RashanGary
08-10-2006, 08:32 AM
Kampman might take another step up
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e331/e_mailbob/Kamp.jpg
For the last three Green Bay Packers training camps, starting defensive end Aaron Kampman has taken most of his daily one-on-one pass-rushing snaps against Mark Tauscher.
Tauscher, one of the better if under publicized right tackles in the NFL, was superior in the majority of those battles. But after 1½ weeks of camp this year, Kampman is winning more often than in the past.
Could it be Kampman, a prototypical overachiever coming off his best NFL season and set to turn 27 in November, still is an ascending player? Might he continue his annual improvement for several more years despite the conventional wisdom that he's a try-hard and character player with ordinary talent at best?
"I think he's going to be a lot better this year," Tauscher said Wednesday. "People have him as a guy that's maxed out talent wise. I don't see it. I see him as a guy that as he gets older is probably going to get better. If you think of guys like (former NFL defensive end) Trace Armstrong, his ninth, 10th, 11th years were his big sack years. You get a knack for how to beat people, and that's something (Kampman) is going to have a lot of success doing."
Tauscher, who last year at this time correctly predicted Kampman would have something of a breakout year in 2005, disputed that Kampman is beating him more this camp in one-on-ones. Kampman, on the other hand, agreed he's having more success.
Regardless, Tauscher isn't the only member of the organization predicting Kampman can be a noticeably better player than last year, when he had the second-most tackles by a defensive lineman (105) in team history and a career-high 6½ sacks. General Manager Ted Thompson decided that he couldn't allow Kampman to hit the free-agent market after that kind of performance and paid him $11 million in bonuses as part of a four-year, $21 million contract.
That kind of up-front money usually is reserved for stud pass rushers, which Kampman isn't. He's more complete than most defensive ends, and his ability to play the run well plus get a handful of sacks would have made him a coveted player in a free-agent market that was soft at that position last offseason. But is he really worth that kind of money?
"I am what I am," Kampman said. "I've had things written about me good and bad. I answer those questions  what do I say? I play extremely hard and I play with fundamentals. In my mind I believe I do have talent. I'm a football player, that's my profession. I try to do it the best I can. That's it."
Carl Hairston, the Packers' new defensive ends coach who also played 15 years at that position in the NFL, knew little about Kampman while coaching the Kansas City Chiefs' defensive line the past five years. After coach Mike McCarthy hired him in January, Hairston watched all of last year's videotape and saw Kampman as a strong, intelligent, high-effort technician. On the practice field, he's found Kampman to be a little bigger than anticipated  Kampman is listed at 278 pounds  and a decent pass rusher.
Hairston even raised the possibility Kampman could get double-digit sacks this season, which would be a significant jump from the 6½ he had last year.
Though Kampman isn't a rush specialist, he'll get his sack chances because the Packers don't have a speed rusher to pair opposite Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila on passing downs. That means Kampman probably will be the second outside rusher in the nickel and dime defenses, as he was last year, when he played more than 90 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Second-year pro Mike Montgomery hasn't done enough in camp yet to challenge for that job.
"Aaron is well worth what he was paid," Hairston said, "and I think you'll probably see more out of him this year, because he's getting better every year. This is only his (fifth) year. He's got a long career to go."
Perhaps the biggest risk teams have to weigh when paying out a contract such as Kampman's is whether the money will change the player.
Kampman, like many NFL millionaires, hit the mother lode because he had his best season in the last year of his contract. It's not unusual for those players never to play to that level again because they lose their hunger and drive after hitting the free-agent jackpot. The Packers, for instance, have experienced such costly mistakes with receiver Antonio Freeman and defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt.
Thompson risked overpaying Kampman in part because he had no qualms in that regard.
After his big pay day, Kampman and his wife bought a new house with a bigger backyard and a guest room, but both still drive the same vehicles they had last year. Far more importantly, Kampman's attendance in the offseason training program and effort in training camp suggest he's still highly motivated.
"He's definitely got a different edge to him than he's had," Tauscher said. "With the contract that he got, you can see him taking on more responsibility and leadership. He's trying to really prove he's worth the money he's paid, and he's really having a good camp."
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e331/e_mailbob/Kamp.jpg
For the last three Green Bay Packers training camps, starting defensive end Aaron Kampman has taken most of his daily one-on-one pass-rushing snaps against Mark Tauscher.
Tauscher, one of the better if under publicized right tackles in the NFL, was superior in the majority of those battles. But after 1½ weeks of camp this year, Kampman is winning more often than in the past.
Could it be Kampman, a prototypical overachiever coming off his best NFL season and set to turn 27 in November, still is an ascending player? Might he continue his annual improvement for several more years despite the conventional wisdom that he's a try-hard and character player with ordinary talent at best?
"I think he's going to be a lot better this year," Tauscher said Wednesday. "People have him as a guy that's maxed out talent wise. I don't see it. I see him as a guy that as he gets older is probably going to get better. If you think of guys like (former NFL defensive end) Trace Armstrong, his ninth, 10th, 11th years were his big sack years. You get a knack for how to beat people, and that's something (Kampman) is going to have a lot of success doing."
Tauscher, who last year at this time correctly predicted Kampman would have something of a breakout year in 2005, disputed that Kampman is beating him more this camp in one-on-ones. Kampman, on the other hand, agreed he's having more success.
Regardless, Tauscher isn't the only member of the organization predicting Kampman can be a noticeably better player than last year, when he had the second-most tackles by a defensive lineman (105) in team history and a career-high 6½ sacks. General Manager Ted Thompson decided that he couldn't allow Kampman to hit the free-agent market after that kind of performance and paid him $11 million in bonuses as part of a four-year, $21 million contract.
That kind of up-front money usually is reserved for stud pass rushers, which Kampman isn't. He's more complete than most defensive ends, and his ability to play the run well plus get a handful of sacks would have made him a coveted player in a free-agent market that was soft at that position last offseason. But is he really worth that kind of money?
"I am what I am," Kampman said. "I've had things written about me good and bad. I answer those questions  what do I say? I play extremely hard and I play with fundamentals. In my mind I believe I do have talent. I'm a football player, that's my profession. I try to do it the best I can. That's it."
Carl Hairston, the Packers' new defensive ends coach who also played 15 years at that position in the NFL, knew little about Kampman while coaching the Kansas City Chiefs' defensive line the past five years. After coach Mike McCarthy hired him in January, Hairston watched all of last year's videotape and saw Kampman as a strong, intelligent, high-effort technician. On the practice field, he's found Kampman to be a little bigger than anticipated  Kampman is listed at 278 pounds  and a decent pass rusher.
Hairston even raised the possibility Kampman could get double-digit sacks this season, which would be a significant jump from the 6½ he had last year.
Though Kampman isn't a rush specialist, he'll get his sack chances because the Packers don't have a speed rusher to pair opposite Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila on passing downs. That means Kampman probably will be the second outside rusher in the nickel and dime defenses, as he was last year, when he played more than 90 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Second-year pro Mike Montgomery hasn't done enough in camp yet to challenge for that job.
"Aaron is well worth what he was paid," Hairston said, "and I think you'll probably see more out of him this year, because he's getting better every year. This is only his (fifth) year. He's got a long career to go."
Perhaps the biggest risk teams have to weigh when paying out a contract such as Kampman's is whether the money will change the player.
Kampman, like many NFL millionaires, hit the mother lode because he had his best season in the last year of his contract. It's not unusual for those players never to play to that level again because they lose their hunger and drive after hitting the free-agent jackpot. The Packers, for instance, have experienced such costly mistakes with receiver Antonio Freeman and defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt.
Thompson risked overpaying Kampman in part because he had no qualms in that regard.
After his big pay day, Kampman and his wife bought a new house with a bigger backyard and a guest room, but both still drive the same vehicles they had last year. Far more importantly, Kampman's attendance in the offseason training program and effort in training camp suggest he's still highly motivated.
"He's definitely got a different edge to him than he's had," Tauscher said. "With the contract that he got, you can see him taking on more responsibility and leadership. He's trying to really prove he's worth the money he's paid, and he's really having a good camp."