Who should start next to Hawk @ ILB?

Thats a tricky question because Hawk shouldn't be starting either

I suggest Tyre Glasper.

Anyone but him

I'll say this. Clay Matthews is now the defacto leader of this defense. I know that he knows who the best starting 11 on this defense are. Players like Clay always know who should be starting. He needs to step up and demand those 11 start and then demand those 11 do their jobs.

 

 

I've been slammed before for this but I'll take the beating again... what about Clay in the middle? I know he's one of the best pass rushers in the league, but he's also often neutralized and doesn't have the impact some of the great middle linebackers had and have today. Wagner was all over the field thursday. I know we don't play a 4-3 but think back to Urlacher, Ray Lewis, and today Luke Kuechly, all guys who were tough and fast and could read plays. Sounds like Clay to me. I'd try it one game, stick Elliot in as pass rusher with Peppers and let Clay roam. He can still attack the QB and won't always have to go up against big LT's, he can pick his spots. What's to lose? Alright, me have it.

How about anyone on the Roster?

Clay could do it. Indeed with this new 4-3 "quad" they're using he was inside for a handful of plays against Seattle.

 

The issue is really where is he most impactful. He'll make more splash plays from the outside and with Neal and Perry being so inconsistent it's a risk. But I like the idea of moving him all over the formation. I wouldn't move him inside full time but I would give him snaps there to mix it up. If Jayrone Ellis gets a chance to develop as a rush alternative opposite Peppers then the need to bookend Pep with Clay drops as well.

Part of me wouldn't mind seeing Mike Neal on the inside in a 3-3 alignment with an extra safety as the "base" defense on some downs. It would be a big nickle.

I'd rather see Perry in the middle than Neal, more of a thumper.

 

 

Would Perry pout of he were moved inside?

Not if he is starting.

 

Going to a 3-3-5 as Herschel opined would be in the crazy change category, so don't see that happening. I do expect more Lattimore versus the Jets, 

Both inside linebackers stink. I am surprised no one has commented on this,  but Hawk actually stepped backwards a couple yards in the first quarter when Wilson tossed the ball to his right. He could have attacked the receiver, but backed away to take a crappy angle on the tackle.

It's been commented on in other threads. Also watch first play of 3rd quarter. Lynch busts up the middle, Jones is easily shoved aside and Hawk is pushed backwards 14 yards. Next play sweep right so Hawk goes right up the middle. He doesn't react to plays properly, as if he has an assignment and he'll complete it, doesn't matter what the play is. I guess that's what they mean he's assignment sure. 

Perry too, just to give them a different look but try to still be fairly stout up front. Neither Hawk nor Jones have the wherewithal against blockers anyway and the extra safety could help in coverage situations also. I don't really see it either, but it would be an interesting wrinkle.

Maybe Matthews should be playing inside some. Especially in the four man front looks.

Perry and Peppers at DE , Jones/ Boyd and Daniels (even Pennel) @ DT and Hawk , Matthews and Lattimore/ Barrington. Matthews is probably the only Lb that can actually cover so maybe he should be doing it some.

That could also open up playing time for  Eliot.

One of Hawk's tackles.  Notice how he doesn't get engulfed by blockers

I have no confidence the Packers know chit from shynola when it comes to ILB. They've had the whole off season to look at their 2 scrub ILB and they're still starting them? BS

 

Carl Bradford is 6-1 250 with short arms. WTF put him at OLB until a week left in preseason??? He’s too small and his arms are too short to work effectively against NFL tackles as an OLB.

 

We had plenty of prototypical OLBs who had good camps. The D coaches really had solid strategery when it came to Bradford, eh???  Rocket surgeons, youbetcha.

A step slow and a bad initial angle allowing the first down also.

They just had to review last year's queens game to let it sink in that hawk is a scrub.

 

But by golly, he's still a starter. And we have a small 4th round draft choice out of position until the last week of preseason. Gezus H. Kryst, watching our interior D makes my eyes hurt.

Then watch the DBs instead. 

Classic Hawk. What makes this play even worse is the down and distance.

Someone better than Brad Jones.  Someone that has the endorsement of Buzz Aldrin.  

 

You can win with Hawk at ILB, we have done it before. The trick is that the other ILB can't be a POS also.

I'm in favor of putting your best 11 on the field at all times so I don't think putting Clay at ILB is a crazy idea. It's a bit of a waste of Clays pass rushing ability and certainly ILBs don't make as much money as a premier pass rusher so you're losing some money on him, but it makes your defense more sound overall. It will probably never happen, but it's worth dreaming about!

That is some damning video evidence.

 

The thing is, when he was surrounded by Bishop, Wooson, Collins, Jenkins, et al. the team did not have to rely upon Hawk to make any plays, and he always came through by not making any.

 

Now they do need him to be a playmaker and he simply is physically incapable of doing so.

 

What I don't get is as other players have approached 30 they have been shown the door like Jennings, James Jones, and Wells and most of those decisions have been proven correct though Jenkins not so much.

 

What is so special about Hawk who is still entitled to a position even though he is past 30?

 

And when I read recently that his salary against the cap was 7 highest on the team with Jones right behind him it dawned on me why the defense is so bad. GB is paying a lot of money to two inside linebackers who are not even close to adequate.

What the hell happened to that guy from Ohio State? I've been an apologist for his play in the past, but come on, this is ridiculous.

 

I'd rather see him attempt to take Harvin down for a loss. If Hawk misses, there's guys behind him that can tackle Harvin where Hawk retreated to tackle him in the first place.

Though it was a long long time ago, I remember watching Hawk at OSU, and the guy was an explosive tackler who attacked.  

 

He's never shown that with the Pack but I thought he was at least a pretty good player in 2007 as a RLB in a 4-3 scheme but not dominant like he was in college.  I can't blame the Pack for picking him high in 2006 because he really did look like a guy who would have an impact, but it just never translated to the Pros.

That 2007 defense of the Buckeyes was pretty damn impressive - not just Hawk.  Makes me wonder if he was just a product of their system

Barrington should be next man up??

Pretty sure the 2007 Buckeye defense was pretty damn impressive despite Hawk.

 

Can we change this topic to who should be starting next to Lattimore at ILB?

More "quad' package with Lattimore in the middle. The hell with Jones or Hawk starting.

I will take Stevie Wonder at this point

 

You don't move your best pass rusher inside, you just don't.  Now Perry with all his athleticism and power, why not.  Turn him into a modern day version of Levon Kirkland.

Kirkland is the perfect analogy.

 

And enough of putting square pegs into round holes. Moving CMIII reminds me of moving All Pro Gale Gillingham from OG to DL. 2 games into that season he lost a knee. CMIII is not the problem.

 

Our D coaches are approaching dan devine-level stupid anyway without tinkering with CMIII.

2005 defense. The other two LBs he played next to (Schlegel and Carpenter) were absolute busts in the NFL. However, when going by all of the typical measurables you look at with a player going into the draft, Hawk looked to be a surefire star. At the combine he displayed good speed, strength and intelligence. In spite of apparently having no faults, he just isn't a guy with natural instincts on the field. In spite of his 40 time, he looks slow; in spite of his reputed strength, he looks weak; in spite of his Wonderlic score, he looks stupid at times on the field. He just isn't a natural out there.

 

A couple of comments on other blogs noted this is exactly how Hawk stays healthy. He takes virtually no risks to get that uniform dirty, plays the safe angle, then piles on at the end of  a play to pad his stats. For him, it's brilliant because indeed he takes almost no injury risk.

 

Any DC or position coach worth a schit would look at film like this times how many years now and figure out this is a timid player who plays WAY too conservatively.

 

For years, I thought "well, at least AJ trys". But you know what? He doesn't. And it's not by accident.

ICya would be a better choice at ILB with his pick of the herd next to him and bench both Hawk and Mrs. Jones.

F yeah....season wouldn't be over then

Strap up Big Shooter and hit somebody into Illinois!

Like a looter in a riot!

stealing some Nike's    **** the work boots