While personnel changes won't fix everything on the Green Bay Packers' offensive line, it's a necessary part of the equation. In practice, that means looking at the guard spots, which could reinstate an opportunity for second-year guard-tackle Anthony Belton.
Asked about Belton specifically, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said the team would explore all options to find the 'best five' moving forward. His comments strongly implied that playing time at guard is back in the mix for the former second-round pick, who played exclusively at tackle later on in training camp and into the preseason.
"Yeah, we're going to keep working that this week, you know, with Zach [Bako-Bewele] kind of more situated at tackle," Stenavich said. "So, we're going to kind of rotate a few guys and just see what our best combination is. For sure."
Bako-Bewele clearly wasn't himself in Minnesota, but the Packers expect him to continue getting healthier and shake off some rust after his season-ending knee injury last December. That makes tackle depth less significant. Given the obvious need at guard, the team is seemingly open to reintroducing Belton there, if only out of desperation.
Packers reconsidering Anthony Belton at right guard
Belton hasn't had a clear positional fit since the Packers drafted him with the 54th pick last year. They tried him at tackle early in his rookie season, then stationed him at guard when injuries kicked in.
That seemed to be the plan entering Year 2, with Belton projected as the starter on the right side. That's where Belton made his home beginning in Week 12 last season. By the end of this summer, he wasn't playing any guard at all.
Well, spin again. It's not like Jordan Morgan or Bako-Bewele aced their assignments at tackle against the Vikings - the whole group was catastrophic - but the interior is clearly the position of greater need. Enter Belton, take two.
That's not to say he's the best option. Jacob Monk struggled in Week 1, allowing four pressures, a sack, and two hits, per PFF, and will have to earn the starting job this week against the New York Jets. So will Belton and anyone else the Packers audition during practice.
Left guard is similarly up for grabs. If Aaron Banks can't go, Donovan Jennings is not the answer on the left side. Is Banks the answer, especially at less than 100 percent? It could be Jager Burton time.
There, however, Belton won't factor into the competition. Although he played left tackle at North Carolina State, the Packers immediately converted him to the right side of the line. That's where his opportunities will come this season, whether at guard or tackle.
Based on Green Bay's struggles on the interior and those open-ended remarks from Stenavich, don't be surprised if Belton suits up at right guard in coming weeks, either as Monk's quick-trigger backup or as the starter himself.
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