2011 Draft Prep: Green Bay Packers Needs by Position – Outside Linebacker

In this next installment of our 2011 Draft Prep series looking at the Green Bay Packers’ needs by position, we are going to analyze how the outside linebacker position currently stands. Strengths, weaknesses, depth, and uncertainties will all be examined to determine the urgency of need in regards to next season.

This series is meant to help us figure out the needs of the team and how the draft could be used to improve the weaker areas. While Ted Thompson largely uses the “best player available” (BPA) approach, his decision to trade up or down the board is affected by what position players he would prefer to have. Additionally, the picking up of players in the later rounds and in undrafted free agency is often based on need, since the talent is less defined.

CURRENT PLAYERS:

#52 Clay Matthews
24 yrs. old / 2 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2013

#51 Brady Poppinga
31 yrs. old / 6 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2012

#93 Erik Walden
25 yrs. old / 3 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2011

#59 Brad Jones
25 yrs. old / 2 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2012

#47 Diyral Briggs
25 yrs. old / 2 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2011

#58 Frank Zombo
24 yrs. old / 1 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2012

* Contract information acquired from RotoWorld.com

POSITION STRENGTHS:

I can’t tell you how many times the past two years that I’ve heard or said, “Clay Matthews is a beast.”

He alone propels this defense to a new level. Opposing offenses work up their game plans in a concentrated effort to take him out of the equation, because he is the biggest threat to the quarterback. Matthews’ motor never stops running, his lightning fast break off the line is a nightmare to blockers, and there’s just something intimidating about that long mane of hair.

Okay, so maybe I made that last one up. But in all seriousness, Clay Matthews boasts 23.5 sacks in his first two seasons with the Packers. Ted Thompson made one of the best moves in his career as a GM by trading up in the 2009 NFL Draft to grab him.

Now, despite the lack of a stud player “opposite Matthews” (as you so often hear), there is a lot of strength in the depth of this unit. The cliché may be that this team won the Super Bowl with the players, but they also made it through the season with them.

And not all at the same time.

Brad Jones, Frank Zombo, and Erik Walden have all shown the ability to get the job done. Each has their own set of strengths and weaknesses, and none of them are near the level of Matthews, but the Packers don’t really have a whole lot to worry about in this department.

Zombo and Walden, after all, combined for a total of 7 sacks in the regular season and 2 in the postseason. Zombo had an additional two forced fumbles, and Jones stuffed two runs for a total of -8 yards.

The talent is clearly present in this outside linebacker group.

POSITION WEAKNESSES:

Since they started the 2010 offseason programs, the Green Bay Packers seemed to be grasping at straws in an effort to find an outside linebacker that would compliment Clay Matthews. To the dismay of fans everywhere, Thompson didn’t pick an OLB in the draft, limiting their options at the position.

He did, however, sign four undrafted free agents at the linebacker position. Of those four, Frank Zombo was the only one to make the 53-man roster. Zombo also beat out 2009 UDFA Cyril Obiozor for the spot behind Brad Jones.

Even ILB Brandon Chillar was tested (unsuccessfully) at outside linebacker.

But the Packers were still missing a true playmaker to balance out the position, and that is one thing they would do well to address – if possible – in the 2011 draft.

It’s not quite an absolute necessity; nevertheless, having a really great 3-4 defense is contingent on having a great set of outside linebackers. The prime example is the Pittsburgh Steelers with James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Having a duo like that gives opposing offenses nightmares, because it opens up so many options in rushing and blitzing the quarterback.

The only other real weakness I see right now is Brady Poppinga. He has hit his declining years, gone from starter to backup, and might not even make it to the last year of his contract if the Packers can add some more talent at the position. Poppinga’s age – 32 years old in September – is also a big factor in the equation.

POSITION UNCERTAINTIES:

The Packers’ 2010 outside linebacker corps epitomized the “revolving door” metaphor for player injuries. There wasn’t one player who didn’t miss at least one full game due to injury, and most of them missed multiple weeks.

Of the 20 total games, Clay Matthews topped the list with 19 played. Then begins the drop-off.

Frank Zombo ranked second with 14 activations and 9 starts, Erik Walden had 12 activations but just 5 starts, Brad Jones started 5 of his 6 games played, and Brady Poppinga (the only one placed on IR) brought up the rear with just one start in his 6 games played.

In other words, there’s some legitimate concerns about injury.

(In all fairness, Walden could be given as pass in this regard, as he wasn’t around for most of the season, and his injury only caused him to miss one game. The rest of the time was just him getting settled into the system.)

Poppinga’s return is the only other uncertainty. He’s slated to earn slightly over $2 million in 2011, which could be more than the Packers are willing to cough up for his sub-par skills, especially as a backup.

His future might easily depend on Thompson’s ability to find an outside linebacker in the draft, as Jones, Zombo, and Walden seem fit enough to stick around.

URGENCY OF NEEDS: Medium

The great debate: how much do the Packers really need to take an OLB in the draft?

Both sides have valid arguments. On the one hand, it would be fantastic to have an high-caliber outside rusher that can balance the position. On the other hand, the Packers have some very solid players in Jones, Walden, and Zombo. If they are all healthy at the same time, it could be an even better group.

So to get through this, let’s focus on our specific question in this draft article: what is the urgency of needs for getting an outside linebacker?

Well, I’d have to say the urgency isn’t terribly high. Boasting one superstar and three good players in the position isn’t a bad situation to be in at all. There are, however, two caveats: (1) the 3-4 defense can never have too many high-quality linebackers, and (2) there is a legitimate concern for depth after the injuries this season.

As we saw last year, Ted Thompson will not reach to fill this position. And if a linebacker doesn’t end up in the right spot for the taking, he could very well ignore the position altogether. We could even see a similar situation from last year where some undrafted free agents are brought in to compete.

But getting down to it, the needs for this position are not high. Thompson will have his eyes on the linebackers; he just won’t see it as the end of the world if he doesn’t get one.

*** For further reading, check out “According to Hobbes: Packers Offseason Primer on the NFL Combine: Outside Linebackers” by Thomas Hobbes. ***

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Chad Toporski, a Wisconsin native and current Pittsburgh resident, is a writer for AllGreenBayPackers.com. You can follow Chad on twitter at @ChadToporski

Follow @ChadToporski

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