When Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari had a championship belt created for the first day of practice in pads last summer, a heated rivalry between the offensive and defensive lines of the Packers began through the rest of training camp.  Bakhtiari, a larger than life personality that brings both humor and fun to the team, teased defensive lineman Mike Daniels about the battle that would follow saying that the winning squad in each practice would bring the belt back to the locker room for the day.  Daniels, who is quite the jokester and the motivated individual himself, quickly obliged.  From there, a much-followed war ensued during run blocking drills each day in training camp.

NFL training camps have a long history of players fighting against one another as they battle for final roster positions.  The largest athletes in the world going toe to toe with one another often brings out the fiercest side of the men and the competition can often lead to them foolishly punching each other while donning masked helmets.  The hand to hand combat of the drills between offensive and defensive linemen are often in the most intimate of settings and tempers can flare in the trenches very quickly.  Escalating these situations even more is the fact that training camp is held during the high heat of summer where the humidity intensifies the blood, sweat and tears that the players leave on the field on a daily basis.

I give all the credit in the world to the leaders of each side of the linemen units for making this competition during training camp both fun and motivating.  At the end of the day, after the battles are fought, the units are still working together for one goal as a team and the leadership that is shown by both Daniels and Bakhtiari is impressive.

As the 2018 Green Bay Packers look to head to training camp next week, the battle for the title belt will ensue once again and this year should prove to be another great battle.  First, the defensive line will enter training camp as a completely solid unit with Daniels, Kenny Clark, Mo Wilkerson and Dean Lowry returning as the stalwarts of the squad.  Other hungry youngsters in Montravius Adams, Joey Mbu, James Looney and Conor Sheehy will be itching to make a name for themselves early in camp.

On the offensive side of the ball, Bakhtiari, Bryan Bulaga, Lane Taylor and Corey Linsley return as starters and will be looking to prove their dominance against the defensive front.  Many young players stand behind them looking to make an impression on the coaching staff and their fellow teammates to secure a spot on the final 53-man roster.  Depth at the offensive line could prove to be vital as the Packers progress through the 2018 season and the next men in line behind the starters will begin to be determined as the units go head to head during training camp.

The war in the trenches is one of the most intriguing and vital parts of any football game.  As the 2018 Packers look to impose their will on their opponents, fans of the team can be thankful that the leaders of each respective unit are there to motivate their teammates to bring home the title belt after each training camp practice.  This friendly competition should help to bring out the best in everyone and while I won’t be rooting for a particular unit each day, simply knowing that the stakes are high between the units brings a big smile to my face.