The Packers offense will unquestionably be the strong point of this year’s team but the defense was coming on strong at the end of last season. With Training Camp on the horizon, the defense still has a few question marks and many in Packernation may still be wondering if they will be able to pick up where they left off.
Several things about this Packers defense are known though.
Clay Matthews will continue taking snaps at ILB
Matthews ability to step into the inside linebacker role was a big part of the Packers resurgent defense last season. The fact that Matthews will continue to take snaps at a position that he now has had an offseason to perfect is significant. Matthews was able to be productive with very little preparation time, with the amount of practice and game experience he now has…he will be even more of a force.
Barrington will start
Sam Barrington compiled 53 tackles and a sack in 2014 and looks to add to that this season. Barrington showed that he could play downhill in a position where trailing tackles are often considered a miss. The Packers will call on him to make another step this year as he will be called into full-time duty. If Barrington can continue to play well, it will take a little bit of the pressure off the team’s youth to be great out of the gate.
The unknowns
After Matthews, Peppers, and Barrington, the rest is uncharted and unknown. The development of these unknowns is the key to Dom Capers having the flexibility to put in the packages he desires in certain situations next year. So it is critical that one of these guys stands up and makes a name for himself come training camp in a few days. Who do you think it will be (you can pick more than one)?