Morgan Burnett

[Patler]

I know, we are discussing Burnett and safeties in general in other threads, but I am getting lost where to post comments specifically about him, so I figured I would start one specific to him.

- His play was disappointing, no doubt.
- 0 interceptions from a guy who said he would focus on them was surprising.
- Often he seemed just a step slow, a step late (eg, SF's playoff TD throw to Davis).

This morning it hit me. Burnett missed the first three games due to a hamstring injury that was pretty serious. He missed the last preseason game because of it, the first three games of the season, then had their bye week before finally playing. Combined, he was out for 5 weeks.

Might it be that what we saw from him was the lingering effects of a serious hamstring injury? Did it make him that half step slower that resulted in being late to make plays?

[bobblehead]

Guys play hurt in the NFL. He still has to perform better than he did.

[Patler]

Guys play hurt in the NFL. He still has to perform better than he did.

Burnett played too. Not all guys who play with injuries play as well as they could without the injury. We aren't talking about the minor things that everyone plays with. This was significant enough to have kept him out for 5 weeks.

I'm not saying he shouldn't have been better, but if the injury made him slower in speed, and/or less quick, there really isn't much he can do about it until he has a chance to fully heel and rehab. He still played, and did make some good plays, but he had a conspicuous number of plays that were "just that close". and the injury might be the reason.

[packer4life]

On other teams he only would have missed 2-3 weeks. His hamstring injury is a sorry excuse for what really was just pure suboptimal safety play from a supposedly ascending player.

[mraynrand]

On other teams he only would have missed 2-3 weeks. His hamstring injury is a sorry excuse for what really was just pure suboptimal safety play from a supposedly ascending player.

How the hell do you know this?

[mraynrand]

Patler, I like the exciting thread title! :)

[Patler]

Patler, I like the exciting thread title! :)

Thanks. A catchy headline just grabs readers and pulls them in!

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Greg Jennings missed the first two games of the 2007 season because of a hamstring injury. His came back the third game against the Chargers, caught the game winning touchdown, and went on to have a break out season. No excuses for Burnett. We paid a guy who with MD Jennings probably played some of the worst safety play in Green bay in a very long time. I'm willing to give him one more year because it would be very hard two find two new starting safeties in the same offseason (MD Jennings is the worst starter on the whole team), but if he doesn't improve drastically this season I would cut ties with him.

[pbmax]

Greg Jennings missed the first two games of the 2007 season because of a hamstring injury. His came back the third game against the Chargers, caught the game winning touchdown, and went on to have a break out season. No excuses for Burnett. We paid a guy who with MD Jennings probably played some of the worst safety play in Green bay in a very long time. I'm willing to give him one more year because it would be very hard two find two new starting safeties in the same offseason (MD Jennings is the worst starter on the whole team), but if he doesn't improve drastically this season I would cut ties with him.

Sorry, but Jennings injury doesn't tell us how bad Burnett's was. Same training staff anyway.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Sorry, but Jennings injury doesn't tell us how bad Burnett's was. Same training staff anyway.

Wasn't my intention. My point was once you're back you're back, no excuses. If there was lingering effects he shouldn't be out there. See Casey Hayward.

[falco]

An interesting theory, and one I hope is right. Otherwise that extension isn't looking very good right now...

[mraynrand]

Wasn't my intention. My point was once you're back you're back, no excuses. If there was lingering effects he shouldn't be out there. See Casey Hayward.

perhaps the training staff made a similar error with Burnett (bringing him back too soon) but Burnett was lucky enough to survive? How to know for sure?

[packer4life]

How the hell do you know this?

Glad you took my statement so literally. I was simply musing that our trainers are way too conservative.

Anyway, I agree with above poster who claims once you are in, step up your game and don't use injuries as excuses.

Burnett blew this year, nuff said.

[Patler]

Glad you took my statement so literally. I was simply musing that our trainers are way too conservative.

Anyway, I agree with above poster who claims once you are in, step up your game and don't use injuries as excuses.

Burnett blew this year, nuff said.

Burnett hasn't used the injury as an excuse. The coaching staff hasn't used it as an excuse. However, the simple fact remains that sometimes guys play with injuries that adversely affect how they play. Tramon Williams came back and played in 2011, but it was obvious that the injury affected how he played. He was in no way shape or form the same player that year. Could be the same with Burnett this year, we just don't know.

Burnett's injury was serious enough that he was out 5 weeks. That is significant. Probably more serious than the injury that kept Jennings out for two weeks.

T

[smuggler]

It may have played into his regression. In truth, though, even if it didn't, I would expect him to bounce back in 2014 just because he's too talented not to.

How much? Well, let's just say 2013 has curbed my optimism, but he could be an average starter next year and it wouldn't shock me.

[Pugger]

Burnett hasn't used the injury as an excuse. The coaching staff hasn't used it as an excuse. However, the simple fact remains that sometimes guys play with injuries that adversely affect how they play. Tramon Williams came back and played in 2011, but it was obvious that the injury affected how he played. He was in no way shape or form the same player that year. Could be the same with Burnett this year, we just don't know.

Burnett's injury was serious enough that he was out 5 weeks. That is significant. Probably more serious than the injury that kept Jennings out for two weeks.

T

I think it took until the middle of THIS season before Tramon's shoulder was right again.

[pbmax]

I think it took until the middle of THIS season before Tramon's shoulder was right again.

Which makes a kind of sense. Somewhere in one of the write-ups about his injury, it was mentioned that it could take years for the nerves to regenerate.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Obviously, it's possible. Burnett was solid the previous year or two. Instead of improving, he regressed. I could see him not improving. Maybe he won't get any better than he's shown. However, for him to regress like he did it's possible the injury affected him.

[mraynrand]

Glad you took my statement so literally. I was simply musing that our trainers are way too conservative.

Anyway, I agree with above poster who claims once you are in, step up your game and don't use injuries as excuses.

Burnett blew this year, nuff said.

What is bolded is defensible, and I mostly agree but they are separate items and I don't know that anyone was using injuries as excuses - (except me!)

[run pMc]

He missed a lot of tackles and seeing him late to give help to the DB's was not uncommon.
I'd comment on him being out of position at times, but I wonder if he was trying to cover up someone else's mistake.

Injury might have been a factor, but I'd think that wouldn't have been an issue later in the season.

[bobblehead]

Thanks. A catchy headline just grabs readers and pulls them in!

Wild speculation, like stating that he would have only missed 2-3 weeks on another team also helps gin up excitement, even if no basis for it is present.

[bobblehead]

Obviously, it's possible. Burnett was solid the previous year or two. Instead of improving, he regressed. I could see him not improving. Maybe he won't get any better than he's shown. However, for him to regress like he did it's possible the injury affected him.

Its also possible (but I'm not buying my own BS) that working with subpar talent next to him affected his game. Worrying about what MD Jennings might fuck up next could have caused him to lose a step on his responsibilities while straightening out others.

[Patler]

Injury might have been a factor, but I'd think that wouldn't have been an issue later in the season.

I don't know, I've been around a lot of hockey players who had significant muscle injuries to their legs, and while we were able to get them back on the ice, they never were "right" until the following off season. Just never had the same acceleration and quickness.

[3irty1]

He's not the only Safety that had a down season on our team. Jennings doesn't come with the expectations that Burnett does but he too went from generally reliable to tire fire. In fact the whole secondary played much worse than a sum of its parts should play and that's been a trend.

[Joemailman]

He's not the only Safety that had a down season on our team. Jennings doesn't come with the expectations that Burnett does but he too went from generally reliable to tire fire. In fact the whole secondary played much worse than a sum of its parts should play and that's been a trend.

That is certainly true at Safety. Darren Perry has had zero success developing young talent. I wonder if TT and MM are having doubts about him, or if they feel the problem is the talent he's had to work with. I think the situation at Corner is a bit better. If they sign Shields, and get Hayward back to 2012 form, I think that area is a strength.

[Zool]

Forgot who mentioned it earlier in the thread, but a hamstring does not discount missed assignments. Possibly he played slower because of the hammy, but there were blown deep coverages on a very consistent basis this year. Maybe that was MD or McMillian, but Burnett is responsible for making the calls. He regressed physically and possibly mentally.

At least he can only go up from where he is currently.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Forgot who mentioned it earlier in the thread, but a hamstring does not discount missed assignments. Possibly he played slower because of the hammy, but there were blown deep coverages on a very consistent basis this year. Maybe that was MD or McMillian, but Burnett is responsible for making the calls. He regressed physically and possibly mentally.

At least he can only go up from where he is currently.

Probably both. Not making fun of the guy, but go watch one of his interviews on packers.com he stands with his mouth open and seems kind of slow.

[pbmax]

He's not the only Safety that had a down season on our team. Jennings doesn't come with the expectations that Burnett does but he too went from generally reliable to tire fire. In fact the whole secondary played much worse than a sum of its parts should play and that's been a trend.

And the coaching there is more of a mystery than Greene and his OLBs.

Whitt developed Shields and Hayward fast, has got Tramon back now healthy and playing well and House is all over the place since last training camp. He has had a few misses but Hayward, Shields and it looks like Hyde represent pretty good work.

Perry has a high draft pick and leftovers and hasn't made a pleasant tasting hash yet. If you had told me one D Assistant was gone this year, my guess would have been one of the backfield guys, Perry as my first guess.