David Bakhtiari needs to add some size and strength. Credit: Mike De Sisti

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Green Bay — For more than a decade, the Green Bay Packers had virtually no issues when it came to the critical left-tackle position.

Chad Clifton started 160 games between 2000-'11. Along the way, he gave the Packers reliability, consistency and a pair of Pro Bowl appearances.

But more than two years after Clifton played his last game, the Packers still aren't sure who their future left tackle is.

Marshall Newhouse flopped in 2012. Bryan Bulaga was given the job in 2013, but he tore his ACL before the year began. Rookie David Bakhtiari then stepped in and performed admirably.

When Green Bay's disappointing 8-8-1 season came to a close, Packer coach Mike McCarthy and offensive line coach James Campen were both noncommittal about their 2014 left tackle.

"I don't think you can really get into that at this point," Campen said. "You have a lot of players that are coming back. It will be a lot of competition there. That will be a very competitive situation and a good situation to have."

McCarthy was just as vague: "I don't have an answer for you right now."

That's largely because there might not be a perfect answer.

Bakhtiari, a fourth-round draft choice, certainly left a favorable impression with everyone in the organization. Bakhtiari played almost every snap, acquitted himself well and never backed down.

On the flip side, Bakhtiari (6 foot 4, 300 pounds) is undersized for the position, must add weight and improve his strength. He might be more suited to play the right side.

Still, with Bakhtiari playing from start to finish, Green Bay's offensive line finished 12th overall in a ranking by Pro Football Focus.

"I don't think you could ask for more than what David gave us this year," McCarthy said of Bakhtiari. "I thought David had a good, solid season for us, and I'm excited about him growing because he's a young man. He's got a lot of growth in front of him."

But it remains to be seen if McCarthy is ready to scrap his off-season plan from a year ago that had Bulaga moving to left tackle.

When Bulaga came out of Iowa in 2010, he measured 6 foot 5 and weighed 314 pounds. Bulaga's arms were just 33¼ inches and his hands measured 9¼. Bulaga did 26 bench press reps at 225 pounds, had a vertical jump of 27½ and ran the 40-yard dash in 5.20 seconds.

Bakhtiari's arms were 34 inches and his hands were 9½ inches. Bakhtiari did 28 bench press reps, had a vertical jump of 25½ inches and ran the 40 in 5.09 seconds.

Bulaga spent most of this season rehabbing and training at IMG Sports Academy in Bradenton, Fla. When the season ended, Bulaga said he had no clue what position he would return to.

"I haven't even thought about it," Bulaga said. "Obviously, this season just got over, and that's going to have to be something that Coach McCarthy and everybody upstairs will have to evaluate. Wherever they need me to play, I'll play. That's not something that's even on my mind."

Bulaga's first priority, of course, is making a full recovery.

Bulaga missed the final seven games of the 2012 season with a hip injury. Then he missed all of 2013 with his torn ACL.

On some levels, the Packers are probably wondering if Bulaga can stay healthy and be the same player he was before this bevy of injuries.

"It's disappointing to have been out for half of the season, and then have your season cut in training camp," Bulaga said. "That's difficult. You work for six months getting ready for something and to have it gone in two weeks of training camp, it's difficult."

Green Bay's second overriding question this off-season is who will play center in 2014?

Evan Dietrich-Smith had a solid first season as a starter. Dietrich-Smith was a huge upgrade from Jeff Saturday, played hurt and was well respected by his teammates.

When the season ended, the Packers had made no effort to re-sign Dietrich-Smith.

"I'm not going to make any predictions," said the 27-year-old Dietrich-Smith. "We'll just have to wait and see.

"I feel good about the year I put together. Obviously, I have a lot of fun playing with these guys, I'm very fond of them, but the game is the game, and the business side also happens, too."

If Dietrich-Smith leaves, JC Tretter would be the favorite to take over at center. Tretter's rookie season was ruined when he suffered a fractured fibula and torn ligaments in his ankle during a fumble recovery drill on the first day of organized team activities in May. OTAs last May.

Tretter was another fourth-round draft pick in 2013 and was drafted 13 spots after Bakhtiari. Tretter practiced for seven weeks at the end of the season, but he never played.

"He certainly got better as each week went along," Campen said. "Same kind of guy we saw when he was drafted here. Confident, smart guy that knows his stuff. He was prepared when he came back."

The rest of Green Bay's line is in good shape.

Josh Sitton is one of the top guards in the league and made a smooth transition to the left side. Right guard T.J. Lang is as solid as they come. And whether incumbent Don Barclay, Bulaga or Bakhtiari is the right tackle, Green Bay should be fine.

"I thought it turned out to be a really good group," Sitton said of the 2013 offensive line. "Those guys were a lot of fun to play with."

The question now is who plays where.

This story appeared in Packer Plus Magazine