Julius Peppers' Departure Left "Significant Void" in Packers' D
-- Few players are as ageless as they are productive, but Julius Peppers was both in his last few years in Green Bay.
Peppers, the 38-year-old pass rusher who's a lock for being a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he finally decides to retire, was one of the seven free agents the Green Bay Packers chose to let hit free agency last offseason.
In a subtle effort to replace his production, they drafted outside linebacker Vince Biegel with the 108th overall pick in the 2017 draft and signed Ahmad Brooks in late August. Biegel, however, would go on to miss all of training camp and Brooks would struggle to stay healthy on a consistent basis for most of the season and would prove to be nothing more than a situational pass rusher.
Those reasons alone condensed into the simple fact that the Packers missed Peppers last season, and coach Mike McCarthy didn't seem to shy away from that at the NFL's Annual Meeting on Tuesday.
"Just from an availability standpoint alone. There's a pretty significant void there," McCarthy said.
Peppers, who has played nothing short of a 16-game season every year since 2007, was signed by the Carolina Panthers last year. The same team who drafted him second overall in 2002 and where he'd spend the next eight years of his career.
A four-year stint with the Chicago Bears led to his three-year follow-up stay in Green Bay where he'd record 25 sacks and earn a Pro Bowl selection in 2015. He was seen in an expanded role that season due to Clay Matthews being shifted mostly inside and away from his natural edge position, leaving Matthews and Nick Perry at outside linebacker.
Peppers could've played a significant role in the Packers' defense in 2017 -- the same year he racked up 11 sacks for the Panthers at 38 years old -- and offered a veteran voice for someone such as Reggie Gilbert, who the Packers may have a developmental project in.
Instead, the Packers reportedly didn't even issue Peppers an offer.
In his last season in Green Bay, Peppers played the second-most total snaps on the defense amongst linebackers behind only Joe Thomas. Peppers played 587 snaps on defense -- third total -- and 140 on special teams -- fifth total -- for an accumulation of 727.
Peppers was just re-signed by the Panthers on a one-year deal, so the hope for a reunion with the Packers is far out the window.
He's just six sacks away from surpassing former All-Pro Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Kevin Greene (160) on the NFL's all-time sack list, and Peppers' one-year deal gives him a shot at that. Peppers hasn't finished with fewer than six sacks in a season since 2007.
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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].
Comments (28)
RCPackerFan
March 29, 2018 at 08:18 am
Part of the reason why they let Peppers go was to let the young guys take over. Allowing Fackrell (who looked like he was getting at the end of his rookie year) to emerge. Allowing Jayrone Elliott more playing time. Allowing a rookie to come in and contribute.
But Fackrell never emerged. They drafted Biegel and he got hurt and missed most of his rookie year. They ended up cutting Elliott basically in favor of an UDFA from another team that barely saw time on the game day active list. They signed Brooks to alleviate the loss of Peppers then he got hurt and missed a lot of time.
IMO, Thompson really mismanaged the OLB position last year. I was ok with letting Peppers go at the time. But clearly was the wrong move. Fackrell had a bad preseason and Gilbert had a great preseason. In all honesty Fackrell should have been cut and put on the PS and allowed Gilbert to play. When Gilbert finally made it to the 53 he showed he should have been on the 53 all year. While Odom maybe a good player in the future, he contributed next to nothing. I really don't get the reason to cut Elliott who showed he could be an explosive pass rusher for a player who sat the bench all year.
Hopefully this year we will see the right moves made and players to stay healthy. Mathews and Perry need to stay healthy! Hopefully Biegel and become the player we hoped when he was drafted. Hopefully Gilbert can continue to impress. Maybe (big maybe) Fackrell in a new scheme the light will go on. Perhaps Odom will show why he was picked up. And hopefully they draft a guy high enough to contribute early.
RCPackerFan
March 29, 2018 at 03:24 pm
Well you're not supposed to bring facts to my arguments lol.
I forgot that he was traded. Thanks for correcting me.
Elliott showed up during regular season. He didn't always have the stats but he provided pressure. He was always behind others at the position and never really got a good opportunity to show himself. I was expecting him to play a lot after they let Peppers leave. That obviously didn't happen.
Minniman
March 29, 2018 at 02:40 pm
I sincerely hope that the lights go on for Fackrell too as his back story is of a really decent humble family guy. I just don't see in Kyler's play that imperious attitude that successful NFL pass rushers have in order to shed blocks and attack the target. When I see him get off of his block its more good luck than good design.
RCPackerFan
March 29, 2018 at 03:25 pm
Fackrell had good moments, but way to many bad ones. I thought he was going to have a good second year because he was starting to come on late in his rookie year. You could see the skills starting to come through.
Last year it was like he was playing scared/timid.
Perhaps a new DC will help him. If not he likely will be gone.
lou
March 29, 2018 at 09:14 am
Excellent points RC, basically what could go wrong at the position did go wrong last year. If they would have kept Elliott at least they had a solid special teams player that is more than Odom was. I was surprised that the Cowboys let Elliott go so quickly and he never surfaced anywhere else. The onus is on Biegel, many believed he was a better all around LB at WI than Watt, he will have every chance to show he can play this season. Fackrell who McCarthy says is always in position needs to make some splash plays to stay on the 53, how long did we wait for Carl Bradford to do the same, he got more chances than anyone I can remember at both inside and outside LB. If they get Davenport in the draft and Clay & Nick stay healthy with the talent in the D-Line the defense could really surprise next year.
Minniman
March 29, 2018 at 02:53 pm
Some really good points lou. I'm personally not so sure on Davenport purely from the standpoint that the Packers cannot risk whiffing again in the first round. He's a high risk\reward prospect and I think that he's a risk that teams with less holes can only afford to take in the first round. If he survives till the middle of the second round then most definitely.
J0hn Denver's Gavel
March 29, 2018 at 10:37 pm
Odom played on the D line a lot more than he did at OLB
Finwiz
March 29, 2018 at 10:04 am
Letting Peppers go wasn't a big mistake on it's own.
Having no replacements was the problem.
Fakrell was a joke even being mentioned in the same sentence as Julius.
Biegel was injured at WI and injured the entire year, so that was a buster, so far.
And Ahmad Brooks never looked any good from day 1, and was a desperation move when they realized Fackrell and Biegel weren't contributors in 2017.
This entire debacle was an epic fail on the part of the Grey Fox. Should have cut his own azz - self destructed, a year or two early!
Bearmeat
March 29, 2018 at 11:19 am
I disagree, RC.
It's not mostly that TT and DC made bad decisions during the season relating to the OLB position (although they certainly did). It's that the players they had - and yes I'd say ALL of the players they had at OLB - were either hurt quite a bit or just not good. They had no good options after they let Peppers walk and didn't draft a high OLB in May of 17.
The frontline has a loooong history of injuries. The backline was unproven. So let's roll with those guys! (not a good idea!)
RCPackerFan
March 29, 2018 at 03:29 pm
well thats shocking. :)
Well to be honesty, I think some of Capers decisions maybe led into more injuries for the OLB's. Playing 2 DL down after down takes a toll on the OLB's, who essentially become DE's. Had they played more 3 man DL's that might have allowed the OLB's to remain Outside more and stay healthier.
Also I still think Mathews should have been more of an ILB. using more 3 DL and 1 OLB with Mathews at ILB would have allowed him to stay healthier and be more effective.
Biegel re injured his foot from college. Not a draft mistake but it did basically end up costing him his rookie year.
Even after all the injuries that they suffered they kept Gilbert on the PS. Obviously that was a bad mistake.
Bearmeat
March 29, 2018 at 06:55 pm
If you remember, I was screaming to the high heavens that we didn't have enough front-line talent or depth at OLB before training camp began. You wanted to wait and see what happened.... And look what happened? We had an oft-injured and generally atrocious pass rush.
I never was an Elliot apologist like you were, so him getting traded really didn't bother me, but I will agree with you about CM3 and Gilbert: CM3 shouldn't have been used exclusively at LOLB and it was immensely frustrating that he didn't get meaningful snaps all year.
Now, I'm not going to get frustrated with Gute the same way I did with TT... Gute still could make some things happen. We don't know his tendencies like we did with TT. I will simply say that I'm very concerned about OLB, CB and to a lesser extent, WR.
RCPackerFan
March 30, 2018 at 07:01 am
Oh yeah. A lot of people were.
I liked Elliott a lot. I honestly thought he was going to emerge. But that didn't happen.
IMO, Capers ruined the defense more then he helped it. Playing players out of position and running the same look defense down after down.
Don't get frustrated with Gutekunst. Give him a chance. He has already made moves that Thompson wouldn't have.
I highly doubt the Packers would have Graham or Wilkerson right now if he was the GM.
Right now I'm not concerned about those positions. We have the draft. Lets see what happens there.
TarynsEyes
March 29, 2018 at 10:59 am
There was a void when the Packers signed Peppers,there was a void while they had Peppers and the same void is there since Peppers left.
Peppers came and gone changing nothing except for those Car,Chi and Car again who knew how to use him and it isn't as an OLB.
Since'61
March 29, 2018 at 11:01 am
Hi Taryn. Looks like we were posting the same thought at the same time.
Nice to see you back again. Thanks, Since '61
Bearmeat
March 29, 2018 at 09:17 pm
agreed on all points
Since'61
March 29, 2018 at 10:59 am
While I agree there was a void without Peppers in 2017, would he really have made a difference once Rodgers was hurt and Hundley took over? I doubt it. Most of the defense was a void last season and had been since 2014.
Besides if Fackrell or Beigel had stepped up Peppers would be pretty far back in the rear view mirror. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Even if the Packers had signed Peppers for 2017 would they keep or resign him now with their need for cap space? I doubt it. They were and are trying to get younger and fresher legs at pass rusher. They may have let Peppers go a year early but it is still better than a year too late. Thanks, Since '61
Minniman
March 29, 2018 at 04:22 pm
In the last year of his contract at GB wasn't Peppers a situational player anyway? His snap count was reduced in order to keep him fresh, making his cap number on the expensive side relative to his per down contribution. Carolina also played him sparingly last year. At the time my personal view was why was he not re-structured as the 10.5 million cap number no longer reflected his changed role for GB.
That said, Nick Perry needs to thank Julius Peppers every day, as without his contribution, Nick Perry woudn't have had the statistically impressive contract season that he did and cashed in.
J0hn Denver's Gavel
March 29, 2018 at 10:44 pm
peppers snap count
2017-499
2016-584
Lare
March 29, 2018 at 03:30 pm
I agree, I don't think the Packers had the opportunity to re-sign Peppers. One of his closest friends, Charles Johnson, talked him into returning to Carolina so he could retire where he began.
I wish Julius well, he played his heart out for the Packers.
RCPackerFan
March 29, 2018 at 03:30 pm
My understanding was the Packers didn't offer him anything. They didn't try to keep him.
flackcatcher
March 30, 2018 at 01:00 am
(laugh so hard..........0:)
4thand1
March 29, 2018 at 11:07 am
We need something to happen that's news worthy. We all know what this defense needs go and get it.
Johnblood27
March 29, 2018 at 11:46 am
My lasting takeaways from Peppers on the Pack are these...
1) Peppers still doesn't have a ring and his signal to Burnett to "Get Down" is a major reason why he doesn't.
2) His utility which allowed CMIII to be moved inside revealed exactly where Clay belongs TODAY. I hope Pettine sees this and builds through others at OLB/DE-pass rush and makes a CMIII move to ILB-rover alongside Martinez a permanent part of this defense.
4thand1
March 29, 2018 at 12:22 pm
Why did you have to bring up "get down" ? I still have nightmares about that and the other plays in that infamous game. Burnett could have easily gotten into FG range or more if he just ran . WTFWTFWTF, ok I'm done ranting.
Finwiz
March 29, 2018 at 12:40 pm
Wasn't his fault the moron with the ball listened to him.
They both could of starred in their own version of "Dumb and Dumber". Set in a football theme.
stockholder
March 29, 2018 at 04:15 pm
Well this is sure a twist. Many wanted him cut before that third year. Restricting playing Time. Slower Legs. Less game changing plays. Became Avg. TT didn't listen to you crying cut him. Don't judge if you can't get a better effect. The effect will change the product. Influence can produce change. This team was bleeding. And TT failed to stop it. The heart of the team changed. Injuries and time has crept into a worn out machine. We found value in peppers. It wasn't the money that counted, but the leadership he provided. Let's keep that in mind. Leadership! When you see the packers go after FA's. It's about the leadership they can provide. (Gute has done that.) How this turns out will depend on the draft. Will he take the players that will be the new Heart. Or a player that fizzles and says it was a learning curve. Target the leader! Not the helper. Peppers taught the packers a lesson. Power isn't youth. It's leadership! Power is by example!
Lphill
March 29, 2018 at 03:43 pm
Let's see what Biegel can do healthy and with a season under his belt, I don't think we should give up on him just yet,he may surprise us.
Cartwright
March 30, 2018 at 05:38 am
What got me last year is that Thompson drafted players with significant injury histories at positions of need. The King and Beigle picks were head scratchers to me as they were injured in college and as it panned out those injuries surfaced again. We got squat from Beigle and half a year out of King whose shoulder kept popping out. These were known injuries but we rolled the dice anyway. We could have had TJ Watt's little brother who didn't have the same injury history, yet we traded away the pick for 2 who do. I have the feeling these injuries will surface again with those two and leave us short like last year. I just hope Gutenkunst has learned this lesson and drafts players who have no significant injury histories. If your not playing what good are you.