Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was on 102.9 The Hog in Milwaukee on Tuesday and although he wouldn’t discuss his contract, he was pretty candid about his offensive line.
First, Rodgers singled out center Evan Dietrich-Smith for praise. However, in doing so, he totally trashed the recently-retired Jeff Saturday, who Dietrich-Smith replaced in the starting lineup toward the end of the 2012 season.
“I think having Dietrich-Smith starting the year out at center is going to be a big improvement for us,” Rodgers said. “He’s going to do a good job. I like his future.”
Rodgers went on to talk about Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, Bryan Bulaga and even undrafted rookie Don Barclay, who filled in for Bulaga at right tackle after he was lost for the season. Who isn’t on that list?
Why, left tackle Marshall Newhouse, of course!
Although he improved in his second season as a starter, Newhouse was still among the Packers’ worst offensive linemen. Newhouse would have taken that title alone if it weren’t for Saturday, who was benched, and Lang, who totally sucked it up when asked to fill in at right tackle, but was otherwise decent at his usual left guard position.
The Packers have already satisfied Rodgers by replacing Saturday with Dietrich-Smith and they’re looking for a way to replace Newhouse. That will mean either giving former first-round pick Derek Sherrod a chance to start or moving Bulaga from right to left tackle and inserting Barclay into the lineup full time.