the_idle_threat
07-26-2006, 11:34 PM
From Packer Insider at JSO:
Position-by-position: Defensive line
Bodies of all shapes and sizes will try to fill holes along front By Bob McGinn
Green Bay - Mike Sherman traded up into the fifth round to draft James Lee in 2003. A year later, he moved up into the third round to select Donnell Washington.
The Green Bay Packers' former coach and general manager knew full well that both players had been notorious underachievers in college. But Sherman readily assumed the risk because the value of mountainous defensive tackles with athletic ability is off the charts.
Lee, 6-foot-4 1/2 and 323 pounds, and Washington, 6-5 1/2 and 328, were busts. Lee is out of football, having played 135 forgettable snaps in two seasons, and Washington is in Oakland, having been in a Packers uniform for just one game out of his two fruitless years.
Partially as a result, the Packers were 23rd in the NFL last season against the run, their worst ranking since 1983. A lot went into why coordinator Jim Bates' run defense fell apart in the last seven weeks, but not being able to line up with two massive tackles, as he did most years in Miami, was crucial.
The Green Bay defense is coordinated now by Bob Sanders, Bates' protégé, but the desire for two big horses inside is just as keen.
After saying good-bye to beat-up Grady Jackson, the Packers paid $6.5 million in guaranteed money on the unrestricted free-agent market to Ryan Pickett (6-2, 322) of St. Louis. He will start at one tackle.
Holdovers Colin Cole and Cullen Jenkins played hard and with a degree of effectiveness as part-time starters. Neither has ideal size, however, with Cole standing just 6-1 1/2 and Jenkins weighing only 295.
Another holdover, Corey Williams, was the "anointed one" 12 months ago but had a disappointing year. He's back, with an extra 10 pounds on a 6-3 1/2 frame, but his forte has never been stacking the point.
Rookie Johnny Jolly (6-3, 317), a sixth-round draft choice, was a very pleasant surprise in the off-season and is in the mix.
That's a lot of defensive tackles, to be sure, and it's not a bad group, either. But the other newcomer, Kenderick Allen, might hold the key to whether the Packers really do improve against the run.
Allen, 6-5 and 328, was given a $721,600 restricted tender in March by the New York Giants, for whom he played 15% of the snaps in 2004 and 29% in '05. But when the Giants rescinded the tender and in effect cut him on April 14, the Packers gave Allen a $50,000 signing bonus and added him.
When Allen first came to Green Bay, he was somewhat out of shape. But when his conditioning improved the coaches were startled by how well he performed.
"Unbelievable," said Carl Hairston, one of the team's two defensive line coaches. "I think the Giants will say, 'Why did we let this guy go?' I think he's got a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove to people that he can be a starter."
Sanders said the job opposite Pickett was open but mentioned Allen prominently among the contenders.
"You can find guys that don't get moved but they don't make plays," second-year defensive line coach Robert Nunn said. "He's a big presence in there that's hard to do anything with. On tape, guys would double-team him and at times get him off-balance, but you wouldn't see him move very far. I think he will make us better."
If the Packers choke off the middle, then linebackers A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett could have productive years.
"What happens is it frees up your linebackers because the offensive linemen have to stay on double teams longer," Hairston said. "This is the guy you want. Kenderick is a natural 320-pounder with long arms. He's real thick up top."
Although Pickett entered the league as a first-round pick and Allen as a free agent, Hairston said Pickett was only marginally quicker than Allen.
"The jury's out because it's a new scheme for (Allen)," said Sanders. "But he's strong, he's a pretty good athlete for his size and he brings us some height in there, which we didn't have last year. Having big guys getting their hands up is important with crossing routes."
Pickett, who demonstrated long pursuit and pocket-collapsing pressure in making '05 his finest season for the Rams, is ranked as the league's 24th-best defensive tackle by Pro Football Weekly. Among the Green Bay ends, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila ranked 23rd and Aaron Kampman 29th.
Even though Green Bay's defensive line was rated by division scouts as the weakest in the NFC North last year, Sanders had no complaints.
If "KGB" can develop more of an inside rushing dimension, Hairston says he'll rate among the sack leaders every year. Hairston would like to rest him more than in the past, but with unproven depth at end he isn't sure if it's possible.
"When teams ran at him I think he played the run pretty good," Hairston said. "But my plan is to keep him fresh so when it comes to rushing the passer in the fourth quarter he's at the top of his game."
Kampman, tenacious, committed and fundamentally sound, should be a double-digit sacker before long, according to Hairston.
The second-unit ends are Mike Montgomery on the left side and Kenny Peterson on the right.
All grit, heart and hustle, Jenkins probably had to play too many first and second downs. He's OK at the point of attack, but his niche might be as third-down rusher.
"He's got some really exceptional quicks on the edge," Nunn said. "Hopefully, we'll get a more consistent rush out of him. He's not a dominant run player but he can slither through there and make plays."
Cole made more tackles on a per-snap basis in '05 than anyone on the unit other than Montgomery and was a more effective rusher than Jackson.
"Solid performer and had an outstanding year," Nunn said. "You know what you're getting. Studies the game. Works hard. In shape."
The Packers are hoping that additional poundage will enable Williams to be stouter and a better bull-rusher.
Jolly didn't score well on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test with 13, but unlike Washington (8) and Lee (20) he seems to have a feel for the game.
"What impressed me most was his football savvy," Nunn said. "You give him something, he's got it. He was just impressive from the day he walked in here. If he'll work hard in the weight room and be a professional, this guy can play in the league for a while."
-----------------------------------------
At a Glance
The 14 defensive linemen on the Green Bay roster heading into training camp next week. Each player is listed with height, weight, age, how acquired and college. Acquisition categories: D5 means fifth-round draft choice, FA means free agent and UFA means unrestricted free agent. Ends at a Glance
Player Ht. Wt. Age Acquired College
AARON KAMPMAN
6-4
279 26
D5-'02
Iowa
Modern-day iron man played 93.2% of the snaps (58.9 per game). Re-signed with Green Bay on eve of free agency (four years, $21 million, $12 million guaranteed).
KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA
6-3 1/2
253
28
D5-'00
San Diego State
Played 80.1% of the downs but ended up with a career-low number of pressures (22 1/2). Settled for eight sacks, down from 13, 12, 10 and 13 in previous four seasons.
MIKE MONTGOMERY
6-5
278 23
D6-'05
Texas A&M
Led D-line in tackles per snap (one every 6.3) but played just 157 snaps, mostly as early-down replacement for KGB late in the season. Underwent heart surgery in ’03 to repair irregular heartbeat.
KENNY PETERSON
6-3
285 27
D3-'03
Ohio State
Third-round pick with three sacks in three seasons. Ranked third on team in pressures per snaps ’05 (one every 36.3), playing most of the time at tackle on passing downs.
DAVE TOLLEFSON
6-4
255 25
D7-'06
NW Missouri State
Ex-junior college player who spent three seasons in Division II at Northwest Missouri State. Sat out ’03 with broken foot, then registered 8 1/2 sacks in ’04 and school-record 13 1/2 in ’05.
JASON HUNTER
6-4
243 22
FA-'06
Appalachian State
One of only three rookie free agents to sign a three-year contract with Packers. Received a signing bonus of $15,000, highest of the group. Strictly an up-field rusher but can flash sub-4.5 speed.
MONTEZ MURPHY
6-5 1/2
256 24
FA-'06
Baylor
Started eight games in ’04 and 11 in ’05, finishing with 5 1/2 sacks, five forced fumbles and 14 1/2 tackles for loss. Looks almost like a basketball player. Needs more strength and bulk.
Tackles at a Glance
RYAN PICKETT
6-2
322 26
UFA-'06
Ohio State
Declared for draft a year early in ’01 and St. Louis took him with the 29th pick. Started all but five games from 2002-’05. Four-year, $14 million deal with Packers included $2 million signing bonus and $3 million roster bonus.
KENDERICK ALLEN
6-5
328 27 FA-'06
Louisiana State
Signed as undrafted FA by New Orleans in May 2003. Played 10 games as a rookie, then was cut on eve of ’04 season and claimed by Giants. Played 15% of the snaps in ’04 and 29% in ’05. Giants rescinded their restricted tender to him in April and Packers inked him April 26 for one-year at $703,080 ($50,000 signing bonus).
CULLEN JENKINS
6-3
295 25
FA-'04
Central Michigan
Started six games in ’04 and 12 in ’05. Ranked fourth on D-line in snaps (541), fourth in pressures per snap (one every 43.3) and eighth in tackles per snap (one every 11).
COLIN COLE
6-1 1/2
325 26
FA-'04
Iowa
Increased playing time from 60 snaps (three games) in ’04 to 460 (16 games) in ’05. Had brief stints on 53-man rosters for Minnesota and Detroit in ’ 03. Lions cut him Sept, 8, 2005, and Packers added him eight days later to their practice squad.
COREY WILLIAMS
6-3 1/2
320 25
D6-'04
Arkansas State
Averaged 31.1 snaps in the first seven games as the No. 3 tackle last year, sat out a month with a torn calf muscle and returned in the final month to average 16.3 snaps.
JOHNNY JOLLY
6-3
317
23 D6-'06
Texas A&M
Played extensively off the bench as an Aggies freshman in ’02 and started all 35 games from 2003-’05. Played both nose tackle and three-technique. Finished with 6 1/2 sacks.
JEROME NICHOLS
6-3
285
26 FA-'06
Wake Forest
Started for Frankfurt Galaxy this spring and led NFL Europe League with seven sacks. Also had 29 tackles and knocked down five passes. Waived by Redskins on final cut last September after joining them as an undrafted rookie.
Position-by-position: Defensive line
Bodies of all shapes and sizes will try to fill holes along front By Bob McGinn
Green Bay - Mike Sherman traded up into the fifth round to draft James Lee in 2003. A year later, he moved up into the third round to select Donnell Washington.
The Green Bay Packers' former coach and general manager knew full well that both players had been notorious underachievers in college. But Sherman readily assumed the risk because the value of mountainous defensive tackles with athletic ability is off the charts.
Lee, 6-foot-4 1/2 and 323 pounds, and Washington, 6-5 1/2 and 328, were busts. Lee is out of football, having played 135 forgettable snaps in two seasons, and Washington is in Oakland, having been in a Packers uniform for just one game out of his two fruitless years.
Partially as a result, the Packers were 23rd in the NFL last season against the run, their worst ranking since 1983. A lot went into why coordinator Jim Bates' run defense fell apart in the last seven weeks, but not being able to line up with two massive tackles, as he did most years in Miami, was crucial.
The Green Bay defense is coordinated now by Bob Sanders, Bates' protégé, but the desire for two big horses inside is just as keen.
After saying good-bye to beat-up Grady Jackson, the Packers paid $6.5 million in guaranteed money on the unrestricted free-agent market to Ryan Pickett (6-2, 322) of St. Louis. He will start at one tackle.
Holdovers Colin Cole and Cullen Jenkins played hard and with a degree of effectiveness as part-time starters. Neither has ideal size, however, with Cole standing just 6-1 1/2 and Jenkins weighing only 295.
Another holdover, Corey Williams, was the "anointed one" 12 months ago but had a disappointing year. He's back, with an extra 10 pounds on a 6-3 1/2 frame, but his forte has never been stacking the point.
Rookie Johnny Jolly (6-3, 317), a sixth-round draft choice, was a very pleasant surprise in the off-season and is in the mix.
That's a lot of defensive tackles, to be sure, and it's not a bad group, either. But the other newcomer, Kenderick Allen, might hold the key to whether the Packers really do improve against the run.
Allen, 6-5 and 328, was given a $721,600 restricted tender in March by the New York Giants, for whom he played 15% of the snaps in 2004 and 29% in '05. But when the Giants rescinded the tender and in effect cut him on April 14, the Packers gave Allen a $50,000 signing bonus and added him.
When Allen first came to Green Bay, he was somewhat out of shape. But when his conditioning improved the coaches were startled by how well he performed.
"Unbelievable," said Carl Hairston, one of the team's two defensive line coaches. "I think the Giants will say, 'Why did we let this guy go?' I think he's got a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove to people that he can be a starter."
Sanders said the job opposite Pickett was open but mentioned Allen prominently among the contenders.
"You can find guys that don't get moved but they don't make plays," second-year defensive line coach Robert Nunn said. "He's a big presence in there that's hard to do anything with. On tape, guys would double-team him and at times get him off-balance, but you wouldn't see him move very far. I think he will make us better."
If the Packers choke off the middle, then linebackers A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett could have productive years.
"What happens is it frees up your linebackers because the offensive linemen have to stay on double teams longer," Hairston said. "This is the guy you want. Kenderick is a natural 320-pounder with long arms. He's real thick up top."
Although Pickett entered the league as a first-round pick and Allen as a free agent, Hairston said Pickett was only marginally quicker than Allen.
"The jury's out because it's a new scheme for (Allen)," said Sanders. "But he's strong, he's a pretty good athlete for his size and he brings us some height in there, which we didn't have last year. Having big guys getting their hands up is important with crossing routes."
Pickett, who demonstrated long pursuit and pocket-collapsing pressure in making '05 his finest season for the Rams, is ranked as the league's 24th-best defensive tackle by Pro Football Weekly. Among the Green Bay ends, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila ranked 23rd and Aaron Kampman 29th.
Even though Green Bay's defensive line was rated by division scouts as the weakest in the NFC North last year, Sanders had no complaints.
If "KGB" can develop more of an inside rushing dimension, Hairston says he'll rate among the sack leaders every year. Hairston would like to rest him more than in the past, but with unproven depth at end he isn't sure if it's possible.
"When teams ran at him I think he played the run pretty good," Hairston said. "But my plan is to keep him fresh so when it comes to rushing the passer in the fourth quarter he's at the top of his game."
Kampman, tenacious, committed and fundamentally sound, should be a double-digit sacker before long, according to Hairston.
The second-unit ends are Mike Montgomery on the left side and Kenny Peterson on the right.
All grit, heart and hustle, Jenkins probably had to play too many first and second downs. He's OK at the point of attack, but his niche might be as third-down rusher.
"He's got some really exceptional quicks on the edge," Nunn said. "Hopefully, we'll get a more consistent rush out of him. He's not a dominant run player but he can slither through there and make plays."
Cole made more tackles on a per-snap basis in '05 than anyone on the unit other than Montgomery and was a more effective rusher than Jackson.
"Solid performer and had an outstanding year," Nunn said. "You know what you're getting. Studies the game. Works hard. In shape."
The Packers are hoping that additional poundage will enable Williams to be stouter and a better bull-rusher.
Jolly didn't score well on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test with 13, but unlike Washington (8) and Lee (20) he seems to have a feel for the game.
"What impressed me most was his football savvy," Nunn said. "You give him something, he's got it. He was just impressive from the day he walked in here. If he'll work hard in the weight room and be a professional, this guy can play in the league for a while."
-----------------------------------------
At a Glance
The 14 defensive linemen on the Green Bay roster heading into training camp next week. Each player is listed with height, weight, age, how acquired and college. Acquisition categories: D5 means fifth-round draft choice, FA means free agent and UFA means unrestricted free agent. Ends at a Glance
Player Ht. Wt. Age Acquired College
AARON KAMPMAN
6-4
279 26
D5-'02
Iowa
Modern-day iron man played 93.2% of the snaps (58.9 per game). Re-signed with Green Bay on eve of free agency (four years, $21 million, $12 million guaranteed).
KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA
6-3 1/2
253
28
D5-'00
San Diego State
Played 80.1% of the downs but ended up with a career-low number of pressures (22 1/2). Settled for eight sacks, down from 13, 12, 10 and 13 in previous four seasons.
MIKE MONTGOMERY
6-5
278 23
D6-'05
Texas A&M
Led D-line in tackles per snap (one every 6.3) but played just 157 snaps, mostly as early-down replacement for KGB late in the season. Underwent heart surgery in ’03 to repair irregular heartbeat.
KENNY PETERSON
6-3
285 27
D3-'03
Ohio State
Third-round pick with three sacks in three seasons. Ranked third on team in pressures per snaps ’05 (one every 36.3), playing most of the time at tackle on passing downs.
DAVE TOLLEFSON
6-4
255 25
D7-'06
NW Missouri State
Ex-junior college player who spent three seasons in Division II at Northwest Missouri State. Sat out ’03 with broken foot, then registered 8 1/2 sacks in ’04 and school-record 13 1/2 in ’05.
JASON HUNTER
6-4
243 22
FA-'06
Appalachian State
One of only three rookie free agents to sign a three-year contract with Packers. Received a signing bonus of $15,000, highest of the group. Strictly an up-field rusher but can flash sub-4.5 speed.
MONTEZ MURPHY
6-5 1/2
256 24
FA-'06
Baylor
Started eight games in ’04 and 11 in ’05, finishing with 5 1/2 sacks, five forced fumbles and 14 1/2 tackles for loss. Looks almost like a basketball player. Needs more strength and bulk.
Tackles at a Glance
RYAN PICKETT
6-2
322 26
UFA-'06
Ohio State
Declared for draft a year early in ’01 and St. Louis took him with the 29th pick. Started all but five games from 2002-’05. Four-year, $14 million deal with Packers included $2 million signing bonus and $3 million roster bonus.
KENDERICK ALLEN
6-5
328 27 FA-'06
Louisiana State
Signed as undrafted FA by New Orleans in May 2003. Played 10 games as a rookie, then was cut on eve of ’04 season and claimed by Giants. Played 15% of the snaps in ’04 and 29% in ’05. Giants rescinded their restricted tender to him in April and Packers inked him April 26 for one-year at $703,080 ($50,000 signing bonus).
CULLEN JENKINS
6-3
295 25
FA-'04
Central Michigan
Started six games in ’04 and 12 in ’05. Ranked fourth on D-line in snaps (541), fourth in pressures per snap (one every 43.3) and eighth in tackles per snap (one every 11).
COLIN COLE
6-1 1/2
325 26
FA-'04
Iowa
Increased playing time from 60 snaps (three games) in ’04 to 460 (16 games) in ’05. Had brief stints on 53-man rosters for Minnesota and Detroit in ’ 03. Lions cut him Sept, 8, 2005, and Packers added him eight days later to their practice squad.
COREY WILLIAMS
6-3 1/2
320 25
D6-'04
Arkansas State
Averaged 31.1 snaps in the first seven games as the No. 3 tackle last year, sat out a month with a torn calf muscle and returned in the final month to average 16.3 snaps.
JOHNNY JOLLY
6-3
317
23 D6-'06
Texas A&M
Played extensively off the bench as an Aggies freshman in ’02 and started all 35 games from 2003-’05. Played both nose tackle and three-technique. Finished with 6 1/2 sacks.
JEROME NICHOLS
6-3
285
26 FA-'06
Wake Forest
Started for Frankfurt Galaxy this spring and led NFL Europe League with seven sacks. Also had 29 tackles and knocked down five passes. Waived by Redskins on final cut last September after joining them as an undrafted rookie.