QUICK HIT: Packers O-line

At this weekend’s minicamp, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy got his first glimpse of rookie offensive linemen TJ Lang and Jamon Meredith.  Assuming that right tackle Mark Tauscher won’t be ready to start the season due to his knee injury and free agent status, the offensive line figures to look a lot different in 2009 than it did at the beginning of last year.  It seems to be setting up that left tackle Chad Clifton is the only returning lineman assured of starting, leaving the rest of the spots along the line to be determined in an open competition during training camp. 

Last year, due largely to ineffectiveness and injury, McCarthy regularly shuffled his offensive linemen between positions and in and out of the starting lineup.  This year, it is imperative that McCarthy settle on his starters in training camp and then stick with them.  It’s not like the Packers have a bunch of veterans they can plug in along the line.  With so many young players in those positions, they have to get used to playing together to maximize their potential.  The sooner the Packers start to build some cohesiveness among that unit, the better off they will be.

Tags: Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy, NFL, Pro Football