Zero2Cool
5 years ago

Inside linebacker has been the white elephant in Green Bay for a long time. 

The Packers know that inside linebacker is a position that cannot be ignored, but at the same time, the team hasn't had an athletic and dynamic inside linebacker since Johnny Holland in the late 80s and early 90s. 

Green Bay signed Christian Kirksey to a two-year, $16 million deal last spring to replace Blake Martinez. But now it looks like Kirksey is nearly a carbon copy of Martinez. 
What about the other inside linebacker? Oren Burks, Ty Summers, Kamal Martin and Curtis Bolton, who will have plenty of ground to make up when he comes back from the PUP list, are all slotted to compete for the job. 

"As far as the other spot, there's open competition there," Packers defensive coordinator Mike Petttine said Friday. "Oren Burks. You've got Ty Summers. You've got Kamal, the draft pick. All those guys, they all have their own particular skill sets."

Burks should be the odds-on favorite, but has had injuries in his first two seasons. Can Pettine trust a guy that cannot stay on the field? Summers has only played special teams, it's a big jump from the raw, world of special teams to diagnosing offensive schemes.

Then there is Martin. "He has shown that explosive ability," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said on Sunday about the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Martin. 
What was the one problem with the Packers defense last year? It couldn't stop the big play. It allowed the quick, dynamic players to zip all over the field. That explosive word has never been used with Burks or Summers. 

Martin really jumps out on video and has even earned respect from his defensive teammates in practice already. Martin has another gear and he is very instinctual. He knows where the ball is going and he's excellent at getting there in a hurry and being very physical. 

"I think Kamal's got a high ceiling, but he's a young player," said LaFleur. "He's going to make mistakes, but he's just got to continue to get better and better each and every day."
He certainly has. Martin was ranked as the No. 9 inside linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft  last spring by Athlon Sports. That isn't total linebackers, that's just inside linebackers. You could say that he is playing with the chip on his shoulder the size of about 10,000 lakes after tallying 177 total tackles at Minnesota. He missed five games his senior year and he still had 36 solo tackles. 

Martin has been proving everyone wrong wherever he has gone. He is just continuing the trend in Green Bay. 

And if you're Pettine, you cannot keep an explosive player like Martin off the field. He needs to play to disrupt things and the Packers would love it if he could consistently blow things up. 

If anyone is going to do it, it's Martin. 

Continue Reading @ CheeseheadTV 

CheeseheadTV wrote:


Been reading a lot of positive tweets about this guy on Twitter.
UserPostedImage
beast
5 years ago

Been reading a lot of positive tweets about this guy on Twitter.

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 


I really like Martin, and don't disagree with what they said about Martin, but that article seemed over the top stupidity biased in burying the other options.

But now it looks like Kirksey is nearly a carbon copy of Martinez.

They really need to describe how, otherwise they look completely stupid saying this, as Kirksey at times has been absolutely great in coverage, including man coverage, something Martinez will never be, and Martinez has been healthy, stayed on the field and a freaking tackling machine despite that he lack elite athletic talent, they're far from carbon copies of each other.

All teams need either a coverage LB or a very physical S, and preferably both. Packers lead the NFL in 2019 with playing dime package 52% of the time because their only option for a coverage LB was Burks, whom seems to suck, and go ahead and bury Burks as much as you want...

But Kirksey potential gives the Packers a different, a better coverage LB option, if he can stay healthy *knocks on wood*. If healthy Kirksey can be a complete LB, and he's the only ILB on the roster we can say that about (Martin is second in possible being complete, but he's a rookie and I'm not sure about him in man coverage)

Summers has only played special teams, it's a big jump from the raw, world of special teams to diagnosing offensive schemes.

Yes it's a big jump, but if you take off the blinders you'll realize that Summers was a starter in college just like Martin and he has a full season of being in this defensive system and he MIGHT be better prepared for making the play calls on defense.

So basically the writer is completely dismissing Summer because Summers hasn't played in an NFL game on defense yet, while completely hyping Martin, whom also hasn't played in an NFL game at all yet. That's a bullshit argument.


Unless you don't have good options, I don't think you want Summers nor Martin in that coverage LB role... so their best bet to get on the field is if Kirksey can play the coverage LB role (or he unfortunately gets injured), and they play the physical run stopping LB role.

Going forward, I think Martin could be absolutely great in that physical LB role, but I don't know if they're going to think he's ready week 1 or not.

And Martin is closer to Martinez style than Kirksey... except Martin brings more power and explosion, and very few people, even in the NFL have Martinez forearm strength.

Where despite Martinez questionable athletic ability if he gets a good grip, it's almost a forgone conclusion the player is going down... not to say Martinez hasn't missed a few tackles, but I've also seen him make tackles that I promise, if it were anyone else on the Packers team (and most of the NFL) in that same situation, falling down, from a bad angle, one handed, they would of missed the tackle, and that, great instincts and staying healthy are why Martinez has done so well for himself.
UserPostedImage
wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
5 years ago
Nice summary beast. This is training camp. Coaches are supposed to try and say nice things about THEIR draft picks.

Despite what they say
Kirksey is the starting ILB. If he is Martinez 2.0 it is a better more competent version. More like version 2.894.
Burks is going to get a few situational snaps but he was one of the worst linebackers in the league last year. He would have to improve an awful lot to be mediocre. Getting up the the "average" level seems like too much to hope for. It wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't make the team at all or at the very least is gone in 2021.
Summers is going to get playing time with Martin being the 4th option. Perhaps he will be used more at the end of the season than at the beginning. At least I sure hope he will. But all in all, he is a 5th round pick. In the long run he will be serviceable. He's not the second coming of Nitschke. He's not even the next Johnny Holland.
Bolton is a PS player.
Last point, who we will see more often than any of the other ILB is Raven Greene roaming the middle.
UserPostedImage
beast
5 years ago

Nice summary beast. This is training camp. Coaches are supposed to try and say nice things about THEIR draft picks.

Last point, who we will see more often than any of the other ILB is Raven Greene roaming the middle.

Originally Posted by: wpr 


Yes, everything starts with coaches and schemes and Pettine seems to be all about coverage first and physical up front second. So yes I expect to see a lot of Kirksey and dime LB as that gives them their best coverage.

That being said, reports are seemingly suggesting that Martin has shown good power at ILB, which hasn't been said about any of ILBers lately, and one most consider he's probably going up against the second string but still.

For the physical ILB spot, I think Martin COULD end up as the #2 ILB behind only Kirksey in that role by the end of the season, as I think he could be a more athletic Desmond Bishop, and talents fit perfect in that role for what they're asking that role to do, but there is absolutely no guaranteeing that Martin will be able to live up to that as a rookie, and should start behind the others.

So I'm high on Martin potential compared to Burks and Summers as well, but I just hated how the writer simply dismissed the other ILBers as basically nothing other than Martinez clone and ST only player, while assuming Martin is going to be at his full potential as a rookie.




UserPostedImage
yooperfan
5 years ago
I really like what I've read about Kamal Martin and I look forward to seeing him in action.
I just don't have any faith in Burks making the grade.
I'm hopeful that Summers shows us something.
I guess we really won't know, as fans, until they play the game.
Fan Shout
Zero2Cool (2h) : new site, text editor gooder even on phone
beast (2h) : Oh yes, sometimes they make using a cellphone tough. I just wanted to make sure it was the correct article, & thank you for pointing it out.
jdlax (4h) : I can't believe one of my teams went out and wablammo just up and acquired one of the best players in the world overnight
dfosterf (8h) : I do very much appreciate when Beast and others pick up my slack 😊
dfosterf (8h) : I accept Beast's admonishment regarding my failure to link stuff I reference. I simply never learned to link from my cell phone.
beast (9h) : That's not what your she said 😌, she said keep going 😏
Mucky Tundra (12h) : Anything over 4 hours means he needs to get to the hospital
Mucky Tundra (12h) : Someone might want to check on Hafley and make sure his erection has gone down
Zero2Cool (14h) : LaFleur texts "bleep me I cannot sit down"
Zero2Cool (14h) : YouTube has had me last hour or two lol
Mucky Tundra (14h) : Ugh this trade happened right as my shift started and it's killing me
Zero2Cool (14h) : Parsons wore 23 in high school.
Zero2Cool (14h) : Packers just cost Lions more money with Hutchinson too huh
Zero2Cool (16h) : That is fair by me.
buckeyepackfan (16h) : Kenny Clark is the player, 2 1st rnd picks
Zero2Cool (16h) : umm... what?
wpr (16h) : I am stunned
Mucky Tundra (16h) : RICKEY SCOOPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!!!
Mucky Tundra (16h) : ITS HAPPENING
buckeyepackfan (16h) : DEAL IS DONE
buckeyepackfan (16h) : MICAH IS COMING TO GREEN BAY!!!!!!!!!
wpr (23h) : Me do-ed it gooderly,
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Bahah, I was like WTF why isn't anyone posting on PP.com ... oops no one has permissions
dfosterf (27-Aug) : tell her I reckon
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Micah Robinson cut. Probable PS player tomorrow. Has to call mom back and t
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : New site so much better. Might make switch and deal with it.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Mecole Hardman to our practice squad
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Nick Nieman from Texans our 5th linebacker. Special teams signing
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Looks like we signed Clayton Tune as QB3
wpr (27-Aug) : TKT people lose their minds over QB3. Point is almost none of them are ready that's why they are on the PS and other teams don't take them.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Unfortunately he doesn't seem ready to be an emergency QB.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : As a Canadian and a follower of Canadian University football. I am rooting for him
dfosterf (27-Aug) : I bet a lot of us will follow the Taylor Elgersma journey with interest. Personally, got a Kurt Warner vibe goin' on. I like him
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Not sure if either will be claimed though.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Tune or Hooker would make sense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Clayton Tune cut by the Cards? Don't know if that's the guy, we shall see
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Per Bill Huber, the Packers will not be bringing back Taylor Elgersma or Sean Clifford on the practice squad, so a new third quarterback
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Schefter must have deleted his tweet
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Hopefully Jerry reaches under the seat cushions and ashtrays of his jet and scrapes up the 45 million apr and spares us further nonsense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Have to admit the PO'd Cowboy fan videos would be fun to watch. Problem with draft picks is half their fanbase barely knows what that is
beast (27-Aug) : I think Cowboys fans are ready to get their pitch forks and burning sticks if Jerry were to trade Micah
dfosterf (27-Aug) : If Jerry traded Micah to GB, here in northern Va. they would have to quick build yet another data center to handle the internet hate traffic
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : its signing and trades that you don't hear about, other then announced
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : If you hear rumors about Packers sign or trade, won't happen. Not how they work
dfosterf (27-Aug) : 19 players in a contract year. Jones called loss to us worst loss in Cowboy history. Forget Parsons trade. Not happenin' Cap'n
packerfanoutwest (27-Aug) : The Packers, meanwhile, are the youngest team in the league for the third consecutive year.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : That it was darkest before the dawn in Bengals and Commanders before they got deals done
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : what is Schefter saying?
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He was getting Dorito infusion therapy
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He's outta shape. Why, just the other day I saw him splayed out on the trainers table
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2025 Packers Schedule
Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
COMMANDERS
Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
Browns
Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
Cowboys
Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
BENGALS
Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
Cardinals
Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
Steelers
Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
PANTHERS
Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
EAGLES
Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
Giants
Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
Broncos
Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
Bears
Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
RAVENS
Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
Vikings
Recent Topics
1h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

5h / Green Bay Packers Talk / jdlax

10h / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

12h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

12h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

14h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

17h / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

23h / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

28-Aug / Feedback, Suggestions and Issues / Zero2Cool

27-Aug / Fantasy Sports Talk / Zero2Cool

27-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

27-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / Cheesey

26-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

26-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

25-Aug / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.