| | Associated Press
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Mark Tauscher still gets a little chill
every time he puts on the green-and-gold helmet.
The Green Bay Packers' seventh-round draft pick grew up a
Packers fan and starred collegiately at Wisconsin. Now, right
tackle Earl Dotson's nagging back problems have made Tauscher an
integral part of one of Green Bay's deepest, most talented
offensive lines in years.
"It's kind of overwhelming, but it's all happening so fast that
I don't have time to think about it," Tauscher said. "I realize
this is (Dotson's) job, but I'm enjoying my chance to play."
Even with Dotson out of uniform and second-round pick Chad
Clifton back home in Tennessee without a contract, the Packers are
feeling good about their line. One of the team's biggest weaknesses
last season has been transformed into a source of strength this
year.
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This offensive line is as good as I've been around. We have some special people at important positions all across this offense and that line. ” |
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— Running backs coach Kippy Brown |
"We've got a great bunch of guys right now, a good mixture of
young guys and veterans," said center Frank Winters, who re-signed
with the Packers during the offseason and returns for his 14th year
in the NFL. "We're all still learning about playing together, but
we've got potential."
Offensive line coach Larry Beightol, a holdover from Ray Rhodes'
staff last season, expects the front five to be his best in 17
years as a line coach. All 11 linemen on the roster at the end of
last season returned this year, and they're complemented by draft
picks Clifton and Tauscher.
"This offensive line is as good as I've been around," running
backs coach Kippy Brown said. "We have some special people at
important positions all across this offense and that line."
Winters, coming off a career year, will again anchor the
Packers' efforts. Ross Verba's move from left tackle to left guard
already is looking like a success, while Mike Wahle, who moved into
the starting lineup last season, has been tabbed to take over at
left tackle despite having played just six games at the position.
The right side features incumbent guard Marco Rivera, but he's
being pushed by both Craig Heimburger and Joe Andruzzi, two
promising NFL Europe veterans who nearly captured regular playing
spots last year.
The Packers still haven't signed Clifton, the massive
second-round draft pick who Beightol says is capable of playing all
five line positions. Clifton stood out at Green Bay's spring
minicamps, but every day of camp he misses will hurt him in the
fall.
"The politics of agents and the pecking order are things I
can't control," Packers coach Mike Sherman said. "It's very
frustrating that he's not here, but hopefully this will be resolved
very quickly."
If Clifton were in camp, he might be seeing time at right tackle
in place of Dotson. Generally considered the Packers' most capable
lineman, Dotson battled back injuries throughout last season and
then re-injured himself lifting weights in Texas during the
offseason.
Dotson is watching the Packers' practices in shorts, and it's
too soon to tell when he'll be able to return to action. He says he
won't be out long, but the Packers are using Tauscher in his spot
during drills.
"Of course I'm nervous, but it's not a bad nervous," Tauscher
said. "I watched these guys win a Super Bowl on TV, and the next
thing you know, I'm out there lining up next to Brett Favre and
Frank Winters. It's wild."
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