Linebackers and...

Rammer-Rock

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With the drafting of Clay Matthews and Aaron Kampman moving to OLB, who will play in the middle along with Nick Barnett? It looks like we have seen the last of Brady Poppinga as a starter and Brandon Chillar will see even less playing time. It is too bad the Packers can't put four white linebackers on the field at once.

It is sad that they drafted only two white guys out of eight picks. Did they really need to select Quinn Johnson in the fifth round when they already have John Kuhn and Korey Hall at FB? I was hoping that they would grab TE James Casey with that pick.

It looks like they are not going to resign Mark Tauscher either.
 

celticdb15

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Aj Hawk. Tj Lang may. be positioning himself to take right tackle form Tauscher
 

backrow

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Nick Barnett is a good player, but he has had injury problems, so seeing 4 white linebackers (talk about a super snow patrol, ha!) playing for Packers would not be that much of a stretch.
 

celticdb15

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Backrow, that would not be a strech by any means! My guess would be that the Pack will split playing time between Clay and Poppinga in his first year. Chillar is also a good backer and even Desmond Bishop is not bad. Talk about a deep lb corps!
 
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In the first OTA Poppinga was sitting. I don't know if this is a coaches head game or what, but IMHO Poppinga unleashed upfield would constitute a terror on the QB.
 
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Kampman appears to be unhappy with the switch, and I don't blame him because I don't think he is ideal as a player in pass coverage.
 
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Poppinga appears to have made it in favor of the coaches and the drunk white media, he has been getting some reps lately. For the life of me I cannot see why they keep crowding the field hear with lbs maybe they need practice squad material.
 
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wile said:
Kampman appears to be unhappy with the switch, and I don't blame him because I don't think he is ideal as a player in pass coverage.

I am still at a loss for as Green Bay felt the need to convert a PRO BOWL Defensive End to Linebacker. Will Aaron Kampman be able to make the transition? I certainly think so, and all news from camp say he is doing so relatively well (aside from him being a tad upset), and as you've said he has been burned in coverage a few times already, but still he is doing things correctly and doing them well enough.

It makes no sense. I can see switching to a 3-4, since they already had a good LB corps with AJ Hawk, Brandon Chillar, Brady Poppinga, Nick Barnett, and even Desmond Bishop. Then, they go and draft Clay Matthews, who is a good LB prospsct. With all the weapons already, why convert a proven DE? Especially when the alternatives are among Justin Harrel and BJ Raji (good prospect, but still unproven). Keep Kampman at DE, I say, then bring in Raji, Pickett, Jolly, and exchange them for the middle and ends, etc.

smiley3.gif
 

backrow

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defensive end is a very different position in 3-4 base defense. it's simply the case of coaches not wanting to waste Aaron's talent, and he can be more prolific and effective from the OLB spot. and why do they stock LBs? well, no idea, really.
 

celticdb15

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Justin Harrel belongs on the all time bust list! A first rounder who has played a lousy 12 out of 32 games in 3 years and has had minimal impact! It's good to see the Pack signing white lbs but i agree the position is becoming a bit crowded.
 
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celticdb15 said:
Justin Harrel belongs on the all time bust list! A first rounder who has played a lousy 12 out of 32 games in 3 years and has had minimal impact!

I think he'll soon go the way of Jamal Reynolds.
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Waste of a pick, but at least he'll be out of Green Bay, and Packer fan's minds.
 
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Poppinga is taking most of the snaps at ROLB the other two contenders for the spot one being Matthews has a hammy problem.
 

Jack Lambert

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Poppinga has won the starting ROLB job. It looks like he won't get cut after all.

From Rotoworld:

Brady Poppinga has won the Packers' starting job at right outside linebacker.

It's a bit of a surprise as Poppinga was expected to be in danger of being cut coming into the offseason. Rookie Clay Matthews will also see time at the spot as his hamstring is finally healed.
Edited by: Jack Lambert
 
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I doubt his hammy is "finally healed" they take forever, but at least he has a roster spot.
 

Taco

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well done for poppinga. he really stepped it up when he needed to.
 
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From what I seen of yesterday's game was that the LBs were tackling Benson from behind, meaning that the point of attack rolled over them and the DL and it was catchup from then on. It made Benson look like an AllPro. A dissapointing day for sure.
 

celticdb15

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wile said:
From what I seen of yesterday's game was that the LBs were tackling Benson from behind, meaning that the point of attack rolled over them and the DL and it was catchup from then on. It made Benson look like an AllPro. A dissapointing day for sure.


Especially considering how unheard of the Bengals linewas. They were the hungrier team up front(3 sumos)
 
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Kampman made his first sack as a LB, and the caucasion persuasion corps of LBs had a decent day, even though Chillar did get a bit of a toasting two times by a tight end (one throw was perfect on great coverage).Bishop the great black hope is a first down sub for Barnett, which leaves Hawk in as signal caller, I thought they would look for a reason to sub Bishop for Hawk but I'm suprised to the good that they have confidence in him.Clay made a downfield play or two in coverage and got props from the radio announcers for his abilities in non-caste speak. (Laravee and McCaren are about as non-caste as can be allowed if the TV and radio broadcasts aligned perfectly I would mute the tv)
 

backrow

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rotoworld.com

Packers OLB Aaron Kampman has just one sack through four games.

The four-sack pace would be his worst since 2003; he had four sacks alone at this time last year. Kampman dropped into coverage on 1/3 of Green Bay's defensive snaps Monday night at Minnesota. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel suggests that Kampman could go on the trade block before the Oct. 21 deadline.
Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

full article

Green Bay â€" Watching from the sidelines as Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen wreaked havoc against the Green Bay Packers with 4.5 sacks Monday night, Aaron Kampman acknowledged it harkened back to some of his own performances.

Of course, that was before coordinator Dom Capers installed the 3-4 scheme, took Kampman out of his three-point stance, stood him up and dropped him into coverage a third of the time.

Four games into the switch, it appears to be a mismatch - at least statistically.

So far, Kampman has registered just one sack. It's his lowest four-game total since 2004. He had four at this point last season.

According to statistics supplied by the coaches, Kampman has been credited with two quarterback pressures/hurries, both in the opener against Chicago. He had nine through four games last season.

(It should be pointed out that the Packers said Kampman leads the team with 11 quarterback hits. But it's not known what the criteria for that are. Last year's staff combined hits with pressures.)

"No, it is what it is so we're going to try to execute our defense the best that we know how," Kampman said Wednesday when asked if his lack of production has been frustrating.

Kampman isn't the sole person responsible for creating pressure on the quarterback, but his lack of production has to be a factor in the Packers ranking 28th in third-down defense (43.9%) and dead last in the red zone (75%).

With an identical 2-2 record at this point last year under former coordinator Bob Sanders, the Packers ranked 17th (37.5%) and sixth (26.7%).

The Packers are also tied for 26th with five team sacks. They were ranked tied for 14th with nine after Week 4 last season.

"I've been pleased with what Aaron's done through four games," Capers said this week. "The things we've asked him to do, I think he's done and done a good job. I think he had some good pass rushes (against the Vikings). It didn't show up in terms of sacks and that type of thing, but he did a nice job."

ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, the former coach of the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had a different view during the Packers' loss.

"He looks a little awkward and different," Gruden said early in the second half. "This is a premier player in pro football. But he's playing in a two-point stance, dropping into coverage. He's doing some things he's never done before. I think they have to put his hand down and let him rush. They miss his physical presence."

Kampman declined to say whether he thinks the Packers should look at using him differently.

"It's not my say or my call," Kampman said. "We'll just continue to get better at what we're doing and execute our defenses."

Before this season, Kampman was one of the league's best pass rushers. His 37 sacks from 2006-'08 ranked third in the league behind DeMarcus Ware (45.5) of the Dallas Cowboys and Allen (37.5).

"When the opportunities come, I've just got to try to be as fruitful as possible," Kampman said. "(The opportunities) are less than they used to be."

Capers maintains that what Kampman is being asked to do isn't all that different from what he did at end in the 4-3. But Kampman did say going from rushing with one or two hands on the ground (three- or four-point stances) to standing up (two-point) has been a change.

"I've talked about launch angles," Kampman said. "You're launching more out of your knees and things like that as opposed to being in a three-point or four-point stance that I'm more accustomed to. You're coming more out of your hips. Your pad level is obviously a little higher coming out of a two-point stance. So there's some differences."

Capers wouldn't indicate whether Kampman's role will change when the coaching staff convenes over the bye week.

"What we'll do is take a good look at everything in terms of what we feel will give us the best chance to be successful defensively," Capers said.

In the personnel department of the Packers, that might include at least discussing the possibility of trading Kampman before the Oct. 20 trade deadline.

Kampman is in the final year of his contract. Even if there is no new collective bargaining agreement in place before the 2010 season, Kampman will be an unrestricted free agent in a market without a salary cap. For a player of Kampman's reputation, that would certainly be an enticing proposition.

If Kampman is not signed to a contract extension before the end of the season, he could walk away and the Packers would get only a compensatory pick no higher than in the third round in return.

If the Packers trade Kampman, he could bring higher draft picks and/or players.

Of course, the Packers would have to be content with Brady Poppinga or Jeremy Thompson starting opposite rookie Clay Matthews.

And the Packers would need to be OK with trading their only bonafide pass rusher, who hasn't been that four games into the switch.

"I'm getting better every game trying to find ways to execute the defenses that are called the best that I'm able to do," Kampman said. "There's no substitute for experience. So the more experience that I get and the defense gets hopefully the better we can get."


my take on it, if he can go somewhere where he will be used as 4-3 d-end, it wouldn't be all bad. Packers are going to stick with 3-4 for the time being, and i agree with Gruden, he's a premier pass rusher in this league, top 3 and he's got no business playing LB, really, especially since Packers seem to ask him to drop back in coverage three quarters of the time...
Edited by: backrow
 

celticdb15

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Backrow Kampman has been one of my favorite players over the last couple years and he is one of my favorite Packers. To see him leave would be sad, but it also sad to see his talent be wasted, he should be rushing the quarterback! Best of luck to him. Hopefully Capers can get him more involved in the pass rush otherwise he might lose this white warrior.
 

Pollyanna

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It's as if they are purposely taking him out of his natural, productive role in order that he not offend castophiles by dominating the black linemen.
 
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Bad news, Hawk is looking at a reduction in playing time. Not sure of the details, the Milwaukee paper has it behind a paywall, but they mention Barnett at number 1 inside backer and I assume Bishop will get more plays and in nickle/dime packages Hawk will be sitting the pine.
 

celticdb15

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Could it be Chillar stealing away playing time??
 
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