At some point this guy has to come on, right? It hasn’t happened yet. The Green Bay Packers 2012 first-round pick Nick Perry has given the team next to nothing so far.
Part of that can be attributed to the fact Perry played just six games during his rookie season and he was also switching from defensive end to outside linebacker. This year, he’s been even more invisible though.
In 2012, Perry had 18 tackles and two sacks in those six games while splitting time with Erik Walden. In this first three games of this season, Perry has nine tackles and no sacks.
So at least he’s halfway to his 2012 tackle production.
You could make the argument that Perry is technically still a rookie since he’s only played in nine NFL games, but then you’d be ignoring the fact that he really hasn’t made any impact at all.
It now looks like the Packers are ready to give Mike Neal and maybe even undrafted rookie Andy Mulumba a bigger role opposite Clay Matthews.
Neal, another converted defensive lineman, played 34 snaps at outside linebacker on Sunday and Mulumba, a college defensive end, played six, compared to Perry’s 48.
Part of that can be attributed to the fact that Matthews sat out the second half, but clearly the Packers are looking for answers.
Neal has just five tackles this season and no sacks, but he does have an interception and registered 4.5 sacks in 11 games, last season.
What’s clear, is someone not named Clay Matthews needs to pick it up. God forbid, if Matthews misses an extended period of time with his annual hamstring injury, the Packers look like they’re screwed.
I saw promise in this guy before he got hurt in the 1st half of the last season. He is very big, very strong. The fact that he is from USC, you’d think, would entice Clay Matthews to take him under his wing.
So far, in the 1st 3 games of this season, he has sucked.
When is the last time they ever thought of drafting an actual linebacker to play linebacker? Derrrr this defensive end will be a good linebacker. Nope. Maybe this defensive end will be a good linebacker. Nope. Maybe we can trade for Ndamukong Suh. He would make a great linebacker!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
BAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
So the brain trust M.M and T.T. pick players that play one position in college and play them at another position in the pros fuc…. BRILLIANT.. I guess there are not any good players that can play the same position both in college and pros
We could be looking at two bad drafts, back to back ….
Wonder if he dropped some weight, he’d get a bit faster. Thinking Lamar Woodley here, very similar size. He’s nowhere near CM3 level of explosiveness.
The Perry pick has always bugged me. I didnt like him out of college and neither did any of the pundits. Now look the pundits are usually pun’donts’ (see what I did there?) but on this one I think they got it right.
You saw what happens to Clay when a team double teams him every play (Washington) and you dont have a guy on the other side. This issue was supposed to be fixed this year and so far its not.
Matthews is a slippery shoe away from a hammy pull at any given time. This is dangerous for us since it leaves with absolutely no outside rush.
ESPN 1st and 10 guys were saying that the Packers should just get used to the idea that Matthews is a 10 -12 game a season guy. That sucks ass but is probably the reality.
If I have one major complaint about TT, its his poor drafting of olineman (and then not going into FA to compensate) and his terrible drafting at LB other than Clay of course…
yeah, we’ve never gotten that “bookend” for Matthews.
and we’ve never gotten the pair of prototypical 6’6″/315 defensive ends.
it’s sorta like they gave up on the complete “3-4” transition thing.
what about trying him at middle line backer? He couldn’t really do much worse than Hawk.
Hawk tackles. Good run-defender. Who are you watching?
Hawk is having his finest season as a pro in my estimation. Must have finally got on the juice the way he’s standing guys up this year.
Agree – heard his name more this year so far than all last year.
I still have faith in Perry but very excited to see what Mulumba can bring to the table.
Clay probably over extends himself due that he has to play at such a high level cause no one else is
Perry has the talent but one of the criticisms of him during the draft was that he was not consistent and had tendency to give up on plays. So, take some snaps away and see how he reacts.
good idea. spread some of his to Neal and Mulumba. See what these dudes have. Plus, it keeps their legs fresh in the 4th qtr.
Man, you guys expect a lot out of first round picks.
Is Datone Jones even on the roster?
Yeah, you should see him at linebacker in about two years.
It’s a good headline, but it’s unfair. Outside of Clay Matthews, none of these generic bozos on defense are the answer, not just Perry. Factor in Clay’s eventual PED suspension and/or constant injuries as a result and GB is back to having to score 40 a week to win.
Dude, I am totally worried that he will get busted with PEDs too. He just can’t be that good and high motored.
Nick was a base 4-3 END in college which is what ALL the experts said was his best fit. Pinning his ears back and putting his hand in the dirt. Though it should be said that many analysts thought he projected best standing up in a 3-4. Clearly, they had their reservations and now we are starting to see why—well, unless he breaks out of it.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2011/profiles/nick-perry?id=2533048
http://www.profootballweekly.com/prospects/player/nick-perry-8/
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1631896/nick-perry
I am continuing to monitor Philip Wheeler who I thought would be versatile enough to play in any scheme and has a knack for getting after the passer. I thought he was an excellent, scheme versatile “under the radar” Free Agent signing by Miami.
Datone, whom I actually liked as our 1st Rd pick, has a total of one tackle thus far. He had that blocked FG too, which was helpful…but let’s hope he turns it on a bit more as well.
extra point
Give Perry some time. This is only his ninth game, Look at Justin Houston in KC. He’s finally making a serious impact in his third year after a similar transition from a college DE. It’s the damn Bears fault. They took Shea McClennin ahead of us in the draft, just so we wouldn’t get him. He was a natural 3-4 OLB but hasn’t been a very good 4-3 DE for them so far. Perry was disappointed that he didn’t go to a 4-3 team, but I think he’s eventually going to make the reverse transition better that Shea.
I read the title of this story and my only thought was….no fucking shit.
Justin Houston has been good since his rookie year. Green Bay just whiffed by passing on him.
I remember questioning the pick on draft day and got my ass lit up on Packers boards by ‘knowledgeable fans’ like a string of Christmas lights the day after Thanksgiving.
Perry’s slow, weak and dumb. Another one of Teddy’d round 1 gems. But hey, he’s the best GM in the game. No, that would be Ozzie Newsome.
Yea cause Ozzie Newsome’s obviously got a good-looking team so far this season…
Yep, other teams are picking away at the GB staff and eventually there will be nothing left but a 80 year old Ted and 110 year old Capers, both in full Al Davis dementia mode.
Too early to say shit about Perry other than he’s ten times better against the run than Walden.
He is a one-tool pass rusher right now. Everyone knows that. The Packers were more concerned with containment the first two games than rushing the passer. And Cincy has one of the better O-lines in the NFL.
The Packers weren’t trying other options, they were giving Perry a frickin rest.
I saw your mention of Walden, and looked him up on CBSsports…
3 starts
3 games played
3 tackles
3 assisted tackles
GooseEggs in all other stats.
Geez, that’s like $250,000 per tackle, or something!
THAT’S VALUE !!!
About the only defense of Perry is that picking that late in the first round, well… it’s just not first-round talent, much more like second-round.
I’ve soured on the idea of rushing two OLBs against offensive tackles — not winnable IMO, especially in the long term. The guys get worn out and ridden out of the play, opening clear lanes for passes and QB scrambles.
I hate wasting Matthews against huge oLinemen.
I think the days of Bat/Cat/Rat and Okie/Dokey/Hokey defenses have gone by the board. Our defense is based on opportunism (read: gambling on turnovers) and gimmicky blitzes. I’d take sure tackling and 3-n-outs any day.
If an opponent is patient they can wear us out. Because they know they’ll get extra chances when McCarthy passes 50% more than he runs.
Something that dooms the running game, IMO, is that weird thing that both Rodgers and Favre have done: they extend the ball, far from their body, and give it to a stationary RB, deep in the backfield. The RB doesn’t stand a chance! The only option is for the QB to fake and reverse bootleg — and this is a sack, if the DE minds his Ps & Qs.
But, not like there’s anything that can be done about any of this. After the SB win, Thompson, McCarthy, et al are here for the long haul.
Yea…WTF with that long advertisement of hand-offs from our QBs?
I don’t get it…what do they think? It will help our play-action passes later on in the games?
Ummmm…a 1990 playbook called, they want their play back…
“long advertisement”
I laughed when I read that…
it’s like an “infomercial”
…
But, seriously… with all that “self-scout” horseshit we hear from McCarthy, surely to God they’d realize that their big gains are not on that particular play.
Great post, slacker.
I went to his draft and was the first packer fan to ever slap his hand.
I really want him not to suck. But I think he sucks.