A little on A.J. Hawk's future...

[SavedByGrace]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/115244309.html

Just for the record, I really hope we sign him back and dump Chillar.

Packers 31, Steelers 17

[Kiwon]

Well, the good news for Hawk is that the injuries allowed him to get more playing time and he could show what he could do.

$10 million for one season is a lot of coin. I'm guessing that his only chance to stay with the Packers might be to sign a new contact for less money.

[Tony Oday]

Both sides knew he would never make the $10 million next year. He plays every game and is a team leader...lock him up.

[gbgary]

he's been great this year. he's there every game. he needs to be resigned and one of the others let go.

[denverYooper]

Both sides knew he would never make the $10 million next year. He plays every game and is a team leader...lock him up.

This.

[mraynrand]

he's been great this year. he's there every game. he needs to be resigned and one of the others let go.

that

[Lurker64]

he's been great this year. he's there every game. he needs to be resigned and one of the others let go.

Excepting Bishop (who just signed an extension) Barnett would probably glean the most compensation in a trade. I say we get rid of him.

[Smidgeon]

Excepting Bishop (who just signed an extension) Barnett would probably glean the most compensation in a trade. I say we get rid of him.

What do you think Barnett could get? A 2? 3? 4?

[Tony Oday]

What do you think Barnett could get? A 2? 3? 4?

5th he's coming off an injury isnt that a bad thing?

[HarveyWallbangers]

He's coming off a major injury (his second in three years), he's getting old, and he makes good ching. I agree with Tony. Probably something like a 5th round pick.

[Patler]

There have been several articles the last week about Hawk as the signal caller on defense. Each article had several comments from players and coaches about it. The underlying impression I get is that Hawk does a better job of it than Barnett.

One article pointed out that since Hawk took over, the instances of "miscommunication" on defense have almost disappeared completely. The article noted that in the second year of Capers' reign you would expect mistakes to decrease, but noted that Hawk has to get some credit for the almost complete disappearance of such things.

Players talked about the calming influence Hawk has.

One of the coaches mentioned that Hawk is almost perfect in those situation when he has had to "do it on his own" because the call didn't get in in time. Apparently on defense, with the shifting offenses, etc. it happens somewhat often that the headset shuts off before the final defensive calls are made.

Keeping Hawk in his present role might be a very, very good thing for the defense. He has been criticized in the past even by coaches for being too much of a perfectionist, and not trusting instincts to sometimes ad lib and make a play when he sees it in front of him. That may be true, but his perfectionism has maybe made him a top notch player at directing the defense in all the pre-snap adjustments that have to happen.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Oh how the tune around here has changed since the beginning of the season about Hawk.

*says the guy who's wearing his Hawk jersey to work in the Twin Cities today*

[Brandon494]

Oh how the tune around here has changed since the beginning of the season about Hawk.

*says the guy who's wearing his Hawk jersey to work in the Twin Cities today*


My view hasn't changed. He's a player who's average at everything and great at nothing. I was one of the posters who believe Bishop was the better of the two which showed this year. I do like him over Barnett at this stage of their careers so I hope we do resign him but he is far from a Pro Bowl in my eyes.

[Tony Oday]

My view hasn't changed. He's a player who's average at everything and great at nothing. I was one of the posters who believe Bishop was the better of the two which showed this year. I do like him over Barnett at this stage of their careers so I hope we do resign him but he is far from a Pro Bowl in my eyes.

As per usual I disagree 100% I think the reason they are both playing well is Bishop is able to take more chances with Hawk being the steady rock so Bishop can be the hammer. Just my opinion.

[Smidgeon]

My view hasn't changed. He's a player who's average at everything and great at nothing. I was one of the posters who believe Bishop was the better of the two which showed this year. I do like him over Barnett at this stage of their careers so I hope we do resign him but he is far from a Pro Bowl in my eyes.

But if Hawk and Bishop play different positions, why does it matter that one's better than the other? It's like saying Nick Collins is better than Charlie Peprah. Sure, that's difficult to argue against, but Collins and Peprah don't compete against each other for playing time. Hawk is the thumper and Barnett/Bishop the cleanup. Two different positions.

[Cheesehead Craig]

My view hasn't changed. He's a player who's average at everything and great at nothing. I was one of the posters who believe Bishop was the better of the two which showed this year. I do like him over Barnett at this stage of their careers so I hope we do resign him but he is far from a Pro Bowl in my eyes.
I can respect the opinion that he's not a Pro-Bowler, I can't argue against that. I think Hawk is great in the head and is a rock-steady leader and performer. I think it's pretty obvious at this point though that the defense is better with than without him.

[SkinBasket]

There have been several articles the last week about Hawk as the signal caller on defense. Each article had several comments from players and coaches about it. The underlying impression I get is that Hawk does a better job of it than Barnett.

One article pointed out that since Hawk took over, the instances of "miscommunication" on defense have almost disappeared completely. The article noted that in the second year of Capers' reign you would expect mistakes to decrease, but noted that Hawk has to get some credit for the almost complete disappearance of such things.

Players talked about the calming influence Hawk has.

One of the coaches mentioned that Hawk is almost perfect in those situation when he has had to "do it on his own" because the call didn't get in in time. Apparently on defense, with the shifting offenses, etc. it happens somewhat often that the headset shuts off before the final defensive calls are made.

Keeping Hawk in his present role might be a very, very good thing for the defense. He has been criticized in the past even by coaches for being too much of a perfectionist, and not trusting instincts to sometimes ad lib and make a play when he sees it in front of him. That may be true, but his perfectionism has maybe made him a top notch player at directing the defense in all the pre-snap adjustments that have to happen.

This seems to be the case. How many times this season compared to others have you seen our defenders yelling at each other? I can't recall seeing it at all this season, but I can remember plenty of yappin back and forth after blown plays with Barnett in there.

[Fritz]

I was actually thinking about this yesterday, but I did not make the connection to Hawk. I was just thinking of how many touchdown passes ended with (usually) Al Harris yapping at somebody about some missed coverage.

I wonder what an acceptable/reasonable contract would be for a guy like Hawk?

[Patler]

My view hasn't changed. He's a player who's average at everything and great at nothing. I was one of the posters who believe Bishop was the better of the two which showed this year. I do like him over Barnett at this stage of their careers so I hope we do resign him but he is far from a Pro Bowl in my eyes.

He's not that far away from a Pro Bowl. He has been named as an alternate the last two years in a row. He might never actually play in one, and might never get closer than two or three guys away from the ones who start, but that's OK.

[SavedByGrace]

I agree with previous posters: get rid of Barnett. Two season-ending injuries in 3 years is too much for a guy who is making that much. Hawk has missed ZERO games in his years. He's still pretty young and is a solid linebacker. He led our team in tackles, and was tied for the league lead for linebackers with 3 interceptions. Why would you want to get rid of a guy like that? Plus, it's time for Barnett's stupid samurai celebration to go.

[Sparkey]

A perfectionist should be the one making the defensive calls. Making sure everyone understands the assignment and getting people properly positioned.

"Close enough" or "lined up correctly" ?

Which of the above leads to a better defense ? Not that hard of a question really.

As for Barnett. His best asset was always his sideline to sideline speed. Coming off a major knee injury, odds are against him regaining all of that speed, which will negatively affect his impact on defense.

Hopefully; the CBA gets resolved, Hawk gets a renegotiated extension and Barnett gets shown the door.

[Tony Oday]

Hawk will never play in the Pro Bowl...his team will always have a game the next week!

[RashanGary]

Hawk has proven me wrong this year. I never liked him much. I couldn't wait to see Bishop, just becuase he showed potential to make big plays that Hawk never showed. This year though he's looked faster and I feel his impact more. Then there is the matter of his teammates voting him captain (I give that a lot of weight) and all of the emphasis everyone on the team seems to be putting on his steadiness with the playcalling (similar to the praise Bigby got from his teammates a couple years ago). In summary:

1. Reliable (always healthy)
2. Steady (leader, never blows asignment)
3. Playrelayer (gets guys positioned, keeps guys calm)
4. Impact (playing fast, making plays)

Lock the dude up. He's good. Get rid of twitter dick Barnett.

[Joemailman]

The thing with Barnett is that his greatest asset, his lateral speed, isn't as important as an ILB in a 3-4 defense. On the other hand, his inability to take on blockers is a problem on a team that usually only has 2 d-linemen in front of him. He's a better fit in a 4-3. Problem is, his contract may make him untradeable.

[Bretsky]

You absolutely need to keep Hawk; redo his deal. And IMO some year we'll see him playing in the Pro Bowl even though he's not a superstar

Steady Eddie

I like Barnett too as well; he loves Green Bay and has been very positive as a Packer through his career. I find it hard to criticize him expressing his feelings toward a B.S. decision made in error by those we find it impossible to criticize right now in SB week

[OS PA]

You absolutely need to keep Hawk; redo his deal. And IMO some year we'll see him playing in the Pro Bowl even though he's not a superstar

Steady Eddie

I like Barnett too as well; he loves Green Bay and has been very positive as a Packer through his career. I find it hard to criticize him expressing his feelings toward a B.S. decision made in error by those we find it impossible to criticize right now in SB week

Barnett should and hopefully will get a tryout at SS this off season. Ask him to shed a few pounds and see if he can get a little faster. No need to worry about shedding blockers if he's coming up in a Troy Pa sort of fashion and thumping people. The only problem I see with him back at SS is where we're going to put Wood. We could be a defense that seems to remove the conventional positions and just finds a place for playmakers to make plays. We are more like a 2-4 or a 1-5-5 after-all.. rarely do we see a 3-4. This is a Dom-Capers defense and nothing else.

Hawk is our playcaller and is a reason why we've been so damned solid this year. Notice, knocking on wood, how there haven't been many(if any) blown assignments or big plays allowed on us this year? Anybody have any stats on how many big plays, 40+, we've allowed this year? As for Chillar, as long as we aren't under a salary cap there is no reason to dump him. He's a solid back-up, can start in a pinch, and is a great package guy, in case we play an elite TE or a pass happy team. He also plays special teams.

[ND72]

For the first time in a long time I can enjoy a Hawk thread...

[Joemailman]

Barnett should and hopefully will get a tryout at SS this off season. Ask him to shed a few pounds and see if he can get a little faster. No need to worry about shedding blockers if he's coming up in a Troy Pa sort of fashion and thumping people. The only problem I see with him back at SS is where we're going to put Wood. We could be a defense that seems to remove the conventional positions and just finds a place for playmakers to make plays. We are more like a 2-4 or a 1-5-5 after-all.. rarely do we see a 3-4. This is a Dom-Capers defense and nothing else.

Hawk is our playcaller and is a reason why we've been so damned solid this year. Notice, knocking on wood, how there haven't been many(if any) blown assignments or big plays allowed on us this year? Anybody have any stats on how many big plays, 40+, we've allowed this year? As for Chillar, as long as we aren't under a salary cap there is no reason to dump him. He's a solid back-up, can start in a pinch, and is a great package guy, in case we play an elite TE or a pass happy team. He also plays special teams.

Barnett will be 30 next year. He's not going to acquire the coverage skills of a safety by dropping a few pounds. The Packers are #2 in scoring defense in part because Burnett/Peprah are better in coverage than Bigby was. Putting a linebacker at SS ain't going to happen. The only question is whether TT is willing to pay Barnett 6 mil to provide depth behind Hawk and Bishop.

[RashanGary]

For the first time in a long time I can enjoy a Hawk thread...

He proved himself this year. Hopefully he didn't go on roids for one year to earn a contract like he did at OSU ;) and then drops off after we pay him.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I just don't see. A.J. was basically the same solid player that he's always been. Capers reduced his time last year in the nickel. The injuries allowed him to play the number of snaps he did his first few years. Other than that, he was dependable and a good tackler. Coverage skills and blitzing were average. The big plus is how well he performed as the QB of the defense. He's just a solid pro. Not worth All-Pro money, but worth somewhere around what Bishop and Barnett are making.

[bobblehead]

You absolutely need to keep Hawk; redo his deal. And IMO some year we'll see him playing in the Pro Bowl even though he's not a superstar


This is another example of a player who is edging up towards that "playmaker" status that mythically comes with team success. Truth is that Hawk is the exact player he was. No better no worse. He has always been steady. He has always stacked the run pretty good while being below average in the pass game. He now is playing in a very good D where his teammates are doing their jobs and he suddenly gets all sorts of credit. My guess is that he will not get a huge deal, but slightly more than Bishop and Poppinga have gotten.

Don't misunderstand this as a slam on Hawk, I think he is a good heady player, but again, Pro Bowl? I doubt there will ever be a season where he legitimately deserves it.

[bobblehead]

Barnett will be 30 next year. He's not going to acquire the coverage skills of a safety by dropping a few pounds. The Packers are #2 in scoring defense in part because Burnett/Peprah are better in coverage than Bigby was. Putting a linebacker at SS ain't going to happen. The only question is whether TT is willing to pay Barnett 6 mil to provide depth behind Hawk and Bishop.

Really, you see the upgrade over Bigby? I just don't. I think if Bigby is back (which I think he will be) and healthy he will start over Burnett/Peprah unless Burnett improves a lot in the off season program. I also think Skin will go deepend and drive to Green Bay and be arrested attempting to poison bigby.

[Patler]

As for Barnett. His best asset was always his sideline to sideline speed. Coming off a major knee injury, odds are against him regaining all of that speed, which will negatively affect his impact on defense.

Barnett already played all of 2009 following his knee injury, and didn't seem to lose that much speed.
He is on IR this year because of a wrist injury.

[Tarlam!]

I have always been on Barnett's bandwagon, lord only knows why. I've always been on Hawk's bandwagon, but how difficult is it not to fall in love guys named Nick and AJ.

[Bretsky]

Really, you see the upgrade over Bigby? I just don't. I think if Bigby is back (which I think he will be) and healthy he will start over Burnett/Peprah unless Burnett improves a lot in the off season program. I also think Skin will go deepend and drive to Green Bay and be arrested attempting to poison bigby.


completely agree with Joe and I absolutely see Peprah as being an upgrade over Bigby

[bobblehead]

completely agree with Joe and I absolutely see Peprah as being an upgrade over Bigby

How many times has Peprah won player of the month? Not trying to be a smartass, just pointing out that Bigby, when healthy (a big if), has actually PLAYED far superior to Peprah or Burnett.

This doesn't mean I would pay Bigby any more than Peprah, as availability is important, but when he is on the field he is far more productive in both the pass and run D...not just one, but both. I'm talking productivity, as in what they actually DO, not in image, or impression based on what we perceive about them.

[SkinBasket]

Can't believe there's still some Bigby cling-ons out there that think he's a starter. When was the last time the fucking guy even played football for more than a month at a time?

[vince]

I like Peprah, he's been a good fill-in, but when this team has had gaffes in coverage, it has often been Peprah. I'd put him on par with Bigby, although Bigby's problem obviously is that he can't get or stay healthy. That doesn't help himself or the team.

[Fritz]

I think Burnett's gotten a little lost in the shuffle, what with Peprah and Bigby and talk of moving Woodson. It'll be interesting to see how the kid comes back next year - maybe he'll get a little stronger and learn to tackle a little better. Those two things, along with getting more comfortable in the defense, will help him greatly.

[pbmax]

I think the coverage of Hawk as the signal caller might also be damning with faint praise. If that is the most positive thing an article about him can point to, then there may be nothing exceptional that the reporting revealed. McGinn has been tallying Hawk's blitzing and the numbers are mostly horrendous. Its not uncommon for him to be 0 for 10 by McGinn's count. Now some of that might be to occupy lineman to shake someone else free. It is hard to draw a conclusion just from that number and without knowing the call and design of the blitz, but the description solid yet unexceptional comes to mind.

The defense has had fewer breakdowns this year, but that is natural in Year 2. Most of the breakdowns last year were in coverage and those weren't necessarily the calls from Barnett. And the defense seemed to be fine in Year 2 for the 3.5 games Barnett was in. That includes more designed free lancing from Woodson and less improvisational free lancing. The secondary has clearly gotten its act together on communication and we cannot forget Shields makes a huge difference. Being solid and dependable on the outside means Caper is free to go nuts with the other bodies. It is also a role Woodson free lanced with last year and got burned several times.

And I don't recall many (read: none) front seven alignment problems last year in the number 1 rated run defense with Barnett calling signals.

I don't know a team that has paid handsomely for great signal calling and alignment. This is an issue newspapers love to fret about when that guy leaves and is replaced by someone more athletic and less experienced, but teams somehow find a way to struggle through. If Barnett is expendable at his age and price, it is because of Bishop, who plays the same position and not Hawk's signal calling.

But the main concern here at ILB now, is that they still lack someone who can contend with TEs, who are the only offensive personnel to give the passing game fits this year. Neither Hawk not Bishop cover as well as Chillar or Barnett, who both have issues of their own in coverage. The best TE coverage this year has been Woodson (or on rare occasions, Collins). And for that reason plus newer contracts, Chillar is the most entrenched starter/regular contributor heading to next season with Bishop second, each above Hawk and Barnett.

And because they play different positions and have different strengths, Hawk or Barnett might be let go not because of fundamentals or athleticism, but because neither solves the TE problem at ILB. This may be one of the reasons Capers went to nickel so often this year. So it might be up to the draft to find a rare ILB who can stand in against run blockers and cover the TE better than Chillar.

Absent finding that rare player, Hawk stands to be back for the simple reason that he is the only LB on the roster who has proven he can play his Buck position.

[RashanGary]

I just don't see. A.J. was basically the same solid player that he's always been. Capers reduced his time last year in the nickel. The injuries allowed him to play the number of snaps he did his first few years. Other than that, he was dependable and a good tackler. Coverage skills and blitzing were average. The big plus is how well he performed as the QB of the defense. He's just a solid pro. Not worth All-Pro money, but worth somewhere around what Bishop and Barnett are making.

Yeah. His leadership and steadiness seem to be respected by his teammates. Bishop gets I think 4.25 per year, Barnett 6. I'd say 5 mil per year would be ideal for Hawk, then send Barnett packing.

[Pugger]

I doubt Barnett is going anywhere. In this D you can't have enough good LBers.

[MadtownPacker]

Say whatever you want but Barnett is getting old, has missed lots of time the last 2 season and talking shit to your boss in public is always a good way to buy your ticket out of town.

Plus he was always a bitch when it came to tackling anyways.

[Guiness]

snip So it might be up to the draft to find a rare ILB who can stand in against run blockers and cover the TE better than Chillar.

Absent finding that rare player, Hawk stands to be back for the simple reason that he is the only LB on the roster who has proven he can play his Buck position.

Good post pb, and it lays out things pretty well. Interesting that you see Chillar as the one with the most secure position.

I'm a little surprised to see you referring to Hawk's position as a 'Buck' LB though - what do you consider this position to be?

On a related note, what position does Chillar play? It's never been clear to me, especially when I see him on the field with Barnett.

I'm sure a lot of the confusion comes from the way Capers mixes things up, and how infrequently we're in base...

[pbmax]

Good post pb, and it lays out things pretty well. Interesting that you see Chillar as the one with the most secure position.

I'm a little surprised to see you referring to Hawk's position as a 'Buck' LB though - what do you consider this position to be?

On a related note, what position does Chillar play? It's never been clear to me, especially when I see him on the field with Barnett.

I'm sure a lot of the confusion comes from the way Capers mixes things up, and how infrequently we're in base...

In this vein of 3-4 defense, the middle LBs shift according to the offense's power. Like strong and weak safety. If I remember KYPack's nomenclature, those positions in this 3-4 are called Jack and Buck. Buck is the LB who lines up on the O's strong side and is manned by Hawk. He is the one taking on the free guard or FB so the Jack can run free to make a tackle.

In preseason, Hawk and Simpkins (I think it was him, or possibly Francois) were the only two Bucks getting regular work in the base 3-4. It was slightly different in nickel. Simpkins was let go and only Hawk remained. Bishop spent no time there and Francois only marginal time.

In nickel with Chillar, he seems to follow the TE but not for run stopping purposes, its for coverage. If I had to guess he would still be the Buck, but the role is much different.

[Guiness]

In this vein of 3-4 defense, the middle LBs shift according to the offense's power. Like strong and weak safety. If I remember KYPack's nomenclature, those positions in this 3-4 are called Jack and Buck. Buck is the LB who lines up on the O's strong side and is manned by Hawk. He is the one taking on the free guard or FB so the Jack can run free to make a tackle.

In preseason, Hawk and Simpkins (I think it was him, or possibly Francois) were the only two Bucks getting regular work in the base 3-4. It was slightly different in nickel. Simpkins was let go and only Hawk remained. Bishop spent no time there and Francois only marginal time.

In nickel with Chillar, he seems to follow the TE but not for run stopping purposes, its for coverage. If I had to guess he would still be the Buck, but the role is much different.

Agreed, that's how I see Chillar's role. And as you pointed out, he might be supplanted by Woodson or a safety.

I'm not sure, but I think you got the 'Buck' designation wrong? I remember the thread you're talking about, but can't find it (the search feature on this forum SUCKS!). The Jack or Buck position is the weakside OLB. You seem to have the role right though? Hawk plays strong side ILB, and often occupies the extra blocker while the speeder ILB makes the tackle. Not at all sure what you call that position though...I'd probably refer to it as the Mike but that's more of a 4-3 term.

[pbmax]

Answer found: http://packerrats.com/showthread.php?17007-Defensive-Front-Seven&p=414124&viewfull=1#post414124

Rob Demovsky had them as Mack-weakside ILB, Buck-strongside ILB.

[Guiness]

Answer found: http://packerrats.com/showthread.php?17007-Defensive-Front-Seven&p=414124&viewfull=1#post414124

Rob Demovsky had them as Mack-weakside ILB, Buck-strongside ILB.

Nice.

Did you honestly find that with the search feature on this board? If so, I bow to your kung-fu skills.

[ThunderDan]

Nice.

Did you honestly find that with the search feature on this board? If so, I bow to your kung-fu skills.

No doubt. I am still trying to find the "Chew on this Hawk Lovers" thread from some time ago.

[pbmax]

Nice.

Did you honestly find that with the search feature on this board? If so, I bow to your kung-fu skills.

Not exactly. The search feature doesn't seem to include anything in the archive. For instance, I searched all of KYPack's posts with no other parameters and 4 posts came back.

So taking a tip from Easy Cheesey, I went right to the archive (front page, bottom right) and promptly got lost. Then I went to Google, did an Advanced Search there on packerrats.com and that narrowed down the date range and got an estimated post/thread number for that date. Then I went back to the archive and read through post titles until I hit something promising.

[denverYooper]

No doubt. I am still trying to find the "Chew on this Hawk Lovers" thread from some time ago.

http://packerrats.com/showthread.php?18344-Chew-on-this-Hawk-Lovers!

[denverYooper]

Not exactly. The search feature doesn't seem to include anything in the archive. For instance, I searched all of KYPack's posts with no other parameters and 4 posts came back.

So taking a tip from Easy Cheesey, I went right to the archive (front page, bottom right) and promptly got lost. Then I went to Google, did an Advanced Search there on packerrats.com and that narrowed down the date range and got an estimated post/thread number for that date. Then I went back to the archive and read through post titles until I hit something promising.

When you do a google search, you can type in site:packerrats.com in the box after your search terms to search only packerrats.

Edit: colon-p makes a smiley, so site colon packerrats.com is what I was trying to write

[Iron Mike]

http://www.the-ozone.net/03images/football/portraits/47-aj-hawk-200.jpg

He looks more intimidating without the girl hair, IMHO...

[bobblehead]

I think the coverage of Hawk as the signal caller might also be damning with faint praise. If that is the most positive thing an article about him can point to, then there may be nothing exceptional that the reporting revealed. McGinn has been tallying Hawk's blitzing and the numbers are mostly horrendous. Its not uncommon for him to be 0 for 10 by McGinn's count. Now some of that might be to occupy lineman to shake someone else free. It is hard to draw a conclusion just from that number and without knowing the call and design of the blitz, but the description solid yet unexceptional comes to mind.

The defense has had fewer breakdowns this year, but that is natural in Year 2. Most of the breakdowns last year were in coverage and those weren't necessarily the calls from Barnett. And the defense seemed to be fine in Year 2 for the 3.5 games Barnett was in. That includes more designed free lancing from Woodson and less improvisational free lancing. The secondary has clearly gotten its act together on communication and we cannot forget Shields makes a huge difference. Being solid and dependable on the outside means Caper is free to go nuts with the other bodies. It is also a role Woodson free lanced with last year and got burned several times.

And I don't recall many (read: none) front seven alignment problems last year in the number 1 rated run defense with Barnett calling signals.

I don't know a team that has paid handsomely for great signal calling and alignment. This is an issue newspapers love to fret about when that guy leaves and is replaced by someone more athletic and less experienced, but teams somehow find a way to struggle through. If Barnett is expendable at his age and price, it is because of Bishop, who plays the same position and not Hawk's signal calling.

But the main concern here at ILB now, is that they still lack someone who can contend with TEs, who are the only offensive personnel to give the passing game fits this year. Neither Hawk not Bishop cover as well as Chillar or Barnett, who both have issues of their own in coverage. The best TE coverage this year has been Woodson (or on rare occasions, Collins). And for that reason plus newer contracts, Chillar is the most entrenched starter/regular contributor heading to next season with Bishop second, each above Hawk and Barnett.

And because they play different positions and have different strengths, Hawk or Barnett might be let go not because of fundamentals or athleticism, but because neither solves the TE problem at ILB. This may be one of the reasons Capers went to nickel so often this year. So it might be up to the draft to find a rare ILB who can stand in against run blockers and cover the TE better than Chillar.

Absent finding that rare player, Hawk stands to be back for the simple reason that he is the only LB on the roster who has proven he can play his Buck position.

As usual, you NAILED it.

[Patler]

I think the coverage of Hawk as the signal caller might also be damning with faint praise. If that is the most positive thing an article about him can point to, then there may be nothing exceptional that the reporting revealed. .......

But its not. The articles have also pointed out that Hawk is tied for the lead in interceptions by inside linebackers and is 9th in so called "impact plays" (interceptions + passes defensed + sacks + fumbles forced + fumbles recovered), while leading the team in tackles and doing this all in 15 games, since he didn't play on defense in game #1.

If it was a writer praising Hawk for improved communications on defense, I would not give it much significance. But it came directly from the players, with very positive comments about the clarity, certainty and calmness by which Hawk handles the job. Then, when the coaches mention that Hawk gets it right almost every time when he is forced to make the calls on his own, after the headsets shutoff automatically, it leads me to believe that there is more to it than might first appear.