De'Vondre Campbell

[Tony Oday]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31590165/source-green-bay-packers-expected-sign-ilb-devondre-campbell?platform=amp

Looks like the Pack will be getting their vet ILB.

[texaspackerbacker]

I hope this helps, but I can't help thinking it's a setback for the fairly decent young ILBs the Packers already have. His stats make him sound better than Kirksey, though. I hope we got him cheap. Anybody know the terms?

[bobblehead]

I would say this is a great signing. A 5 year starter. He isn't a "game changer" but he is a solid player at the position who can give us consistency. It would be great if Martin is so good he beats him out, but having him on the roster is a huge benefit to this defense.

[Spaulding]

Competition and depth is good but according to PFF he's a JAG:

De'Vondre Campbell
2016 - 51.6
2017 - 68.3
2018 - 56.6
2019 - 50.1
2020 - 49.0

For comparison of what we used to have with Blake (which appears to be a much higher level of play)

Blake Martinez
2016 - 59.6
2017 - 66.2
2018 - 73.6
2019 - 58.9
2020 - 75.9



Finally, including our starting ILB from last year so that you can see his rating versus our new/used shiny toy on defense:

Christian Kirksey
2016 - 67.5
2017 - 62.0
2018 - 44.7
2019 - 48.2
2020 - 43.8

Looks like a swap of meh where I hope he came at a bargain. Then again maybe new coaching and a new environment is what he needed to jumpstart him back to a pretty good level of play like he performed in 2017.

[bobblehead]

Spaulding, he is exactly a jag. But he is one who manages to start each year. Also his numbers are based off being a 3 down LB. Blake came off the field in most passing downs and was an absolute liability in the pass game. Kirksey can't stay healthy. I think Campbell hasn't missed a game.

And as I said, I hope Martin is healthy and beats him out, but having him on the team is a net benefit at this point.

[texaspackerbacker]

I would say a good signing, maybe not great. And good or not depends on how cheap we got him. Has anybody heard the terms of the signing yet?

[Spaulding]

One thing that makes me optimistic is his speed which has been clocked sub 4.6 (4.58 per PFT). Thus unlike Martinez whose recorded time was 4.71 might allow our ILB to better handle coverage responsibilities and possibly reduce opposing TE's effectiveness given he's also 6'4 and thus matches up better than a CB.

[Joemailman]

Tom Silverstein
@TomSilverstein
The #Packers gave free agent ILB De'Vondre Campbell a one-year, $2M contract that includes a $1.01M signing bonus. Four voidable years were added so that his cap number will be around $1.19 million in '21. There are an additional $500,000 in playtime incentives.
3:23 PM · Jun 10, 2021

[Fritz]

Well, it appears to be a solid signing. He's not a star (or he wouldn't be casting about for a one-year cheap contract), but he seems like a solid addition.

[texaspackerbacker]

Yeah, a good deal money-wise. His stats, what they're saying about him, etc. makes it sound almost too good to be true. I hope nothing comes up to negate that.

[run pMc]

Decent signing, doesn't really move the needle much. Gives them competition at ILB and depth. Neither Barnes nor Martin have great track records for staying healthy, this guy does. I'd rather him play than Summers or Burks. Likely means McDuffie is a PS candidate.

[Joemailman]

This is the kind of signing that a lot of people used to wish TT would make. A solid veteran who can come in and play instead of relying on inexperienced young players to start.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

This is the kind of signing that a lot of people used to wish TT would make. A solid veteran who can come in and play instead of relying on inexperienced young players to start.

Actually, the Majestic Polar Bear signed vets of NFL wars like Scott, err, De Campbell all the time. Campbell lasted this long on the streets of Baltimore cos his Kung Fu ain’t too Wu-tang.

Odds are good Campbell is just another Ray Thompson, Arturo Freeman, Earl Little, that washed up ex-Colts center that got benched with the Pack but still made the Pro Bowl (what the fuck is his name?), Adrian Klemm, etc.

[King Friday]

This is a good signing. He's not going to improve the level of play on the field, but he increases the depth so if we have some injuries we aren't putting an eighth grader out there.

[texaspackerbacker]

Depth we had. 113 or 119 or whatever tackles a season plus a guy who is decent in coverage is something we didn't have. I'm still suspicious of why we got him so cheap, but it certainly seems like he will be an on-field upgrade from the young guys we had and probably will move each of them down a notch.

[Upnorth]

We could get a pro bowler and if Barry sucks we have a bad year. I am worried more about our d than our o right now. Thank goidness our secondary has tremendous potential.

[run pMc]

Depth we had. 113 or 119 or whatever tackles a season plus a guy who is decent in coverage is something we didn't have. I'm still suspicious of why we got him so cheap, but it certainly seems like he will be an on-field upgrade from the young guys we had and probably will move each of them down a notch.

I was going to say most ILBs don't much money in FA, but then I look at Kirksey & what he signed for last year and this year. I'd take Campbell for $2M over Kirksey for the 4.5M HOU paid him (or the $13M deal GB signed him for last year). Krys Barnes was leaving the field with an injury twice a game by the end of the season; agree with Friday we can't have an 8th grader out there.

Also agree the new DC Barry will be one of if not the most important signing on the D this year. If he stinks even a 38 year old MVP QB won't get them to the SB.

APB: you're thinking of Jeff Saturday. IIRC they let ED-S walk in FA and didn't have anyone who could play center decently on the squad, but he was washed up and everyone knew it. They have like 4 guys who can play center now.

[RashanGary]

I hope Barnes first and Martin second make this signing unimportant. Barnes has a lot of potential to be a Blake Martinez level starter in there. He showed up right away. And a good offseason of training should help with durability and overall athleticism. He was a little chubby last year. His body isn’t maxed out at all.

[bobblehead]

I hope Barnes first and Martin second make this signing unimportant. Barnes has a lot of potential to be a Blake Martinez level starter in there. He showed up right away. And a good offseason of training should help with durability and overall athleticism. He was a little chubby last year. His body isn’t maxed out at all.

Agree. He is a football player. Good instincts. He is small and can't fix that, but he isn't tiny. Add to his physique, add to his understanding of this defense and he can be serviceable. He won't ever be really good though, nor will any ILB on this roster.

[texaspackerbacker]

Nothing against Barnes who played fairly decent given the limited expectations or Martin for that matter too, but I'd rather have our primary ILB be a highly durable over the years, supposedly good character (not that the others aren't), supposedly much more athletic guy who has been instinctive enough to average way over 100 tackles for several years, all of that and fairly cheap cost and only 27 yrs old too. My only worry is that he is too good to be true - that some unknown factor to us, the public anyway, will come up to make Campbell seem like less of the gem of a signing than he does seem like.

[smuggler]

Pretty low-risk signing. After the comp pick deadline. He's 6'4" and 235#. He can play three downs and has durability. Can't find a reason to complain.

[HarveyWallbangers]

No Badger fan is going to complain about the Packers having two ILBs from the University of Minnesota?

[Joemailman]

If Campbell's coverage ability means Packers can play less dime defense, he should help make the run defense tougher.

[red]

no complaints from me with this signing. could be a solid vet addition and if not, we aren't out a lot of money

[red]

joe was right on about how many of us wished TT had made more signings like this one

[Spaulding]

I wonder if this means that they keep only 10 corners and safeties this year on the starting roster unlike last year where they kept 11. Better competition at WR and OL combined with less usage of dime would possibly mean this is the case if Campbell is solid in coverage.

[Joemailman]

Larry McCarren breaks down some film on Campbell's coverage abilities. Granted, McCarren is a homer, so he's only picking plays that look good. But the film shows Campbell had length and fluidity Packers haven't seen in an ILB in a long time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhcGc77ISjk

[smuggler]

Last play seems more like luck.

[bobblehead]

Also a good time to revisit. Most of us were cautious with our assessments. I would say he has outplayed any of our expectations. Being a 3 down guy has proven to be a boon for the entire defense.

[run pMc]

He has been a revelation -- I did NOT think he'd be this good. Wears the communication helmet, runs the D, is out there all game. Not perfect, but generally he makes the right reads, his footwork is decent, and it's fair to argue he's probably been their best ILB since Bishop.

$2M well spent... good signing by Gute so far.

[texaspackerbacker]

His history said he was damn good. My only reservation was the too good to be true thing - why did we get him so cheap? As of now, there certainly has not been any hidden downside.

[bobblehead]

His history said he was damn good. My only reservation was the too good to be true thing - why did we get him so cheap? As of now, there certainly has not been any hidden downside.

He was cheap because too many teams are in cap hell, and most teams don't value ILB enough to pay a guy who is merely good, not a game changer.

[run pMc]

^ this.
ILBs don't get a lot of money unless they are the top guys (Mosley, David, Kendricks, etc.) or a team has cap space to burn.

IIRC his coverage and PFF numbers weren't anything to write home about, so when announced it looked to me like a veteran depth signing. I expected him to push Martin/Barnes for time, and play when one of them inevitably got hurt. The Kamal Martin situation was a surprise and sorted out the depth chart.

He played the Will in ATL, don't know where he played in ARI but he's been a good fit for whatever Berry is running. Playing on a 1 year deal probably doesn't hurt the motivation to show out either... especially when the other players in the ILB room aren't exactly world beaters.
.

[RashanGary]

^ this.
ILBs don't get a lot of money unless they are the top guys (Mosley, David, Kendricks, etc.) or a team has cap space to burn.

IIRC his coverage and PFF numbers weren't anything to write home about, so when announced it looked to me like a veteran depth signing. I expected him to push Martin/Barnes for time, and play when one of them inevitably got hurt. The Kamal Martin situation was a surprise and sorted out the depth chart.

He played the Will in ATL, don't know where he played in ARI but he's been a good fit for whatever Berry is running. Playing on a 1 year deal probably doesn't hurt the motivation to show out either... especially when the other players in the ILB room aren't exactly world beaters.
.

He’s far outperformed my expectations too. I figured Kirksey 2.0 or worse

[Bretsky]

He’s far outperformed my expectations too. I figured Kirksey 2.0 or worse


I give gutebag credit. He was a GREAT signing

[Upnorth]

Best ilb we have had for awhile. He came in looking like a jag, now he is looking great.

[bobblehead]

He’s far outperformed my expectations too. I figured Kirksey 2.0 or worse

Could we say that he IS what we HOPED Kirksey would be? I expected something like this from Kirksey to be honest. So far he is probably even BETTER than I had hoped from kirksey.

[run pMc]

Could we say that he IS what we HOPED Kirksey would be? I expected something like this from Kirksey to be honest. So far he is probably even BETTER than I had hoped from kirksey.

Agree.

[HarveyWallbangers]

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/2021/10/20/packers-devondre-campbell-is-pffs-highest-rated-lb-after-6-weeks/


It’s almost too hard to believe: the Green Bay Packers have the NFL’s highest-graded inside linebacker at Pro Football Focus after six weeks.

De’Vondre Campbell, with an overall grade of 84.7, is the top off-ball linebacker at PFF entering Week 7.

His numbers in all aspects of playing the position are terrific. Over 363 snaps, Campbell has produced 19 total stops (fifth-most among linebackers), missed only 3.7 percent of his tackle attempts (fifth-best) and allowed only 5.5 yards per reception into his coverage (fourth-best)...

Overall, Campbell has the third-best coverage grade and third-best run defense grade among inside linebackers this season.

[Upnorth]

I think that is the final sign. Nice knowing you guys, I'm going to kiss and hug my family extra. The end is nigh

[Upnorth]

Well another month of great play by this ilb. Most underrated fa pickup this offseason imo. Not just by packers but in the entire league.

Barry has put him in a position to thrive and he is. And only 2 million cap hit.

[Sparkey]

Well another month of great play by this ilb. Most underrated fa pickup this offseason imo. Not just by packers but in the entire league.

Barry has put him in a position to thrive and he is. And only 2 million cap hit.

He is going to want a heck of a lot more next year.

How many guys out there have average stats because they basically are a square peg in a round hole.

[George Cumby]

Well another month of great play by this ilb. Most underrated fa pickup this offseason imo. Not just by packers but in the entire league.

Barry has put him in a position to thrive and he is. And only 2 million cap hit.

The guy has instincts and the smarts to know where to be and the physical skills and aggressiveness to do what needs to be done.

It's so weird that it took this long to find the person for the job.

I don't remember the last time I was enthused by ILB play.

Now if they could find the right fit for the ST Coach........

[Tony Oday]

I really do wonder what the Pack is going to do next year.

Just trying to enjoy the ride this year!

[texaspackerbacker]

Next year - with a massive increase in the cap, of course - they will find a way to keep everybody worth keeping. It can be done. It will be done.

As for Devondre Campbell, he has done a great job in the niche Barry has carved out for him, and he will obviously get a nice raise in pay. However, he is not some sideline to sideline superman type ILB who will get huge cap-breaking money. I would think $5-7 million a season is about right with a good bonus and backloaded team-friendly contract. His cap hit would be not much more than now the first year. (for example, $6 million bonus, $1 million the first year, $4.5, 6, and 7.5 million in years 2-4 - that's $25 million for 4 years).

[Sparkey]

Next year - with a massive increase in the cap, of course - they will find a way to keep everybody worth keeping. It can be done. It will be done.

As for Devondre Campbell, he has done a great job in the niche Barry has carved out for him, and he will obviously get a nice raise in pay. However, he is not some sideline to sideline superman type ILB who will get huge cap-breaking money. I would think $5-7 million a season is about right with a good bonus and backloaded team-friendly contract. His cap hit would be not much more than now the first year. (for example, $6 million bonus, $1 million the first year, $4.5, 6, and 7.5 million in years 2-4 - that's $25 million for 4 years).

The league and the NFL Players Association have agreed to a salary cap ceiling of $208.2 million for 2022

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/2022/

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/cap/2022/

Where is this massive cap increase you talk about? The Packers are in it deep next year...

[Joemailman]

The league and the NFL Players Association have agreed to a salary cap ceiling of $208.2 million for 2022

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/2022/

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/cap/2022/

Where is this massive cap increase you talk about? The Packers are in it deep next year...

Packers have said all along that 2022 will be another year of scrambling to get under the cap. They pushed a lot of money into 2022 to get under the cap in 2021. They are 30M over now for 2022 and that doesn't include Adams. Of course, it becomes much simpler if they trade Rodgers which would save 27M on the cap.

[texaspackerbacker]

That $208.2 million is up $26 million from this year. I call that massive. Besides, an agreement with the Players Association precludes it from being lower. If the owners decided they wanted it higher, I'm sure the NFLPA wouldn't object. I doubt the Packers are any worse off than most other teams, and if too many are hurt by the cap, the league will do what needs to be done.

I say again, anybody we really want to keep we can and will keep. As I demonstrated with my Campbell example, it ain't that hard to manipulate the cap. Any shitheads talking about getting rid of Aaron Rodgers are too damn stupid to be Packer fans (no offense Joe hahahaha).

[HarveyWallbangers]

It was $198 two years ago, so it’s not a massive increase over that. It’s just a course correction for last years drop of $16m. It would actually be lower, but both sides expect an increase in TV revenue in the coming years. Also, that is the max it can be (ceiling). It could be lower. The Saints and Packers are in the worst shape. Little of what you said is true.

[texaspackerbacker]

Mark my words if you like - and use them against me if I'm wrong, which I'm not. The cap will not be a serious drag on the team next season. There are things that can be done, starting with extending Rodgers for a lot more years. Anybody significant that we lose - Z. Smith possibly, Tonyan possibly, wouldn't hurt enough to harm the team.

You're saying, Harvey, that the cap is an upper limit, not a lower limit? I'm not so sure that is true. The players and owners can always make a change upward if they both agree - with logically would happen if too many teams are hurt. And why would the players ever agree to lower what they negotiated? As for the owners, if they see it as too high, they could just stay farther under it - but don't hold your breath waiting for that, especially the Packers.

[ThunderDan]

We are $30,000,000 over the cap right now if we do nothing.

Cutting Tonyan saves nothing. Cutting Z saves $16,000,000. We only have 37 active players under contract next year and we are $30 million over. We only have 2 WR on the roster and we are paying Cobb $9.6 million next year. We are in trouble next year.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/cap/2022/

Used spotrac for the data.

[Joemailman]

We are $30,000,000 over the cap right now if we do nothing.

Cutting Tonyan saves nothing. Cutting Z saves $16,000,000. We only have 37 active players under contract next year and we are $30 million over. We only have 2 WR on the roster and we are paying Cobb $9.6 million next year. We are in trouble next year.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/cap/2022/

Used spotrac for the data.

There will be a lot of work to do. Z has a cap hit of 28M next year. He will either be released, or have his contract extended. Same with Preston. I doubt they will both be back. Cobb also will either have his contract changed to lower cap hit, or released. Alexander has a cap hit of 13.2M next year. He will get an extension which will lower his cap hit in 2022. Rodgers has a cap hit of 46M next year. He will either be traded, which means a cap savings of 27M, or have his contract extended to lower the cap hit in 2022. There is a lot they can do

Trading Rodgers, and cutting Z and Cobb would mean a cap savings of 50M. That would be the simplest way, but not the only way.

[George Cumby]

The emergence of Gary makes Z expendable.

[Freak Out]

Last Dance

[King Friday]

Rodgers will not stay without Adams. Part of Adams' eventual cap number can be offset through a restructure with Rodgers. If you feel the Packers can keep both, we are looking at having to cut out about $45M+ in cap space once you sign rookies, do some minor tweaks, and fill open roster spots.

Z and Cobb are considerable chunks of that. They gone.
You still have considerable money to come up with even after that.

It can be done, but it absolutely will be a serious drag if the Packers keep Rodgers and Adams. If Green Bay doesn't keep those guys, then there won't be a cap issue.

[texaspackerbacker]

Weird how the same panicky fools who consistently predict bad records and other bad results are so negative and panicky here hahahaha.

[King Friday]

Negative? Nah, just factual. Your pie in the sky thought that the cap will just go up by $50M and let us sign everyone is less so.

[texaspackerbacker]

Shithead, you don't deserve to call yourself a Packer fan.

[pittstang5]

What the hell is going on? Everytime I look, the score is worse.

Da fuck?