough to overtake Spitz. Wells is a solid, talented player, no question about it. But Spitz has Pro Bowl potential at the position, plus he’s a little nastier in terms of demeanor and McCarthy seems intent on instilling that type of attitude in the line – especially on the right side, where a lot of the running plays occur. Also, don’t forget that Spitz is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The team has to figure out just what type of player he is before deciding whether to pay him or not.

Sitton was the favorite before camp at RG and was never really challenged. He, like Spitz, is a nasty S.O.B. and showed potential in camp last season before struggling with injuries. He could be something special.

Barbre faced the most significant challenge, from Breno Giacomini, and despite not really grabbing hold of the job, he did just enough to win it. He’s the nastiest of the bunch – too nasty sometimes, which will be something he has to work on – and could really come into his own in year three.

Truth be told, I think McCarthy had his mind made up before camp started that these would be the starters from center-right. It would have taken a damn near All-Pro type effort from any of the competition to win those jobs away from Spitz, Sitton and Barbre.

Regardless, I’m glad he set the line before game three Friday at Arizona. Now it’s important – make that crucial – for McCarthy to show patience and stick with these five guys for better or worse (barring injury, of course). They need time to gel as a group. If they get the time, I think the Pack will be better than most outsiders are thinking along the o-line.

Of course, there’s now been some fallout from this decision and not everyone is as happy as I am.

Remember a minute ago when I said McCarthy likely had his mind made up all along?

Well, it doesn’t sound like I’m the only one who thinks that.

Wells is furious at losing the battle. In a published transcript of a brief, tense-sounding session with the local media Tuesday, Wells wouldn’t say much other than “no comment” on a lot of issues. But when asked if he thought the competition was fair, he first chuckled before issuing a “no comment.” That’s telling. That’s Wells saying he doesn’t think he was given a fair shot. Like I said earlier, odds are he wasn’t.

He also issued a “no comment” when asked if he has been asked to be traded. The decision just came down Monday night so I doubt he has…yet. I think he will at some point though.

And, really, Wells is a fairly attractive trade option. He’s young (28) for the position, he has experience at both center and guard, he’s been fairly healthy outside of last season and, most importantly, he’s cheap (only due to make $1.5 million this season).

With that type of background, you have to think the Packers could get a fourth-round pick or another player to add depth to, say, the defensive line in return.

They might just decide to hang on to him for depth, though, especially since the starters from center-right are all pretty inexperienced at those positions. Either way, Wells will still bring value to the team, whether he is able to see that now or not.

If he isn’t, I don’t blame him. I’m glad he’s mad. He’s had that job for the better part of the past three seasons. If he was okay with the decision – or even pretended to be – something would be wrong.

And who was the reporter that asked him if he “was unhappy”? No, genius, I’m sure he’s thrilled. Man, sports writers are so dumb sometimes.

I should know; I used to be one.

–Chris Lempesis

Training camp stew- 8/20/09 edition (the series finale)

As Adam previously stated, he and I are pretty much done talking about Judas. In fact, we ARE done. Gene will be weighing in with his thoughts sometime soon, but after that, don’t expect any more Judas stuff from us.

We’re very glad that you all felt as passionate about the issue as we did – one reader even called me an “asshat”, which was a first – but from now on, we’d rather focus on the team that’s actually going to, you know, win the NFC North this season.

(Although I do just want to point out that Judas’ debut comes tonight against Kansas City. The Chiefs, as you may or may not remember, have one Bernard Pollard on their roster. Pollard is the player who put the hit on Tom Brady in the season opener last year that destroyed Brady’s knee. Bernie, from Packers’ fans everywhere, I just want to say that if you feel like doing that again, you know, tonight would be the perfect time. We aren’t going to stop you. In fact, godspeed my man. Godspeed.)

Anywho, it’s time to give you your daily serving of the best bits of information from today’s training camp practice.

The Packers have had four practices since we last checked in, so there is obviously a lot to get to. Thursday’s evening practice actually marked the end of training camp, so from now until the start of the season, we’ll be doing more in-depth pieces and columns previewing the team with occasional practice check-ins as they are warranted.

As always, this information comes courtesy of the fine folks at the Green Bay Press Gazette and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

• Hate to start this thing with some bad news, but Aaron Rouse injured his hamstring right at the end of practice Thursday and had to be carted off. McCarthy told reporters it didn’t sound good, although more wouldn’t be known until today. The injury becomes even more of a downer when you consider McCarthy said he had considered ending practice early and if he had done so, the injury would have been avoided. Just another setback for Rouse, a player who has shown a lot of promise when he’s actually made it on the field. But injuries and inconsistency have hurt him throughout his time as a Packer.
• Now, an update on the Justin Harrell situation. Although Harrell said earlier this week he feared his career was over, both Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson have not said the same. In fact, they seem to think there’s a chance he could play this season. Of course, both could just be not wanting to show their cards, so I’m not sure how much stock I put into what they said. I tend to believe the player more than the coach in these situations, so I still think Harrell is probably done, at least in Green Bay.
• Clay Matthews (hamstring), Jeremy Thompson (groin) and Pat Lee (back) have missed all the practices over the past two days. McCarthy said Matthews and Thompson will not play against Buffalo on Saturday (T.O. apparently isn’t playing either, so if you’re at the game, you won’t get to boo him which sucks). I’m starting to worry about Matthews and Thompson. Both showed promise before getting hurt, but they need to get on the field at some point before the season. You hate to have these guys learning when the games actually count.
• Johnny Jolly (ankle), James Jones (hamstring), Kregg Lumpkin (shoulder sprain) and Anthony Smith (groin) were all back practicing Thursday after missing practices earlier in the week. Very good news indeed.
• McCarthy said earlier in the day Thursday that Jolly and B.J. Raji (RAJI!!) will likely play Saturday as long as nothing happens on Thursday or Friday. So excited to see Raji finally suit up, I can’t even tell you.
• An update on the punting battle between Jeremy Kapinos and Durant Brooks (otherwise known as “Clash of the Titans”) from the Press Gazette. Thursday, Kapinos averaged 41.6 yards and a 4.0 hang time. Brooks averaged 44.8 yards and a 3.82 hang time. It sounds like Brooks has a bigger leg, but is too inconsistent. In the end, I still think Kapinos wins the gig.
• Call it “The Defensive Twilight Zone” Thursday night as Charles Woodson dropped a pick while A.J. Hawk and Brady Poppinga made nice plays in coverage. Was practice being held in The Bizzaro World?
• Atari Bigby also dropped an easy pick. It sounds like he’s been less-than-stellar so far. Shame considering this scheme seems perfect for his skill set.
• Cullen Jenkins and Jolly lined up in the nickel 4-3 scheme, which differed from earlier in the week when Raji had lined up with Jenkins.
• Allen Barbre has gotten a lot of the work with the starters at RT. Even though Breno Giacomini has probably outplayed him, from the sounds of it, it seems like the team wants to give Barbre more than enough of a chance to win the job.
• By my count, Mason Crosby has gone 11-of-11 on field goals over the past four practices, including one from 52 yards. Maybe last Saturday’s subpar showing was just what he needed.
• Matt Flynn, barring a shocking change of events, has the backup quarterback job cemented. He’s looked solid, especially in getting rid of the ball under pressure. More than I can say about Brian Brohm…
• Finally, McCarthy said Aaron Rodgers and the other veterans will be on the field for between 20 and 25 snaps Saturday. That group played roughly 20 snaps last week.

–Chris Lempesis