Packers’ veteran offensive lineman earns respect and appreciation from coaches, teammates
GREEN BAY – For years it was often heard that if any player knew the Packers’ offensive playbook as well as quarterback Aaron Rodgers
, it was probably fullback John Kuhn.
But now that Kuhn has been gone for more than a year, who’s next? Does anyone’s familiarity come close?
Strange as it may sound, Don Barclay could be the answer.
The veteran offensive lineman has at least practiced – if not played in a game – at every position up front during his six years with the Packers. And as he appears to be settling into his primary role as backup center for 2017, his playbook knowledge is only growing.
“It lets you control the bus,” Barclay said this spring about learning the offense from the center’s perspective. “You have to control what’s going on out there and make the calls.
“Not only that but it lets you focus in on the whole playbook now. You’re really looking at everything. You have to know fronts, you have to know the calls. You can call everything from the right tackle to the left tackle. You’re really in control out there, and it feels good.”
Barclay would have every right not to feel so good about the upcoming year. After all, he would have been the odds-on-favorite to win the starting right guard job to replace T.J. Lang had 12th-year veteran free agent Jahri Evans not been signed just before the draft.
Instead, Barclay was making all the snaps for the No. 1 offensive line throughout OTAs with starting center Corey Linsley recovering from offseason surgery. He’s once again the super-sub, Linsley’s top backup as well as possibly the first reserve option at either guard spot given his experience.
It’s a role he has not only accepted but owned with pride, and his longtime teammates have nothing but respect for his professionalism, on the field and in the locker room.
“Bringing Don back was a big thing for us,” Rodgers said, referring to the re-signing of Barclay this past offseason. “He’s really improved his game.
“This is a guy that’s started at tackle for us, started at guard for us, and now is in line to be our backup center. That’s fantastic, and I give him a lot of credit. He has a great approach, he’s a great teammate, and he continues to show this team how valuable he is to it.”
Barclay proved his value early in his career, filling in at right tackle due to injuries as an undrafted rookie from West Virginia in 2012. The following year, he started 14 games at right tackle.
