M
Mark Eckel
Guest
BY ROB REISCHEL
Paging Dr. Gutekunst.
Dr. Gutekunst to the E.R. please.
The Green Bay Packers have a “code red” in their secondary. And Brian Gutekunst, the Packers’ newbie general manager, might not be able to save it before the 2018 campaign begins.
Safety Morgan Burnett, a model of professionalism the last eight seasons, signed a three-year, $14.5 million deal with Pittsburgh Tuesday. And with Burnett headed elsewhere, the Packers’ secondary is one of the most unsettled, least inspiring units in football.
Damarious Randall, Green Bay’s top cornerback in 2017, was traded March 9. Davon House, a 12-game starter at cornerback in 2017, was allowed to hit free agency last week. For now, that leaves second-year man Kevin King and a band of misfits for new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine to choose from at cornerback.
Things are just as bleak at safety.
Veteran Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is coming off his poorest NFL season and failed to handle wearing the helmet headset and communicating calls to teammates when Burnett was injured last season. Second-year man Josh Jones was drafted in the second round last year to eventually replace Burnett, but he struggled through a miserable rookie campaign.
For now, it’s debatable if Green Bay has more uncertainty at safety or corner.
Dr. Gutekunst?
“They’ve got a little bit of a mess right now,” an AFC executive said Tuesday afternoon. “Keeping Burnett obviously would have helped. He was a leader back there and they don’t have that now with Ha Ha being their most experienced guy.
“I’m sure they’ll draft a bunch of guys, but it’s hard to win in this league with rookies. You need veterans, too.”
Burnett was the type of player the Packers hope they’re veterans become.
He was the ultimate team guy, playing both safety positions during his time in Green Bay and adding inside linebacker to his résumé last season. Burnett could defend receivers in the slot or battle guards in the hole. He could blitz off the edge, defend the deep middle and do everything in-between.
In addition, Burnett ran the defense from the back end and was one of the Packers’ most respected players.
The Packers are $20.33 million under the salary cap, but Green Bay never entered the bidding for Burnett, and he became the first safety in this year’s free agent class to get a multi-year deal.
Tyrann Mathieu signed a one-year deal with Houston for one year, $7 million. And Marcus Gilchrist signed a one-year, $4 million deal with Oakland on March 15.
“The history of Pittsburgh, the tradition. You know about the Rooney family,” Burnett told the Steelers’ team website. “Just the players that are here. They have a tradition of winning.
“Coming from Green Bay, it was the same tradition. For those guys to be interested in me, and want me here, you can’t turn nothing like that down. You talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers, a very proud city, a proud town, and great players. I wanted to be a part of it and try to earn the respect of my teammates and be accountable to my teammates.”
Burnett certainly did that during his time in Green Bay.
The veteran from Georgia Tech entered last season ranked as the NFL’s 11th best safety (out of 64) by Pro Football Weekly. He played more snaps as an inside linebacker and nickel back last year than he did at safety as the Packers employed their three-safety ‘Nitro’ package more than ever before.
Burnett’s 68 tackles tied for the second-fewest in his career. But he also missed four games with hamstring and groin injuries.
From 2011-’16, Burnett averaged 14.3 games per season and 103 tackles per year. He was also the only Packer to surpass 100 tackles each year between 2011-’14.
In 2016, he had a career-high three sacks, the second-highest total among NFL safeties. And Burnett’s 7.5 career sacks are the third-most by a Packers safety since 1982, trailing only LeRoy Butler (20.5) and Mark Murphy (11.0).
Reliable. Accountable. Professional. Versatile.
Burnett was all of the above during his time in Green Bay. Now, Burnett will bring those qualities to Pittsburgh.
“I’m just coming in, everything’s new,” Burnett said. “I’m coming in to do my job the best I can do, wherever I fit. To be accountable as a teammate and earn the respect of the coaches and get into a routine with the rest of the fellas.
“They have a lot of great athletes on this team. I’m looking forward to coming in and contributing, but also learning and getting better as a player and learning from great talent.”
While Burnett’s best moments in Green Bay undoubtedly came at safety, he began to slow down in recent years and might be best fitted for inside linebacker and slot cornerback down the road. He said Tuesday he wasn’t sure exactly how the Steelers planned to use him.
“It really doesn’t matter to me,” Burnett said. “I love football. As long as I’m on the field, I’m happy and ready to go. The majority of my time in Green Bay I was a safety, and it’s just I have things in my toolbox that I’m capable to move around and play different positions if need be. But definitely I came into the league as a safety and that’s where I’m comfortable.
“The more you can do, the longer you can stay around. I just try to do the best that I can, put my best foot forward. The only thing I can do is be the best Morgan Burnett I can be and try to help out the team the best way that I can.”
The Packers must now look for help in their secondary with extreme urgency.
Opposing quarterbacks had a 102.0 passer rating against Green Bay in 2017, the highest figure in franchise history. Opposing quarterbacks also completed 67.8% of their passes, which was also the worst mark in franchise history.
Amazingly, the Packers now appear in far worse shape than they did when the season ended three months ago.
Jones will likely get the first chance to replace Burnett. But after a forgettable rookie season, in which he led the Packers with nine plays allowed of 20 yards or more, that will be risky business. He also missed seven tackles and was out of position time and time again.
Kentrell Brice is another in-house candidate that will be given a chance at the job. Brice missed 10 games last year with ankle and groin injuries, but his explosiveness and athleticism make him an intriguing option.
Things aren’t much better at cornerback, where Randall and House are gone from a group that was mostly miserable in 2017.
“That’s obviously a position we’re looking at heavily right now,” Gutekunst said last week.
The free agent cornerback market has largely been picked over, though. Among the top remaining corners are E.J. Gaines, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Delvin Breaux. Former Packers Tramon Williams and House could also be stopgap options, as well.
“I don’t think it’s imperative (to sign one in free agency),” Gutekunst said of the free agent corners. “But like I said, we’re going to look at every avenue. This is something that really between now and the start of training camp that we’ll be looking at.
“There’ll be many avenues to upgrade that group. But like I said, I think we have some good young players there that’ll be competing for those spots, but it is something that we’re focused on.”
Green Bay should be more focused than any time in recent memory, as Burnett’s exit Tuesday weakened what was already an extremely weak secondary.
Now, it remains to be seen if there’s enough time to rescue this unit from life support.
Paging Dr. Gutekunst.
• No deal: Two hours.
That’s how long the Chicago Bears needed to match the Packers’ free agent offer sheet to cornerback Kyle Fuller last Friday.
On Tuesday, Fuller officially signed the four-year, $56 million deal with $18 million guaranteed that the Packers drafted. Because Fuller was only given the transition tag — and not the franchise tag — at the start of free agency, the Bears would not have received compensation if they decided not to match Green Bay’s offer.
“It was a crazy time, a crazy experience,” Fuller said on a conference call with reporters Tuesday evening. “It was almost like (as soon as the Packers offer was official) it was a done deal and matched. I just went with the flow of everything. I wasn’t able to think too much about it.”
Fuller’s average salary of $14 million ranks fifth in the NFL among cornerbacks. Fuller had 22 passes defensed, two interceptions and 68 tackles during a breakout 2017 campaign.
Fuller would have filled an enormous void in Green Bay’s depleted secondary. Instead, the Bears retained a 26-year-old on the rise — although they did it at a price Green Bay determined.
“Definitely happy to be back in Chicago,” Fuller said. “It was a crazy process, but I’m glad it’s over with.”
The post Burnett’s departure makes secondary a primary concern for Packers appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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Paging Dr. Gutekunst.
Dr. Gutekunst to the E.R. please.
The Green Bay Packers have a “code red” in their secondary. And Brian Gutekunst, the Packers’ newbie general manager, might not be able to save it before the 2018 campaign begins.
Safety Morgan Burnett, a model of professionalism the last eight seasons, signed a three-year, $14.5 million deal with Pittsburgh Tuesday. And with Burnett headed elsewhere, the Packers’ secondary is one of the most unsettled, least inspiring units in football.
Damarious Randall, Green Bay’s top cornerback in 2017, was traded March 9. Davon House, a 12-game starter at cornerback in 2017, was allowed to hit free agency last week. For now, that leaves second-year man Kevin King and a band of misfits for new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine to choose from at cornerback.
Things are just as bleak at safety.
Veteran Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is coming off his poorest NFL season and failed to handle wearing the helmet headset and communicating calls to teammates when Burnett was injured last season. Second-year man Josh Jones was drafted in the second round last year to eventually replace Burnett, but he struggled through a miserable rookie campaign.
For now, it’s debatable if Green Bay has more uncertainty at safety or corner.
Dr. Gutekunst?
“They’ve got a little bit of a mess right now,” an AFC executive said Tuesday afternoon. “Keeping Burnett obviously would have helped. He was a leader back there and they don’t have that now with Ha Ha being their most experienced guy.
“I’m sure they’ll draft a bunch of guys, but it’s hard to win in this league with rookies. You need veterans, too.”
Burnett was the type of player the Packers hope they’re veterans become.
He was the ultimate team guy, playing both safety positions during his time in Green Bay and adding inside linebacker to his résumé last season. Burnett could defend receivers in the slot or battle guards in the hole. He could blitz off the edge, defend the deep middle and do everything in-between.
In addition, Burnett ran the defense from the back end and was one of the Packers’ most respected players.
The Packers are $20.33 million under the salary cap, but Green Bay never entered the bidding for Burnett, and he became the first safety in this year’s free agent class to get a multi-year deal.
Tyrann Mathieu signed a one-year deal with Houston for one year, $7 million. And Marcus Gilchrist signed a one-year, $4 million deal with Oakland on March 15.
“The history of Pittsburgh, the tradition. You know about the Rooney family,” Burnett told the Steelers’ team website. “Just the players that are here. They have a tradition of winning.
“Coming from Green Bay, it was the same tradition. For those guys to be interested in me, and want me here, you can’t turn nothing like that down. You talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers, a very proud city, a proud town, and great players. I wanted to be a part of it and try to earn the respect of my teammates and be accountable to my teammates.”
Burnett certainly did that during his time in Green Bay.
The veteran from Georgia Tech entered last season ranked as the NFL’s 11th best safety (out of 64) by Pro Football Weekly. He played more snaps as an inside linebacker and nickel back last year than he did at safety as the Packers employed their three-safety ‘Nitro’ package more than ever before.
Burnett’s 68 tackles tied for the second-fewest in his career. But he also missed four games with hamstring and groin injuries.
From 2011-’16, Burnett averaged 14.3 games per season and 103 tackles per year. He was also the only Packer to surpass 100 tackles each year between 2011-’14.
In 2016, he had a career-high three sacks, the second-highest total among NFL safeties. And Burnett’s 7.5 career sacks are the third-most by a Packers safety since 1982, trailing only LeRoy Butler (20.5) and Mark Murphy (11.0).
Reliable. Accountable. Professional. Versatile.
Burnett was all of the above during his time in Green Bay. Now, Burnett will bring those qualities to Pittsburgh.
“I’m just coming in, everything’s new,” Burnett said. “I’m coming in to do my job the best I can do, wherever I fit. To be accountable as a teammate and earn the respect of the coaches and get into a routine with the rest of the fellas.
“They have a lot of great athletes on this team. I’m looking forward to coming in and contributing, but also learning and getting better as a player and learning from great talent.”
While Burnett’s best moments in Green Bay undoubtedly came at safety, he began to slow down in recent years and might be best fitted for inside linebacker and slot cornerback down the road. He said Tuesday he wasn’t sure exactly how the Steelers planned to use him.
“It really doesn’t matter to me,” Burnett said. “I love football. As long as I’m on the field, I’m happy and ready to go. The majority of my time in Green Bay I was a safety, and it’s just I have things in my toolbox that I’m capable to move around and play different positions if need be. But definitely I came into the league as a safety and that’s where I’m comfortable.
“The more you can do, the longer you can stay around. I just try to do the best that I can, put my best foot forward. The only thing I can do is be the best Morgan Burnett I can be and try to help out the team the best way that I can.”
The Packers must now look for help in their secondary with extreme urgency.
Opposing quarterbacks had a 102.0 passer rating against Green Bay in 2017, the highest figure in franchise history. Opposing quarterbacks also completed 67.8% of their passes, which was also the worst mark in franchise history.
Amazingly, the Packers now appear in far worse shape than they did when the season ended three months ago.
Jones will likely get the first chance to replace Burnett. But after a forgettable rookie season, in which he led the Packers with nine plays allowed of 20 yards or more, that will be risky business. He also missed seven tackles and was out of position time and time again.
Kentrell Brice is another in-house candidate that will be given a chance at the job. Brice missed 10 games last year with ankle and groin injuries, but his explosiveness and athleticism make him an intriguing option.
Things aren’t much better at cornerback, where Randall and House are gone from a group that was mostly miserable in 2017.
“That’s obviously a position we’re looking at heavily right now,” Gutekunst said last week.
The free agent cornerback market has largely been picked over, though. Among the top remaining corners are E.J. Gaines, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Delvin Breaux. Former Packers Tramon Williams and House could also be stopgap options, as well.
“I don’t think it’s imperative (to sign one in free agency),” Gutekunst said of the free agent corners. “But like I said, we’re going to look at every avenue. This is something that really between now and the start of training camp that we’ll be looking at.
“There’ll be many avenues to upgrade that group. But like I said, I think we have some good young players there that’ll be competing for those spots, but it is something that we’re focused on.”
Green Bay should be more focused than any time in recent memory, as Burnett’s exit Tuesday weakened what was already an extremely weak secondary.
Now, it remains to be seen if there’s enough time to rescue this unit from life support.
Paging Dr. Gutekunst.
• No deal: Two hours.
That’s how long the Chicago Bears needed to match the Packers’ free agent offer sheet to cornerback Kyle Fuller last Friday.
On Tuesday, Fuller officially signed the four-year, $56 million deal with $18 million guaranteed that the Packers drafted. Because Fuller was only given the transition tag — and not the franchise tag — at the start of free agency, the Bears would not have received compensation if they decided not to match Green Bay’s offer.
“It was a crazy time, a crazy experience,” Fuller said on a conference call with reporters Tuesday evening. “It was almost like (as soon as the Packers offer was official) it was a done deal and matched. I just went with the flow of everything. I wasn’t able to think too much about it.”
Fuller’s average salary of $14 million ranks fifth in the NFL among cornerbacks. Fuller had 22 passes defensed, two interceptions and 68 tackles during a breakout 2017 campaign.
Fuller would have filled an enormous void in Green Bay’s depleted secondary. Instead, the Bears retained a 26-year-old on the rise — although they did it at a price Green Bay determined.
“Definitely happy to be back in Chicago,” Fuller said. “It was a crazy process, but I’m glad it’s over with.”
The post Burnett’s departure makes secondary a primary concern for Packers appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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