Marshall Newhouse looked like a promising young tackle in 2010-2011, but he didn't progress in 2012 and he completely fell apart in 2013. I'm not surprised the Packers made no attempt to re-sign him:
Bengals signed OT Marshall Newhouse, an unrestricted free agent who played 47 games with 31 starts for Green Bay over the last four seasons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 21, 2014
He is a young player with a lot of experience as a starter, but he got benched for a reason. It wouldn't have taken too much for him to have moved ahead of either David Bakhtiari or Don Barclay last season (both players had a negative grade in 2013 according to Pro Football Focus). With the likely return of both Derek Sherrod and Bryan Bulaga next season, the Packers didn't need Newhouse to provide depth either.
Meanwhile the Bengals just lost their backup tackle to the Buccaneers. The 2014 draft class at tackle isn't deep, so he might be useful to them next season. If he survives training camp.
Up front, 2013 was a total disaster for Marshall Newhouse.
Going back to 2011, he initially showed some promise as a pass protector, and in 2012 he was decent in pass blocking as the starting left tackle (while providing nothing as a run blocker). The Packers hadn't given up on him, but they decided to make him compete for a starting job last season against Don Barclay. For whatever reason, he completely fell apart. It started with the first preseason game, when he was beaten badly on a speed rush by Cardinals LB John Abraham. He barely played during the regular season, only 245 official snaps, but when he did it was bad.
While he deserves to be unemployed based on his 2013 season alone, there is some past promise to consider. Also, he's young (25) and never suffered a major injury. If the Packers decide not to re-sign him, some team will give him another chance on a one-year contract.
The Packers will get three lineman back from season ending injuries (Bulaga, Van Roten, Tretter) and will probably spend another year trying to figure out former 1st round pick Derek Sherrod, so depth isn't a big concern on the offensive line. The 2014 draft seems stacked at the top, as many as six tackles could be drafted in the first round, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of depth in the mid-rounds. They might want to hedge their bets and offer him a one-year contract. However, some other team might view him as a guard and give him a chance to start, which he probably won't get with the Packers.
Unless he has no other option and has to accept a one-year minimum contract from the Packers next April, I expect he'll be given another chance by some other team.
This has been one bad week for LG Josh Sitton and now he might not be able to start next Sunday.
Marshall Newhouse will play if Sitton does not. McCarthy won't say how that'll work but I'd expect Barclay to move RT to G.
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) September 11, 2013
If Sitton does miss their game against the Redskins, Jason Wilde thinks Newhouse would play at right tackle and Don Barclay would move inside. They might even move T.J. Lang back to left guard. During their last preseason game, at times the Packers played the now released T Kevin Hughes at left tackle with Newhouse at RT and Barclay at RG. I don't recall seeing Barclay play on the left side this preseason, though he did play some at center early in training camp.
I don't think Mike McCarthy likes moving his lineman around, but he probably wants his five best lineman on the field. Since I can't recall Newhouse playing anywhere this preseason except at tackle, that would be where he has to go, and the guards might be shuffled around accordingly.
Before the Green Bay Packers next preseason game, when they host the Seahawks on Friday night, I thought I'd take another look back at their win over the Rams.
The starters are playing all right. In two games, the defense hasn't forced any turnovers and the offense hasn't scored a touchdown, but they haven't been outplayed either. The offensive line seems set with Bakhtiari at LT though the coaches are giving Barclay a chance to unseat Newhouse (it hasn't happened yet). S Jerron McMillian has had some trouble with deep coverage, but it must be a little confusing in the secondary when rookie CB Micah Hyde is playing so much alongside inexperience CB Davon House.
The backup offensive and defensive lines dominated the Rams' backups. The backups weren't great when run blocking, which might have been a sign that the backup wide receivers weren't blocking well, but the Rams' pass rush didn't get anywhere near QB B.J. Coleman, which led to his best preseason performance (though too many of his passes were still thrown too high). The only backup lineman without a shot is undrafted rookie Lane Taylor, who picked up two penalties in the second half, including a personal foul for an illegal block.
On the defensive side, it's all about Johnny Jolly, who's making all the plays this preseason like he did in 2009 (hustle plays, tipping passes at the line of scrimmage). I can't make a case that he doesn't deserve to start, considering we haven't seen anything from rookie DE Datone Jones, who's battling an ankle injury, and DE C.J. Wilson hasn't done much.
Who will start at running back against the Seahawks? Despite the strong performance by Eddie Lacy against the Rams, he's still fourth on the official depth chart, and the Packers have started two different backs in two preseason games (Starks and Lacy). With DuJuan Harris back at practice this week, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get the start. The Seahawks have a great defense, and probably some extra motivation to look good against a possible playoff opponent, so no back might stand out on Friday.
The backup wide receivers are getting a lot of work. With Jordy Nelson out and Randall Cobb out, a lot of passes have been targeted at undrafted rookies Myles White and Tyrone Walker. Walker had made the most of it, until a couple of drops against the Rams, and White seems to be a favorite target for Vince Young and Coleman. However, Jeremy Ross and Jarrett Boykin haven't fallen behind either of them, so White and Walker might only be playing for a spot on the practice squad.
It seems like every other year these Family Night events are cancelled due to thunderstorms, but the Green Bay Packers were able to scrimmage Saturday night in front of just over 63,000 fans. There were a couple of interesting takeaways:
At right tackle, Marshall Newhouse is the starter but he was quickly replaced by rookie David Bakhtiari, so it looks like they are closely competing for the job. I really like Bakhtiari's potential, so I don't see this as a bad thing. Don Barclay started at right tackle at the end of last season, but he was awful in pass protection and is being moved all over this line so far in camp, apparently to see where he might fit. Former first round pick Derek Sherrod hasn't practiced at all, as far as I've read. The competition might already be down to Newhouse and Bakhtiari, though the winner shouldn't be obvious until the second or third preseason game.
Also, Mason Crosby's kicking woes continued and the boo-birds let him have it. I'm not sure how much more time the team will be willing to give him; they've already given him more than many franchises would have.
When the OTAs (organized team activities) start this week for the Green Bay Packers, who's playing where on the offensive line will be a topic of conversation because Mike McCarthy said that Bryan Bulaga and Josh Sitton are moving to the left side of the line and the Packers drafted two rookie lineman in April. It's clear Bulaga and Sitton will be the starters, along with T.J. Lang at right guard, but the position (guard or tackle) and future of every other lineman on the roster is an open question.
Position Review: Offensive Line-Center. Though I wrote earlier about Evan Dietrich-Smith and Greg Van Roten, they're both listed as G/C so it wouldn't be a surprise to see either of them playing guard in the future. But right now, they're the top two centers.
Marshall Newhouse and Derek Sherrod. While their situations are different, Newhouse was displaced by Bulaga on the left side and Sherrod hasn't been able to get his career back on track after a major leg injury, they're probably options 1A and 1B at right tackle. Newhouse can certainly play there but they'd rather see Sherrod show the promise they saw when selected him in the 1st round in 2011. This is a big offseason for both players. The loser will probably wind up on another team's roster in 2014.
David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter. The problem for the winner of the Newhouse/Sherrod battle is that they might only win the starting job for one season before Bakhtiari and Tretter are ready. GM Ted Thompson has had success finding offensive lineman in the 4th round (Sitton, Lang) and he found two more in 2013. Both players look more talented then their draft selection would indicate. They might have been available in the 4th round only because it was a strong draft for offensive lineman and they played at two little watched schools (Bakhtiari at Colorado, Tretter at Cornell). Their futures might be at guard, so they should play both guard and tackle this preseason as the coaches get a better look at them. I wouldn't be surprised to see both of them become long-term answers on the offensive line.
Don Barclay, Andrew Datko, Kevin Hughes, Lane Taylor. Barclay beat out Datko last year to become their emergency starter at right tackle, but Datko might look better this year if the shoulder he injured during his senior season is stronger. The problem for all four players is that the Packers have more depth now then they've had over the past few seasons. There might not be any room for undrafted or former practice squad players this year. I count nine lineman ahead of these four players, and the Packers have only kept seven to eight lineman at the start of the last two seasons. Even if they kept nine, these players probably wouldn't make the cut.
The starting five aren't settled like they were a year ago, but there's more depth then ever and it could lead to a surprising mix on the offensive line in 2013.
There's been a lot written this offseason about LT Marshall Newhouse's future at left tackle and now Mike McCarthy has confirmed a move that had been discussed for a couple years; Bryan Bulaga to left tackle.
New from JS: Packers offensive line undergoes a makeover bit.ly/18xBN5s
— tom silverstein (@TomSilverstein) May 3, 2013
The main argument for keeping Bulaga at right tackle is that the team needs a good right tackle too. Bulaga was great on the right side in 2011 so why mess with success? It was a little surprising how secretive Mike McCarthy was about it. Tom Silverstein wrote:
Initially, multiple sources detailed the move, and later after an interview request, coach Mike McCarthy confirmed it and agreed to discuss it.
Or maybe he wasn't trying to keep a secret but he didn't want to talk about it. He might not want to give away any changes in his play calling tendencies. He did say "There was a lot of information that went into this decision" and "you put your athletic guy on the left and the more powerful guy [T.J. Lang] on the right."
Right now, it looks like an equal, three-way race between Newhouse, Don Barclay, and Derek Sherrod (health permitting) for right tackle job. Maybe rookies David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter will join in the competition, but the coaches want to see them in person first.
I don't see a downside to moving Bulaga and Sitton to the left side, but it's not obvious that this will make them any better. They might still line up with the same five players if Newhouse is named as the starting right tackle. Moving their offensive line problems from the left to the right side won't help. Still, it's great to see the coaches address the offensive line and look for ways to make the unit better.
With the glamorous part of free agency over, the rest of the signings should come occasionally between now and before the draft, most of the interesting talk will be about who the Green Bay Packers should select in the first round.
There are several areas the Packers need to improve in, but change at some positions is probably going to come from internal options. While they need better play at safety and outside linebacker, S Jerron McMillian and LB Nick Perry are going to be given the first opportunity to make those positions better.
But one position that could use some help in the draft is the offensive line. And today, Mike McCarthy was discussing the o-line with reporters:
MM on OL: "Marshall played OK. We need some improvement from the left side and the center position."
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 20, 2013
By mentioning three positions (LT, LG, and C), he left open a world of possibilities.
Center is the position I've been thinking about for their late first round pick. There's no center with a first round grade, but there are a couple of good players I wouldn't mind seeing them reach for. At the top of the list is Alabama's C Barrett Jones, who's won the top awards in college at RG (first team All-SEC), LT (Outland trophy) and C (Rimington Award) as the best at three different positions in three consecutive seasons. I'm a little puzzled why he only has a second round grade, but recent foot surgery and playing the less important center position are probably the culprits.
Before last season, I thought they had the left guard position solidified with T.J. Lang. But a poor 2012 season, which the above quote from Mike McCarthy confirms, now opens the door. Are they expecting better from Lang? Could they draft a left guard and move him into a backup role (maybe release)? While I think they'll stick with Lang, the possibility should be considered.
LT Marshall Newhouse did improve in 2012, but he might have hit his ceiling. However, he seems like the least likely to go because he could still get better next season. They'll probably give Derek Sherrod a chance to return from injury and prove himself before they use another first round pick on a tackle. If Sherrod can bounce back and become the future left tackle they thought he was in 2011, Newhouse might be a good candidate to push Lang at the left guard position in 2014.
We should know the status of the offensive line pretty soon. The draft is happening next month and they'll probably open OTAs the summer with what I would expect to be the starting offensive line.
Overall, I was disappointed with the Green Bay Packers offensive line and thought they took a step back last season. However it's not obvious how they can improve either. While C Jeff Saturday didn't have as much left in the tank as the Packers expected and the team will again look for a new starting center, it was a step back for Lang and Bulaga too. Are they part of the problem or can we expect them to bounce back next season?
While LT Marshall Newhouse was second on the team with 10 sacks allowed, he actually improved last season. In 2011, he surrendered 11.5 sacks in 13 games starts and there were a couple games when he was just demolished by elite pass rushers (DE Jason Pierre-Paul is one example). He didn't have those awful games again in 2012; it was more of a slow trickle of sacks throughout the season and certainly some of those were due to the coverage. He's not an elite left tackle but he took a step forward last season.
The article quotes Mike McCarthy who praised Lang's versatility. Reading between the lines, it means Lang could return to play either left guard or right tackle. Recent times have been tough for LT Marshall Newhouse, but I don't think he's in danger of losing his job to Lang.
RT Don Barclay. Right now, Barclay is one of their top five lineman, which indirectly means he should be starting. He's not good in pass protection, but the combination of Barclay and RG Josh Sitton on the strong side has been a boost to the running game. If he can't improve as a pass blocker, then I'm not sure if he'll fit into their long-term plans, but he's the best alternative they have at the moment.
LG Evan Dietrich-Smith. His game against the Lions was actually one of his better starts, though he was blown up on a bull rush by DT Nick Fairley, which led to a sack. But in previous weeks, he's struggled in pass protection and with penalties. They still need him as a backup, but Barclay's moved ahead of him in my mind.
That would leave the door open for moving Lang back to guard, and it should make the entire offensive line a better unit. It's not an ideal situation for the future, and they'll still have problems trying to protect QB Aaron Rodgers, but they need their best five lineman on the field next week to face the Bears' defensive line.
It hasn't been a great season for the Green Bay Packers' offensive line and they could be making some changes across the line next year. But in the meantime, the o-line is getting a new lineup because of injuries. The new starting right tackle has only one regular season game under his belt and the backups don't even have that much.
McCarthy-Don't have a feel for TJ Lang's return. Not progressing the way he'd like. #packers
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 5, 2012
The hope was that RT T.J. Lang could bounce back from his ankle injury and return on Sunday, but that hope seems to be lost. It appears undrafted rookie RT Don Barclay will have to start this week, and he'll probably struggle as he did against the Vikings, even if he does gets some help with a chip block from the tight end.
If coaching the offensive line is a thankless job, then this has to be the low water mark. QB Aaron Rodgers has been getting sacked too often and the running game has been going nowhere. Now offensive line coach James Campen has to help Barclay get ready to start, and see if he can get a better performance from LG Evan Dietrich-Smith, who's been struggling and committing too many penalties. Even LT Marshall Newhouse, who allowed two sacks last week to DE Jared Allen last week and a lot of pressure against the Giants, could use some extra advice. Finally, he's got to get a couple rookies up to speed.
LG Greg Van Roten has been on the active roster for a few weeks, but he hasn't played on offense yet. Since he's the next man up, he'll see playing time if any of the other lineman are forced out of the game. He'd probably replace either of the guards if they were hurt, but if another tackle was injured, I wouldn't be surprised to see Van Roten play at guard and RG Josh Sitton move to tackle.
The other option might be to play rookie OL Andrew Datko at tackle. With the re-signing of OL Shea Allard to the practice squad, it's been speculated that Datko could be added to the active roster if Lang is ruled out. As for Allard, he was bad during the preseason, and he confirmed that by admitting he hadn't drawn any interest since the Packers released him at the end of preseason. Familiarity seems to be as good as any other option at this point. Since the Packers probably don't want Allard to do anything more than play on the scout team, familiarity might be all they want.
There's not much for the offensive line to do except to hold on. Their struggles have been keeping a lid on the offense this season, and it's not going to get better over the next few weeks.
In previous years, losing WR Greg Jennings for an undisclosed amount of time due to surgery for a groin injury would be a big deal, but the Green Bay Packers have basically been without their top wide receiver already this season. He hasn't played at all in October, and over their last three games, QB Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 12 touchdowns and 1 INT. They'll be fine without him, which might be something to consider when Jennings becomes a free agent at the end of the year.
However the one area that has been a concern this season is the offensive line. While Rodgers had a great game against the Rams, the offensive line struggled to protect the QB and open running lanes for RB Alex Green. It seems like their problems every week can be traced to one player on the line, and against the Rams it was LG T.J. Lang.
His main problem was DT Michael Brockers, who despite having a quiet rookie season was great against the Packers. He had a sack in the first half when he shoved Lang into the backfield, and recorded two tackles for a loss on running plays (though one came when C Jeff Saturday couldn't block him). Overall, Lang appeared to allow two first half sacks, and missed on at least two blocks on second half running plays. Allowing that many plays in the backfield isn't good.
One strange thing was that they seemed to call for more runs to the left side although arguably their best lineman (RG Josh Sitton and RT Bryan Bulaga) play on the right. It was even more strange considering Lang's struggles, and some early game difficulties LT Marshall Newhouse, who had keeping up with DE Robert Quinn. At least Newhouse seemed to improve after the first quarter.
As long as I'm bringing up the bad, I should point out the good. The Rams's star DE Chris Long (13 sacks in 2011, 4 in 2012) was a non-factor and only recorded one tackle against the Packers. Mike McCarthy rarely gives his tackles any help in pass protection and Bulaga was great against the Rams' playmaker.
Sure RB Cedric Benson was completely unwanted by any team, and he signed with the Green Bay Packers at the minimum salary with no signing bonus, only after four of their five running backs were either injured or limited due to prior injuries, but GM Ted Thompson said "We liked what we saw with Cedric."
He's talking about him as a player he wanted, not a player he was forced to sign, and he probably could have re-signed RB Ryan Grant instead. He's made his choice, one that could turn out to the wrong choice based on Benson's decline over the past two seasons, and he's sticking with it.
I have to admit, while I was cool on the idea at first, I'm warming up to him. Statistically, re-signing Grant looked like the better move, but with all the injuries (and the inexperience in the Packers's backfield), I'm glad to see a veteran back on the roster. The addition of Benson reminds me of when they re-signed Ahman Green back in 2009.
Just like Benson, the Packers brought Green in for a try out and thought he could still play. They were right; Green ran for 3.9 ypc that season. That's hardly elite, but it's good enough to deserve a roster spot. He also added some veteran stability when the Packers seemed to need it in the backfield, and they seem to need it again now. Also, if Benson does end up starting and he manages to deliver a big run or two, he could give opposing defenses something else to worry about.
Benson will also have the advantage of playing behind the first offensive line, whenever he finally gets on the field, because starting LT Marshall Newhouse has returned from his concussion. Depth is still a concern until Derek Sherrod returns to practice, but he will return at some point this season and it's possible that Andrew Datko can improve over the course of the preseason. Also, I liked what I saw from undrafted rookie Don Barclay at left guard during the first preseason game against the Chargers. That's not outstanding depth, but it should be good enough.
There was a rumor that Chad Clifton might take a physical for the Patriots, who have their own injury problems on the offensive line, but that turned out to be false. If he is able to return, I'd hope he come back to Green Bay.
I don't think the Green Bay Packers really wanted to enter the 2012 season with Marshall Newhouse as the only experienced, healthy left tackle on the roster. Despite their faith in Newhouse, his concussion (and it could keep him out a while, the recovery time is different for everyone) has exposed the lack of depth at offensive tackle.
The only way the free agent adverse Packers would have added veteran depth was if Chad Clifton returned healthy, but that dream ended when he failed his physical in April and he was released. It's possible he could come back in 2012 and I recall reading somewhere that the Packers were initially pleased with Clifton's recovery. The Packers have re-signed players months later, once they're healthy; that's what they did with Anthony Levine last season. However, his likely desire to start makes his return seem less likely.
They probably expected Derek Sherrod to return to practice by now, though he's still not ready. Fortunately, he should return at some point this season. After using two consecutive first round selections on offensive lineman, I can't blame the Packers for avoiding the position in the 2012 draft. They did select Andrew Datko in the 7th round, and he looked good during the OTAs back in May, but reality has set in and he's getting overwhelmed in practice. He doesn't appear to be 100% recovered from a serious shoulder injury during his senior season.
Until Newhouse returns, it's Herb Taylor with the No. 1 offensive line, but even Mike McCarthy didn't seem too excited about Taylor's prospects when he called him "raw" despite the Packers being his fourth NFL team. Taylor is probably their fifth option (behind Newhouse, Clifton, Sherrod, and Datko) but they probably would survive with him at left tackle. However, if Newhouse and Sherrod don't return soon, I don't expect the Packers to stand pat.
GM Ted Thompson has been known to make a trade or two at the end of the preseason, and I wouldn't be surprised if this season's no exception. After they've scouted all the preseason games around the NFL, they could trade a 6th or 7th round draft choice for a tackle that could help them now.
Usually the only bits of good information to be gained from a Mike McCarthy press conference are about injuries, and his presser on Wednesday was no exception. Here's the complete recap from Tom Silverstein:
TE Andrew Quarless, OL Derek Sherrod, and FB John Kuhn might all fail their physicals. I doubt this is a surprise to anyone with the Packers. Quarless's (torn knee ligaments, see below) and Sherrod (broken leg) were very serious injuries. I'm not counting on Quarless at all this season, and I expect he'll spend it on I.R.
McCarthy said that Sherrod is "getting close." I don't expect he'll be on the PUP list so he can practice at least on a limited basis. He still has so much to learn that he'll need that time with the coaches, even if he isn't ready to play.
McCarthy sounded more optimistic about Kuhn than either Quarless or Sherrod, but in hindsight, they might have made the wrong decision by choosing rehab over surgery for his MCL injury. I would have guessed that Kuhn would have been fine without surgery too, and that his knees are strong enough for the MCL to heal on it's own. They really don't have an obvious Plan B with only a couple of undrafted free agents behind him on the depth chart. This could lead to a change in strategy this season with the full back being de-emphasized in the offense. Of course, a similar thing happened in 2010 when Kuhn spent significant time at running back after Ryan Grant's injury, and the offense didn't struggle.
Finally, along with the news that McCarthy will spend more time with the offensive line after Joe Philbin's departure, he spoke about his confidence in Marshall Newhouse, and that the quarterback has confidence in him too. That's a pretty ringing endorsement. The stats haven't shown that Newhouse really deserves it, he did give up a lot of sacks last season, but McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers seem to think Newhouse really turned a corner late last season.
WR Randall Cobb is already looking fast and catching everything thrown to him, according to JS Online.com. His 2011 season was really impressive considering he had a short offseason to learn the offense, but he's a great talent and the coaches limited his opportunities, which I'm sure helped the learning curve. A receiver's second season, after he's had a year to learn the offense and build a relationship with the quarterback, should be a big one. The coaches, and Aaron Rodgers, all like James Jones, so I don't think Cobb should be expected to move ahead of him. But Jones, Cobb, and Donald Driver could each play about the same number of snaps in 2012. More of this next season!
The Press-Gazette had a lot of comments after Tuesday's open practice:
I wasn't sure if the Packers had gotten anything except an injured player when they drafted T Andrew Datko in the 7th round, but he's been playing at left and right tackle. I doubt he's in the mix to start, yet, at either position, but the Packers have some other free agent options in camp besides Datko, so he's moved ahead of a few other players already.
LT Marshall Newhouse is starting, but Derek Sherrod is being held out as he continues to rehab his injured leg. Sherrod might have a chance to move ahead and win the starting job, but he won't get his chance until training camp, at the earliest.
The emergence of undrafted OLB Dezman Moses continues, as he battles Erik Walden for the backup role behind Clay Matthews. Maybe he'll be no better than Walden, but it sounds like the Packers found another undrafted free agent keeper. Apparently Walden wants to start, but he'll have no chance if he's stuck behind Matthews. They are leaving the door wide open, unsurprisingly, for Nick Perry to start at the other outside linebacker position, with only Vic So'oto backing him up.
CB Sam Shields is holding off Casey Hayward and Davon House. I don't expect this position to be resolved until we see them all play this preseason.
I'm really glad to read that QB Graham Harrell is showing improved arm strength. The only reason the Packers survived with Matt Flynn as the backup in 2008 was because he wasn't needed. If Rodgers were to miss a game or two next season, I was afraid Harrell wouldn't be up to the task. But he seems to be improving, and I'm looking forward to watching him this preseason.