Addition By Subtraction?

Nick Barnett out for the year. He was having a brutal year anyway, so could this possibly be a good thing? Hopefully we won't be watching Des Bishop whiff on tackles as much as Barnett did.

If this does turn out to be a pawsitive, can we also shut down Clifton for the year?

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Nick Barnett will be able to feed his family...

...well maybe. He had to "go there" with this one little nugget:

I go with the rules they set. Now I get to play Monday night. Pockets are a little lighter, but I still get to play.

Pockets a little lighter Barnett? Lighter? Try to look at things from the big perspective pal:

Barnett will lose $155,882 of his $2.65 million salary this season.

That's right Barnett. $2.65 Million this one effing year. You donkey. Shut your mouth.

Oh I'm not done yet. How about over $15M so far for his career?

Cheer up Nick, you'll get through these tough times. I hear they sell 5 Jack's frozen pizzas for $10 up there in GB...so stock up now before the money dries up.

Green Bay Packers Preview: Linebackers

That's Ray Nitschke, bitches! Go ahead, try to steal this guy's lunch money. RIP, Ray.

Not a bad start for Green Bay last night. Rodgers and the #1 defense looked pretty solid. On to the previews...Linebackers:

Starters:
Nick Barnett is the heart and soul of the LB corps. He's a tackling machine with speed. DC Bob Sanders want to use he and AJ Hawk in more blitz packages this year...that can only utilize their strength. I've said this before, and I'll say it again....Hawk hasn't made too many impact plays, but if his only job thus far has been to tackle the guy who comes in his space, he's been fine. Hopefully DC Bob Sanders is more aggressive with Hawk and Barnett like he says they will. Brady Poppinga and Brandon Chillar are pretty much co-starters. They're gonna do a Ned Yost platoon here...Poppy's better against the run, Chillar stronger in pass coverage. Poppy played DE in college and will be used as a rush end in certain situations.

Reserves:
This unit is VERY deep. Who to cut from the following will be a difficult choice. Desmond Bishop is currently the #2 MLB, he'll probably make the team. After missing last year with tendinitis surgery in both knees, Abdul Hodge has been an animal. Last night was a prime example. He may have been the most impressive player (on either team) in the second half. And oh by the way, the 7th LB on the list, Tracy White, is the Packers best special teams player. These will be difficult cuts indeed. Sadly, Terry Tate did not make the roster...WOOOOH!!

Final Grade: B+. Deep and talented. If the attack style of defense is not just coach-speak, look for some big plays in 2008 ladies and gentleman.

No More Vanilla Defense?

Word out of Green Bay is the D has been working on more blitzing packages than normal. This wouldn't take much as the Packers defense was among the most vanilla in the league last year - albeit a very solid one. The sack totals slipped as the year went along helped in large part to the injuries to KGB, Johnny Jolly, and Colin Cole. Cole and Jolly in the rotation made Corey Williams more fresh throughout games. Of course, Williams is now gone.

The main benefactors of this more aggressive defense could be Nick Barnett and AJ Hawk...as highlighted in this ESPN article. People have been waiting for Hawk to make more "special" plays...like you would expect a #5 overall pick to make. But, if they only put you in base, vanilla sets...that can be hard to do. Time to unleash the fury.

Of course, running blitz packages in June and running them in September are two different things. I, for one, would love to see what this talented defense can do playing more aggressive.