Probably the most glaring weakness the Packers have is that when there are injuries, it takes movement of two or three players by position to take up the slack. It's great that players have multiple position talent, but when you start moving them around, like on a checker board, the chemistry you have on the field totally disappears.
We saw that play out this year in the defensive secondary. Injuries were key. Yet, even if the injuries hadn't been that numerous, can anyone honestly say that the defensive schemes of the Capers defense would have worked? Where had they improved - in other areas - to a point that they would have been better than they were in 2015? The fact is, they didn't improve, and the defense, as a whole, without those injuries, would not have been much better than it was.
I know that statement is subjective. My opinion. But here's why I say that. The front four was not better in 2016 than the year before. If anything, they seemed to have less push in most games. Let's say they were about equally as good as the year before. Give them a "C+.+ Next is the linebackers. The reduction in Peppers playing time to start grooming his replacement was pretty obvious. Perry spent a lot of time out there. Good or bad? Don't know. I just know that when Peppers was in there, he was a damned good player. Better than Perry. Matthews showed signs of being solid again, but injuries hurt him badly. He still has some moves, but he didn't have an All Pro season, that's for sure, despite spending most of his time outside. The inside linebacker crew did what they could. Injuries hurt them, but they didn't do that much less than they would have without injuries. Martinez is still the key in my eyes. He's the smart one out there, and that's what will matter next year, assuming Capers recognizes it. He has the same field savvy that we saw when Hawk was calling the defensive shots. You need that out there. You can't just appoint someone, they need to understand what they see in front of them, and convey it to their teammates. The only three that I know of, during this entire McCarthy era, were Woodson, Hawk, and now Martinez, who can comprehend and digest everything they see quick enough to bark out defensive options. It's essential, in my book.
All that said, I believe the Packers will concentrate on the defense when it comes to the draft. Probably 5 or 6 of the 8 picks, unless they do some trading to change their positioning. In all honesty, their first round pick is worthless to them this year. It's time to trade it for a lower pick this year, and what could be a significantly higher pick, possibly top 10, next year. They need to fill depth in positions more than find a front line player who's a playmaker, but next year, they have to look at a couple of play makers who can help them keep winning.
