Peeking Inside the 2009 Green Bay Packers Playbook

The Green Bay Packers possess one of the best offensive units in the entire league. They have great performers at every skill position and realistically have a shot at sending their quarterback, running back and both wide receivers to the Pro Bowl.

What the Packers have on the defensive side of the ball is a group filled with question marks and a new scheme that may or may not work with the current group of players.

When you take an initial look at the talent on the defense, you think that a transition to the 3-4 defense would be an easy one. However, you have to dig deeper and see more than just the talent on the team to determine their fate.

The group is filled with veterans that have a great knowledge of the game and still have plenty left talent-wise to be a successful unit.

Charles Woodson and Al Harris lead the secondary. No team in the NFL has as much experience at the cornerback position as the Packers. Woodson and Harris excel at man-to-man defensive coverage.

With the switch to the 3-4, they will be expected to play more zone defense in the secondary. This will be a big adjustment for the two, but if they can cover an area and stay disciplined, they should each have plenty of chances to make big plays.

Atari Bigby and Nick Collins round out the Packers' secondary. Aaron Rouse and Anthony Smith will likely serve as their back-ups. Nick Collins may benefit more than anyone on the defense with the switch to the 3-4.

Collins wears number 36, formerly worn by LeRoy Butler. Collins has a very good shot at reminding all fans of Butler this season. Butler was famous for being a blitzing safety that caused headaches in the backfield of opposing teams. Collins will be used in a very similar fashion this season in Dom Capers' defense.

Aaron Rouse has all the physical ability to be a star in the NFL. Can 2009 be the season that the mental part of his game finally matches his physical gifts?

The front seven is key to any defense. That is even more true in the 3-4 scheme. The whole foundation of the 3-4 defense is to put major pressure on the other team's quarterback and constantly changing where the pressure is coming from.

The Packers spent two first-round draft picks on the defense when they took BJ Raji and Clay Matthews.

Lofty comparisons have already been thrown out for the rookies. On draft day, I heard several people say that the Packers drafted a young Warren Sapp and Kevin Greene.

If that is the case, then the Packers are Super Bowl bound in 2009. I'll be more than happy if Raji and Matthews turn out to be the next Gilbert Brown and Bryce Paup.

Raji's success will be shown in the stats of the rest of the defense. If Nick Barnett and AJ Hawk have big seasons, it will be due to the fact that Raji was constantly taking up two offensive linemen.

Cullen Jenkins will look to rebound from an injury-filled 2008 when he moves to an end position in the defense. Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly, and Justin Harrell (if healthy) will all see significant time as well on the line. The front three will need to fill lanes and take up defenders so the linebackers can make plays.

The Packers have a great core of linebackers. With the shift to a 3-4 defense, this group has the chance to be special. Aaron Kampman, Nick Barnett, AJ Hawk, and Clay Matthews are the likely starters.

Kampman will look to continue his success as a pass rusher after moving from a defensive end in the 4-3 last year. Kampman has the speed and athleticism to get to the quarterback, but he will need to learn his coverage assignments in order to remain an elite-level player.

Nick Barnett and AJ Hawk should be spending their entire off-season watching film from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Can you say Ray Lewis? They need to watch how Lewis not only anticipates a play, but uses his speed to make plays as well. Barnett is fast enough to go sideline-to-sideline like Lewis, while Hawk is big and strong enough to stuff the run like Bart Scott has.

The linebackers will also benefit from great coaching. Winston Moss will coach the inside backers while Kevin Greene will coach the outside. There are few better men in the league to coach linebackers on the 3-4 than Moss and Greene. The group should have success even if they only absorb half of what they are taught.

The 3-4 defense will bring a new excitement to the Packers and their fans. Players will be flying all over the field and there will be plenty of opportunities for takeaways.

A new scheme will be like a new lease on life for many of these players. They will have the chance to showcase skills not yet utilized on the field in their careers.

The best case scenario of a new defense could see the Packers make a run deep into the playoffs. If everything goes wrong, well, that already happened last year, and I just don't see history repeating itself in Green Bay this season.