Tauscher coming back doesn't fix what's wrong with the o-line: True.
Clifton getting healthy doesn't fix what's wrong with the o-line: True.
Bringing in a Levi Jones wouldn't really fix what's wrong with the o-line: True.
All of the above are true. So, then what do we do? Stick with the slappies we've been putting on the field and watch Aaron Rodgers go the route of David Carr?
There are two topics, here: 1. What does the team do to address the deficiencies up front for the rest of this season (still 12 full games to go, folks - it's not baseball, but it does go on for a while)? 2. What is a long-term solution to this issue?
As to topic 2, Nonstop is, I think, correct. Bringing back Tauscher or bringing in a Levi Jones will do nothing to fix this line long-term. There needs to first be a decision about scheme - I'm in the camp that would like to see the ZBS go away, at least for the most part. Once you know how you want your line to work, there then needs to be an influx of players that will be capable of making that line work. This takes time, but I agree that it's long past due.
As to topic 1, I start to wonder if people have simply given up on the season 4 games in. So do nothing? Let it play out and hope for a good draft position? I guess I'm missing something, here, because October 7 is WAY too fucking early to throw in a towel. This is not the Bills. This is not the Browns. The Packers are 2-2 with a good shot to be 4-2 by the time they get another shot at the Vikings - they'll also have had a bye to get healthy and prepare, and will have 2 more games of experience and opportunities to improve their level of play. A healthy team that knows better what it's doing can beat the Vikings, and then the season looks a lot different.
The biggest differences between a Tauscher and a Barbre are physical and mental - Barbre is physically in a different place than Tausch - he's faster, etc., Tausch is, well, older. But Tauscher (Clifton, Jones, Runyan)
knows how to play the RT position. I would argue that at this point Barbre, College and Lang do not - they may be wonderful physical specimens, but they're getting schooled by older more crafty DEs, or are getting schooled by younger guys who are as physically gifted as they are if not more, and again I'd wager it's because they don't know how to play that position.
Could they learn? Maybe. And if I really looked at this as some sort of rebuilding year, and if I didn't mind my young franchise QB getting smacked around all season long in the process, I'd probably say we need to leave them in there and let them get their trial by fire.
I don't think it's a rebuilding year. I think it's a year where this team could make some significant strides towards being a team to be reckoned with. And I don't think the experience the young OTs would gain is worth the risk of getting your QB injured or making him a basket case.
This is all a very long-winded attempt to say: Yes, bring Tauscher back. Yes, look very closely at bringing a Levi Jones or a John Runyan in, as well. We should at least try putting some experience back in those OT positions and at least see if that will help. If not, fine. Didn't work, and it'll have to be addressed from a long-term perspective in the offseason. But at least they'll have
tried.
Sorry - that rambled a bit.