LaFleur Creates Open Competition on Right Side of O-Line

Three players with ample experience, Rick Wagner, Billy Turner and Lane Taylor, will battle for two spots. Coach Matt LaFleur is no hurry to render a verdict.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding limitations that wiped out offseason practices and meant a late start to training camp, the Green Bay Packers are fortunate that most of their lineup will be filled by returning starters.

One exception is right tackle, where the Packers must replace longtime starter Bryan Bulaga. With precious few practices before the roster must be cut to 53 players and attention will swing fully to the Week 1 game at Minnesota, coach Matt LaFleur has created a three-man battle for the right-side spots. On the first snaps of Saturday’s practice, Lane Taylor, who opened last season as the starting left guard, was at right guard and Billy Turner, last season’s starting right guard, was at right tackle. Shortly thereafter, it was Turner back at his customary right guard and free-agent addition Rick Wagner was at right tackle.

That it’s an open competition is no surprise considering there are three palatable options for the right-side spots. Taylor was a solid starter from 2016 through 2018 who lost his job to second-round pick Elgton Jenkins because of injury and not performance. The Packers have $28 million invested in the ultra-athletic Turner. Wagner started 85 of a possible 96 games at right tackle the previous six seasons and has a strong track record, last year’s struggles in Detroit notwithstanding.

What is a surprise is LaFleur seems to be in no rush to settle on his front wall.

“Shoot, we’re in Day 1 without pads, so we’re going to keep shuffling that line along until we feel good about it and know that we’re headed in a certain direction,” LaFleur said after practice. “But at least for the next couple of weeks, it’s definitely going to be a competition each and every day.”

If we hold LaFleur to that “couple weeks” timeline, perhaps the debate would be settled by Aug. 29. That would give whoever emerges as the starting five two weeks of practice to get ready for Minnesota on Sept. 13.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose personal safety depends on the guys blocking for him, didn’t seem concerned, either. Finding the best five, not creating artificial deadlines, is what matters.

“We haven’t even put pads on yet, so I think there’s a lot of time,” Rodgers said. “It’s going to be a different feel, not having to go through preseason games, so we’re going to have some days where we’re really hitting and doing contact stuff, but I think we have a good dilemma when you’ve got so many guys who can play and have started games in the NFL, especially on the right side.”

Not that it matters, but it would have to be considered at least a small surprise that LaFleur didn’t lead off with Turner at right guard and Wagner at right tackle. Wagner has a wealth of experience at right tackle – an absolutely critical position – while Turner’s four career starts at right tackle came by way of injury in Denver in 2018.

“Every year it’s a competition at every position,” Wagner said recently. “There’s no guarantees that you’re going to start anywhere. So, just got to go out there and prove that I can win that starting job, and I’m happy for that opportunity.”