The Green Bay Packers resumed practice on Sunday after the fun of Family Night, and there were some intriguing changes to the depth chart.
With Zach Bako-Bewele taking team reps for the first time this summer and reclaiming his spot at right tackle, the competition for snaps on the offensive line ramped up elsewhere.
Most notably, Anthony Belton, who had been with the first-team offensive line throughout training camp, was initially demoted to second-team, even with Aaron Banks still not participating.
The starting O-line from left to right was Jordan Morgan, Jager Burton, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk and Bako-Bewele.
While Belton did get some reps with the ones later in practice, it seems like at the very least, there is going to be competition. With only the right guard spot likely to be up for grabs, the battle between Belton, Burton and Monk will be fierce.
Monk, who fared well in his one start last season at center, has consistently earned rave reviews from the coaches.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich recently said: “I love Monk’s playstyle. He’s got the right mindset, he tries to get after people and plays the game the right way.”
LaFleur said before practice on Sunday: “He shows that toughness, that grittiness, the strain, and I think he’s done a pretty good job inside.
“He’s a valuable guy, he can play any of the inside three positions, I thought we saw a glimpse of what he’s capable of doing last year when he got some action, especially significant action in that Minnesota game at the end of the season, and I thought he performed well.”
The coaching staff have expressed plenty of optimism around Burton since he was drafted, as well as Belton, a second-round pick from last year.
LaFleur said of Belton: “He’s a really talented guy that’s played a lot of meaningful snaps for us, he’s still a young developing player. He’s certainly capable, it’s just gotta be consistent, and the better he gets at that, the better player he’s gonna be, but i am excited about his future in this league.”
The quest to find the backup left tackle continues, with John Williams playing with the twos. His stock seems to be rising after a rookie year which was essentially a wash due to injury.
Elsewhere, eyebrows were raised when cornerback Keisean Nixon was demoted to the second-team defense during practice, with Brandon Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste working with the ones.
It appeared Nixon was pretty much locked in to a starting spot on the defense, but perhaps it will be more of an open competition after all.
Between Nixon, Cisse, St-Juste and Carrington Valentine, who is currently not practicing due to injury, the Packers are hoping a winning combination arises from a relatively unproven group.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers shake up O-line, cornerback depth charts as competition grows
Reporting by Mark Oldacres, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mark Oldacres, Packers Wire | USA TODAY Network
