Josh Jones at ILB?

[thequick12]

Rollins actually had a decent rookie season but regressed for whatever reason in 2016. I fully expect him to make the final roster though.

rollins regressed due to injuries. i still think he can be a player in the slot in the dime or possibly even move to safety ala micah hyde. i see a lot of similarities between him and hyde. and as has been mentioned hes got great ball skills which counts for a whole lot

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Lowry had 2 sacks last year, while Matthews notched 5. I guess you could also say Matthews sample size was rather small last year as well. Maybe we should calculate out the $ amount per sack between the 2 for an adequate comparison of productivity???

There's no doubt Matthews underperformed last season but there's no reason to assume Lowry is a better player than him.

rollins regressed due to injuries. i still think he can be a player in the slot in the dime or possibly even move to safety ala micah hyde. i see a lot of similarities between him and hyde. and as has been mentioned hes got great ball skills which counts for a whole lot

I agree that Rollins could turn into a decent player but there were other reasons aside of injury that he struggled last season.

 

[Mike McCarthy]

There's no doubt Matthews underperformed last season but there's no reason to assume Lowry is a better player than him.

I'm done with the free pass for Matthews because of who he is, who he was, or who's guy he is,bottom m line is he isn't cutting it on the field and ted isnt cutting it in the office by keeping him around,

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I'm done with the free pass for Matthews because of who he is, who he was, or who's guy he is,bottom m line is he isn't cutting it on the field and ted isnt cutting it in the office by keeping him around,

The Packers would be left with Perry, Elliott, Fackrell and Biegel on the depth chart by releasing Matthews. That doesn't cut it for a Super Bowl contender. I would have liked the team to restructure his contract though.

 

[Poppa San]

Martinez or Ryan need to step up.

I expect a safety to man at least one of the ILB spots. Especially when not in run defense.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I expect a safety to man at least one of the ILB spots. Especially when not in run defense.

While it seems the Packers are headed in that direction Ryan and Martinez will most likely play a significant amount of snaps anyway.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I don't believe Matthews will line up inside a lot next season as the Packers lack talent at outside linebacker.

Right, and I doubt Jones will be seen there on a regular basis either.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Yeah, that is what I have in the article, seems that with the lack of additions at OLB and Biegel being injured, he will stay put at OLB. Martinez or Ryan need to step up.

Ryan's already a good ball player. Better against the run than the pass, but there's some room for improvement up to the limits of 4.65 speed.

 

[thequick12]

Ryan's already a good ball player. Better against the run than the pass, but there's some room for improvement up to the limits of 4.65 speed.

hes just not a play maker. if the guy next to him is a playmaker hed be good as a volume tackler. however absent a playmaking ilb the defense will never reach 2010 levels.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Right, and I doubt Jones will be seen there on a regular basis either.

It seems the Packers plan on using either Burnett or Jones at inside linebacker on passing downs quite a bit.

hes just not a play maker. if the guy next to him is a playmaker hed be good as a volume tackler. however absent a playmaking ilb the defense will never reach 2010 levels.

The Packers didn't have a huge playmaker at inside linebacker with Hawk and Bishop in 2010 either.

 

[HardRightEdge]

It seems the Packers plan on using either Burnett or Jones at inside linebacker on passing downs quite a bit.

I know. I believe it will be Burnett more than Jones. That's a lot to ask of a rookie who has not played the position. If Jones takes to it like a fish to water, great, but I expect to see enough mistakes made in preseason to give second thoughts. I think Jones will have his hands full just learning to play safety/nickel in this defense.

Maybe year 2 if they don't re-sign Burnett.

 

[HardRightEdge]

hes just not a play maker. if the guy next to him is a playmaker hed be good as a volume tackler. however absent a playmaking ilb the defense will never reach 2010 levels.

Don't get me wrong. My choices for #1 picks in 2015 and 2016 were Kendricks and Ragland respectively, guys you could rebuild the defense around. Yeah, I did say "rebuild", and that's a notion the Packers have fatefully resisted.

Given the roster, the best bet for play making out of the position is Burnett.

 

[HardRightEdge]

The Packers didn't have a huge playmaker at inside linebacker with Hawk and Bishop in 2010 either.

You took the words out of my mouth. Nobody is going to confuse the 2010 versions of Hawk or Bishop with a Willis or a Wagner.

However, there is a point to be made there.

In 2010, Hawk and Bishop combined for 4 INTs, 2 forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks and 18 passes defended, respectable play making numbers.

In 2016, Ryan, Martinez and Thomas combined for 2 INTs, 0 forced fumbles, 1 sack and 12 passes defended.

It's fairly obvious that more play making is needed out of the ILB position and the best chance for that would be the savvy Burnett on passing downs.

Expecting to recreate the 2010 defense is fanciful. Raji, Jenkins, Hawk, Bishop, Matthews, Woodson, Williams and Collins all had their best seasons or close to it. The "Wombo" (Walden/Zombo) even chipped in for 7 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Pickett was solid.

Conversely, It was hardly Rodgers at his finest. He threw only 475 balls in 15 games for 28 TDs and 11 INTs. He didn't even make the Pro Bowl. His playoff stat line is hard to argue with given the 109.8 rating. Still, that was 274 yds. per game. His yards, TDs, INTs in 4 playoff games that season closely match the numbers in 3 games last season.

Since 2010, the formula has remained the same and I'm not expecting much different this season: just outscore 'em, win the Division, see what happens. We are to expect Rodgers to make up the difference with mediocre-to-poor defenses. With unproven rookies and second year players, heretofore under-performing third year players, and only one FA add in House who, when you get down to it, has a less than stellar resume, are we to expect anything different?

Now, if we can get a mid-ranked defense that can step up in the 4th. quarter to close out games in the playoffs while the offense is hitting on all cylinders, then we've got a shot.

Capers should have been fired after the Seattle disaster for failing to develop a culture of finishing. Thompson? Yeah, without significant improvement out of this defense, which hinges on those 1st. through 3rd. year players, then any benefit of the doubt regarding his eye for defensive talent will have dissolved and it will be time for the gold watch.

Now, if the Packers make the playoffs and lose in the Wild Card round by blowing a 4th. quarter lead, I don't expect anybody to be fired or retired, as regrettable as that might be. At that point we might need to escalate the problem to a "Fire Murphy" thread.

Not really, though. More like a "Kick Murphy upstairs to Chairman of the Board and the defacto president of non-football operations and hire a President to handle football operations" thread.

 

[gbgary]

The Packers would be left with Perry, Elliott, Fackrell and Biegel on the depth chart by releasing Matthews. That doesn't cut it for a Super Bowl contender. I would have liked the team to restructure his contract though.

EXACTLY! making an already questionable d considerably weaker through a spiteful cut is silly. when matthews is about the only guy that can get closet to the qb, the opp's o can neutralize him through scheme etc. perry had a good sack year because they were concentrating on matthews until he got hurt. clay still has it. just needs help from some others. oh...and his $ is irrelevant...for now.

 

[HardRightEdge]

hes just not a play maker. if the guy next to him is a playmaker hed be good as a volume tackler. however absent a playmaking ilb the defense will never reach 2010 levels.

Don't get me wrong. My choices for #1 picks in 2015 and 2016 were Kendricks and Ragland respectively, guys you could rebuild the defense around. Yeah, I did say "rebuild", and that's a notion the Packers have fatefully resisted.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

Don't get me wrong. My choices for #1 picks in 2015 and 2016 were Kendricks and Ragland respectively, guys you could rebuild the defense around. Yeah, I did say "rebuild", and that's a notion the Packers have fatefully resisted.

Packers drafted a first round dt last year, and a similar 3rd rd one this year. Picked up a veteran nose. Let the elephant olbs go in fa. And then drafted two big powerful dbacks this year, who both run low 4.4 40's. Brought in house...

That sounds like a big scheme change, and a rebuild in itself...

 

[HardRightEdge]

Packers drafted a first round dt last year, and a similar 3rd rd one this year. Picked up a veteran nose. Let the elephant olbs go in fa. And then drafted two big powerful dbacks this year, who both run low 4.4 40's. Brought in house...

That sounds like a big scheme change, and a rebuild in itself...

This is backing, filling, plugging, retooling, and hoping year after year. This is not rebuilding. Rebuilding would have involved firing Capers after the defensive collapse against Seattle.

Defensive mediocrity and an offense hitting on all cylinders is the best case scenario for this season, once again.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

EXACTLY! making an already questionable d considerably weaker through a spiteful cut is silly. when matthews is about the only guy that can get closet to the qb, the opp's o can neutralize him through scheme etc. perry had a good sack year because they were concentrating on matthews until he got hurt. clay still has it. just needs help from some others. oh...and his $ is irrelevant...for now.

It's kind of strange that Perry played significantly better with Matthews on the field although opponents hardly double teamed Clay last season.

 

[rodell330]

rollins regressed due to injuries. i still think he can be a player in the slot in the dime or possibly even move to safety ala micah hyde. i see a lot of similarities between him and hyde. and as has been mentioned hes got great ball skills which counts for a whole lot

Great ball skills? Which Rollins were you watching!? This guy got burnt badly all season. I think qbs rated 128QBR or some ridiculous number when targeting him. As far as comparing him to Hyde? I also disagree.

 

[HardRightEdge]

It's kind of strange that Perry played significantly better with Matthews on the field although opponents hardly double teamed Clay last season.

I found that curious as well, with no explanation coming to mind. Shot in the dark: Matthews is the "Perry whisperer" on the field.

 

[rodell330]

Packers drafted a first round dt last year, and a similar 3rd rd one this year. Picked up a veteran nose. Let the elephant olbs go in fa. And then drafted two big powerful dbacks this year, who both run low 4.4 40's. Brought in house...

That sounds like a big scheme change, and a rebuild in itself...

There's no way Capers is going to scrap his scheme. If he hasn't done it by now, it's not going to happen. He may tinker with personnel here and there...but expect to see a lot of nickle base with zone coverage.

 

[rodell330]

I found that curious as well, with no explanation coming to mind. Shot in the dark: Matthews is the "Perry whisperer" on the field.

I just simply think the guy was trying to show he was just as good as Clay Matthews..if not better. No better way to prove that then when the guy is on the opposite side making 16 million and you're in a contract year.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Great ball skills? Which Rollins were you watching!? This guy got burnt badly all season. I think qbs rated 128QBR or some ridiculous number when targeting him. As far as comparing him to Hyde? I also disagree.

To be fair, Rollins played significantly better during his rookie season.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

This is backing, filling, plugging, retooling, and hoping year after year. This is not rebuilding. Rebuilding would have involved firing Capers after the defensive collapse against Seattle.

Defensive mediocrity and an offense hitting on all cylinders is the best case scenario for this season, once again.

I completely disagree.
Capers is great. He had a long history to show that.

He has played with weak rosters in the past. Eventually moving to a nickel base, and 2 Dlinemen being base defense???some sort of bend but don't break/ they can't keep up with our offense, type of game plan.

He had taken this scheme and made it his own. With raji, they even tried a one man front! With the lbs and a half dozen secondary...but Basicly, as wimm pointed out. We play nickel the majority of the time, with only 2 Dlinemen most the time. With a over sized olb rushing.
we started playing this way, in a bend but don't break scheme that we had to play , back when we didn't have any def talent..... but like I said, he made it his own.

But enough is enough. Thompson has given him a couple of drafts worth of talent. A few free agents... I think capers is stepping away from the experiment, and coming back with Ol' reliable..... his 3-4 defense...with a strong and diverse secondary. Two great saftys. A half dozen of diverse CBs... a deep and talented dline. And now the lbs are the young and unproven group. With a big fast rookie safety to play some ilb...

So I believe our base nickle will go from 2-4-5, with a hybrid safety playing nickel.
Into a 3-3-5 with our hybrid safety playing ilb. And bigger faster stronger CBs...

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I But enough is enough. Thompson has given him a couple of drafts worth of talent. A few free agents... I think capers is stepping away from the experiment, and coming back with Ol' reliable..... his 3-4 defense...with a strong and diverse secondary. Two great saftys. A half dozen of diverse CBs... a deep and talented dline. And now the lbs are the young and unproven group. With a big fast rookie safety to play some ilb...

So I believe our base nickle will go from 2-4-5, with a hybrid safety playing nickel.
Into a 3-3-5 with our hybrid safety playing ilb. And bigger faster stronger CBs...

Will you ever realize that having three 3-4 defensive linemen is a terrible scheme to defend the pass, especially with opponents lining up with at least three receivers most of the time??? Probably not.