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While most people assume the Green Bay Packers will grab a safety and/or maybe a tight end in the first few rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft, we’ve been hearing whispers that the Packers might be interested in addressing another position.
Inside linebacker. Finally.
The Packers have had some serviceable guys man that position under the Ted Thompson regime, but only one true playmaker. That guy was Desmond Bishop, who was starting to look like a stud before he lost all of 2012 to injury and then was cut the following offseason.
So the Packers have been plugging along with A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones.
Big Ted gave Hawk a gigantic new contract in the summer of 2011. Mistake! He then made Hawk take a pay cut prior to last season. Meanwhile, he gave Jones a decent new contract around the same time. Mistake!
Both of those guys were pretty underwhelming in 2013. And let’s be honest, both of them have been pretty underwhelming for their entire careers.
Hawk’s a hard worker and knows the system, but he’s also slow-footed, gets enveloped by blockers and isn’t very good in coverage. Jones… we’re not really sure what we can say about Jones. He’s… a guy.
So maybe Ted and the boys will finally say to themselves, “Hey, let’s get a damn playmaking inside linebacker and see what happens.”
If they do, here are the guys most likely to put Hawk or Jones out of a job.