woodbuck27
07-22-2006, 10:30 PM
Newcomers provide depth
Packers possess plenty of front-line talent
By RICK BRAUN
Packer Plus writer
Posted: July 20, 2006
Green Bay - When new defensive coordinator Jim Bates arrived in 2005, he talked of being excited about what he saw on the Green Bay Packers' defensive line.
And folks scratched their heads wondering what the heck he was talking about. In the end, Bates was proved right, as the Packer defense finished with a No. 7 ranking in the National Football League and youngsters such as Corey Williams, Colin Cole and Cullen Jenkins stepped up their play, veteran Aaron Kampman had a career season and pass-rush specialist Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - despite falling numbers in the sack category - continued to draw the attention of two offensive linemen.
Now, Bob Sanders takes the helm as defensive coordinator and continues to think big things can come from his defensive linemen.
First off, there's a new man in the mix. The Packers won a bidding battle to pull free-agent defensive tackle Ryan Pickett away from the St. Louis Rams.
Pickett is expected to step right into the spot vacated by Grady Jackson. He's seven years younger than Jackson and the Packers are counting on him to not be injury-prone. Of course, he still has to perform as well as Jackson did in 2005.
Despite weight and injury concerns, Jackson did get through 2005 unscathed on the injury front.
At 26, Pickett joins a young corps of quality players on the inside. The difference is, Pickett is a former first-round draft pick. The others have all been either late-round picks or undrafted free agents.
Nonetheless, it's a high-quality bunch of individuals.
Jenkins and Cole both made the Packers in 2004 after having not been drafted. Jenkins had been cut by the Packers in 2003. Cole spent small bits of 2003 on the rosters of the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, although he never got into a game.
Williams was the Packers' sixth-round pick in 2004 and moved ahead of third-round pick Donnell Washington - who since has been waived - almost immediately.
Those three were the main players in the rotation alongside Jackson in 2005 and appear to be on the inside track to compete for starting status opposite Pickett this season.
Also in the mix will be Kenderick Allen. Although he was signed as a free agent away from the New York Giants, Allen also came into the NFL as an undrafted player.
At 6-5 and 328 pounds, Allen had three sacks in 19 games over the past two seasons with the Giants. He came into the league when he made the roster of the New Orleans Saints in 2003.
"Those young guys are a year older and we were able to add Ryan Pickett and Kenderick Allen, who are good solid guys in the league and all have had good springs," Sanders said. "And then with the addition of our young guys that we got in the draft and free agency, they're good, solid players. So the competition is going to be good up there and there are a lot of different guys with a lot of different talents. So that's going to make it interesting."
The Packers did not spend any high picks this season on defensive linemen, but they were happy to land tackle Johnny Jolly in the sixth round. Jolly had an ankle injury that the Packers feared might require surgery and missed the first minicamp. But the injury healed sufficiently enough that Jolly did take part in the Packers' organized team activities practices in June.
Jolly will have to show something quickly in training camp to move up the depth chart.
Also in the mix at tackle will be 2003 third-round pick Kenny Peterson, who increases his chances by being able to play both tackle and end.
Jerome Nichols, a first-year player out of Wake Forest, is a long shot to crack the roster.
On the outside, the Packers have a lot of money invested in starters Kampman and Gbaja-Biamila.
After having his best season as a pro, Kampman entered unrestricted free agency and culled a four-year deal worth $21 million, including $12 million in guaranteed money.
Gbaja-Biamila signed a seven-year, $37.3-million contract in April of 2003 and his base salary this season jumps from $1 million in 2005 to $3.85 million this season.
Nonetheless, the Packers figure that money isn't going to change either Kampman or Gbaja-Biamila. Both have gotten where they are today by being supreme effort players.
Kampman had a career season in 2005, totaling 105 tackles (62 solo) - the second-most in team history for a defensive lineman behind Ezra Johnson's 107 in 1983. Kampman also had a career-best 6½ sacks and was easily the most consistent defensive lineman.
Gbaja-Biamila will be looking to make a comeback of sorts in 2006. After being held to "just" eight sacks in 2005, he had his streak of four consecutive seasons with double-digit sack totals halted.
Nonetheless, he obliterated his personal tackle mark for a season, posting 81 (39 solo) to better his previous best - set in 2003 - by 26.
Still, Gbaja-Biamila's main function is to be the major pass-rush threat off the edge. Entering his seventh season, it remains to be seen if he's wearing down a bit. At just 250 pounds he's definitely undersized for an every-down defensive end in the NFL.
Gbaja-Biamila has been answering those questions his entire career, though. But if his sack total continues to decline, he'll be answering them again in 2006.
Another key player in the mix at end should be Mike Montgomery, a sixth-round pick a year ago.
Montgomery has impressed the staff thus far in 2006 and will be counted on to provide solid play in the rotation to allow breathers for Kampman and Gbaja-Biamila.
"It looks like he's improved," Sanders said of Montgomery.
"His pass rush looks better. Of course, we haven't had pads on so you can't really tell, but he has a tremendous work ethic and attention to detail and he's done a nice job. He's a second-year guy that could really step up and make some noise."
That's exactly what the Packers are hoping happens.
Should Montgomery falter in training camp that could create an opportunity for Dave Tollefson, the last of the Packers' draft picks this past April.
At 6-4 and 255 pounds, Tollefson set a Northwest Missouri State record with 12½ sacks in 2005. Still, that was at the Division II level.
Another player who showed flashes in the spring is undrafted rookie Montez Murphy, a 6-6, 256-pound player out of Baylor.
From the July 20, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Packers possess plenty of front-line talent
By RICK BRAUN
Packer Plus writer
Posted: July 20, 2006
Green Bay - When new defensive coordinator Jim Bates arrived in 2005, he talked of being excited about what he saw on the Green Bay Packers' defensive line.
And folks scratched their heads wondering what the heck he was talking about. In the end, Bates was proved right, as the Packer defense finished with a No. 7 ranking in the National Football League and youngsters such as Corey Williams, Colin Cole and Cullen Jenkins stepped up their play, veteran Aaron Kampman had a career season and pass-rush specialist Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - despite falling numbers in the sack category - continued to draw the attention of two offensive linemen.
Now, Bob Sanders takes the helm as defensive coordinator and continues to think big things can come from his defensive linemen.
First off, there's a new man in the mix. The Packers won a bidding battle to pull free-agent defensive tackle Ryan Pickett away from the St. Louis Rams.
Pickett is expected to step right into the spot vacated by Grady Jackson. He's seven years younger than Jackson and the Packers are counting on him to not be injury-prone. Of course, he still has to perform as well as Jackson did in 2005.
Despite weight and injury concerns, Jackson did get through 2005 unscathed on the injury front.
At 26, Pickett joins a young corps of quality players on the inside. The difference is, Pickett is a former first-round draft pick. The others have all been either late-round picks or undrafted free agents.
Nonetheless, it's a high-quality bunch of individuals.
Jenkins and Cole both made the Packers in 2004 after having not been drafted. Jenkins had been cut by the Packers in 2003. Cole spent small bits of 2003 on the rosters of the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, although he never got into a game.
Williams was the Packers' sixth-round pick in 2004 and moved ahead of third-round pick Donnell Washington - who since has been waived - almost immediately.
Those three were the main players in the rotation alongside Jackson in 2005 and appear to be on the inside track to compete for starting status opposite Pickett this season.
Also in the mix will be Kenderick Allen. Although he was signed as a free agent away from the New York Giants, Allen also came into the NFL as an undrafted player.
At 6-5 and 328 pounds, Allen had three sacks in 19 games over the past two seasons with the Giants. He came into the league when he made the roster of the New Orleans Saints in 2003.
"Those young guys are a year older and we were able to add Ryan Pickett and Kenderick Allen, who are good solid guys in the league and all have had good springs," Sanders said. "And then with the addition of our young guys that we got in the draft and free agency, they're good, solid players. So the competition is going to be good up there and there are a lot of different guys with a lot of different talents. So that's going to make it interesting."
The Packers did not spend any high picks this season on defensive linemen, but they were happy to land tackle Johnny Jolly in the sixth round. Jolly had an ankle injury that the Packers feared might require surgery and missed the first minicamp. But the injury healed sufficiently enough that Jolly did take part in the Packers' organized team activities practices in June.
Jolly will have to show something quickly in training camp to move up the depth chart.
Also in the mix at tackle will be 2003 third-round pick Kenny Peterson, who increases his chances by being able to play both tackle and end.
Jerome Nichols, a first-year player out of Wake Forest, is a long shot to crack the roster.
On the outside, the Packers have a lot of money invested in starters Kampman and Gbaja-Biamila.
After having his best season as a pro, Kampman entered unrestricted free agency and culled a four-year deal worth $21 million, including $12 million in guaranteed money.
Gbaja-Biamila signed a seven-year, $37.3-million contract in April of 2003 and his base salary this season jumps from $1 million in 2005 to $3.85 million this season.
Nonetheless, the Packers figure that money isn't going to change either Kampman or Gbaja-Biamila. Both have gotten where they are today by being supreme effort players.
Kampman had a career season in 2005, totaling 105 tackles (62 solo) - the second-most in team history for a defensive lineman behind Ezra Johnson's 107 in 1983. Kampman also had a career-best 6½ sacks and was easily the most consistent defensive lineman.
Gbaja-Biamila will be looking to make a comeback of sorts in 2006. After being held to "just" eight sacks in 2005, he had his streak of four consecutive seasons with double-digit sack totals halted.
Nonetheless, he obliterated his personal tackle mark for a season, posting 81 (39 solo) to better his previous best - set in 2003 - by 26.
Still, Gbaja-Biamila's main function is to be the major pass-rush threat off the edge. Entering his seventh season, it remains to be seen if he's wearing down a bit. At just 250 pounds he's definitely undersized for an every-down defensive end in the NFL.
Gbaja-Biamila has been answering those questions his entire career, though. But if his sack total continues to decline, he'll be answering them again in 2006.
Another key player in the mix at end should be Mike Montgomery, a sixth-round pick a year ago.
Montgomery has impressed the staff thus far in 2006 and will be counted on to provide solid play in the rotation to allow breathers for Kampman and Gbaja-Biamila.
"It looks like he's improved," Sanders said of Montgomery.
"His pass rush looks better. Of course, we haven't had pads on so you can't really tell, but he has a tremendous work ethic and attention to detail and he's done a nice job. He's a second-year guy that could really step up and make some noise."
That's exactly what the Packers are hoping happens.
Should Montgomery falter in training camp that could create an opportunity for Dave Tollefson, the last of the Packers' draft picks this past April.
At 6-4 and 255 pounds, Tollefson set a Northwest Missouri State record with 12½ sacks in 2005. Still, that was at the Division II level.
Another player who showed flashes in the spring is undrafted rookie Montez Murphy, a 6-6, 256-pound player out of Baylor.
From the July 20, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel