1) Introduction: Not too many people knew this guy when the season started. But when the season’s final chapter was written, everyone knew this guy. Kind of hard to believe that a seventh round pick is 
currently the best Packers’ inside linebacker.
2) Profile: Sam Barrington
- Age: 24
- Born: 10/05/1990 in Jacksonville, FL
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 240
- College: South Florida
- Rookie Year: 2013
- NFL Experience: 2 years
- Career stats and more
3) Expectations coming into the season: The exceptions were that he would come in and learn behind and Hawk and Co. Obviously, that philosophy changed rather quickly.
4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Even though he only played two snaps from scrimmage in 1½ years, Barrington was called into action to start the seventh game — and he got his first and only sack of the season. Barrington doled out plenty of punishment but showed some rough edged in pass coverage.
5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: Not bad for a mid-round second-year player to start seven of 14 games. He played hard as evidenced by his 45 tackles.
6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: He had six tackles in two games and was a force in stopping the run.
7) Intangibles: If he shows a willingness to learn and with the right mentoring, the Packers could be sitting on something special.
Season Report Card (Player Grades):
(B-) Level of expectations met during the season
(C) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(C) Contributions to team during the playoffs
Overall Grade: C+
——————Cory Jennerjohn is from Wisconsin and has been in sports media for over 10 years. To contact Cory e-mail him at jeobs -at- yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter: Cory Jennerjohn
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I think his grade should be a little higher he stepped up his game in the run stopping also! I believe he will be the starting MLB this year
I agree!
Calling a 7th round choice a “mid round” player is the same as calling Aaron Rodgers a mid round player.
Expectations grade is way low. Should be an A-. He was not expected to play, just learn, and he came in started during the middle of the season. Decent run fits and good physicalness, rough pass coverage. Kudos to Jersey Al for predicting Barrington’s success. aMaybe Jersey Al’s expectation rubbed off on others at allgbp.
This is one of my harshest criticisms of MM: I sometimes believe or suspect that a player on the bench who can’t get on the field is better than the starter. I think this is a coaching staff that has its “guys” and which does not like to get out of its comfort zone. The starter has to get injured or really hit rock bottom before the coaches insert another player. 2 snaps in 1.5 seasons. I guess the light came on during the 3rd snap. Have to give Winston Moss some credit for coaching him up, but I don’t know who to blame for waiting too long to use him.
“I sometimes believe or suspect that a player on the bench who can’t get on the field is better than the starter.”
What’s the old saying: the most popular player on most teams is the backup QB? I think we all have that tendency to think that, especially when we see Brad Jones take another lousy penalty or a TE/RB running free for a big gain. Still, more often than not, those guys on the field are the best any team has and when that sub gets a few snaps or a spot-start and looks good we wonder what coaches are thinking…until that spot-starter is identified, targeted and exposed by opposing coaching staffs. In the case of ILB for the Packers, even if the replacement has serious deficiencies, how much further down could the level of play at that spot really fall?
I think to say Barrington could be “something special” is a bit of hyperbole. I think his ceiling isn’t that high, but he’s better than the alternatives right now, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a good rookie outplay him and take over in short order.
All your points are valid. The “Barrington could be something special” I assumed is aimed at Cory, the author, not me. It would not surprise me if a rookie picked fairly high outplays Barrington, who looks like a 2 down player. 40 times of 4.91, 4.83 & I guess he got down to 4.69 at his pro day lead one to question his coverage ability.
You’re right: the initial was a response to your post and the “something special” was toward the article.
And I think you’re right on the second count: Barrington is probably best suited to be a run-down thumper. Better performance than what the Packers had been seeing recently at the position, but still very replaceable.
TGR, maybe the reason you can’t find the right person to “blame for waiting too long” is because it’s wholly unnecessary. He’s playing now, and apparently the coaches were not satisfied with something in his practices that they chose not to make the change earlier. — why do you feel you need to “blame” someone.? GoPack!
You’re right. Barrington might not have been ready earlier. The coaches might have discerned that from practice. It is quite possible that no one should be blamed. It can’t be scientifically tested, because one cannot go back in time and insert Barrington in game 2 or 3 to see how he would have performed.
I think back to Desmond Bishop; to Jeff Saturday > EDS; to Jennings/McMillan >, well, Banjo, I suppose; my guess that it would have been Tretter, but for his injury, > Linsley (perhaps Tretter would have been very good at center, too); whether Guion would have made this team but for the injury to Raji (I suspect that TT was going to put Guion on PUP). I question Goodson > Rolle, but I put that on TT, as I think he should have been able to keep both.
I am not a hater of MM/ TT. They are good at their jobs. I’ve defended MM’s play calling (& criticized it, I think just once). For the reasons you cite, + their qualifications and experience, I usually defer to their judgements, including the cases of Bostick and Janis not playing, despite a fairly large need at TE, KR, and WR. I question them sometimes; I am not willing to write a blank check.
I like Barrington because he looked to get after the RB and play physical. I am not sure that he is smart enough to be the man. Maybe with time he will figure out the defense and avoid getting lost in schemes. Realistically, he is a 7th rounder trying to play up to our expectations. Aside from A.J. Hawk’s draft position, we have been trying to “coach-up” late round picks to shore up the middle linebacker position. How well has that been working for us? As far as I am concerned, heading into the 2015 season we will still be looking for starter quality ILB. Little relief in sight
reynoldo – my recollection is that Barrington was injured for most of the 2013 season. Thanks, Since ’61
Barrington had a season-ending hamstring injury in week 9 of his rookie year. I was not suggesting that he should have been the starter in his rookie year.
I think ILB should be the major priority in draft signing this year. We really don’t need anything on the offense side except a good backup/future guard or tackle. I’d think if there is good personnel available we should even consider trading up to secure a COUPLE really good ILB’s right away and totally address that problem. Then we look at nose tackle situation, strengthen our secondary depth. I know TT loves obtaining extra picks but so many of them produce nearly nothing like the ’11 and ’12 drafts. Lets look at securing some high quality early round ILB picks.
I liked the the immediate impact he made defending the run, and for me, the play that stands out the most was the pbu he had against Lynch which saved a sure touchdown. I doubt that Hawk or Brad Jones could’ve made that play. Hopefully he continues to develop nicely and TT adds another good one in the draft.