Top 10 Players With Something To Prove

[HarveyWallbangers]

He says Favre will be #1 if he comes back.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=4353153


8. Aaron Kampman, OLB, Green Bay Packers: With 37 sacks over the last three seasons, Kampman has been as consistent a pass rusher as you'll find in the NFL. Now we'll see whether he can continue being that steady when he's a 3-4 outside linebacker instead of a 4-3 defensive end. There's little question that Kampman has the athleticism to make the switch. The major issue, however, is how long it will take him to find a comfort level in that new scheme.

The best example of a player making that kind of switch is current Oakland Raiders defensive end Greg Ellis. He reluctantly moved from end to linebacker in Dallas in 2006 and wound up making the Pro Bowl with 12½ sacks in 2008. The Packers will do their best to help Kampman's own transition, a strategy that includes putting him back in a down position in certain sub packages. But make no mistake: He needs to get acclimated in a hurry if a defense that was disappointing in 2008 is going to rebound this fall.

[pbmax]

I would be more encourage by the Ellis comparison if Ellis still wasn't sore about it. The articles about his release mentioned he had lost time to Ware, but they all mentioned his hard feelings over the switch to OLB. It was never clear if he got over it. Perhaps he has, as I think he will be back at OLB on the Raiders.

With only one year to test this out, it will be a mess of a contract scenario. Kampman will not attract franchise money (top five) but it won't be far off. And with only one year out of the position, someone will request he come to a new team as a DE. That raises the price. They could franchise him as Baltimore did with Suggs, as a OLB, but that will not make anyone happy.

I expect him to succeed. I am less sure he will be back.

[Fritz]

Ruh-roh, Rastro.

[Fritz]

Players with something to prove....

Brett Swain!

[hoosier]

I would be more encourage by the Ellis comparison if Ellis still wasn't sore about it. The articles about his release mentioned he had lost time to Ware, but they all mentioned his hard feelings over the switch to OLB. It was never clear if he got over it. Perhaps he has, as I think he will be back at OLB on the Raiders.

With only one year to test this out, it will be a mess of a contract scenario. Kampman will not attract franchise money (top five) but it won't be far off. And with only one year out of the position, someone will request he come to a new team as a DE. That raises the price. They could franchise him as Baltimore did with Suggs, as a OLB, but that will not make anyone happy.

I expect him to succeed. I am less sure he will be back.

I don't know anything about Greg Ellis's personality (but didn't he once say something about Parcells trying to ruin his professional future by switching to the 3-4?). But Kampman isn't a high maintenance kind of guy. I think he'll do just fine with the transition, but whatever happens I don't picture him calling attention to himself or holding a grudge. He might not be back if the transition doesn't go well, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who prioritizes getting recognition and breaking the bank over everything else in life.

[Fritz]

Other Packers with something to prove:

James Jones

Brandon Jackson (what are you, anyway? A career backup, a guy who can provide spark in a two-back system, somebody's starter?).

[woodbuck27]

AJ Hawk I want him to step it up this season and show us he can pursue the ball . Fire on all cylinders. Show up as a solid 5th draft pick.

Did losing all that energy - production and getting married have anything in common?

[HarveyWallbangers]

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090726/PKR01/307260080/1058


Kampman gearing up to join linebacker crew

In informal conversations this offseason, a handful of NFL scouts were split on how Kampman will play in the new scheme, where he’ll have more responsibility in pass coverage after previously dropping only on the rare zone blitz. The Packers point to defensive ends such as Greg Ellis in Dallas and Mike Vrabel with New England as 4-3 defensive ends who didn’t look like good fits in the 3-4 but successfully made the transition.

This offseason, the Packers listed the 6-foot-4 Kampman at 260 pounds, which is about five pounds lighter than his playing weight last year...

In making the transition, the Packers consider Kampman a better athlete than Ellis and Vrabel. Ellis, who was listed at 262 pounds when he made the change in 2003, averaged 8.2 sacks in his five seasons as an outside linebacker with the Cowboys, including getting a career-high 12½ sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance in 2007. Vrabel, who played defensive end in college at Ohio State but at 271 pounds moved to outside linebacker as a rookie with Pittsburgh, became a starter with New England in 2001 and had a career-high 12½ sacks in ’07.

Capers succeeded in similar first-year transitions with two other defensive ends, Tony Brackens in Jacksonville and Jason Taylor in Miami, though they are different-type players than Kampman. In 1999, Brackens, who was 6-4 and 267, had 12 sacks, which topped his previous high of seven; in 2006, Taylor, who was an elite defensive end but also had a prototype 3-4 build at 6-6 and 255, had 13 ½ sacks and was named NFL defensive player of the year at age 32.

“(Kampman) seems comfortable out there in space in the things we are asking him to do,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I think he is a much better athlete than people give him credit, making the change as you can say from defensive end to outside linebacker. I expect Aaron to be very, very productive in this defense.”

[pbmax]

Capers succeeded in similar first-year transitions with two other defensive ends, Tony Brackens in Jacksonville and Jason Taylor in Miami, though they are different-type players than Kampman. In 1999, Brackens, who was 6-4 and 267, had 12 sacks, which topped his previous high of seven; in 2006, Taylor, who was an elite defensive end but also had a prototype 3-4 build at 6-6 and 255, had 13 ½ sacks and was named NFL defensive player of the year at age 32.
A good catch there Harvey, I had not considered that Brackens and Capers were linked. In Capers and Greene, he will have experience with this change to lean on.