1) Introduction: Armed with a new four-year contract, T.J. Lang was excellent early in the season. Then he tore a ligament in his elbow in game five and regressed a little bit. Having to fill in at right tackle didn’t help matters, either. Overall, though, Lang had a good season and he’s another player the Packers don’t have to worry about when it comes to toughness and attitude.
2) Profile:
T.J. Lang
- Age: 25
- Born: 09/20/1987, in Royal Oak, MI
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 318
- College: Eastern Michigan
- Rookie Year: 2009
- NFL Experience: 4 years
3) Expectations coming into the season: Teams don’t hand out four-year extensions to bad players (well, smart teams don’t, anyway). The Packers had high expectations for Lang and, for the most part, Lang proved he was worth his new deal. I’d rather not see Lang moved to tackle ever again, but it’s not like he was a total disaster out there. His flexibility is another asset.
4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: The Cardinals have a decent defensive line, but Lang might have had his best game against Arizona in week 9. He earned a season-best 4.6 grade for that performance from Pro Football Focus despite having to fill in at tackle once Bryan Bulaga went down. Quicker defensive lineman give Lang a little bit of trouble, but he’s capable of using his brain to work around those shortcomings.
5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: The offensive line was shaky early, but Lang was excellent. If Lang stumbled out of the gate, who knows what direction the Packers season may have turned? Josh Sitton was the only Packers offensive lineman who could say he played well for a full season. Lang can’t quite say that, but he looks capable of reaching that level.
6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: As well as the offensive line played in the postseason, you’d think the Packers would be in the Super Bowl. Like most of the rest of his linemates, Lang was solid and kept pushing to the bitter end in the postseason.
Season Report Card:
(B-) Level of expectations met during the season
(B-) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(B) Contributions to team during the playoffs
Overall Grade: B-
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Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .
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Somebody say something about TJ Lang. He’s feeling neglected.
He’s soft. DT’s with real strength just push him back. Actually, he seems to get pushed backwards a lot for a Gaurd.
A step up from Daryn Colledge. Not great, but solid.
I agree Lang is a good solid LG. I don’t see him getting pushed around, but don’t see him as being near Sitton either. Would like to see him stay healthy and step up his play. Don’t want to see him have to move to OT anymore, nor should we expect that to happen.
If you need a guy to throw a cabbage at, Lang’s your man.
I like Lang, and he IS flexible. Don’t forget how in his rookie/1st year he played both tackle positions, guard, and even DT during different games, and did a decent job at all of them.
How can a guy that gave up 12 sacks get a B or have his play described as excellent? I know after the elbow injury he took a step back, but all season long I kept thinking, “we signed this guy for how much?” 12 sacks is what Lang was responsible for.
Newhouse gave up 46 pressures in 644 snaps at tackle.
Bulaga gave up 27 pressures in 355 snaps at tackle.
Lang gave up 10 pressures in 117 snaps at tackle and 16 pressures in 472 snaps at guard.
Sitton gave up 17 pressures in 644 snaps at guard.
I don’t think Lang is a big concern right now.
I don’t think Lang is the problem either. But playing OG is a little easier than playing OT in pass blocking. And in the same regard, playing RT is a little easier than playing LT in pass blocking.
12 Sacks Chad, that’s all I’m saying. Maybe the elbow was the reason why. Maybe he caught Tramon Williams syndrome. Sign a contract, make the bigger bucks and forget what got you the contract. If I had all the answers I would be applying for a coaching job. You guys all seem to know better than myself. I just like to call it the way I see it. I’m sure I’m off sometimes but I just think that’s a awful lot of sacks for a guard making that kind of money to give up.
12 sacks when he blocked his guy for 7 seconds and Rodgers held the ball too long IMO.
* Exaggeration for emphasis. *
Pressures are much more telling than sacks, mostly because of the sample size.
Let the rotten tomato throwing begin.
I understand he was playing most of the year with an arm problem. Probably prevented him from locking on to his man and slowing down the rush. I still think he will be a very good guard, assuming no further injury. I’d like to see him add some pounds and work a lot more on strength.
Are the Packers going to try him out at Center this year?
Perhaps as a back-up option, but I don’t see them using Lang as a starter at C. My hunch is that Van Roten is the next back-up with EDS as the starter.
They also have a Center on thd PS. Gerhart IIRC is his name. He was a Center prospect I liked in last years draft a little. He will compete w/ Van Roten and others for backup jobs.
Van Roten looks so mobile on film, I wonder if he isn’t a guard prospect rather than center.
His highlight reel really showcased his ability to get out in space, identify the biggest threat, and hit moving targets accurately in the run game.
It seems it would be a waste of his seeming strong suit to put him at center.
Had he been practicing at the position last year?
I still think Van Roten is too small. But he’s young, still time to bulk up.
Like I said, more of a hunch. His size and reported intelligence seem to make him ideal for what the Packers look for in a Center. Though I think he took mostly Guard reps during training camp.
I could, of course, be completely wrong.
Once we have a stronger center and our tackles of the future are set, Im willing to bet lang will take a decent step forward. The men on either side of him weren’t very good. Any ideas how sherrod is recovering? Or if bulaga is going to left side?
Won’t know anything bout Sherrod till offseason program starts. Not sure exactly when that is. Sometime after the draft I think. Obviously if an OT is drafted in the 1st its an indication that Sherrod might be done before he even really got on the field. I don’t see Bulaga going to LT. Heck he was playing RT (the easier OT spot) and had as much trouble as Newhouse. So its concievable Bulaga would be worst than Newhouse at LT.
If a center is drafted high that could shake up the depth charts, but I don’t know if THompson will use a 1st on a Center and I don’t see an OG w/ Lang and Sitton in place. I think Thompson will use a mid round pick or 2 on OL.
Just a guess based on Thompson’s history.
I am looking for Lang to take a big step up in play in 2013 if two things happen. First, he stays healthy. Second, MM stops pretending he is qualified to play Tackle – he isn’t.
I think if Lang is allowed to play all season at LG and develops some chemistry with EDS at C his play will pick up. He might even improve enough to lessen the real liability on the OL – Marshall Newhouse.