WILL THE TREE BEAR FRUIT?

Packers Defense Looks to get Younger, Meaner, and More Athletic (Again)

San Francisco and Seattle. Seattle and San Francisco.

These two teams have become a veritable thorn in the side of the Green Bay Packers and DE Mike Daniels made sure everyone heard what he was saying. Prior to camp even beginning Daniels took it upon himself to challenge his teammates. After hearing the dreaded ‘finesse team’ description of the Packers Daniels boiled over.

“We're grown men. We play a violent game. We get paid to be violent.” Said Daniels in June. “ So why not? If you deck somebody in the locker room because you have a disagreement, there's not going to be any sensitivity training.

"It's a barbaric sport. It’s a violent game played by violent men. So that's how you're going to have to approach it. I'm tired of getting our face punched in by other teams. I'm not used to that."

Daniels introduced himself by getting 6.5 sacks last year and a few NFL linemen have just crossed

him off their Christmas card list. GM Ted Thompson dipped into the seldom used waters of free agency to add Julius Peppers from Chicago and NT Letroy Guion (GUY-on) from Minnesota. Peppers is an athletic freak and has been coveted by Dom Capers since his days in Houston. Capers campaigned loudly to select Peppers 1^st overall but the Texans nabbed QB David Carr instead. After waiting over a decade Capers finally got his man. Guion is a former first round pick and may now see significant paling time now that B.J. Raji has been lost for the season to a torn biceps.

But Peppers won’t be used exclusively at DE. He’ll be all over the field and the preseason gives no indication as to how Capers plans to deploy Peppers at his new OLB position opposite Clay Matthews. If Aaron Rodgers is Da Man in Green Bay then Matthews is Da Other Man on defense. As Rodgers goes, so goes the offense.

The same can be said about Matthews. His value to the Pack cannot be understated. His thumb was broken twice last year and he is eager to get back in the fight. Pairing him with Peppers makes the Packers pass rush all the more imposing. But without Matthews there is a tremendous drop off altogether. The well-worn woes of the safety position have been beaten to death. Will someone back PLEASE make an interception and get the monkey off your backs?

Mike McCarthy has already etched in stone “Our defense will be better.” He aid virtually the same thing about the running game and last year the Pack’s running game not only was better but at times looked dominating. The first team unit looked impressive in pre-season in bottling up the Rams Zac Stacy and is playing with more fire and passion. All of that is a moot point. The young guns have to show up and produce. So how does this defense get better and who is going to get them there?

DL

Out with the old, in with the new. Gone are veterans Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly while former 2^nd

round pick and oft-injured Jerel Worthy was dealt to New England for a conditional draft pick.  The message is clear - the future is now for the kiddie corps. Datone Jones is in year 2 after spending most of last year hurt and learning how to play the Okie end in the Packers 3-4 scheme. At UCLA Jones was athletically gifted but in a 4-3 hybrid D he could go after the QB. In the NFL he had to learn how to be a space eater, occupy 2 OL and let the LB’s fly to the ball. In pre-season he has looked quicker and stronger than last year. The Pack will need him to become a force, especially now that NT B.J. Raji has been lost for the season to a torn biceps. Raji had looked outstanding until he was injured and in a one year ‘show me” contract the future is anything but certain for the former #9 overall pick.

Daniels has already stepped up and now has to back it up. The Nose Tackle position suddenly became wide open after Raji went down so Letroy Guion, the Free Agent signing from Minnesota is already natural fit. At 6’4” Guion has the size for the nose tackle and the hope is he can resurrect his career in Green Bay. This also creates room for UDFA Mike Pennel who has stood out in camp. Rookie Khyri Thornton along with second year man Josh Boyd will also see time. Julius Peppers and Mike Neal are officially listed as outside linebackers but they, too, could see time on the line as they are both converted from the DE slot. But with only 6 linemen it would not be a surprise to see TT go after another DL once the cuts across the board are announced. In a pinch Ryan Pickett’s phone might be ringing.

(6) – D. Jones, Guion, Daniels, Thornton, Pennel, Boyd IR – Raji PS – Carlos Gray

LB’s

This is a sight – the Pack is loaded with talent at the LB position both inside and out. There will be

some bodies cut that will hook on elsewhere. Of the starters Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones return but Nick Perry and Mike Neal won’t be going anywhere. But now comes the logjam.

Carl Bradford was a 5^th round pick and last year’s IR’d rookies returning are Nate Palmer and Sam Barrington. Barrington and Bradford have a hell-bent-for-leather style and are big hitters. The returnees from last season Jamari Lattimore and Andy Mulumba are both NFL caliber LB’s. The star of camp has been UDFA Jayrone Elliot who became a sack master in preseason, at one point racking up 3 sacks in 4 plays against the Rams. His performance has not slowed down either as he piled up another sack against the Chiefs and will grab a spot. If there is one thing Thompson and McCarthy’s approach has proven it is you find players where you find players. No team in the NFL gives the UDFA a better shot at making the team than the Packers. This year Elliot is that player.

Meshing the pieces together gives defensive coordinator Dom Capers a bevy of weapons to deploy. Neither Matthews nor Peppers has ever played with as imposing a counterpoint opposite their position. Just how Capers will deploy Peppers and Matthews makes the price of a ticket a bargain. Expect multiple looks and multiple packages. Individually the numbers might not be as high but as a unit this defense has the tools to shine.

(10) –

Matthews, Hawk, B. Jones, Peppers, Neal, Perry, Lattimore, Barrington, Bradford, Elliot IR – Joe Thomas PS – Adrian Hubbard, Jake Doughty

CB’s

It wasn’t too awful long ago that the Pack’s corners were awful. Tramon Williams has settled that

position and Charles Woodson’s contributions on and off the field cannot be measured. Sam Shields struck gold with an off season contract and the corner spot in Green Bay looks set for a while. Davon House made huge strides last year and should be even better with another year removed from a shoulder injury.  Rookie sensation Casey Hayward is back after missing last year with a hamstring injury. Hayward’s return cannot be underscored enough as to his contributions. Hayward has a nose for the ball and with 6 picks as a rook he has much to prove. This may be Williams’s last year in green and gold with his age now pushing 30. Rookie Demetri Goodson is a unique case. A former basketball star Goodson switched to football and has tremendous athletic ability and could keep a roster spot as he probably won’t clear waivers. If the Packers are looking to the future, which they always do, they will not quit on Goodson quickly. With the depth and talent longtime special teams ace and sometimes CB Jarrett Bush just may be squeezed out. But if the Pack goes with only 2 QB’s Bush may be back in.

(5) – Williams, Shields, Hayward, House, Goodson PS – Jumal Rolle

S –

The ugly red-headed step child of the defense has doesn’t have a monkey on its collective back; a silverback gorilla has taken up residence. It will stay put until a Packers safety comes away with an interception, and until that ahppens the whispers will be “uh oh, what’ wrong with our safeties? “The woes of the safeties from last year are an ugly eyesore that has to be addressed. Somehow TT and MM got their man in the drafty when S Ha’Sean (Ha Ha) Clinton- Dix was still available at 21 when the Packers gobbled him up in a flash. Clinton- Dix is widely regarded as the S with the best overall talent in the draft. He isn’t the biggest or the fastest or the best ball hawk but he has no appreciable hole in his game.

Before Clinton- Dix could even lace them up the Pack’s brass set about rectifying the issue internally by moving CB Micah Hyde over to the S slot. Hyde will see much of the filed this year as McCarthy has said, “We have to find ways to get [Hyde] on the field.” Hyde is a solid tackler and has deceptive speed to go along with enough size that he can drop down into the LB’s position. In nickel formations Clinton-Dix will likely play centerfield while Hyde becomes the nickel back to go with incumbent Morgan Burnett.

Burnett has to rebound. The Packers safeties had zero interceptions last year. Burnett also had his

fair share of missed tackles. Moving Hyde will help but one of camp’s pleasant surprises was the solid play and hitting from Sean Richardson who looks fully recovered from neck fusion surgery. Burnett, Hyde and Richardson lessen the pressure on Clinton- Dix to be the savior of the D. Now the results have to show up on the field.

(4) – Burnett, Hyde, Richardson, Clinton- Dix

SPECIAL TEAMS –

Absolutely no surprises or camp battles here. LS Brett Goode, P Tim Masthay and K Mason Crosby are locks now and for the foreseeable future. Crosby rebounded last year to regain the form he had been missing when he was struggling. All Goode does is make a perfect snap every time while Masthay has been routine in pinning opponents back.

Mike McCarthy has said “Our defense will be better.” He said the same thing last year about the Packers running game. We believe McCarthy.

This could be a memorable, enjoyable year.

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