Is Sam Barrington the Answer to Green Bay's Long-Term Linebacker Issue?
In the recent history of the Green Bay Packers, there hasn't been much to look forward to regarding the inside linebacker unit. Coming into 2014, the lineup was the same as it was in 2013: A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones.
As the season progressed, though, the unit began to take a different shape. First, Jamari Lattimore, who had started a handful of games in 2013, took over for Jones. Then, Sam Barrington, a second-year linebacker from South Florida, entered the starting lineup next to Hawk.
The biggest move, though, was Clay Matthews, a former Pro Bowl pass-rusher, moving to an off-the-ball linebacker spot to replace Barrington, who was listed pregame as the starter. A shock to a majority of fans, Matthews morphing inside not only has seemingly helped the squad, but it's also improved his statistics across the board.
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After a couple of weeks of success on the inside, the Packers paired Matthews with Barrington, replacing Hawk, who had started all but one game in his career prior to last week's lineup change.
With all the substitutions, one thing was evident: Defensive coordinator Dom Capers was done with the performances of the inside linebackers of the past.
An initiative has been taken to improve the interior of the defense for the future progress of the team. The question is if Barrington is the long-term answer.
When watching his performance against the New England Patriots in a 26-21 victory, a few notes stood out regarding his play.
Early in the first quarter, the Patriots had a short-yardage situation and attempted to pound the ball against the two relatively inexperienced inside linebackers.
With only two receivers on the field, New England gave a run-heavy look, while the Packers were still in nickel defense. Outnumbered in the run game, someone had to make a play, defensively.
Once the handoff was completed, Barrington sized up the running lane, as his teammates took the blocks to free him to make the play.
Meeting the ball-carrier at the hole, Barrington halted the running back in his tracks, preventing him from earning the first down.
This rep occurred on the very next play. On a 3rd-and-short, the Patriots again went with a run-heavy set, featuring two tight ends.
The Packers' interior defense was better fit this time, though, playing base defense instead of nickel. With the interior gaps covered, the linebackers were allowed to fly around and make the tackle.
Barrington again stopped the runner in his lane, this time resulting in a gain of no yards. On back-to-back plays, New England called for the newly named starter to force a stop in short-yardage situations, and he answered twice with flying colors.
Barrington isn't without fault, though. In the red zone, he showed how green he actually was a few times. On this play in particular, he didn't look great.
At the handoff, he diagnosed the run and started making his way toward the running back.
Before getting to the back, though, a lineman completely cleared him out of the hole when he wasn't in a position to embrace the block. Instead, he folded, and the ball-carrier ran off the back of the blocker.
Barrington needed to square up and take blocks better than that, especially when someone is threatening to score. If he's not strong at the point of attack, teams will learn and exploit his weaknesses quickly.
Despite his issues, he seems like a three-down player if he continues to progress. Without being very refined, he's shown potential to stop the run and occasionally blitz, as he registered a quarterback hit in the game. Even in pass coverage, Barrington can hold his own.
To start the second half, the Patriots tried testing how well he could play zone.
By the time Tom Brady got the pass off to his slot receiver, the South Florida prospect was already breaking on the target.
In his one allowed completion of the game, Barrington allowed no yards after the catch, an impressive feat by a linebacker who isn't noted for athleticism, based on his combine scores.
Overall, it's too early to say if Barrington is going to be what keeps general manager Ted Thompson from waking up at night wondering how he's going to fix the interior triangle of his defense. What Barrington has shown is that he's worth a shot to see what he can do.
Due to the high level of play he displayed against the Patriots, he landed on CheeseheadTV's Brian Carriveau's "red chips" list for the match.
"Blue chips: Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb. Red chips: Sam Barrington, Eddie Lacy. Cow chips: Davon House, A.J. Hawk.
— Brian Carriveau (@BrianCarriveau) December 1, 2014"
On the ground, he diagnoses and closes on the ball quickly. His only issue there stems from his problem at the point of attack. He's not just a run threat, though; on third downs, he's able to drop into coverage efficiently and even get after the quarterback.
With the potential to be a full-time starter, the Packers should be ready for him to prove himself to the league. If he's not the answer, Green Bay still has Hawk and Jones locked up as options until the 2016 offseason. If he is the answer, though, then there's no time to waste.
The Packers are trying to go on a Super Bowl run, and indecisiveness isn't going to help them for a second.
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