Packers will spend week deciding best O-line starters, especially at guard
· Yahoo Sports
GREEN BAY – With Zach Bako-Bewele’s injury situation stabilizing, the Green Bay Packers may start rotating Anthony Beltonwith their guards in practice this week.
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The Packers repositioned Belton to tackle midway through training camp, insurance for the possibility Bako-Bewele would not yet be ready to play Week 1. Bako-Bewele had offseason surgery to repair a partially torn patellar tendon in his knee, an injury that cost him the end of last season and put him on the physically-unable-to-perform list at the start of camp.
Bako-Bewele played all 68 snaps in the Packers’ season-opening loss at the Minnesota Vikings and, although he struggled with the rest of the offensive line, coordinator Adm Stenavich expects him to improve as he builds reps.
“I thought coming back, dealing with what he’s been dealing with, it was a plus,” Stenavich said. “He hadn’t gotten a lot of reps in practice and things like that. He made it through the game, he battled. Was it his best game? No, but I think there’s a lot he can build on, and I expect him as this season rolls through to be playing some pretty high-level ball pretty soon.”
Bako-Bewele’s continued progression should allow the Packers to pick their five best linemen, rather than be more conscientious of depth. A second-round draft pick last year, Belton became the Packers’ starting right guard Week 13 last season and never relinquished the job.
Belton was expected to be the team’s starting right guard this fall before the Packers decided to prepare him as an emergency replacement for Bako-Bewele. With that possibility less of a concern, the team is open to Belton returning to guard.
“We’re going to keep working that this week,” Stenavich said, “with Zach kind of more situated at tackle. We’re going to kind of rotate a few guys and just see what our best combination is, for sure.”
Stenavich said he’s resisting the temptation to panic after the offensive line crumbled in Minnesota, but the offense is urgently seeking ways to be better. The official stat sheet had quarterback Jordan Love hit 15 times by the pass rush, eventually surrendering four sacks. Stenavich said the team’s internal count was 18 times, a stunning amount.
Under that kind of pressure, the Packers were fortunate for Love to get through the game without injury.
Without injured veteran Aaron Banks, the Packers gave Donovan Jennings the starting job at left guard in Minnesota, despite rookie Jager Burton taking most of the first-team reps at that position in camp. Jacob Monk started at right guard, where he repped most of camp, but the improvisation at the other guard spot was determined as Week 1 approached.
“Just going through practice and evaluating the last few weeks,” Stenavich said, “we felt that Donovan was doing a better job in practice and things like that. They both played pretty well in the preseason, and I think just the accumulation of what happened over the last few weeks in practice, we just felt at this time more comfortable with Donovan playing.”
The Packers surely are less confident in their offensive line configuration after last week’s meltdown. Stenavich said left tackle Jordan Morgan can play better than he did Week 1, and he expects him to as he reacclimates to the blindside. Other than their tackle tandem, center Sean Rhyan is the only established starter.
At guard, the Packers will continue searching for the best lineup.
“It’s not good enough,” Stenavich said. “That’s not the standard. That’s not what we’re going to be about. We’ve got to be better.”
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers will spend week deciding best O-line starters, especially at guard