Packers Calendar: Seeing if Evan Dietrich-Smith Practices
The Packers begin their first day of practice this week in preparation for the Atlanta Falcons this weekend.
Without Evan Dietrich-Smith the Packers are in the unenviable position of switching T.J. Lang to center and inserting some combination of Don Barclay, Marshall Newhouse, Derrek Sherrod or Lane Taylor on the right side of the offensive line.
But with Dietrich-Smith in the lineup, the Packers would have all their preferred starters out on the field.
Wednesday is the first day of practice this week in Green Bay as the Packers prepare to take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday with the hopes of a spot in the playoffs still alive, and an opportunity that Dietrich-Smith takes part after suffering the second knee injury of his season this past Thursday in Detroit.
"He feels better," said head coach Mike McCarthy on Tuesday. "He feels that the time off really helped him, and I'm hopeful that he'll practice tomorrow."
If there's a chance of quarterback Aaron Rodgers playing, and he hasn't been ruled out, the Packers will want to put together as good of an offensive line as they can assemble in order to protect him.
McCarthy will have an update at his Wednesday press conference streamed live on the team's official website at 1:00 p.m. CT.
In the evening, tight end Ryan Taylor will fill in for injured tight end Jermichael Finley as host of the weekly J-Mike and M.D. Show from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. CT on WDUZ 107.5 FM and 1400 AM in Green Bay, according to the station's Facebook posting.
Offensive lineman Don Barclay will be the guest. The show originates from Thornberry Creek golf course in Oneida, Wis. in front of an audience and will be streamed live on TheFan1075.com.
Comments (12)
December 04, 2013 at 07:45 am
Could not matter less if Rodgers doesn't get miraculously cleared to play.
December 04, 2013 at 10:11 am
It does matter. If EDS doesn't play but #12 will, I'm actually afraid that #12 will be hurt more badly. While he is just ok, EDS is the only viable option at C. After Lang played there the first time this season, he said he didn't understand before that it is much more challenging than it looks like. And it would probably also mean that Newhouse is lining up somewhere. He has been brutally bad as of late, so anytime he has to go on the field at the moment is a negative.
I hope that if EDS doesn't play, Aaron will be shut down. Let Tolzien and Flynn take the inevitable beating. Sorry guys, but you are not our franchise QBs.
December 04, 2013 at 10:20 am
after hearing rodgers with jason wilde yesterday, i'm convinced that he isn't going to play this week
December 04, 2013 at 10:36 am
I'm slowly coming around to the "shut him down" side.
December 04, 2013 at 11:08 am
Um...that's exactly my point. Unless Rodgers is playing, EDS and everyone else on the entire team is irrelevant.
December 04, 2013 at 11:27 am
maybe I should've phrased differently. If EDS cannot play, #12 shouldn't either. If #12 cannot play, and EDS cannot play either, your backup QBs will be subject to beatings. But in the course of that, maybe someone like a Lane Taylor or a Sherrod or even a Garth Gerhart will step up and present a viable option on OL for next season. Could be, but not likely. Let's face it, in reality this season is over. Time to find out who can and cannot play for next season. There are many unrestricted FAs. It would be best to have your best players play at certain positions. If EDS plays and the rest of the OL stays healthy, maybe Flynn or Tolzien will be able to show something instead of having to run for their lives every single snap. If EDS cannot play you may be looking at pre-season game styles where you cannot really evaluate what the backup QB can and cannot do. So it does matter big time whether EDS can play or not, and not just because of #12. We already know we need at least a backup C, maybe even a starter. But we don't know whether Flynn or Tolzien can actually play.
December 04, 2013 at 03:24 pm
That's great and I agree, but my statement was that it doesn't matter if Rodgers can't play. It doesn't look like he will, so EDS being hurt matters less than zero.
December 04, 2013 at 10:32 am
Does anyone have any insight on how EDS has played this season? My untrained eye says he's done fine...good, even.
December 04, 2013 at 04:25 pm
i think he's done really well and i think they need to resign him. he's very quick in the no huddle and he looks very good as a run blocker
December 04, 2013 at 04:38 pm
I would say EDS has played very well. More than happy w him. I think Saturday did an excellent job getting him ready. For the flack Thompson gets for signing Saturday I always thought a big reason to sign him was to help prepare EDS.
December 04, 2013 at 11:21 am
What's up with this wussifying of this team. We're still in this damnit!! If Rodgers can play we have a fucking chance. That's all we can ask. If Detrich Smith doesn't play and Rodgers can, Rodgers better be out there just like anyone else on the team.
I thought this was supposed to be a tough team. I thought we were a changed team. Physical was the term being tossed around earlier in the year. Now you want to sacrifice an entire season because of fear? Good God!! The Packers might as well dress up in all pink for these next four games because that's about where we are headed.
Longshanks
December 04, 2013 at 04:42 pm
Couldnt agree more. If Rodgers is healthy he plays period end if discussion! No matter EDS or not. No matter playoff possible or not. If your healthy you play!