GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Mike McCarthy held 23 press conferences during training camp. Edgar Bennett went to the podium in the Lambeau Field media auditorium six times. Ted Thompson spoke with reporters on five separate occasions.
The total number of Lane Taylor questions posed to the Green Bay Packers head coach, offensive coordinator and general manager, respectively, combined during those sessions: Zero.
That will no doubt change on Monday, when McCarthy talks publicly for the first time since the Packers' surprising decision to cut Pro Bowl left guard Josh Sitton on Saturday. Once all the inquiries are made about why Sitton was released -- and if it was because they feared he had turned sour and would be a distraction after the Packers told him they wouldn't negotiate a new contract with him this season -- the focus should turn toward Taylor, an out-of-the-spotlight player hungry to prove himself.
The fourth-year pro is expected to get the first shot at filling Sitton’s old spot.
The last time McCarthy was asked about Taylor was on March 23 at the NFL annual meetings. It came during NFC coaches breakfast, where questions about players like Taylor are often necessary to fill the hour-long availability.
Taylor had just been re-signed to a two-year, $4.15 million contract that contained just a $600,000 signing bonus commensurate with a backup who had started only two career NFL games. In first-year money, Taylor will earn $1.75 million -- or only slightly more than he would have received if the Packers gave him the low restricted free-agent tender of $1.671 million.
“I thought Lane took a big jump this year,” McCarthy said way back in March. “Lane has always been a good run player. His pass protection has really picked up. I was thrilled we were able to get him signed and get him back. I think he’s ready to challenge a starter-type level.”
Taylor didn’t play a snap last season until Dec. 3 at Detroit, when right guard T.J. Lang was a late scratch because of a shoulder injury. Taylor made his first NFL start and went the distance, playing 73 snaps in the Hail Mary win. He then saw seven snaps in reserve in the Dec. 27 game at Arizona, six at left guard and one at right guard. His second start came a week later in the regular-season finale against Minnesota. He played all 79 snaps at left guard in place of Sitton, who moved to left tackle in place of an injured David Bakhtiari.
In both starts, Taylor fared much better than he did in the first extensive playing time of his career -- the 2014 loss at New Orleans, where Taylor replaced Lang following the first series.
The former undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State has played in 30 career regular-season games plus four postseason games.
His most recent outing, the preseason finale at Kansas City, was a struggle. He started at left guard with the No. 2 line, played 54 of 62 snaps and was penalized three times -- twice for holding and once for a false start.
The Packers’ other option at left guard is Don Barclay, who has 23 career starts. However, all of his starts have come at tackle (22 on the right side and one on the left). But he started at right guard in the preseason finale against the 49ers and played all 62 snaps.