NFL analyst calls for Packers to bench starting guard Royce Newman

While a quick glance at the analytics will reveal that every member of the Packers offensive line could be doing more, one NFL analyst believes he’s found Green Bay’s weak link.

In a recent column, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine singled out Royce Newman as the most expendable of the offensive linemen on the Packers’ roster.

“If [head coach Matt LaFleur is] looking to get his best five linemen on the field, he'll find a way to bench Royce Newman,” Ballentine wrote. “…The Packers have multiple options if they want Newman out of their lineup. (Elgton) Jenkins has played right guard before, so he could kick back inside and allow (Yosh) Nijman to take over at right tackle. They could also try Nijman at left guard and move Jon Runyan Jr. to the right side. Either way, Newman is not in their best lineups.”

Newman is Green Bay’s fifth-best graded pass-blocker and fourth-best graded run-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus.

Through three games, the second-year guard leads the Packers with 110 pass-blocking snaps, and he’s allowed a pressure opportunity on a team-high 107 of them, according to PFF.

Newman, 25, has also surrendered a team-high two sacks and seven pressures, and the four hurries he’s allowed are the second-most on the team behind Jenkins.