The Green Bay Packers may be nearly there on determining the shape of their offensive line for Week 4.
Head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters Friday that Green Bay has a plan for the offensive line against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Packers want one final practice before locking it in.
“LaFleur says there is a plan in place for the OL on Sunday,” Wisconsin State Journal‘s Paul Bretl reported on Oct. 2. “They’ll get through today’s practice and then finalize decisions.”
The Packers signed veteran guards Laken Tomlinson and Kevin Zeitler to the active roster and added Mekhi Becton to the practice squad following a brutal offensive showing against the Atlanta Falcons.
At the same time, Aaron Banks and Jacob Monk didn’t practice Thursday, while rookie Jager Burton was limited with a groin injury, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Those issues could push the Packers toward using their newest additions soon.
Packers Have Multiple New Pieces to Fit Before Sunday
LaFleur’s wait-and-see approach makes sense considering how swiftly the roster changed.
Green Bay signed Tomlinson and Becton on Sept. 28, the same day the team placed right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele on injured reserve. Two days later, the Packers signed Zeitler, a 15th-year veteran who has made 213 starts in 214 regular-season games, according to the team’s announcement.
Zeitler has spent virtually his entire career at right guard, while Tomlinson has primarily played left guard. Becton is an further flexible option after playing right guard the past two seasons following the early portion of his career at tackle.
LaFleur said Monday that the Packers needed to see their newcomers on the field before determining how quickly they could contribute. He also emphasized improving fundamentals such as pass sets, twist pickups and hand placement, telling Packers.com those areas had to improve “in a hurry”.
By Friday, the message is basically, ‘there is a plan, and practice will serve as the final test’.
Green Bay needs a five-man combination capable of gifting quarterback Jordan Love cleaner pockets and creating something resembling a true rushing attack.
Green Bay Needs Quick Returns From O-Line Overhaul
The urgency is easy to understand after what happened against Atlanta.
The Packers ran for only 17 yards on nine attempts in a 35-14 loss, while Love attempted 53 passes. LaFleur later acknowledged that he needed to remain more committed to the running game, even when early carries fail to produce big gains, per Packers.com.
Green Bay currently average an NFL-low 48.7 rushing yards per game. Its 146 rushing yards through three games were the franchise’s fewest over that span since at least 1993, via ESPN data reported by Reuters.
That makes Sunday’s matchup with Tampa Bay an early measuring stick for the overhaul.
The Buccaneers are 0-3, and Green Bay sits at 1-2 after its lopsided home loss. A more functional offensive line gives LaFleur a chance to stay balanced and take some of the burden off Love.
Friday’s practice should provide the final answer on who gets the first moment to fix it.
The mystery for Green Bay has moved from whether changes are coming to what those changes will look like.
Packers’ Matt LaFleur Teases O-Line Shakeup Before Buccaneers Game