The Green Bay Packers are heading into a vitally important season as they try to get back to the Super Bowl two years after winning a championship and as training camp goes on, some of the top players are dropping like flies, including Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and left tackler Bryan Bulaga.
According to ESPN.com, Bulaga tore his ACL in a scrimmage over the weekend and he likely will be out for the season, while wideout Jordy Nelson had knee surgery and he now will be out for the rest of training camp, although the team hopes that he can return for the first game of the season. The report also says that young star Randall Cobb left practice with a biceps incjury. The wideout position is going to be an important one for the Packers and Aaron Rodgers, as the team lost Greg Jennings in free agency and as they try and work in a running game with two rookies, even more will be on the shoulders of the quarterback.
One thing that could complicate both the running and the passing game is the injury to left tackle Bryan Bulaga, as he tore hi ACL and likely will be missing the rest of the season. Bulaga will have season ending surgery and the injury complicates some moves for the Packers, as they shuffled their offensive line with Bulaga moving from right tackle to left and Pro Bowler Josh Sitton going to the left side as well from right guard. The team also moved T.J. Lang from left guard to right guard and Marshall Newhouse to the right side after he started 28 games at left tackle.
The shuffling on the offensive line could be an issue going forward now for Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy and now it is likely that the line will shuffle again with the injury. It comes at a bad time, as offensive line coach James Campen was pleased with the way all the players were progressing in their new spots and now that may go out the window.
The team will need to rely on Rodgers and hope that Nelson can come back fully healthy, as he dealt with some injury issues last season and is an integral part of the offense after making 49 catches while playing in 12 games. Cobb will be relied on even more now without Jennings in the fold and while his injury does not appear serious, the Packers can ill afford to miss him as well. Cobb has been electric over the past season and he will be the primary option along with Nelson and James Jones. The team is also breaking in Jonathan Franklin and Eddie Lacy and the line issues could affect the backs as well as how James Starks and Alex Green perform.
