Get Hodge in the starting line-up

[Badgepack]

Oates: Packers' Hodge deserves to start in middle
TOM OATES 608-252-6172
toates@madison.com
General manager Ted Thompson lapsed directly into NFL-speak when asked if rookie Abdul Hodge had impressed him enough to start at linebacker for the Green Bay Packers.

"We'll play the best guys that we have," Thompson told reporters Monday. "If he happens to be one of the best guys, we'd play him."

Good, because the time has come for the Packers to put their money where their cliche is.

With the first exhibition game coming up Saturday, the three best linebackers in the Packers' training camp are Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk and Abdul Hodge. Problem is, only two of those three - Barnett at middle linebacker and Hawk at weakside linebacker - are starting.

It's time to start all three.

The Packers should move Barnett to the strong side and start Hodge in the middle, and they should do it now so they can give Hodge as much time to learn as they can. True, that would give them two rookies - Hawk and Hodge - at linebacker, but if the Packers aren't worried about starting two rookie guards, why would they obsess over starting two rookie linebackers?

Barnett has started the last three seasons at middle linebacker and Hawk, the first-round draft pick from Ohio State, was handed a starting job the minute the Packers called his name in April. However, Hodge, the third-round pick from Iowa, has been stuck behind Barnett on the depth chart while the Packers start bargain-basement free agent Ben Taylor on the strong side.

Taylor has been the same dependable-but-invisible player he was in Cleveland, where he started 16 games in 2005 without a sack, an interception, a forced fumble or a recovered fumble. Meanwhile, Hodge demonstrated in the team's scrimmage Saturday what many had seen throughout camp: He's a tackling machine who plays bigger and faster than he is.

"He looks just like he did at Iowa, running around and making tackles," Thompson said. "He's instinctive, he's aggressive, he's a downhill guy and he's an active football player. He likes to play the game. We're very pleased."

Hopefully, the Packers are pleased enough to make a bold move and start Hodge in the middle. It only makes sense.

First, Hodge is every bit as NFL-ready as Hawk, having matched Hawk tackle-for-tackle during their equally impressive Big Ten Conference careers. Yes, he struggles in pass coverage - what rookie linebacker doesn't? - but he can stuff the run and make big plays, two things the Packers sorely need from their linebackers.

"He'll do a great job with the transition," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said last week. "We've had numerous guys go on (to the NFL) and make the adjustment very well and there's no doubt in my mind Abdul will do the same."

Second, Hodge is a natural-born middle linebacker. Ferentz doesn't claim to know anything about the Packers' personnel situation, but he knows Hodge, a three-year starter at Iowa, and he knows the NFL, having been the offensive line coach for the Cleveland/Baltimore franchise for six years. He also knows linebackers, having coached for an NFL team that had Ray Lewis at middle, or mike, linebacker.

"I'm not saying he's Ray Lewis, but to me Ray Lewis is a mike and Abdul (is a mike)," Ferentz said. "In my opinion, he's a box middle linebacker. ... He's an explosive, tough player, he can play the position, he's got great instincts and he's a great student of the game. I'll be shocked if he doesn't have a great career. I'll just be shocked."

Thompson, a linebacker in his playing days, said it's not difficult for linebackers to move around and play different spots in the Packers' defense.

"There's some versatility there," he said. "If you're athletic and you have instincts, you can play."

Hodge could probably move to the outside and start this year, but that wouldn't make sense. He already has the instincts to play the middle and might not be as effective outside with his lack of top-end speed. Meanwhile, Barnett has been good but not great in the middle and might be better outside, where he can use his speed.

Thompson said it's coach Mike McCarthy's call who starts at linebacker, but it's a no-brainer. Hodge could be the Packers' middle linebacker for the next 10 years, so why wait another day to put him there?

[MJZiggy]

Hasn't everyone on this board been saying this for at least a week? It sounds awfully familiar to me.

[red]

Hasn't everyone on this board been saying this for at least a week? It sounds awfully familiar to me.

i think a lot of us were saying it the second they drafted hodge

and now we can breath easy since hes put his money where our mouths were

[wist43]

Hodge would immediately improve the Packers run defense... he's so much more instinctive, and much tougher than Barnett will ever be.

Granted Hodge is a liability in coverage, and teams would certainly scheme to match him up in coverage when ever they could; but, conversely, the Packers could sheme to protect him as well.

On run downs, Hodge should be at MLB.

In the nickel: Barnett and Hawk
In the dime: Barnett; with Poppinga on the field as a rover/rusher in certain situations. Hawk simply isn't a pass rusher - at least off the edge. Poppinga is much more suited to that role.

The Packers, amazingly enough, actually have some flexibility and options with their LB'ing corp.

[Badgepack]

Hasn't everyone on this board been saying this for at least a week? It sounds awfully familiar to me.

True, but will MM actually make the change and do it?

Barnett would need time to adjust to the outside, and Hodge needs to be in the middle from the start. The change should be made soon if it is to be done.

[Partial]

Hasn't everyone on this board been saying this for at least a week? It sounds awfully familiar to me.

True, but will MM actually make the change and do it?

Barnett would need time to adjust to the outside, and Hodge needs to be in the middle from the start. The change should be made soon if it is to be done.

Not necessarily. My guess is Barnett is cross-trained in all the positions now after being in the system for a year.

[woodbuck27]

Hasn't everyone on this board been saying this for at least a week? It sounds awfully familiar to me.

True, but will MM actually make the change and do it?

Barnett would need time to adjust to the outside, and Hodge needs to be in the middle from the start. The change should be made soon if it is to be done.

Your point is well made.

MM and the coach's will have to assess Abdul Hodge in real game action, but let him go now. This man is a player.

You don't buy a new car and keep it in the garage.

GO PACKERS !

[red]

barnett was a safety in college that was moved to OLB at oregon. that was and is his natural position. we drafted him and turned him into a MLB because he was by far the best we had at the time. nick already knows the position, he was one of the best in college at oLB when he came out , so there wouldn't be much learning involved. its definately nothing like how much hodge would have to relearn if he moved outside

but why do that? hodge is the pure mean bad ass MLB that all teams look for

and wist was right on, you start hodge in the middle, and on passing downs you bring him out. it really doesn't seem that complicated, or that big of a deal

[The_Dude]

When if ever have we started 2 rookies at LB, maybe not even us but has any team ever done that??

I have no problem doing that but we should expect a decent amount of Rookie "moments" during the regular season.

[Tony Oday]

I would like to see him in some more action than a family night game before I annoint hi as the second comming of Ray Lewis. HOWEVER I have said from the begining I would like to see him out there but lets have them play it out in camp. Taylor still has the job and its his to lose. I would LOVE to see just a bunch of rotation in the LB corp to keep offenses guessing and our guys fresh. You rotate D linemen why not LBs?

[HarveyWallbangers]

When if ever have we started 2 rookies at LB, maybe not even us but has any team ever done that??

I have no problem doing that but we should expect a decent amount of Rookie "moments" during the regular season.

Seattle did it last year with Lofa Tatupu and LeRoy Hill. They made the Super Bowl and those rookies were huge factors. Tatupu was great and Hill had like 7 sacks.

[Patler]

I would like to see him in some more action than a family night game before I annoint hi as the second comming of Ray Lewis.

Its a funny thing with linebackers, so long as they act tough or hit hard, the assumption is that they are all-around good players.

Hodge may turn out to be the real deal, but before determining that it will be nice to see what he can do against a real opponent trying their best to take advantage of him, rather than against an offense and players that he already knows very well. Do his strengths outweigh his weaknesses?

Its a little early to dismiss what Taylor can provide too. He is a veteran coming off a 110+ tackle season. No, he doesn't provide turnovers, but he seemingly provides reliability.

Same with Poppinga. He had a lot to learn last year. Let's see how much he has learned.

However, it does look like there is the potential for a very nice group at that position. Hopefully they will tunout to be as good during real games as some think they already are.

[K-town]

When if ever have we started 2 rookies at LB, maybe not even us but has any team ever done that??

I have no problem doing that but we should expect a decent amount of Rookie "moments" during the regular season.

I mentioned this in a different thread. It was in 1978, I believe, that we started two rookies: John Anderson at SLB, and Michael Hunt at MLB.

[red]

When if ever have we started 2 rookies at LB, maybe not even us but has any team ever done that??

I have no problem doing that but we should expect a decent amount of Rookie "moments" during the regular season.

I mentioned this in a different thread. It was in 1978, I believe, that we started two rookies: John Anderson at SLB, and Michael Hunt at MLB.

LOL

mike hunt

lol

i think i've met him before to tell the truth

[gbpackfan]

Barnett will be PISSED if he gets moved to OLB. I'm not saying that we shouldn't do it because of that, but we better know what we have in Hodge BEFORE we go moving everyone around.

[Deputy Nutz]

Hasn't everyone on this board been saying this for at least a week? It sounds awfully familiar to me.

True, but will MM actually make the change and do it?

Barnett would need time to adjust to the outside, and Hodge needs to be in the middle from the start. The change should be made soon if it is to be done.

Not necessarily. My guess is Barnett is cross-trained in all the positions now after being in the system for a year.

For the last three years barnett hasn't played a down other than at middle linebacker. He might naturally be an OLB, but the fact is he hasn't had any opportunity there in quite some time. If the Packers were to make a move they need to do it no later than next week

[Row 67]

Who cares if Barnett is pissed? Does he want to win, or does he want to be a "me" guy?

If its the right move to make, move him outside, and then, like someone said above, move him inside on obvious passing downs and take Hodge out.

[MJZiggy]

I think someone asked him about moving this week and he said he didn't think he'd have a problem with it, but he hasn't heard a whisper of plans to do it.

[Patler]

I think it was training camp his second season, maybe last year, that they had Barnett practice some on the outside, and I think they even had Diggs practice in the middle, as I recall (which would seem to indicate 2004, since Diggs was hurt most of last year). Sherman used to claim that after their rookie year, they tried to train each player for at least two positions, to provide emergency help if there were a number of injuries in one game. That should mean that Barnett has been getting at least some practice time the last couple years at one of the outside positions.

Heck, if Paris Lenon could be the primary backup at all three positions, Barnett should be able to move outside without a huge problem.

[Patler]

By the way, what is the basis for thinking Barnett would be upset at having to move? He may not want to, just like Tauscher expressed a preference to stay at tackle, but both are well paid professionals who I suspect will do what they are asked by the coaching staff to do.

[Tony Oday]

Barnett wouldnt be pissed on the move. Cmon that guy just wants to win man! I dont see it happening though. I think Barnett would be good over the TE but why not move Hodge out there and keep the record holder for tackles in the middle??

[Partial]

Barnett wouldnt be pissed on the move. Cmon that guy just wants to win man! I dont see it happening though. I think Barnett would be good over the TE but why not move Hodge out there and keep the record holder for tackles in the middle??

It's all about playing to peoples strengths. My guess is Barnett is named the starter, but Hodge runs the first and second down show with Barnett on the field in a different LB position.

[wist43]

I would like to see him in some more action than a family night game before I annoint hi as the second comming of Ray Lewis.

Its a funny thing with linebackers, so long as they act tough or hit hard, the assumption is that they are all-around good players.

Hodge may turn out to be the real deal, but before determining that it will be nice to see what he can do against a real opponent trying their best to take advantage of him, rather than against an offense and players that he already knows very well. Do his strengths outweigh his weaknesses?

Its a little early to dismiss what Taylor can provide too. He is a veteran coming off a 110+ tackle season. No, he doesn't provide turnovers, but he seemingly provides reliability.

Same with Poppinga. He had a lot to learn last year. Let's see how much he has learned.

However, it does look like there is the potential for a very nice group at that position. Hopefully they will tunout to be as good during real games as some think they already are.

I, like most people, would not make the argument that Hodge is an "all around player". He will never be an asset in coverage... but, he is a pure football player, and I think in time he will be at least servicable in coverage as long as they don't ask him to try and turn and run with Tatum Bell, or LaDanian Tomlinson.

Hodge's strength is defending the run, and the moment they drafted him he immediately became Green Bay's best run defender. He diagnoses plays immediately, sniffs out the ball quickly, and delivers impressive shots once he gets there.

[HarveyWallbangers]

This talk is premature until I see a few quality preseason games against guys wearing a different jersey. It wouldn't hurt to teach him new positions though. It's been said that the LBs are more interchangeable in a Bates scheme.

[RashanGary]

Hodge had a play in that game that really showed his weaknesses as a player. He was running laterally to make a play near the sideline. The RB was rounding the corner and got an extra 3 yards because Hodge was too slow in covering ground. Just the feel of the play, I knew Barnett would have stuffed that 2 or 3 yards shorter.

There are a bunch of packages that they could employ. Hodge could play mddle in goaline situations and Barnett could swing out to cover TE's and RB's.

In passing situations, Poppinga can come in for Taylor and overload one side to put pressure on the QB and Barnett/Hawk can play coverage.

There are a bunch of ways to get guys of the field. Next year, Hodge probably moves inside for good. This year he plays a smaller role.

[Creepy]

You canj't pick a single play and state another player would have stuffed it. Who is to say that Barnett would have taken the same abgle or reacted as quickly.

However, I agree with what is said and the story. Unless you know the team is going to run the ball on 1st & 2d down the Hodge needs more training/practice. If teams discover you r MLB can stuff the run but can't cover the backs, TE, or play any coverage againts a WR then they will pass all over him. Thisis Hodges real weakness, pass coverage. He will need all of TC and Pre-season to get it staright. Once he gets his pass cover skills down he can be moved th e middle and Barnett outside.

The idea for the nickel is for Barnett to stay in with Hawk and move the other LB Taylor or if Hodge out. Let Hodge learn and get experience, even Nitschke didn't start in his first year in GB.

[woodbuck27]

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/packer/img/news/aug06/thodge807.jpg

Abdul Hodge

Somewhere, somehow, Green Bay Packers rookie Abdul Hodge seems destined to get on the football field this season. The questions are where and how soon.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=480770

GO PACKERS !