The biggest takeaway from the first day of training camp practice for the Green Bay Packers? The starting offensive line is going to have true competition at both right guard and right tackle.
As the Packers started 11-on-11 work on Saturday, the offensive line provided an early glimpse of the team’s most intriguing position battles.
Let the best five along the offensive line win.
According to reporters at Saturday’s practice, Lane Taylor, the starter for many years at left guard, opened as the starting right guard, while Billy Turner, last year’s 16-game starter at right guard, began the team periods as the starting right tackle. Rick Wagner, who was signed after starting 87 career games at right tackle in Baltimore and Detroit, played with the No. 2 offensive line.
Last week, coach Matt LaFleur promoted the idea of holding a competition for the two spots.
“We’re in competition everywhere along the line, specifically on the right side. It’s going to be about going through, putting the guys in position, and then playing the best five,” LaFleur said.
It’s possible the true competition will be at right tackle between Turner and Wagner. Taylor, who started 45 games at guard for the Packers between 2015 and 2017, appears to be the early favorite to play right guard, although LaFleur might just be tinkering with combinations to start training camp.
The three veterans will be competing all month to earn the two spots. The Packers believe Turner has the flexibility to play guard or tackle, while the experience of Taylor and Wagner at their specific spots should provide the Packers with many different options for configuring the starting five offensive linemen.
The left side is all but figured out, with left tackle David Bakhtiari, left guard Elgton Jenkins and center Corey Linsley all returning in 2020.
The happenings of training camp practices are often overblown, but the indication of a true competition on the right side of the Packers offensive line has to be the most important revelation from Saturday’s opening camp practice.
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