Clay Matthews, linebacker, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay has continually been forced to play Matthews out of position over the past couple seasons. The reasoning is rather simple. General manager Ted Thompson and Co. have failed to find any real starter-caliber talent at inside linebacker. That has led the team to play Matthews inside, where he can’t utilize what are Hall of Fame-worthy pass-rush moves.
The six-time Pro Bowler recorded just 25 tackles and five sacks in 12 games last season. And while he was dealing with injuries throughout the year, the primary reason for his lack of production can be attributed to playing out of position.
For the love of everything right in the world, Green Bay needs to hit the upcoming draft hard at inside linebacker. It needs to do so in order for the team to stop wasting the elite-level pass-rushing talent Matthews can still bring to the table. Remember, he is averaging nearly 10 sacks per game during his eight-year NFL career.
On a personal note, we know Matthews will want to return to his previous level of play in order to honor his grandfather, who passed away at the age of 88 earlier this year. Helping the long and heralded football family regain its name on the gridiron will surely be a motivation for Matthews to rise from the ashes of two substandard seasons. Never count a Matthews family football player out, Clay III included.