Packers Make Starting Five on O-Line a Wait and See

Coach Matt LaFleur has his offensive line. With competitive advantage in mind, he’s going to make you wait to see who he’s picked.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – After lining up with countless offensive line combinations over the course of training camp and the preseason, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur has picked his starting five for the Sept. 12 opener at New Orleans Saints.

“We do, but I’m not going to tell you yet,” he said on Sunday, a day after the preseason closed with a 19-0 loss at the Buffalo Bills. “We have a pretty good idea of what we’re going to do.”

The biggest question is at left tackle, where All-Pro David Bakhtiari remains on the physically unable to perform list with the ACL torn on New Year’s Eve. When the Packers select their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, it will be exactly eight months since the injury. Bakhtiari is a tough guy and has been moving well during his on-the-field rehab workouts, but it seems highly improbable that he’ll be ready to face the Saints.

Thus, Elgton Jenkins figures to remain at left tackle. And that means the next question is who will start at the guard spots.

The Packers lined up with Lucas Patrick at left guard and rookie Royce Newman at right guard against Buffalo. Newman, a fourth-round pick, has played well enough in his two starts that his performance and room for growth would seem to make him a near-lock to be the Week 1 starter. Left guard is a bit more muddled, though Lucas Patrick’s experience and track record would be an asset on a line with two rookie starters.

Patrick had an excellent season last year, making 13 starts at right guard (including both playoff games) and four at left guard. However, the Packers made him fight for the job at right guard before a late switch to the left side to battle Jon Runyan.

“One thing about Lucas is he’s always got that chip-on-his-shoulder mentality, which guys [typically possess] that have come up from undrafted to being a backup to earning a starting job,” offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said. “He’s handled it the right way. He’s going to just come out and work every single day. And he knows every opportunity he gets, he has to take advantage of it. He’s done that. I love his mentality and I love the way he plays. He adds a nastiness to our room. I think other people see that and it feeds into other people, so it’s good.”

Did Royce Newman do enough to start at right guard? How about Yosh Nijman, Kurt Benkert and Malik Taylor in their quest to make the roster?

Here's a look at some of @PFF's analytical stats with the #Packers' preseason complete.https://t.co/ohcck47UnQ

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 29, 2021

Back to Bakhtiari, LaFleur said, “You guys will know soon enough” what the plan is for the dominant left tackle. That decision, indeed, is coming soon.

The Packers have to have their 53-man roster picked by 3 p.m. Tuesday. They have three choices. First, Bakhtiari could stay on PUP, meaning he’d miss the first six weeks of the season. That’s not just six games. He’d miss the first six weeks of practice, too, so it’s unlikely that he would go from the sideline to the Week 7 starting lineup. Second, the team could keep him on the 53-man roster on Tuesday and put him on injured reserve on Wednesday. In that case, he’d be out at least the first three weeks. Third, they could put him on the 53-man roster and keep him there.

Expect the Packers to take a long-term approach. Bakhtiari is one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL. They can’t afford Bakhtiari to suffer a setback that would imperil his career. Moreover, Green Bay is a team with championship aspirations. While every game is important, it needs Bakhtiari to be at his best in November and beyond.

“We’re going to do what’s best for David and this football team,” LaFleur said.