I gave Michelle a "Thumbs Up" for this piece because it's right on the money. The word "Atrocious" describes the Packers back-up O-Linemen to a T. Obviously I've been spoiled the last several years while having 2 of the best Guards in the game but both are gone now. Having a backup like Tretter was a luxury too but the Packers no longer have that luxury, now they have a couple liabilities.

Ted has been excellent in filling out the roster this year with FA, especially the last few days with the additions of Brooks, Odom, and Dial. He's got the BEST QB in the NFL right now and if an injury was to happen to one of the starting O-Linemen he's got a bunch of O-Lineman that struggled against Joe Blow in the preseason. Who? Exactly!

McCarthy will always tell the public he loves the depth at whichever position group he's talking about. Lets not forget what he said about the OLB depth a few weeks earlier. Ted you've done a really excellent Job this spring/summer. Now keep it going and sign a damn O-Linemen.

'You know times are bad when you're wishing the Packers had the services of veteran lineman Don Barclay'

Ughh... that pretty much sums it up...

Yep. The depth has been reduced to tissue paper thin. We have to hope for NO injuries (which is foolish, but it's where we are), and for Spriggs and Murphy to "get it" really quick. Not to mention Barclay to get healthy quickly as well.

8 decent linemen is ok. Right now we have 5 - but all is not lost. If the above happens, we'll be fine. If not... well...

I think this is a little bit a drama llama-ism.

The Packers starting 5 OL was a very good unit in 2016. Perhaps the best pass blocking unit in the NFL, although not nearly as good at run blocking. In 2017, they swapped out TJ Lang for Jahri Evans. Evans is certainly getting up there in age and no longer one of the best in the game but I don't see a "disastrous" drop in that swap. The starting unit seems likely to be well above average. I don't know if that means top ten or top five or what. But I would guess that any serious, legitimate ranking of the 32 OL units has the Packers ranked with a single digit.

It's true that the Packers don't have Pro Bowlers waiting in the wings at backup OL spots. If they suffer a run of injuries, they will not be as good. Is there another team in the league that is any different? Jason Spriggs sure as heck isn't the first young player with consistency problems. Many before him have overcome those issues and gone on to fine careers. It's not written in stone that he won't follow that same path.

Further, given that the backups are all younger players, how do even know what they will be if they are thrust into action? Any long-time Packer fan can rattle off any number of players elevated to starting OL roles that made fans nervous but ended up performing fine. The latest example being Lane Taylor, recently rewarded with a contract extension.

If anyone wants to see an OL unit that is on the brink of disaster, just wait until Sunday. Such a unit will pay a visit to Lambeau. They will be the guys in the white jerseys.

This article is spot on. And the fact that nothing has happened yet to address this problematic issue ,since cut downs, has diminished my hopes of a solution. I guess there's no one better then our back ups that got released? It seems like the only option at this point is a trade? This team needs an adequate backup OT and I'M for trading a 4-5 rd pick to obtain one at this point. This team is a SB contender. Losing Bak or Bulaga to injury would put a big damper on the Packers hopes.

Who wouldn't want a couple more starter quality guys in that O-line depth?! Let's face it, outside of our tackles, we don't really invest a lot of draft capital in our O-line. The depth is all low round or UDFA and therefore it is exactly as invested.

I like that TT has gone out and picked up players to build the roster beyond his draft abilities. The O-line is a tough place to cherry pick other rosters. You only have to look at the Packer O-line discards that have found full-time positions on other teams.

If there was one guy that I wished we made a bigger effort to keep, it was JC Tretter. One guy would have covered us at center, guard and tackle. Let's hope that Spriggs gets better and one other guy steps up

Can someone explain TT's reasoning in not signing Tretter? He wanted to be a starter and be paid starters money, I know. Why not make him starter at guard instead of Evans? Do centers make more money than guards? Many of us thought he was the most important signing we could make. Rodgers is the franchise. Tretter can play every position on the line and well. Maybe it was impossible from the beginning, but I still believe for the right money he would rather be playing in Green Bay today than with the Browns.

One constant that can be relied upon, if history can be trusted, is the Packers will enter a season with at least one position group threadbare in terms of reserves.

Might these second-tier guys develop into NFL players? Maybe. Are they now? Evidence says no.

I get the cap prevents you from being able to have reliable depth at all position groups, but Lord, why would you choose to shortchange the unit charged with protecting the franchise?

You know times are bad when you're wishing the Packers had the services of veteran lineman Don Barclay,"

Yup.

On paper we are playing with matches! Maybe Spriggs et al, will surprise us in real game action. Could happen, not likely but possible.

Should have resigned Tretter. Problem solved.

Just remember the Giants had Marshall Newhouse starting the last 2 years so I think we should stop complaining/worrying. Every team in the league is one injury away from the season being lost

I have been saying this for several days. Michele must have read my comment. There was a story somewhere that said the Pack was looking for help on both sides of the line after the cutdown to 53. I assumed offense too. TT I feel has done a good job of picking up the SF players to create excellent depth for OLB and DL. I thought a guy like John Greco from Cleveland could be picked up similar to Brooks and Dial to create quality backups. Doesn't seem like it is going to happen. I just see one or two of the starting five OL get hurt, Rodgers will repeatedly end up on his back in that game and TT will start looking for replacements. I hope it doesn't happen.

Yup, what pissed me off even more was not drafting any OL prospects in the later rounds...needed them more than two WRs that didn't even make the 53.

We could have 5 Joe Thomas' and we are still gonna get worked by that DL Sunday...just sayin...

As far as MM's pressers he will occasionally throw a nugget out there but generally they're purposely bland and devoid of any relevance.

During the regular season he might update us on injuries ( even that is usually the minimum) but after that its nothing but perfunctory coach-speak.

I've learned to tune them out like a bad commercial.

First, I think the term "brink of disaster" is a little strong, i.e., click bait. When I first saw the headline I thought some of the Packers OLs had been hurt in practice.
To me a disaster would be if we needed to plug a defensive player into the OL like we needed to do with Guion in the Atlanta game.

Is the backup OL an area of concern? Yes, but who were our backups last season? Spriggs, Murphy, Tretter, and Barclay. Ok, Tretter is gone to FA and Barclay who most of us want gone is on IR. So the differences are Lucas Patrick and McCray.

This is an era of trade offs for NFL GMs and rosters. If we kept Tretter would we be able to extend Taylor and hopefully Linsley? Could we have signed Brooks, House and Francois if we resigned Tretter? If we did resign Tretter we would still have Spriggs and Murphy anyway.

Rodgers has played through much of his career with backup OLs and he has excelled through it all. Am I hoping that our starters remain healthy? Absolutely! But that is true for all of our position groups. The good OLs are signed and are being well paid.

Nothing is guaranteed even if we had Tretter or allegedly better backups. If there were guarantees, why play the season? Just give the Lombardi trophy to the Pats and be done with it. We follow sports to see the unexpected, not the guaranteed. As Packers fans we see the unexpected nearly every week with Aaron Rodgers.

I hope that we can find an experienced OT to bolster the position but I'm not counting on it. Depth is important but we all know that the health of our starters is what matters most to this team.

I'm going to take it one play and one game at a time.
As of now I don't see any disasters. If and when disaster or the brink of disaster strikes, we'll deal with as best we can.
Thanks, Since '61

I agree with Packer Point regarding Tretter. Big loss. However, I feel OK with Patrick at center and MURPHY at Guard or RT. LT is a major concern- we could move Bulaga to LT and MURPHY to RT

I think the packers can use 1 reserve, and be ok. If they have to use 2 or more, then it's not going to be ok. We might find out this weekend if Bulaga can't play.

Also, I would like to see MM be a little quicker to respond when a backup OL needs help during a game, instead of his usual, go half a game or more before realizing that the backup is not an all-pro. MM slow to help a backup is almost a bigger problem than using the backup player.

I think the article is pretty spot on. A little hyperbole about McCray and Patrick - it is a good thing they are only ERFAs in 2018, RFAs in 2019: that means if either progresses they are under team control for the next 3 seasons.

TT has been kind of a whiz at drafting OL, at least in rounds 1-4. Linsley in the 5th has been good, and some of the other 5th rounders eventually became starters, even if they were lower level starters. On WRs and OL, I give TT some benefit of the doubt if his guys take a bit longer to develop than I'd like.

I watched McCray and Murphy do pretty well this preseason. Yes, Spriggs was horrible, but last year he filled in at guard once or twice and did ok there, but at LT he sucks.

We also have 3 pretty good tight ends, 2 of which can block pretty well... and all of them can catch passes. Whatever perceived weakness on the OL this year can be made up by excellent tight end and RB play.

A month ago everyone was worrying about the DEFENSE, now it's the BACKUP offensive line. The comment section (comic section?) is always fun through the preseason and after the roster cuts before the first game. I'm as guilty as anyone (and more football ignorant than most) of 'worrying' about aspects of the Packers' roster. It's why we are fans! Can't wait for Sunday's game to start talking about an actual (real) game! The Packers management have fielded very competitive, fun to watch teams for quite a while now. I trust they will do that again this year. Go, Pack, Go.

Michelle is right. I'd like to say that keeping all the O line from injury is a pipe dream. When have there been years when all of the O line been perfectly healthy? If you can't keep Rodgers upright, you ruin the season. And as to McCarthy, it's all PR. What is he supposed to say if not that everything is hunkey dory ?

Actually, Spriggs and Murphy had good last preseasons games. Spriggs footwork was light years better, he kept his base down and arm extended and hand punch right on the inside to counter. More important, he never lost focus in space, He never was gasping either, playing in Denver for visitors is tough. Murphy was noticeably quicker sliding to his right, his base was set low, and arm extend and hand punch were good. All in all, two fine performances that made the packers breathe a bit easier. If there was no growth in the back up OL positions, both of these guys would be in danger of being cut. But they are still here. Good for the Packers, good for them.