Out goes Barry, GB situation scary

By Os Davis  |   Monday, May 29, 2006  |  Comments( 4 )

Green Bay Packers
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It could be like this all year for the Green Bay Packers: with every top-of-the-line acquisition comes two personnel losses, with every fresh contract a departing vet. Last week, the Pack took a hit to their offensive line when Kevin Barry suffered what is in all probability a season-ending injury.

Barry is a four-year man out of Arizona and was thought to be a cornerstone in a new format for the line for 2006. In the hopes of protecting Brett Favre a heck of a lot more thoroughly than last season, head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski had reconstructed the game plan, converting to a zone blocking scheme with a re-made interior.

Barry's torn quadriceps tendon, coupled with would-have-been starting center Mike Flanagan's departure to Houston, represents another major obstacle to achieving the game plan. In fact, the only question surrounding Barry's condition now is whether Green Bay team doctors will put him on injured reserve for the year; Packer representatives, upon announcing the turn of events, cited "weight issues" as a possible aggravator of the injury.

Though the nearly 350-pound Barry (What was that about weight issues?) is more than a bit big for zone blocking, the big guy was ideal in third-and-short and red-zone situations last season, were he was often slotted in at the second TE spot to use his bulk in blocking. Barry also represented one of the more experienced players on the proposed depth chart.

Instead, some newbies will be seeing playing time. Sophomores Junius Coston and William Whittiker are back, with the former thought to have the edge at the starting guard spot. The 318-pound Adrian Klemm will probably see more time as well, as the six-year man is now the veteran among Green Bay's natural guards. Common wisdom holds that second-rounder Daryn Colledge is penciled in to play opposite Coston. At center thus far is another two-year man, Scott Wells, a seventh-round pick in 2004 that managed to make the squad last year.

The Pack remains solid at tackle, with the re-signed Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, a guy who, incredibly, went almost ten seasons combined in college and pro ball with being flagged for a hold.

Barry joins the lists of wounded in Green Bay minicamp, alongside running backs Najeh Davenport and Ahman Green, who have not worked out extensively in minicamp due to injuries taken last season.

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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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