Scott Wells Is Enjoying His First Pro Bowl Appearance

by Brandon on Jan 26, 2012 5:00 PM CST in Green Bay Packers News

Green Bay Packers news | Wells relishes Pro Bowl, won't fret about NFL future | Green Bay Press Gazette. Green Bay Packers C Scott Wells has been one of my favorite unsung players on the team for several years.

2005 was Ted Thompson's first year as GM, and he tried to re-tool the offensive line in one offseason by letting Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle leave in free agency, and replacing them with bargain free agents Adrian Klemm and Matt O'Dwyer. Klemm was a disaster (soon to be benched, then released) and O'Dwyer would never play again due to injuries. Wells eventually became the starter at left guard before he moved over to center (his college position) in 2006 after the free agent departure of C Mike Flanagan.

Though it rarely happens, when he has been held out of the lineup (primarily due to a back injury in 2008, but also an ill-advised benching in 2009), the offensive line has seemed to struggle with assignments and cohesion in the middle. He's overcome the back problems that bothered him in 2008 and 2009, and played the best football of his career over the past two seasons.

While I've always thought highly of him, I never expected he'd receive enough attention to earn a trip to the Pro Bowl. I'm pleasantly surprised to be wrong. I'd be really surprised if he's allowed to leave as a free agent this offseason.

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Wells does seem to be the glue

that holds the O-line together of late. He was a pleasant surprise and certainly exceeded my expectations when Flanagan departed. McCarthy seems to think very highly of him and I’d be surprised, if not shocked, if GB allowed him to leave. The O-line has battled injuries almost continuously over the past 2 seasons and you just can’t afford to let the good ones go.

by Icebowler on Jan 26, 2012 7:17 PM CST reply actions

I would just like to make it 1 season with the same guys on the line.

That has been one of the biggest problems in my opinion. When there is continuity there seems to be more life. We saw it at the end of the 2010 season. Here’s hoping we get the left tackle thing situated and re-sign Wells.

by stratefaced on Jan 27, 2012 7:46 AM CST reply actions

Point of fact...

[TT] tried to re-tool the offensive line in one offseason by letting Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle leave in free agency

That ^^ is NOT what happened. Thompson wanted to keep both, but they hit FA while he was still setting up his office, and both were overpaid by other teams. Rivera, especially, was made an offer he couldn’t refuse by the Cowboys. I’ve read accounts where Rivera really wanted to stay in GB, and the Packers negotiators were telling him “we just can’t match what they’re offering,” and everybody regretfully had to say “okay, Jerry Jones’ money wins this round.”

…so, to say that Thompson decided to retool the offensive line in one season is misleading. You could say that his refusal to mess up our salary cap forced him into a position where he had to plug a couple rookies in at both guard spots.

by Curly Lambeau on Jan 27, 2012 10:28 AM CST reply actions

Yeah, my thoughts exactly

13.

"Skip, once again, stop it; Be an analyst; don't be a douchebag."

by Wiedmann on Jan 27, 2012 1:29 PM CST up reply actions

Agree

Except that Wahle wasn’t a FA. He actually had a contract for the next year or 2. Its just that SHerman negotiated it w/ Wahle and gave him a ridiculous Roster bonus into the contract after 3 years that the Packers and Thompson just couldn’t match. Thompson had to release Wahle to get under the cap. Rivera became a FA and like you said got huge Jones money. Wahle got overpaid too, so in the end they both got priced out of the Packers salary structure. Something that Sherman had absolutely no clue about (salary structure that is). Actually Sherman didn’t have a clue about much of anything! He inherited a SB contender, but couldn’t coach them there, nor build it as a GM!

Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!

by Strohman on Jan 27, 2012 7:30 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs