Just how good are the linebackers?
If you listen to the national media, the Packers defense should be the second-coming of the ‘86 Bears this season. NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan recently proclaimed the secondary to be the best in the league, and just the other day, Yahoo Sports’ Jason Cole ranked the linebackers at No. 3. “Someday in the near future, NFL people will talk about how the Packers linebacking corps is like some four-headed nightmare,” wrote Cole. “With Nick Barnett, Clay Matthews, Brad Jones and A.J. Hawk (who is almost an afterthought in this group), the Packers have the best combination of great tacklers against the run and potential pass-rush stars.”
Talk about hyperbole. Yes, this is a good quartet, but it’s neither No. 3 in the league nor is it the “best combination of great tacklers against the run and potential pass-rush stars.” While Cole correctly placed Pittsburgh and Dallas ahead of Green Bay, he should’ve added – at the very minimum – Baltimore and the Jets to the list as well. Cole called Jarret Johnson of the Ravens “just another guy.” Well, if that’s the case, then what does that make Hawk, and at least for right now, Jones? As for Bart Scott, David Harris, Calvin Pace and Brian Thomas/Jason Taylor of the Jets, he opines that “none of these guys are great, but all of them are very good.” Well, truth be told, Harris is a great player. And more importantly, you can make a fairly compelling argument that the only Packers linebacker who would even be able to crack that foursome is Matthews.
Ted Thompson deserves a lot of credit for improving this position. Remember who the starting linebackers were back in 2004 – the year before he was hired as general manager? Barnett was flanked by journeymen Hannibal Navies and Na’il Diggs. Now the unit is filled with young, hard-working players with the potential to get better. The sky’s the limit for Matthews, Jones did enough as a rookie to suggest bigger and better things to come, Barnett should be even more productive now that he’s a year removed from knee surgery and Hawk has been the epitome of dependable since entering the league.
As is the case with the defensive backs, the linebackers do have a chance to be among the very best in the league by season’s end, but just like the players who line up behind them, they’re not there yet. To be mentioned with the Steelers, Cowboys, Ravens and Jets, Matthews must continue to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks, Jones must go from a very good story to a very good player, Barnett must return to his 2007 form – a season in which he was arguably the second-best inside linebacker in the NFC – and Hawk must make more impact plays.
While the defensive backs and linebackers are getting plenty of love from the national media, you might be wondering how the linemen are viewed. Well, Cole ranked the Packers at No. 20 – even with Johnny Jolly. Are you done laughing yet? Green Bay finished first in the league against the run last season and the group most responsible for that achievement gets placed below Tampa Bay? Even without Jolly, this is still a very solid group. “It’s pretty damning when journeyman Ryan Pickett is the most consistent guy on the depth chart,” wrote Cole. OK, so let’s get this straight, Pickett is a “journeyman” and yet Hawk and Jones are two of the big reasons why the linebacking corps is so great? Wow. It’s amazing that people are actually paid good money to write such drivel. I must be doing something wrong. I’m writing my drivel for free.
Damn. Another article on Packer Update hating on the Packers’ LBs…
Watch the tape of the second half of last season, and tell me Barnett wasn’t the best ILB in the NFC. He was a monster. Watch the Dalls game, the Baltimore game, hell, even the Pittsburgh game he was dominant. Granted, the AZ playoff game, he was bad, but every defender not named Clay Matthews III didn’t play well that game, including Woodson. Barnett’s late 2009 is better than his early 2008 IMHO.
I agree, right now, we’re not the #3 LB corps. But the Jets can’t be placed ahead of us. CM3 is miles better than anything they have at OLB, Barnett is better than their ILBs (yeah, I’d rather have Harris and Scott any day of the week instead of Chillar and Hawk), and Jones produced as well as Taylor last year, despite being a rookie and playing only 7 games (Bryan Thomas was solid against the run, but added nothing against the pass, which is the #1 job of an OLB). Judging by last season’s production, we’re not #3. But going by 2010 projection, we might very well be.
Hating on the LBs? I said it’s a “good quartet” with the chance to be “among the very best in the league by season’s end.” We must have a difference of opinion as to what “hating on” actually means.
You want to see what me “hating on” looks like? Read the articles on the Bob Sanders hiring or the drafting of Aaron Rouse or the recent actions of Brett Favre. That’s me “hating on.”
You’re obviously entitled to your opinions about the linebackers. We just disagree a bit. That’s what makes sports fun.
MY biggest concern is Brad Jones… Nobody knows if he is going to become a better than average OLB! Got some athleticism, but hasn’t been a playmaker consistently. Had one good college season but that was all. Last year, he was non-existent for the vast majority of games/snaps.
As always everyone is more critical of the players they know on their own team. Hawk has been a very reliable player, but cuz he was the #5 pick everyone calls acts like he’s a bust! But cuz you don’t know players on another team (Jarrett Johnson) you assume he’s a starter so MUST be really good!
I think the evaluation here is about spot-on. This is a steady but not nearly spectacular group with plenty of room for improvement.
That potential could be realized if:
- Jones improves on what was a respectable rookie season. He’ll need to maintain the weight he’s put on and be enough of a pressure threat that teams can’t iso on Matthews.
- Matthews maintains or improves (scary thought for opposing teams) last year’s performance
- Barnett is fully healed and stays healthy for the duration (not saying he’s injury prone but his sideline-to-sideline speed is a critical element that I don’t believe any current LB on the roster can provide if he goes down)
- Hawk breaks out just a bit. A few game changing plays at critical points in a couple of tightly contested games will do.
The loss of Jolly doesn’t just mean the D-line needs to step-up (specifically the kids discussed in a previous article here recently). It’s incumbent on the entire D, and certainly the LBs, to pick up the slack. (I do wonder about the huddle presence Jolly apparently brought in terms of firing people up that I read about at… JSOnline maybe? Will someone else on the team bring that fire to the huddle? Too bad Kevin Greene can’t run out and rally the troops at critical times, eh.)
What’s this, Hawk’s 5th season? He’s done nothing since being drafted other than he apparently knows the playbook. He’s a D in my book, regardless of where he was drafted.
Barnett really isn’t much better. Watches guys run by him with the ball, and, like Hawk, has little or no ability to get to the QB. Was a fine player through three quarters of 2007 season and hasn’t been anything since. GRADE: D+
Matthews – A+ Has everthing top 2 lack.
Jones – Grade: B – based on a very good rookie season. Fits the position and we are all waiting to see what he does in year 2. Is he the future? Possibly.
Chillar – GRADE C – Does lots of things OK but not special at anything.
Poppinga – Puhleeze!
Bishop – Better than Hawk/Barnett but since these guys have contracts that total $70 MM, TT won’t play Bishop.
To me, LB is the next position that need to be rebuilt. It is possible that a year from now, only Matthews will remain.
PLAYER TO WATCH: OLB Cyril Obiozor – Looks the part and enters 2nd season following conversion from DE.
I agree, national media is just jumping bandwagons and the Pack seems to be the flavor of the week. The Pack’s weak suit is pass defense, both pass rush and coverage. We all know that. Even TT knew that when he drafted this year. The starting CBs are plenty good enough but the nickel and dime backs have been wanting, along with Bigby. Those weaknesses may be eliminated this year by Burnett, Lee and Underwood. To generate pass rush, we must rush Woodson, which compromises our coverage further. The more I look at their off-season moves on the DL, the more I like them. Getting BJ at his natural position was a must. That alone should help the pass rush. With Jolly gone, Pickett and Harrell will have to play DE and back-up NT. All three lack pass rush. The two rookies might help with the pass rush and maybe they will find a way to give Cullen Jenkins the green light more often, as he is the only proven natural pass rusher on the DL.
I think the Pack is still a stud LB and DL away from having a top defense. When you’re losing games 48-47, you don’t have a top defense, regardless of how high you ranked vs run.
Our linebackers need to do a lot better in coverage. That’s a part of the game that often gets overlooked when discussing linebackers. I thought we had a tough time covering tight ends and backs last season. Everyone remembers the Pittsburgh and Arizona games, but the game that really sticks out to me is when that scrub tight end for the Rams scored two TDs against us.
[...] Packers linebacker and secondary units being called among the best in the league, Michael Rodney of Packer Update attempts to be the voice of reason. “As is the case with the defensive backs, the linebackers do have a chance to be among the [...]
Thanks to Zack for e-mailing about a mistake in this post. I wrote that “Barnett must return to his 2008 form – a season in which he was arguably the second-best inside linebacker in the NFC.” I meant his 2007 form.
We could possibly have the best depth at ILB, bishop and chillar would both be starters on many NFL teams. We are still thin with our depth at the OLB spots, but we’re only in year 2 of our 3-4 conversion. Give TT some time and I have no doubt this team will resemble the steelers/ravens.
I think the unsung story of the off season is the Mike Neal pickup..I have followed him for years as a huge Big 10 fan and he is going to sneak up on people. His speed is adequate (nothing to gape at) but his strength is incredible. He is great getting to the outside and can punish a running-back that wanders his way. Add a couple pounds of muscle and a good camp and we could have a good one here. Could have him rushing from both sides this year being thin on real talent on D-line, which will help take a lot of pressure off the linebacker corps. Green Bay is looking for a hard-nosed brute at DE to solidify the line and a defense who looks to build on a good but “stat heavy” 2009 season.