[ad_1]
Back in January, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said he wanted to take a “long look” at his linebacking squad. He responded by letting Blake Martinez go in free agency, signing veteran Christian Kirksey, drafting Kamal Martin and signing undrafted free agent Krys Barnes.
Now Gutekunst wants better production from the position – and it is possible that the improvement will come from young players already on the roster.
“Yeah, I think you have to have a more productive game from there,” Gutekunst said last month. “We had a few injuries there at the start of the year. I was really proud of the way the guys came in, the way they competed. But I think we need better production from our group of inside linebackers. I think we have a few young players who are going to grow and improve. I think we’ll see that move forward.
Kirksey has missed five games with injury and could be a cap victim after just one season at Green Bay. Martin and Barnes both went through the ups and downs of their rookie status playing important clichés in their first seasons. Ty Summers only saw a brief action. Oren Burks, a 2018 third-round pick, played more on the rim than at the inside linebacker.
Pro Football Focus Notes for the Packers inside Linebackers, 2020
Christian Kirksey: 48.3 (591 shots)
Krys Barnes: 43.0 (504)
Kamal Martin: 68.5 (208)
Ty Summers: 47.7 (41)
Burks Oren: 28.6 (96)
If Kirksey is released, Barnes and Martin would likely enter the 2021 season as favorites to start as inside linebackers, although a lot could change under new defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who specializes in linebacking.
The Packers could also use free agency to find a cheap replacement for Kirksey, or pass another draft pick on a player they can develop in the new system.
Or they could remake Kirksey’s deal and hope he can stay healthy and thrive in a new plan.
It’s possible that a substantial internal improvement or legitimate external acquisition in an inside linebacker could turn the Packers’ talented defense into an elite squad overall. Position, while devalued, is still important in stopping the run and defending the midfield in the passing game.
Gutekunst seems content to start next season with the young players he has already acquired in the post, counting on the expected progression to drive the necessary improvement. Barnes, a surprise Week 1 starter, showed tenacity and instinct at times as a freshman. Martin, despite a knee injury at training camp, has shown disruptive abilities as a forward.
Gutekunst’s attempts to correct the situation – long a problematic area in Green Bay – have mostly failed. Burks has been a bust on defense, and the additions of veterans such as Antonio Morrison, BJ Goodson, and Kirksey haven’t worked. It may be up to Barnes and Martin to deliver the increased production Gutekunst needs for the inside linebacker in 2021.
[ad_2]
Source link