Blake Martinez was a Blessing in Disguise for Sam Barrington

Packers Sam Barrington has a little extra incentive for getting back on the field as quickly as possible.

The Packers have come a long way since Nate Palmer and Jake Ryan took over the starting duties at inside linebacker after the season-opening win in Chicago back in September. After a season-ending hamstring injury in his 2013 rookie season and a promising 2014 campaign, Sam Barrington faced another roadblock in 2015. 

After just over a quarter of play and tallying just one tackle, Barrington exited that week one game and later, was seen in a boot. It would soon turn out that the third-year linebacker out of South Florida would require foot surgery, once again resulting in a trip to injured reserve and ultimately ending his season.

Although he took it upon himself to religiously study game schemes every Sunday and round out his knowledge of opposing offenses, Barrington still isn't physically prepared. 

Luckily for him, he doesn't necessarily have to be in much of a rush to get back into the starting lineup come September.

Since the middle-of-the-road days of Desmond Bishop and A.J. Hawk, the Packers' inside linebacking corps has been nothing short of mediocre. Cycling through players the likes of Brad Jones, Carl Bradford and Nate Palmer. On a flip side, general manager Ted Thompson may have finally addressed that notorious weak spot of the roster in this year's draft.

With Ryan entering only his second year, Clay Matthews shifting back to his natural position at outside linebacker and Barrington on the path to recovery, it seemed only right that Thompson used his first of two compensatory picks to select Blake Martinez in the fourth round.

 

The high-motor inside linebacker out of Stanford not only fills a void at the position, but also provides Barrington no haste in throwing himself back onto the field at anything short of 100%. 

Martinez is a bully inside, holding a dominating ability to play the run and close gaps quickly. At 6'2" and just 237 pounds, his 4.71 40-yard dash speed enforces that. Valued not just for his instinctive skill set in the run game, but his man-to-man versatility to drop into coverage as well - another useful tool to aid the Packers in one of their true defensive needs. Barring any setbacks, it's still likely Barrington and Ryan will open up the season manning down the inside - a prime opportunity for Martinez to develop.

With Barrington's contract reaching its deadline after this season, he'll have a put-up or shut-up opportunity presented before him in 2016. Slow, progressive steps in the right direction to make sure he's ready for September 11th in Jacksonville could determine his future in Green Bay and whether or not he inks a renewed deal. For Barrington, the drafting of Martinez couldn't have come at a better time. 

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Zachary Jacobson is a staff writer/reporter for Cheesehead TV. He's the voice of The Leap on iTunes and can be heard on The Scoop KLGR 1490 AM every Saturday morning. He's also a contributor on the Pack-A-Day Podcast. He can be found on Twitter via @ZachAJacobson or contacted through email at [email protected].

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Comments (50)

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NickPerry's picture

June 02, 2016 at 06:30 am

I think we see Martinez at least as much or more as we saw Joe Thomas on the field last season. This was what PFF had to say about Martinez after the Packers picked Martinez.

"Martinez had the highest coverage grade among linebackers in the draft class. Martinez had a very high grade against the run as a junior but took a step back last year".

I know many don't care for PFF but that's an encouraging comment for a LB Corps who has struggled in coverage. I think TT did a great job on Day 3 of the draft, maybe his best ever and Martinez was a big reason.

Barrington was playing really really well at the end of 2014. NFL Network replayed the game vs The Patriots recently and Sam played really well against the run that day. I'd say between Ryan, Barrington, and Martinez the Packes have a pretty damn good mix Inside.

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TKWorldWide's picture

June 02, 2016 at 06:35 am

My administration accepts good news at any time.

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RCPackerFan's picture

June 02, 2016 at 07:06 am

Welcome aboard Zachary.

I am looking forward to the competition at ILB this year.
-Barrington reminds me a bit of Bishop. Problem with him is he hasn't stayed on the field enough.
-Ryan is gaining a full offseason in the system and should take a step in year 2.
-Thomas is gaining a another year of experience. A lot of people don't like him, but I like him as our Dime ILB. He brings speed and really good coverage ability.
-Martinez I think could come in right away and start in the Nickel and/or Dime packages. He is very fluid and should be an upgrade over Ryan and Barrington in coverage.

I think the competition at ILB is going to be very good this year. And competition will bring out their best.

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DrealynWilliams's picture

June 02, 2016 at 10:57 am

If Martinez can play Nickel & Dime from the jump -- Thomas might be gone.

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RCPackerFan's picture

June 02, 2016 at 11:28 am

Anything can happen. I'm not going to say it will or won't.

I do think we will see Thomas make a jump in play though.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

June 02, 2016 at 09:12 pm

Drealyn and RC - I think you are both right. I advocated for Thomas to make the 53 last year as a dime ILB, but TT cut him (but at least got him back). Though Thomas has been in camp now for 2 years, he was on the PS or hurt. I think this would be his season 2 jump, if he is going to make one.

Still, his main function was as a coverage LB. If Martinez, Fackrell, or someone else can fill that role, Thomas' roster spot is put more into question. (We might be looking for roster spots this season more than in other years.) I thought Thomas was just so-so in coverage, and his blitz was at best so-so, though he looked very willing to make contact and hit folks. I like Thomas, but he does need to improve. I do not consider him a lock or likely to make the team: absent improvement, I'd have him on the bubble.

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Since'61's picture

June 02, 2016 at 07:16 am

To be fair I think that we still need to look at our ILB corps as the weakest link on the team. We don't know yet whether Ryan will improve or not in 2016 or how well Barrington will return from his injury (he was not very effective when he was healthy) and Martinez has yet to play a down in the NFL. In terms of NFL starts we have less than 1 season (13 starts) of NFL experience among the 3 players. Combine this with an unknown situation at NT and we may be very weak up the middle against the run again which will place additional pressure for our safeties to play run support and impact our pass coverage. Looking at our schedule Dallas and Minnesota would appear to have the most potent running attacks but even less effective running teams may exploit our middle if film study indicates that it is a weak point. If Martinez demonstrates that he can play effectively we might be better off with him and a recovered Barrington as our starting ILB tandem. Thanks, Since '61

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lucky953's picture

June 02, 2016 at 07:56 am

I agree '61. We don't know what the hell we've got at ILB yet. Really, I've got my fingers crossed and take some solace that TT picked a starting LT in the 4th rnd and a starting center in the 5th rnd. If Martinez is another uncovered gem, and Barrington can stay healthy, they'll be okay there.
p.s. As a 7th rnd pick, Barrington doesn't take anything for granted, so the article's premise that "extra incentive" will help Sam doesn't make sense to me.

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ZacharyJacobson's picture

June 02, 2016 at 08:39 am

Took his second injury as a chance to heighten himself as a player and study specific parts of the game more than he ever has at any point in his career. I'm not so sure what his attitude was like before, personally. As a 7th round pick who already made the roster, I'd assume his work ethic isn't as sharp as it is now. If he was a 7th round pick and he was still in the process of making the 53, then I'd understand your point on him not taking anything for granted. But his roster spot has been secured.

The 'extra incentive' rests in the fact more talent was drafted at his position - potential talent at that, to be fair. Martinez isn't going to hop right in and make a difference by starting. I said it's more than likely Barrington/Ryan open up the season. But the talent is there and that's good news for 58. Given TT's history of promising 3rd-5th round picks, it's almost safe to assume Martinez will come into some sort of role in a thin LB corps. I'm not sold on Joe Thomas at all, regardless on whether or not he has another year of experience. It'd be fantastic if he can prove to be a force in 2016. Carl Bradford is iffy, Jake Ryan should have a better understanding for the position and Barrington should be good-to-go and pick up where he left off at the end of 2014 where he really showed flashes.

Beniquez Brown is another guy to watch. A UDFA that could maybe, just maybe slither onto the 53 and, it's a stretch, but possibly beat out Joe Thomas for a roster spot. Thomas is the bottom-dweller at ILB right now with Bradford in the same vicinity.

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Bearmeat's picture

June 02, 2016 at 11:02 am

61 -

You're right about ILB. It could be average. Or awful. It's probably not going to be much above average. I'd add the same for the entire DL AND for OLB.

On the front 7, we've got proven playmakers in Daniels (5 Tech and Nickel rusher) and CM3 at LOLB. Peppers is a freak, but you can't count on him to be a huge factor at his age. It could happen anytime.

And then we've got projects and prospects and JAGs. You hope some guys step up, but I maintain that TT hasn't added enough "difference-makers" in the front 7 in any way possible.

If this team stays healthy and doesn't win it all, IMO it'll be because of the front 7.

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Since'61's picture

June 02, 2016 at 12:45 pm

Bearmeat, I agree with your very accurate assessment of our front 7. It could be a decent group or it could be a return to the type of defense that cannot get off the field until they give up a score at the end of a long, time consuming drive. Assuming we get through the pre-season healthy we should know where our front 7 stands by games 3-4 of the regular season. Thanks, Since '61

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ben's picture

June 03, 2016 at 12:53 pm

Wow, some objective thought. I was about to freak out again reading how some homers here are excited and happy with the mix at ILB.

Matthews will have to play mostly at ILB this year. Peppers, Perry, Frackell, and an under-rated Elliott will handle most of the OLB duties this year.

Eilliott deserves some serious playing-time and Frackell has a great skill set for the position. Perry lacks any edge pass-rush moves and simply does not.

The Packers best starting LB core is:
LLB:Elliott ILB:Clay ILB:Perry RLB:Peppers

Perry is the 2nd best ILB prospect on the roster next to Clay. He is the 2nd fastest LB on the team and best against the run.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

June 02, 2016 at 07:34 am

1st, I am not sure that many low starter-type players like to see their GM draft a player at their position, a player who might replace them. Barrington's hold on the starting job was never a lock, although I thought he played pretty well at times. 2nd: I am not at all sure that Martinez will play Barrington's position, though he might be able to. 3rd: it is a lot to ask a late 4th round rookie to come in start in game one of their rookie year. 4th: Barrington has only managed to play in 22 of 48 games, with two trips to the IR. Methinks he better be healthy this year.

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marpag1's picture

June 02, 2016 at 03:50 pm

Agreed, this doesn't make any sense.

"Hey, Sam.... great news! If your not fit enough to get on the field, the Packers may have just drafted your replacement! This couldn't have come at a better time!"

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Handsback's picture

June 02, 2016 at 08:12 am

I got this from a well-placed source that a black horse candidate will emerge and take over the MLB spot.....Bradford! Just kidding, I think Barrington will be the starter but when teams have to play from behind that duo may be Thomas and Martinez. What I don't see is the MLB being a major position of weakness. Ryan had a year of experience and will be improved. Thomas knows what Capers needs and can deliver. Barrington is a thumper, and can make the opponent's offense one dimensional. Together, they should be able to match the Hawk/Bishop days.

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DrealynWilliams's picture

June 02, 2016 at 10:42 am

You fu#*er! You had me going...!!! LMAO!!!!!!!

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ben's picture

June 03, 2016 at 02:26 pm

is he kidding? I hope he's kidding. He's gotta be kidding right?

without clay at ILB, the packers have the weakest ILB core in the NFL.

and without dominance up front they will be exposed.

What have Ryan, Thomas, Barrington, or Bradford done to make you think any different? objectively not a thing

but,
Barrington making offenses 1 dimensional!
Thomas can deliver!
Ryan had a year of experience!
What I don't see is the MLB being a major position of weakness!

this shit is too funny

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TarynsEyes's picture

June 02, 2016 at 09:02 am

Unless someone not named Matthews steps up, this position will be filled by pulling straws and the winner is already a loser by virtue of having to draw a straw in the first place. Much like how the outside linebacker position has been filled less Matthews of recent seasons since the glorious and highly desired drafting of he who shall and should be nameless. : )

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DrealynWilliams's picture

June 02, 2016 at 10:53 am

I agree. Just being serviceable won't suffice. Especially with the D-Line being as questionable. It's a lot of hope.

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Since'61's picture

June 02, 2016 at 12:47 pm

And that's the problem, hope is not a plan. Thanks, Since '61

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DrealynWilliams's picture

June 02, 2016 at 01:04 pm

Oh, trust me - I know. It's either we're settling or we're hoping.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

June 02, 2016 at 09:09 am

I'm actually reasonably happy with the ILB position now. Between the combination of Martinez, Ryan and Barrington they should be able to effectively man the position. If Barington can play on running downs and give Ryan and Martinez a breather on long drives I think they can be good enough as a group.

The best part is no more OLB/DE conversions on the field at ILB, that was a joke.

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ben's picture

June 03, 2016 at 01:14 pm

Yup, good enough. Everything's great.

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packer4real's picture

June 02, 2016 at 10:56 am

Inside linebacker Corp will do fine. We must understand that the inside linebacker Corp has been flipped in the last two years and young. I like them all. I'm focusing on the receivers because they couldn't get open last season. The defense held up well last year. The running game need more speed but I believe we have one that's an undrafted free agent. If these little problems are corrected, the packers will be scary and dangerous especially if the tight endschedule come to play. I'm just saying!

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packer4real's picture

June 02, 2016 at 10:58 am

Also don't understand estimate Joe Thomas at play. He is good and will be better this year. Watch and see. He is a thumper!

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TKWorldWide's picture

June 02, 2016 at 06:33 pm

Joe Thomas is a thumper?

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Amanofthenorth's picture

June 05, 2016 at 12:07 am

You got Joe Thomas confused. Here is a better picture of the thumper:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Thomas_(offensive_tackle)#/media/File:Joe_Thomas_Cleveland_Browns_New_Uniform_Unveiling_(16968332879).jpg

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ben's picture

June 03, 2016 at 02:08 pm

oh yea you bet

Barrington too. And Jake Ryan, he's a packer too so he's 1 too.

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toolkien's picture

June 02, 2016 at 11:57 am

It just goes to show how times have changed. The Packers did have SOME talent back in the "bad old days", and they'd get hurt - like Barrington or Nelson. In those days, that would be all that was needed to dial up a 4-12 season. Now, a down year with painfully placed injuries results in 10-6 and a near return trip to the NFCCG.

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4thand1's picture

June 02, 2016 at 04:13 pm

No let downs please. This group is young and hungry and seem to very smart. On film you see football instincts, stuff you don't have to coach. I think you'll see guys flying to the ball and gang tackling. Zach, you brought up Brad Jones. I thought he was going to be pretty good. He was starting to look better and the arrow seemed to be pointing up and BAM, he got shittier. Give me young guys who'll improve and put this ILBer crap to bed.

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Tundraboy's picture

June 02, 2016 at 06:50 pm

My thoughts and sentiments exactly. Out with the old in with the new.

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Tundraboy's picture

June 02, 2016 at 06:47 pm

We have been in worse shape. Yes we have no idea what to expect this year and it is actually kind of exciting. Having Ryan, Barrington and this new batch of LB draft and UDFAs beats the hell out of Jones Palmer, Hawk and whoever. And with a better DL this year I think we may be pleasantly surprised.

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NickPerry's picture

June 03, 2016 at 05:48 am

Thank you TB! They couldn't be worse than any group that included Palmer or Hawk after Bishop was injured. Martinez and Ryan are both smart kids and I don't believe the Packers D-Line is really any worse han what they had last season. Is the Front 7 a bit of a question? Sure, but I think they're better equipped this year than last to handle it.

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ben's picture

June 03, 2016 at 01:30 pm

For years and years I was the biggest critic of AJ Hawk. Trying to tell you the packers were winning despite him instead of because of him and how all his tackles were 5-7 yards downfield.

But give me Hawk over any one of these guys any day.

Seriously. No Joke. It's close but give me hawk over barrington. And Bradford, Ryan, & Thomas aren't even NFL material.

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al bundy's picture

June 02, 2016 at 05:54 pm

I liked Barrington but what the hell. He has been hurt how long now? Pre season of last year? I mean is this guy ever coming back and if so in what frame of mind?
These serious injuries take their toll and you cannot hope he even comes close to being what he was.

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ben's picture

June 03, 2016 at 01:32 pm

sorry al, logical thinking doesn't fly here. Going to have to give you another thumbs down.

Get in line and homer up!

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al bundy's picture

June 02, 2016 at 05:58 pm

Jake Ryan is a toad. I'm a michigan fan and watched Jake get tricked out of his jock Strap often by guys with speed.

Jake Ryan is way too slow to react to the speed of pro ball and a so so tackler. No way can he move laterally. The reason I think he was a fill in last year, he couldn't get a starting job because of the above reasons.

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4thand1's picture

June 02, 2016 at 06:24 pm

Croak, this post sucks. I'm also a Michigan fan, and Ryan Did pretty dam good for a rookie. He was always around the ball and sure, made some rookie mistakes. Just another post of someone judging a player pre -maturely.

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ray nichkee's picture

June 02, 2016 at 10:15 pm

4th, it's just another al bundy post. He don't know football or he's just a part time troll or one of the many here to stir the pot.

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ray nichkee's picture

June 02, 2016 at 10:19 pm

D'oh! Double post.

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dobber's picture

June 02, 2016 at 06:39 pm

Deleted

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NickPerry's picture

June 03, 2016 at 05:59 am

If you're a Michigan Fan then you know Ryan was switched from OLB to ILB then too. I thought he handled the switch really well at Michigan and the Packers got themselves a pretty good "Football Player".

He did get a starting job last season, he played in 14 games and started 5 of them. He also had 50 tackles last year and is only the 3rd LB drafted by TT to have at least 50 tackles. I guess he kept his jock strap on at least some of the time last year.

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ben's picture

June 03, 2016 at 02:17 pm

when the packer's drafted Jake Ryan I was intigued, so I went back and put on some film. I started watching Michigan vs Ohio State. Now I'm not saying this for any effect, but I truthfully was literally laughing at this guy and how he could even be drafted. The whole 1st half I was laughing out loud. Granted he wasn't as bad in the 2nd half.

Look it up yourself. Michigan vs Ohio State. I guarantee you will laugh at his play.

I didn't watch any more tape on Ryan. Didn't need to. His below average play last year was no surprise to me.

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JerseyAl's picture

June 04, 2016 at 07:02 pm

Fancy yourself a scout from watching one youtube video? I see... Well, in case you want to read a real scouting report from a real NFL scouting organization, here is the synopsis section for the 70+ page report on Ryan:

SCOUTING ANALYSIS
The way Ryan attacks ball carriers, you would think he has a personal vendetta towards them, as he plays with a true “search and destroy” attitude. His instincts, field vision and ability to call assignments had the staff shifting the strong-side ‘backer to the “Mike” position as a senior. The hard-hitting tackler was missed during the first half of 2013, as he was limited to 30 tackles when he returned in mid-October from March knee surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament tear. In his previous two seasons, he had combined for 125 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 27.0 stops-for-loss and five forced fumbles.

His senior season was one of the few bright spots for Wolverine fans in 2014, as the new middle man led the team with 112 tackles and 14.0 stops-for-loss that included a pair of sacks. He also caused two fumbles and broke up three tosses. Among active FBS players, he is currently third with 45.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for his career and has registered 267 tackles.

Ryan is more quick than fast, but shows good closing speed vs. plays in front of him. He builds his acceleration steadily and stays low in his pads to slip under blocks and make plays in pursuit. He is much more active with his hands as a senior than in the past. He has a good array of counter moves and can surprise a lethargic blocker with his rip-&-swim maneuvers. He demonstrates very good ability and strength taking on blocks, as he refined his hand placement and improved his hand technique to prevent the lineman from gaining leverage.

The Wolverine won’t explode behind his hits, but when he keeps his pad level down, he is effective at driving into and pushing back the ball carrier by consistently attacking the opposing runner’s legs to impede their forward progress. He gets a little out of control trying to make plays in long pursuit and when he fails to redirect fluidly, he struggles to recover. He is a better tackler on the move, as he knows how to avoid the bigger blockers when making plays at the point of attack. He has good body control in space, showing the ability to break down and hit with functional pop.

With his move inside, Ryan showed that he has a strong grasp of blocking schemes and the ability to beat offensive linemen to the point of attack. He does a nice job of keeping his head up to locate the ball quickly. He’s quite effective at reading the quarterback’s eyes when he drops into zone coverage and does an above-average job of timing his breaks on the ball for an inside linebacker with just one year’s experience at the “Mike” position.

Perhaps his inexperience in the middle led to some over-aggressiveness at times last year and that left him vulnerable to play action, but he had the foot work to generate adequate depth in his pass drops, along with demonstrating a good burst coming out of his back-pedal to mirror receivers in the intermediate area.

Ryan also did a solid job covering a lot of ground in zone coverage. He has the ability to open his hips and is fast enough to run with most backs and tight ends in man coverage. He also shows good ball skills to make plays in coverage, as his three tipped passes and interception came at during opportune times (all on third-down snaps). His footwork is a bit inconsistent when he has to get back into the deeper areas, as he has some problems recovering when takes extra steps.

While Ryan still needs some work on reading routes and isn't as aggressive in coverage as is defending the run, he shows the lateral mobility when scraping down the line of scrimmage, as he has the quick feet to avoid blockers while on the move and gets through traffic quickly. While he can be relentless and shows good sideline-to-sideline range, there are times he does not take sound pursuit angles and could have some problems trying to prevent NFL running backs from turning the corner until improves in this area.

With 45.5 stops-for-loss, Ryan shows that he is aggressive and quick enough to disrupt running plays in the backfield. He gets under the blockers' pads and shows active hands when teams run at him, and last season, he demonstrated a violent punch and kept his hands active and inside his framework to prevent from being reached by interior offensive linemen.

Ryan loves to tackle, but he will occasionally try to deliver the big hit rather than wrapping up and when he gets too high in his tackle form, bigger ball carriers can bounce off his side tackles. He is more explosive attacking between the tackles, but is also effective in the open field when he squares up to the ball carrier and drives legs after making contact.

Even with 9.5 sacks, Ryan might show the ability to slip blockers in the backfield, but he has not developed an arsenal of pass rush moves and struggles to get to the quarterback when his initial momentum is stopped by the protection. He is not the type that will jump the gun, as he times the snap well and shows good closing speed to flush the quarterback out of the pocket.

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TKWorldWide's picture

June 05, 2016 at 11:55 am

The third paragraph of the analysis makes reference to his pad level, at which point MM probably said, "that's all I need to know."

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Rossonero's picture

June 02, 2016 at 08:37 pm

Unless Barrington has an incredible year, he'll be gone in 2017. The Packers look at the whole body of work and as someone else noted, he's only played in 22 of a possible 48 games.

As an optimist, I have the Packers winning the Super Bowl this season. When that happens, players really cash in and sometimes are overvalued with all the Super Bowl hype. Barrington could fall into that category.

I like his potential and thumping style, but he needs to stay in the field. Martinez and Ryan will be the future. Martinez, like Ryan, will not start immediately, but will gradually work his way into the lineup when injuries or poor play happen.

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ben's picture

June 03, 2016 at 02:15 pm

"Martinez is a bully inside, holding a dominating ability to play the run and close gaps quickly. At 6'2" and just 237 pounds, his 4.71 40-yard dash speed enforces that."

does it?

the only thing a 4.71 at 237lbs can enforce is that he may not have the athletic ability to make it in this league.

He better have excellent read&react skills, be able to get off blocks, and have coverage ability because he's light in the shorts and still not fast.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

June 03, 2016 at 10:39 pm

40 means very little for LB's look at his other combine numbers.

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MITM's picture

June 03, 2016 at 08:19 pm

Something tells me Lerentee Mccray could be a name to keep in mind at ILB..

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