Great, Morgan Burnett is Definitely Starting This Year
We could dream, couldn’t we? Of course we could, but that dream has now, officially been shattered. Morgan Burnett is definitely starting at safety for the Green Bay Packers this year.
“Morgan’s our starting safety,” safeties coach Darren Perry said Wednesday. “And the other guys are competing, unless I’ve been told differently.”
I think you mean “unless I’m told differently,” Darren.
At any rate, we suspected the Packers had handed Burnett a starting job, despite coming off a truly disgusting campaign, and now that has been confirmed. Doesn’t matter how badly Burnett plays or how well someone else plays, Burnett is starting anyway. Obviously, that’s the totally logical way to make any decision: because.
Competition? It’s not proven that competition brings out the best in the individual or even puts the most-deserving person in a defined role. Those are just “theories!”
We’ve got no time for such crazy “theories” in Green Bay!
Interestingly, no one has even bothered to sugarcoat it. Perry didn’t cite Burnett’s stellar play (probably because everyone would laugh in his face) for the reason he’s going to start. He cited Burnett’s experience.
“He’s one of our communicators,” Perry said. “He’s a leader on this defense. He knows it about as well as anybody back there. I would expect him to be able to command and communicate amongst the other guys in terms of what calls and what coverages and what checks we’re supposed to be in. That’s the standard operating procedure for him.”
The funny thing is, the Packers secondary consistently has communication breakdowns. How many times do you remember some receiver running wide open on a deep route last year because some guy dropped off his coverage too soon or some other guy didn’t give help over the top?
We don’t have a number, but it happened a lot.
You’re telling me that could actually get worse?
And are you also telling me no one else could possibly figure out all of these calls and coverages?
Micah Hyde is obviously deserving of a starting spot. The Packers picked Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the first round. Sean Richardson is having as good a training camp as anyone.
In a normal environment, those four guys would all have a shot at both starting spots and let the best two win.
Oh, I forgot. The Packers just gave Burnett a totally-undeserved $25 million contract prior to last season. They HAVE to start him, lest someone look foolish.
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The amount of respect I have for Darren Perry’s ability to coach is about equal to the number of interceptions his boyz collected last season.
When every time you’re quoted, it’s in defense of one of your players, that is a bad sign.
I believe Burnett is the front runner to start, but I don’t believe it is a foregone conclusion, regardless of what Perry says. Hyde and Richardson have had the better camps, and Ha Ha is Ha Ha.
The money paid to Burnett is a sunk cost at this point. It has no bearing on the decision. I honestly believe the best guys will play.
Next interview question should be….”Darren would you risk your job as a coach based solely on the play of Morgan Burnett?”
Prediction : He won’t make it through the Cheathawks game…
MM will yank him in favor of Micah
I guess I’m out of step here. I think Burnett is better than people are giving him credit for.
I think its a little too convenient to keep laying the blame on the safeties or specifically on Burnett. I’m not saying he has played well or is the answer…but our problems on that side of the ball run deeper than the safety position.
There are & have been gaping holes and under production at every level of the defense. Starting Ha Ha or Micah isnt going to stop teams from gashing us for almost 5yds per carry on the ground. Nor will it change the fact that we havent been able to generate consistent pressure without bringing players from the 2nd & 3rd levels to get to the QB. Which in turn impacts coverages & match ups.
Fix those and THEN we can point fingers at the secondary for not making plays. Until then, the entire secondary….especially the safeties… have been in a pre snap no mans land unsure between run support & pass defense but leaning to the former. You cant make plays on the ball when mentally you’re thinking like that. Fix the damn front seven & their run defense & all will be cured. There is a reason “stop the run” is the first priority for every defense at every level from pee wees to the NFL. We cant do that so we’ve reaped the consequences. We could have Ronnie Lott back there and it wouldnt matter.
DJ. Your dead on. It was the whole middle of the field. ILB ?? And the D line was like watching a bad dream, where you watch and wonder how long exactly are they going to give the other QB time to throw.I
Last year was last year. It was a defense wide problem, No CM III and no hope once everyone started going down,
Good news is think we all know it will be much better but until it does in the real games…..
Sorry for the typos but I’m dying for this year to start
None of the safeties played well last year. The entire D sucked. I agree the D-line had problems with QB pressure and stopping the run. I believe having younger and faster players will help. In addition we need to stop having the D-line constantly in a two gap system. The two gap system leaves the linemen flat footed on run plays, then if it is a pass they are a step and a half to late with no momentum to the QB. Our lineman need to shoot the gaps more often on all plays. With the emphasis on not touching receivers or receive a penalty the trend will be even more passing. It is now even more important to pressure the QB. On the way to knocking the QB on his ass you can tackle the back if he gets the ball. We need to unleash the D-line and let them attack rather than being flat footed most of the time.