Blake Martinez is a tackling machine! 2017 tied for 1st, and 2018 and 2019 he finished 2nd in the NFL in tackles. That's pretty damn impressive. Yet, fans dog this guy all the time. Why? The guy had a clutch sack against the Lions. Then he had a clutch interception.
I know some of you would like to see the guy walk. I'm not in that boat. I am hoping he gets a 3 year extension and stays. I think he's pretty damn and when he gets that club off his hand, he'll be even better.
Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool
I'm certainly not among that ones assuming he walks, I think it largely depends on what his market price demands.
That being said, I think people don't like him because he's an average athlete, and fans get caught up with flash, and he has very little flash, he's just a limited athletically in coverage, but if he gets his hand and forearm on someone, it's almost a sure take down... where as some other players can get two hands/forarms and shoulder and sometimes more on a guy and the guy bounces off and keeps running.
Martinez is an average athlete, but he has literally maximum his tackling ability where if he can reach them, and get take them down. Only real problem with Martinez is his coverage ability, where it'd be nice to have a very very good coverage LB that can match-up with TEs and maybe slot WRs (with help over the top for deep routes), like they were hoping for in Burks, but they've had to use Safeties in that role, but they can't seem to find and develop a LB for the role.
I think it comes down to price/cost analysis, and I haven't checked that out, so I don't know. But I find it interesting that the Browns are reportedly expected to let ILB Joe Schobert (a better athlete, and a decent tackler) walk in FAs, which my pure guess it's because they don't like the price/cost analysis of keeping him, of what it would take, to the value he brings.
And one guy I've had my eye on since the 2016 draft, ILB Nick Kwiatkoski currently on the Bears.... he's been forced into a back-up role due to leader and unofficial captain Danny Trevathan and 1st round great Roquan Smith at the same position, until Trevathan horrible looking elbow injury (which sounds like might be better than it looked). But both Trevathan and Kwiatkoski are FAs, the Bears might resign one, and if we're losing Martinez, I might ask the other one if they want to follow Amos and join the division winners. That's if we're losing Martinez.
So I don't think it's that the Packers want to get rid of Martinez, they probably love him, but they also might not want to over pay, and he MIGHT get overpaid.