The Green Bay Packers need reinforcements at outside linebacker. Julius Peppers isn’t an every-down player and Nick Perry is the only proven contributor behind Clay Matthews. As we expected, former first-round pick Datone Jones will help fill that role in 2016.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that on Tuesday.
Most people are ready to write Jones off as a bust and he has been as a defensive end, the position he played for his first two-plus seasons. Jones did show signs of life when he was moved to outside linebacker in the midst of the 2015 season, though.
Certainly more signs of life than he’s ever shown as a full-time defensive lineman.
Jones finished last season with 20 tackles, three sacks and three passes defended. Those aren’t great numbers overall, but they look better when you consider they were accrued in just 431 total snaps.
It’s also noteworthy that Jones saw his snaps increase after moving to outside linebacker, a position he’s never played.
With an offseason spent working at the position, Jones should improve significantly.
The bottom line here is, if Jones is going to amount to anything in the pros, he now appears to be in the best position to do so. The Packers could use the help at that position.
Unfortunately, outside linebacker is still a position that needs to be addressed in Green Bay. The only outside linebacker on the roster under contract past this season is Clay Matthews. Jayrone Elliot will be a restricted free agent, while Peppers, Perry and Jones will be unrestricted.
Maybe we’ll draft another lineman in the first round this year and turn him into a linebacker. Or maybe that’s where they’ll put Raji when he comes back because his journey on the Packer D-line isn’t complete until he converts to LB.
Amen brother, amen. Fit them square pegs into them round holes because we believe in our system, rather than play to the strengths of our players.
lol…Obviously you guys don’t understand the genius of our head scout. Oops, i meant GM. Kool-aid anyone?
I guess this means the Packers are not going to pick up Datones fifth year option.
I’ve felt like Jones and perhaps Perry have been playing out of position for years
You are absolutely correct RUPackFan. Both men are
natural DE’s is a standard 4-3. But they are closer to
being OLB’s than DE’s in a 3-4. The DE in a 3-4 most
closely resembles the DT in the old 4-3. All of this
problem with Jones, Perry, Elliot, Peppers, others, could
have been fixed by canning Capers and moving to
a standard 4-3. That was what the personnel called
for but TT, as usual, was too stubborn to order it. Which
is why he needs to go, pronto.
Exactly what i was thinking back in 11/12 Ted. Hard to run a true 3-4 when you don’t have quick enough linebackers to run it.
The vast majority of major colleges don’t run 3-4, and the ones that do are smaller schools. So when drafting for a 3-4 defense you are either trying to figure out which prospects from bigger schools have the skills and body types as well as the aptitude to translate to a 3-4 defense. Or you are trying to scout the smaller school guys that didnt have SEC competition or other major college competition and see which ones can play at the nfl level. It’s a lot harder than you think to identify this talent. Georgia is one of the few big college programs that run a true 3-4
Wisconsin, Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Stanford… just to name a few. Major programs run it too lol. There is enough tape out there to get an understanding for if a player will fit into a scheme. It seems like you are making excuses for why Ted has missed on his DE and OLB draft picks. Do you always have a hard on for him?
And what percentage of ALL college schools is that?
Would you like me to google it for you? I forgot that you and Kato were butt buddies.
Yes, Google it.
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Dat one!