Packers Making Big Changes To Their Offensive Line

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Packers are expected to move Bryan Bulaga from right tackle to left tackle this season.

Silverstein adds that the Green Bay’s coaching staff will also flip Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang, so that Sitton is also playing on the left side of their offensive line.

“I sat down with Bryan and Josh on Monday and I told them I wanted to make the move to where they’re on the left side,” said HC Mike McCarthy. “Those two are our most accomplished and experienced players. I told them about the responsibilities and my expectations about playing the left side.”

This is a major move for an offensive line unit that has come under a good deal of criticism in the past few seasons.

Bulaga, 24, has never played left tackle in the NFL and is coming off of a pretty serious hip injury that ended his 2012 season. Green Bay hasn’t shown any major concerns regarding his ability moving forward. Josh Sitton made the Pro Bowl last season and is considered by many to be their best offensive line, so a much from right to left guard shouldn’t be much of an issue for him.

Bulaga replaces Marshall Newhouse who allowed 11 sacks last season and has struggled to an effective run blocker. Newhouse will compete with Don Barclay for the starting right tackle job. Former first-round pick Derrick Sherrod could return from a pretty back leg injury he suffered two years ago at some point this season, but it’s just too hard to predict when he’ll be ready given that he underwent another surgery after the 2012 season concluded.