Training camp for the Green Bay Packers has been extremely fascinating thus far without Jordan Love leading the quarterbacks on the field. Love watched as a new-look defense and a plethora of eager young defensive backs exploited the Packers’ backup quarterbacks as the front office worked out the details of his deal.
There have undoubtedly been players who have underperformed in training camp or haven’t really turned up to support the club in the way they’re meant to, despite the fact that this squad has a lot of momentum after what we saw last season.
The Packers are coping not only with the actual absence of some players but also with guys who have failed to have the kind of influence that everyone truly anticipated. As a result, the team is forced to improvise and make last-minute arrangements.
After what we’ve seen the Packers go through in the last nine months at right guard, former third-round pick Sean Rhyan ought to have been in line for a possible starting job this season.
After the organization allowed previous starter Jon Runyan Jr. to sign a free agent contract with the New York Giants, Rhyan appeared to have a strong chance of replacing him. Naturally, the Packers selected offensive lineman Jordan Morgan with their first-round pick, but Rhyan was still thought to have a chance despite Morgan’s arrival.
Sadly, it doesn’t appear to be the case. The Packers are cross-training Rhyan at both left guard and center, providing him reps at both positions to demonstrate his overall versatility on the interior offensive line, and Morgan looks to be in line to start at right guard.
Rhyan has been cross-training at those other positions, so it appears that his ceiling for this season is as one of the top backups at all three spots, even though the official word at this moment is presumably that he is still a candidate to start at right guard.
Andre Dillard, an offensive tackle, has to face the sad fact that his career may not be going as planned in the NFL. For a few different reasons, the Packers have been rearranging their offensive line this offseason.
Initially, they have been coping with the loss of Josh Myers, the center, and Zach Tom, the right tackle. In their absence, other players are making significant progress. One such player is Andre Dillard, a former first-round selection who the Packers gambled on this offseason in hopes of having him fill in as the sixth man on the offensive line.
Secondly, it is apparent that the Packers are attempting to determine the ideal long-term destination for Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan, a first-round selection who could play nearly any position in the NFL.
Dillard has had a lot of experience playing on the right side of the ball at training camp since Morgan has been assigned to right guard. However, he hasn’t performed particularly well there either. In Zach Tom’s absence, the Packers have been rotating Dillard and Kadeem Telfort at right tackle, and Dillard has regularly been outclassed by pass rushers off the edge.
He might have to demonstrate his ability to play guard during training camp and exhibition games, failing which he might be cut in a few weeks.
Regarding Packers rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd, there’s no need to freak out, but he still has a ways to go before he can play the kind of big role that was anticipated of him at the selection.
Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich saw during organized team activities (OTAs) that the team was very keen to include Lloyd. In fact, it sounded as though former second-round pick AJ Dillon had no chance of being this team’s backup running back behind Josh Jacobs.
The narrative has now changed. How a training camp injury may cause that is fascinating, isn’t it?
Once more, by no means would you want to write Lloyd off for the balance of his rookie campaign. However, AJ Dillon has seemed outstanding at Packers training camp and has an advantage over Lloyd because he has been a part of this offense for the previous four seasons.
This was “hands down” the finest that Packers head coach Matt LaFleur had seen Dillon during his tenure with the team. Dillon mentioned how much he’s been enjoying the offseason process:SO SAD:
