1) Introduction: From Super Bowl starter to 3rd stringer, Frank Zombo probably had the worst luck of any member on the Packers team who wasn’t placed on IR. Zombo didn’t even get to the regular season healthy due to a broken scapula during the preseason and the usual bumps and bruises during the regular season cost Zombo playing time after the scapula was mended. Zombo’s availability tanked his entire season.
2) Profile:
Frank Zombo
Position: OLB
Height: 6-3
Weight: 254 lbs.
AGE: 24
Career Stats
3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: High; Zombo was expected to compete for the outside linebacker position along side Clay Matthews and was considered the front-runner along side Erik Walden. Unfortunately, Zombo broke his scapula after colliding with fullback John Kuhn in warm-ups during the Arizona Cardinals preseason game and was expected to miss the 1st half of the season if not more.
4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Unfortunately Zombo has nothing to highlight, with only one preseason game played healthy, Zombo didn’t really have a chance to make a 2011 highlight reel. Perhaps Zombo’s biggest lowlight was getting passed over by Brad Jones for the starting position when Erik Walden was benched during the playoffs even when he was healthy enough to play.
5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: Next to nothing; Zombo started one game and posted 10 tackles and 1 sack in the game against Oakland
6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Next to nothing; Zombo posted 1 assisted tackle in the playoffs but did not see any significant time on the field.
Season Report Card:
(D) Level of expectations met during the season
(D) Contributions to team’s overall success
(D-) Player’s contributions in the playoffs
Overall Grade for the year: D
——————Thomas Hobbes is a staff writer for Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com.
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If the expectation was high and he did nothing…the grade has to be an F.
I’m a little hesitant to give any player an F, since at least in my mind every player on every team in the NFL must have at least one reason for being on the team. Plus he did start one game and record a sack during the season so I’m not convinced that’s an F effort.
Thomas, I’m with you on the grade that you gave Zombo. If he would’ve done nothing against Oakland, then an F would be justifiable.
But if the expectations are high and he did so little…it has to be an F. If we expected him to be a Brady Popinga player, then yeah…he gets a D. One sack and one start (probably by default) earns a D? Give him a sticker while you’re at it.
We expected greatness. He failed. That’s an F.
Under that logic, if a player isn’t great does that mean he’s a failure?
Just another of the perpetually injured. He demonstrated some talent in the past, but it’s time to step up or say good bye. The GB D needs a reliable performer at the ROLB position.
This year or never.
You have to admit that Zombo got incredibly unlucky this year, whether or not he is “injury prone” is one thing, but he did finish the game with a broken scapula, so it’s not like he’s checking out by using injury as an excuse
Ten TACKLES and ONE SACK against Oakland–that’s better than some regulars avgd. per game including Matthews and Bishhop. He started one game after missing mucho time from fluke injury, that’s not enough to base the total package from. He performed well at end of ’10 season, expectations were high just as with Neal, next season could make or break Zombo as a Packers LB, he’s better than Walden RIGHT NOW, as good as Jones.