Burnett » Packer Update

Blueprint For Fixing The Defense

Posted by Michael Rodney at 12:13 am 3 Responses »

Dec 282011

Hawk is having a very disappointing season

Since writing about blueprints seems to be in vogue these days, I’ve decided to write my first post in months on that very subject. But instead of providing a blueprint on how teams can beat the Packers (that would be sacrilegious), I’ll be providing a blueprint on what needs to be done to fix the defense.

1) Draft an impact outside linebacker – I’ve begged for general manager Ted Thompson to upgrade the position opposite Clay Matthews for two years (I still cringe every time Antwan Barnes gets another sack for the Chargers. TT could’ve acquired him for next to nothing on any number of occasions over the past 18 months). Coordinator Dom Capers got by in 2010 with a motley collection of right outside linebackers, but that was only because of Cullen Jenkins. The former Packer and current Eagle was one of the top handful of pass rushing defensive linemen in the league last season and he essentially took the place of a second outside linebacker in passing situations. With Jenkins gone and Mike Neal unable to take his place, the Packers have played with only one legitimate pass rusher all season. And no matter how special Matthews is, that’s simply not enough. So unless Thompson can find a defensive lineman like Jenkins between now and the start of training camp next summer (and those guys are almost as hard to find these days as a Wisconsinite who still loves Brett Favre), he must use one of his first two draft picks on a playmaking outside linebacker.

2) Replace Hawk at inside linebacker - After watching his defense play so well en route to a Super Bowl championship, it came as no surprise when the Packers decided to re-sign A.J. Hawk and send Nick Barnett packing. After all, not only was Hawk one of Thompson’s first draft picks after taking over as GM in Green Bay, but more importantly, the former Ohio State star was coming off his finest season since joining the team in 2006. Unfortunately, the decision has proven to be a mistake – a $36 million mistake. Hawk’s play has clearly regressed. He’s only 27, but he appears to have lost a half step – a half step he couldn’t afford to lose. Even worse, he seems content to arm tackle rather than take on running backs and tight ends. As for Barnett, he hasn’t been a world beater in Buffalo, but he’s having a better season than Hawk. And while I didn’t criticize Thompson then and I won’t criticize him now for choosing Hawk, he has to admit his mistake and rectify things in the offseason. A tougher and more athletic inside linebacker must be found to pair with Desmond Bishop in 2012, and if that player is not on the current 53-man roster (maybe rookie D.J. Smith), then it’s up to Thompson to go out and get him.

3) Upgrade at safety – Regardless of whether Nick Collins returns in 2012 (I’d be shocked if he ever plays again), the Packers must add a quality safety in the offseason. Charlie Peprah obviously can’t be a starter next season, and truth be told, he shouldn’t even be third on the depth chart when training camp opens. The former Alabama star has been forced to start 24 games since October 2010, and that’s about 20 games too many. Capers was able to hide Peprah’s glaring lack of athleticism in 2010, but that hasn’t been the case this season. The difference? A year ago, the pass rush was consistently strong and Collins was playing at his usual Pro Bowl level. This year, the pass rush has been anemic and Collins has been replaced by struggling second-year pro Morgan Burnett. That leaves Peprah as an easy target for opposing offensive coordinators, who must spend the work week salivating over the chance to isolate a tight end, or god forbid, a wide receiver, on the slow-footed journeyman. I don’t know if Collins’ potential replacement is currently on the roster (maybe Charles Woodson), but I do know it’s up to Thompson to make sure the defense won’t have to turn to Peprah for a third time in 2012.

4) Draft at least one defensive end – The Packers can’t count on Neal to be the player he was prior to suffering serious shoulder and knee injuries and Howard Green, C.J. Wilson and Jarius Wynn have all proven to be – at best – deep reserves. Thompson needs to overhaul this group. While Green has the size to play in a 3-4, he’ll be 33 in a couple of weeks. Wilson and Wynn are both under 300 pounds, and neither has the physical ability to overcome their lack of bulk. There are a number of reasons why the run defense has been so porous this season, but one of the biggest is not a having a capable third lineman to play alongside B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett. Johnny Jolly filled that role ideally in 2009 and Jenkins, while certainly no run stuffer, held his own a year ago. Thompson needs to find a player who can at least hold his own in 2012. Fortunately, those players are often available in the middle rounds of the draft.

5) Get veterans to play better – The final step in my plan to fix the defense isn’t up to Thompson, it’s up to the coaching staff and the players already on the roster. More specifically, Raji and cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Sam Shields simply have to play better in 2012. All three took a step back this season. Raji might’ve been the most disruptive interior defensive lineman in the league late last year and throughout the playoffs. Not only was he fairly stout at the point of attack, but he was making tackles for losses and getting consistent pressure on the quarterback. His relative lack of success as a pass rusher this season can probably be explained away by the loss of Jenkins and by having to play too many snaps. But his struggles against the run cannot be as easily excused. No player with his size, strength and athleticism should ever be pushed around as often as he’s been pushed around this season. As for Williams and Shields, neither is playing nearly as well as he did 10 months ago. The former deserves a lot of credit for playing through a painful shoulder injury, but he’s been healthy for the past month or so and he still hasn’t retuned to his previous form. The latter has steadily improved in coverage throughout the season, but his tackling has been pathetic. Capers fully expected these three players to be stars this season. Unfortunately, like the defense as a whole, they’ve come up short.

So there’s my five-step plan for fixing the defense (by the way, it also wouldn’t hurt to add another cornerback). Needless to say, I’m expecting Thompson to focus on defense in next April’s draft. The good news is that improving the defense in 2012 shouldn’t be a Herculean task. A few shrewd draft choices and the return to form of a few veterans is all it should take. The even better news is that the Packers, even with a defense that has more holes in it than a piece of Swiss cheese, are currently 14-1 and in great position to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. Hey, ain’t it a great time to be a fan?!

POSTCARD FROM TRAINING CAMP

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:27 am 4 Responses »

Aug 082011

Starks is battling Grant for the starting halfback job

The one thing I’ve learned from watching Matt Flynn the past four summers is that he will always play better than he practices. Aaron Rodgers‘ backup is off to another relatively slow start, but there’s no reason to be concerned. He’ll find a way to move the offense as soon as the opposition is wearing different colored uniforms. I didn’t see what the coaches saw in Graham Harrell last summer and I still don’t see it. His arm is weak and his accuracy is average at best. The lockout is the only argument I can make for keeping him around. At least he knows the system.

I used to think James Starks looked like a poor man’s Eric Dickerson, but now I’m tempted to remove the words poor and man. That’s how terrific he’s looked in training camp. The playoff sensation is running with great power and decisiveness. While Ryan Grant appears fully recovered from the ankle injury that ended his 2010 season, he simply doesn’t possess Starks’ physical ability. The former 1,200 yard rusher may be the nominal starter when the Saints come to Lambeau, but I can’t imagine him getting the bulk of the carries. Rookie Alex Green hasn’t done much through the first week of practices.

Jermichael Finley is an absolute freak. His height, athletic ability and soft hands make him almost impossible to defend. He’s almost toying with the poor souls who are assigned to cover him. Barring injury or stupidity, there’s no way I can imagine general manager Ted Thompson letting this guy get away. Prior to Finley’s return to the practice field, the most impressive tight end was seventh-round pick Ryan Taylor. He isn’t as savvy a route runner as fellow rookie D.J. Williams or as strong a blocker as Tom Crabtree, but he’s a more complete player. He has a good chance of making the team.

The coaches are giving the young receivers plenty of snaps, and a few of them have taken advantage of the heavy workload. Second-round pick Randall Cobb has looked terrific. His incredible quickness makes him stand out from the crowd. I realize the Packers have the best quartet of veteran receivers in the league, but coach Mike McCarthy will find ways to get Cobb on the field. Count on it. If the team wasn’t so deep at this position, either Chastin West or Shaky Smithson would have a legitimate chance to stick. West isn’t flashy, but he runs good routes and catches almost everything. Smithson is a quick as a hiccup return specialist with enough raw skills to eventually develop into a useful NFL receiver.

Bryan Bulaga looks like the player ready to take the biggest leap from season one to season two. He’s so much more confident than he was a year ago. And why not? He now has 16 starts under his belt, and more importantly, the coaches are no longer asking him to learn multiple positions. First-round pick Derek Sherrod has struggled at left guard after spending his entire college career at tackle. Veteran T.J. Lang has been more impressive, but it’s early. If Sherrod doesn’t start, he might find himself backing up Bulaga. That’s because Marshall Newhouse will be hard to supplant as Chad Clifton‘s understudy. The quick-footed youngster been one of the most improved players in camp. I was surprised when Nick McDonald made the team last summer. I didn’t see anything to get excited about – and I still don’t. Right now, journeyman Evan Dietrich-Smith is the second-best center on the roster.

Anyone waiting for C.J. Wilson to flash big-time pass rushing skills had better get a chair. It’s going to be a very long wait. He’s not athletic enough to beat quality offensive linemen on a consistent basis. On the other hand, Jarius Wynn just might be. The undersized three-year veteran is enjoying his finest camp. He looks quicker than before and he seems to have added to his repertoire of moves. If he continues to improve, there will be a place for him on the final roster. Mike Neal has only practiced sparingly, but it doesn’t take long to see his potential. Assuming he can stay healthy, he’ll be a more than adequate replacement for Cullen Jenkins. Ryan Pickett and Howard Green look more like sumo wrestlers than defensive linemen, but extra pounds won’t be an issue as long as they can shut down the run.

Erik Walden has taken the early lead in the battle to start opposite Clay Matthews. The former street free agent is playing more like a high draft choice. He looks bigger, stronger and more explosive than he did last season. Frank Zombo and Brad Jones have been OK, but neither has flashed nearly as often as Walden. Sixth-round pick Ricky Elmore was a productive pass rusher in college, but he hasn’t gotten many sniffs of the quarterback yet. In fact, undrafted free agent Jamari Lattimore has probably been more impressive. He needs to get stronger, but he runs well and seems to pack a punch. Depth at inside linebacker is still a concern, but it isn’t quite as big a concern thanks to Robert Francois. The third-year player is much-improved now that he’s taking all of his snaps at one position. He isn’t a big hitter. but he’s smart and fairly athletic. Not surprisingly, sixth-round pick D.J. Smith is still thinking too much.

Davon House and Brandon Underwood were both enjoying solid camps before suffering injuries. The former was making a strong push to be the No. 4 corner and the latter was showing real promise at safety. Veteran Jarrett Bush is covering like a blanket so far, but I’m not getting carried away. He typically plays better in practice than he does in games. Sam Shields was the talk of camp at this time a year ago, but he’s been pretty unspectacular so far. He doesn’t seem to be playing with the same sense of urgency. I’m not worried, but it’s something to keep an eye on. There probably won’t be room for Josh Gordy, but he can play corner in this league. Morgan Burnett has been up-and-down in his return from knee surgery, but his potential is obvious. He has superior range. Brandion Ross and Anthony Levine are talented small-school players who don’t seem to be intimidated by the bright lights.

Mason Crosby is off to another slow start, but he’ll be OK. Tim Masthay, on the other hand, looks terrific. It’s amazing how much better he’s gotten since last summer. Cobb has a chance to be the team’s best returner since Allen Rossum. Under-appreciated long snapper Brett Goode is almost automatic.

-Special thanks to contributor Mike Tahan, who has been covering training camp for Packer Update. Mike wrote this post – all I had to do was edit his shaky spelling and atrocious grammar!

Burnett’s rookie season is over

Posted by Michael Rodney at 5:02 pm 5 Responses »

Oct 042010

Burnett will join running back Ryan Grant on injured reserve

The hits just keep coming. The Packers lost running back Ryan Grant and defensive end Justin Harrell to season-ending injuries in week 1. After escaping relatively unscathed in weeks 2 and 3, the injury bug bit the team once again on Sunday. This time, it took out safety Morgan Burnett. The impressive rookie from Georgia Tech is done for the year after suffering a torn ACL against the Lions. Journeyman Charlie Peprah is expected to replace Morgan in the starting lineup – at least until Atari Bigby is ready to reclaim his old job. The former Central Florida star is currently on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing ankle surgery in August. And while he’s eligible to be activated following the week 6 game vs. Miami, Mike McCarthy isn’t sure when Bigby will be ready to play. “He’s been working out, he’s been attending the meetings,” said the head coach on Monday. “We won’t really know until we see him on the field.”

While losing Grant and Burnett are big blows, the Packers can’t use injuries as an excuse – at least not yet. Green Bay still has more talent on offense than 90% of the teams in the league and the defense boasts six former first-round draft picks – including three Pro Bowlers from a year ago. The trick now is to stay healthy from here on out because no team can afford to lose a starter every two weeks.

Lost amidst the Burnett news was a report on Monday from the Press-Gazette on Brandon Chillar. According to his agent, Jim Ivler, the veteran inside linebacker’s shoulder injury could be more serious than first thought. “I hope it isn’t season-ending, don’t think it is, but I’m not going to rule out that it’s not possible,” Ivler said. “By Wednesday, we’ll probably have a better idea.” Losing Chillar for any significant length of time would be a huge hit. While the offense has enough talent at receiver to make up for Grant’s absence and Bigby’s expected return should soften the blow of losing Burnett, there’s really no one on the roster who can replace Chillar in the nickel. Neither A.J. Hawk nor Desmond Bishop has proven capable of covering even the most marginal of tight ends on a consistent basis.

The Packers, who haven’t caught many breaks so far this season, may have gotten a little lucky with the upcoming schedule. Their next two games are against Washington and Miami, a pair of teams without dynamic passing offenses. That’s not to say Donovan McNabb and Chad Henne won’t have field days throwing against a secondary missing three of its top six players – plus Chillar – but it sure beats having to face what comes after the Dolphins. The next five games are against Minnesota (Brett Favre), the Jets (Mark Sanchez), Dallas (Tony Romo), Minnesota and Atlanta (Matt Ryan). The hope is that Bigby and former Pro Bowl cornerback Al Harris will be back for that brutal stretch. The other hope, of course, is that no other significant players get injured between now and then. Because while the Packers are clearly losing the battle of attrition right now, they haven’t been knocked out just yet.

Burnett’s too talented to pass on

Posted by Michael Rodney at 12:00 pm 4 Responses »

Aug 052010

Burnett is too talented to keep on the bench in passing situations

Burnett's athleticism should make pass defense better

It remains to been seen whether Morgan Burnett can beat out Atari Bigby for the starting safety job opposite Nick Collins. That will be determined by the rookie’s progress and the veteran’s health. What’s far more certain is that Burnett is going to play a lot of snaps on defense this season. Anyone who watched the former Georgia Tech star during the first week of training camp knows he’s too athletic not to be on the field in obvious passing situations. Whether that comes at Bigby’s expense – assuming his ankle even allows him to be on the field – depends on the health of Al Harris and the progress of Pat Lee and Brandon Underwood.

In a perfect world, defensive coordinator Dom Capers would use Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Al Harris, Collins and Burnett in the nickel. This would give the Packers three true cornerbacks and a pair of safeties with corner skills to defend on third and long. It would also turn the slow-footed but physical Bigby into essentially a two-down player – which is exactly the role he should’ve been filling all along. There were many reasons why the pass defense was eviscerated by almost every quality quarterback it faced last season – chief among them being Bigby’s lack of speed and range.

Offenses are too wide open and receivers are too fast these days to expect a player like Bigby to hold up in coverage. A decade ago, former Packer Aaron Rouse (6-4, 227) might’ve been able to thrive and Taylor Mays (6-3, 230) would’ve been a top 10 draft pick. Today, the former is barely hanging on in the NFL and the latter is just another second-round pick trying to make a name for himself with the 49ers. In a case of damning someone with faint praise, assistant coach Darren Perry said this about his incumbent starting safety: “He wasn’t as bad as people made him out to be. You can win with Atari Bigby.” The thing is, you can win more with less of him. And that’s literally where Burnett will come in.

*This story was posted before Mike McCarthy announced that Atari Bigby will undergo ankle surgery.

Check out “Translating Today’s Transcript” for more on this topic.

Raji’s back where he belongs

Posted by Michael Rodney at 12:54 pm 6 Responses »

May 202010

Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are usually noteworthy more for who’s not there than for anything that actually happens on the field, but that wasn’t the case yesterday. Some big news came out of Wednesday’s practice and it had absolutely nothing to do with no-shows Atari Bigby, Johnny Jolly and Tramon Williams. The team has decided to move Ryan Pickett to left defensive end – a decision that will allow B.J. Raji to take his rightful place as the starting nose tackle for the Green Bay Packers. No disrespect to Pickett, who did a solid job in the middle last season, but Raji has a chance to be one of the NFL’s premier nose tackles and it was almost sad to see him flailing away at end as a rookie. Here’s some more news and notes from practice:

-In another position change, Will Blackmon will move from cornerback to safety. This makes sense for a couple of reasons. One is that the former Boston College star has undergone surgery on his foot and his knee, so he’s probably lost some speed and quickness. The other far more important reason is that he couldn’t cover anybody at corner.

-Journeyman Brady Poppinga lined up ahead of second-year man Brad Jones at left outside linebacker. The guess here is that the defensive coaches simply want to see if Poppinga is worth keeping around for another season. If the former BYU star is starting on Sept. 12 at Philly, general manager Ted Thompson will have a lot of explaining to do.

-Rookie Morgan Burnett started alongside Nick Collins at safety. The former Georgia Tech star has a chance to keep that job if he performs well. Don’t think for a second that the coaches are satisfied with Atari Bigby’s play or his decision to stay away from the OTAs.

-Patrick Lee was back on the field. The oft-injured cornerback saw most of his work in the nickel packages, but he’ll move ahead of Jarrett Bush, and perhaps even Brandon Underwood, by the time camp opens in late July. When healthy, Lee’s skill-set is far more impressive than that of any other young corner on the current roster – including Williams.

-While both punters were OK, neither one jumps out at you. There are some punters who you just know are going to be quality pros the first time you see them kick, but that’s not the case with either second-year man Tim Masthay or former Australian star Chris Bryan. For what it’s worth, ex-Packer Jon Ryan was more impressive upon first glance.

-It’s amazing how much bigger the offensive line has gotten over the past two or three years. Instead of a bunch of bulked-up tight ends masquerading as tackles and guards, players like Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang and rookies Bryan Bulaga and Marshall Newhouse actually look like players who could physically whip the opponents lined up across from them.

-Green Bay can develop Breno Giacomini for another 10 years and he still won’t be a quality tackle. He lacks functional football-playing strength, he’s not quick enough to stay with speed rushers and he’s not strong enough to stymie power rushers. Other than that, he’s fine.

Bigby needs to sign his tender

Posted by Michael Rodney at 7:06 pm 4 Responses »

May 122010

Three of Green Bay’s restricted free agents have yet to sign their tenders. That means safety Atari Bigby, defensive end Johnny Jolly and cornerback Tramon Williams won’t take part in the organized team activities that begin next week. And while it would probably behoove all three players to attend the “voluntary” OTAs, you can kind of understand why Jolly and Williams might stay away. Both players are looking for long-term contracts and both played well enough last season to not have to worry about job security. Heck, you could even have made an argument for Daryn Colledge (who finally signed his tender on Monday). Yes, he struggled in ‘09, but he was arguably the offensive line’s best player the previous year. He’s also started 60 of a possible 64 games since 2006 – at three different positions. That leaves Bigby. Suffice it to say, even the late Johnnie Cochran coudn’t defend his sitting out even a single day of OTAs. “That young man should get down on a knee every night and thank the Lord for his good fortune,” said a scout for another team. “It’s amazing to me that he’s been a starter for the past three seasons and that he’s scheduled to make almost $2 million. He’d be an idiot to risk both his job and his paycheck by not signing his tender and showing up for work next week.”

Once Bigby signs his tender, he’ll be guaranteed a salary of $1.759 million for the upcoming season. That’s hardly big money in today’s NFL, but it’s not bad for a slow-footed safety who’s missed a dozen games in the past two seasons. “Bigby was good down the stretch in 2007, but he hasn’t come close to playing at that level since,” said the scout. “Injuries have played a part in his decline, but the bigger reason is his lack of athletic ability. Once teams had sufficient film on Bigby, it wasn’t difficult for offensive coordinators to figure out ways to take advantage of his below-average speed, range and instincts. In my opinion, he should be a backup on a good defense and nothing more.”

Even if Bigby does the smart thing and reports to the OTAs on time, there’s absolutely no guarantee that he’ll be able to hold on to his job. The Packers selected Morgan Burnett in the third round of last month’s draft, and the former Georgia Tech star will be given every opportunity to start opposite Nick Collins. With size, speed and sideline-to-sideline range, Burnett looks the part of a pro safety. “If he can learn the scheme, he’ll replace Bigby at some point during the season,” said the scout. “But that’s easier said than done. [Coordinator] Dom Capers demands an awful lot from his safeties and it won’t be easy for a rookie to earn his trust. Say what you will about Bigby, but the guy knows the defense and that means a lot to the coaches.”All in all, the Bigby vs. Burnett battle should be one of the highlights of the summer. The incumbent will enter training camp with the edge; just how big of an edge will likely be determined in the next few weeks.

DRAFT’S OVER, BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:45 am No Responses »

Apr 252010

TALENTED TIGHT END

The Packers entered the draft with four major needs, and it’s safe to say that Ted Thompson filled two of them by drafting tackle Bryan Bulaga and safety Morgan Burnett. And while a number of cornerbacks and outside linebackers figure to be signed as undrafted free agents in the next few days, it’s fair to say that those two positions are every bit as troublesome now as they were three months ago. We wrote on Saturday about how much faith the organization has in Brad Jones, Pat Lee and Brandon Underwood, and after pretty much standing pat at corner and outside linebacker, they had better be right.

The following is a brief analysis of the last two days from the perspective of a former scout:

DE Mike Neal (Purdue): “He has great natural talent, but he’s very inconsistent – and not just from week to week. He’s inconsistent from series to series. I liked him more as a 3-4 end than I did as a 4-3 tackle. I think he’ll do well in Green Bay under an excellent position coach [Mike Trgovac] and as part of a strong rotation.”

S Morgan Burnett (Georgia Tech): “He had 14 picks in college, but he also gave up a lot of big plays by gambling too much in coverage. He can be overaggressive mirroring the quarterback, especially outside the pocket, and abandon his responsibilities. That has to stop in the NFL, and I think it will. He’s a bright kid and he’ll be coached in Green Bay by one of the best in the business [Darren Perry]. It would be a mild surprise if he doesn’t replace Atari Bigby at some point next season.”

TE Andrew Quarless (Penn State): “I wasn’t surprised that Thompson drafted a tight end, but I was surprised at which tight end he drafted. Mike McCarthy loves tight ends and Quarless is much more talented than Donald Lee and Spencer Havner. But the kid had all kinds of trouble off-the-field at Penn State and you have to wonder how he’ll react to the freedom and the money that the NFL affords a young person.”

OL Marshall Newhouse (TCU): “He won’t help right away, but unlike some other mid-round offensive lineman taken by the Packers in recent years, this young man has a lot of potential. He has good size and quick feet. Give him a year or two to work on his body and learn the pro game and he might be a pretty nice player down the road.”

RB James Starks (Buffalo): “He might’ve been drafted on Friday had he not missed his senior season with a shoulder injury. Similar size-wise to Ryan Grant, but he’s a little niftier as a runner and much better as a receiver. He couldn’t stay on the field in college and his height and upright running style will make durability a major issue at the next level. If he can stay healthy, he’ll wind up being a steal.”

DE C.J. Wilson (East Carolina): “He doesn’t have the physical skills of Neal, but he was a better football player in college. He’s stout against the run and not a bad pass rusher. I know he was picked five rounds lower than Neal, but I don’t think there’s that big of a difference between the two players.”

OVERVIEW: “I’m surprised that Thompson didn’t draft an outside linebacker and a cornerback, but it looks like he really committed to taking the best available player. I guess a GM can do that when he’s coming off an 11-win season and when he has faith in his coaches. We’ll see. If Green Bay still can’t rush the passer or cover receivers next January, then it’ll be fair to criticize this draft. Until then, I kind of like what the Packers did. They added two big bodies early, a playmaker in the middle and a number of talented prospects late.”