Ted Thompson has placed a big bet on second-year linebacker Brad Jones.
If an inadequate pass rush prevents the Green Bay Packers from advancing deep into the playoffs, then the general manager will shoulder most of the responsibility because he didnt spend a high draft pick or free-agent money on an outside linebacker.
But if Jones builds on his competent half-season last year as a rookie starter and adds something to the pass rush in 2010, then Thompson will have judged well the talent on his roster.
While theres a decent chance Thompson will add another outside linebacker before the season starts, either via a trade or waiver pickup during training camp, thats still only a possibility. Thompson has so far stood pat with Jones at one of the key playmaking positions in defensive coordinator Dom Capers 3-4 scheme.
If Thompson had felt desperate, he would have done something, anything, to add an outside linebacker at least as a fallback much like he did last season when he traded up to select Clay Matthews late in the first round to start at right outside linebacker. But he didnt.
If youd have told me at this time last year that Brad Jones will have started seven games for us down the stretch (in 2009), I dont know if Id have felt real comfortable at that point, Capers said. I feel better about it now.
Though the Packers arent going out of their way to talk up Jones this offseason, their actions say theyre prepared to go with him as their starter in a season in which they could be a legitimate championship contender.
Brady Poppinga lined up at left outside linebacker with the No. 1 defense in the organized team activities practice that was open to reporters on Wednesday, but Capers said after practice that Jones is his starter opposite Matthews.
They dont need anybody else, Poppinga said of he and Jones manning the position this season.
Jones was an unexpectedly big contributor as a rookie even though he was a seventh-round pick and sat out the first three weeks of his rookie training camp because of a back injury. Missing the critical first three weeks of camp can cost a low draft pick a roster spot, but Jones showed enough as a pass rusher and special-teams player in his limited time to make the final 53-man roster.
By midseason, hed surpassed Poppinga as Aaron Kampmans backup, and in eight games as a starter, playoffs included, Jones had four sacks and 11 quarterback hits.
Jones played last season at about 239 pounds, which is light for the position, though Capers said Jones might be physically mature enough to hold the 10 pounds hes added in the offseason workout program.
Hes a pretty good leverage player, Capers said. Hes probably stronger than his size would indicate because he understands playing with leverage. And hes got a little pass-rush instincts. Hes slippery in terms of not giving people a large blocking surface, he can get on the edge and slip by and use his hands, that type of thing. To me thats one of the qualities good pass rushers have.
Along with Jones, the Packers also are placing a big bet that their pass rush will get better simply because theyve had a full season in Capers 3-4 scheme.
They made a significant improvement in that area in Capers first season, when they jumped from No. 25 in sacks percentage in 2008 to No. 12 last year in their switch to the 3-4.
But a shortcoming against top competition was their pass rush. They failed to sack Brett Favre in two losses to the Minnesota Vikings, and in their playoff loss to Arizona, when Capers decided to play more coverage than blitz against quick-triggered Kurt Warner, they also had no sacks.
Capers said the defense discovered its identity about halfway through last year, and he has a good feel for his personnel and what blitzes work best.
With this scheme, weve always been a top-sack team, Capers said. At four different places weve been either first or second in sacks (in the league at least one season). I just feel like theres a natural progression of them understanding the scheme, and it has to come down to what you see on the field and gain confidence in terms of calling. The more confident you are, the more pressures youre going to call. We did that as we progressed.
The Packers also have talked this offseason about using alternative outside rushers on passing downs.
On draft weekend, coach Mike McCarthy talked of possibly rushing inside linebacker Brandon Chillar from the outside on occasion, though Chillar has minimal experience as a pure outside rusher. Last year, he shot gaps as a zone-rush blitzer and never lined up against tackles and tried to beat them with defensive-end rush techniques such as dipping his shoulder and turning the corner.
More likely, if the Packers arent getting enough pressure from their outside rushers as the season goes on, Capers on occasion might line up defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins at end on obvious passing downs and let him rush with his hand on the ground.
But Capers mostly will look to his scheme to generate rush. He suggested Chillar and Nick Barnett will blitz more this season Chillar had two sacks and two quarterback hits last season, Barnett four sacks and nine hits and named cornerback Charles Woodson (two sacks and three hits) as one of the teams best rushers.
Nick can rush from either inside or outside, Capers said. Weve got some different combinations, it might not be a 3-4 outside linebacker type or defensive end type, so we might have to seek it by different means.