Soon-to-be free agent center Scott Wells is so close to leaving the Packers that Green Bay has reportedly already started pursuing his replacement. But one of Wells’s linemates says the team needs to do whatever it takes to keep Wells in the fold.
Packers guard T.J. Lang told the Journal Sentinel that Wells was a huge part of the Packers’ great offense in 2011, and the Packers will suffer if they lose him.
“He’s really a role model for the other guys,” Lang said. “He has shown us the right way to go about our business. If it happens, I think it’d be a huge loss for our offense. It’d definitely be a big loss to our whole offensive line group.”
Although there’s some talk coming out of Green Bay that the Packers will be perfectly content with Wells leaving and Texans center Chris Myers signing to replace him, Lang said it’s going to be tough for a newcomer to step in and do what a center needs to do in the Packers’ offense.
“I don’t think people really understand how difficult it is to play center in our offense,” Lang said, “with the amount of information they need from knowing the play, getting up to the line, recognizing the defense, calling out the line calls. And on top of that, snapping it and blocking a guy. It’s tough.”
Losing Wells, who started all 16 games last year, would certainly be tough. And Lang, who started all 16 games next to him, may be the player who has the toughest time adjusting.