Morgan Burnett Feels No Pressure, But Should
Green Bay Packers safety Morgan Burnett got his day in the local media sun on Tuesday. That resulted in a bunch of guys asking him some half-assed questions and skirting around the real issue.
That issue being why Burnett turned in a giant turd of a season after signing a big-money contract extension in 2013. So they talked about the zero picks the Packers safeties recorded last year — the only team in the NFL to achieve that honor. They also talked about the turdier M.D. Jennings, who’s now a member of the turdier Chicago Bears.
And they got the kind of answers you get when you ask shit questions.
“We’ve got to get more turnovers.”
“M.D. Jennings was a solid player.”
While that second one might make you laugh, remembering Burnett’s play last season will probably make you explode in a fit of rage. So here’s where we tip our cap to Tyler Dunne for asking the only question that kind of got to the heart of the matter.
Why do you suck, Morgan Burnett?
Actually, he didn’t ask that exactly. He sort of implied it when he asked if Burnett feels any pressure this year. Unfortunately, Burnett feels no pressure.
“I don’t feel any pressure,” Burnett said. “I challenge myself as a player because my goal as a player is to get better each and every year. I want to challenge myself to see where I’ve grown throughout my years in the league so far, and that’s just my main goal coming into every season.
“I want to improve, get better and show that growth.”
An appropriate follow-up there would have been something like this.
Then how do you explain your regression last season and how do you plan on improving your game this year?
That didn’t get asked though.
We do know Burnett is not worried, however. Why he isn’t worried is now the question.
The Packers drafted a safety in the first round and they also moved a playmaking cornerback to safety as well. That latter guy, Micah Hyde, is a guy that coach Mike McCarthy says he wants to be a three-down player. And you don’t draft a guy in the first round with the intention of stowing him on the bench.
So Burnett SHOULD feel some pressure.
If he doesn’t pick up his game, he could be the Packers third safety. Although we’d be surprised, Burnett could also be looking for a job elsewhere.
It’s as if the selection of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and the position switch of Hyde were meant to light a fire under Burnett’s ass. He’s apparently the only one who doesn’t notice it burning.
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Coach obviously has high regard for Sean Richardson too, as he mentioned in his presser yesterday. He big and fast, and it seems his neck is OK. So, I would think that he would be in the competition as well. Would they bench Morgan with that contract? All signs point to “Yes”.
@Russ, Yeah, its not gonna happen in OTA’s or training camp though. Burnett will be given every chance starting week 1 to keep his job, hes already a proven NFL player. Burnett in ’11 n ’12 was a very solid Safety, that alone has earned him his week 1 starting job. You dont take a guys starting job cause he had 1 rough season after having 2 strong seasons, especially when he’s just getting into the 1st year of his extension.that’s paying him an average of 6+ mil a year. You give him all the opportunities to regain his ’11 n ’12 form, then if after a few weeks he’s repeating ’13, then it’d be time to make a move, n then hopefully it gets a fire lit under the guy cause its tough having 6+ mil on the bench. Burnett will be fine though if everybody steps up around him n does there job, its not like he was the lone weakness in Green Bay last season, wasn’t much help around him.
Morgan’s comments are like listening to Charlie Brown’s teacher. The picture on the article tells the whole story of Morgan’s season. Morgan should have had the interception in front of Davis. Instead Morgan misses not only an interception but at the very least a easy knockdown of the touchdown pass in a playoff game. You can blame Hyde for the late dropped interception in the playoff game but at least Hyde knocked the ball down. I thought Morgan’s whiff on the interception that turned into a T.D was a more critical play in the game.
Morgan was a fingertip or more too late on several plays last year. Morgan needs to fix what ever was wrong last year or he should lose playing time or job including taking a pay cut. Otherwise everything he says is the same old wa,wa,wa,wa,wa,wa,wa.
Why should he feel pressure? Its not like he’ll be held accountable if he still sucks..they’ll just pass the blame onto the guy next to him! Maybe they can bait the bears into a trade for him..then they could have the worst safeties in the nfl reunited!!
According to Darren Perry, Burnett is a All Pro waiting to happen… any day now.
Of course, according to Perry, MD Jennings was alright too.
The only way Burnett should be feeling no pressure is if he is floating in Outer Space, which would probably look the same as him playing deep pass coverage.