Modest Expectations for Andy Mulumba

When asked about the second-year outside linebacker, Packers coach Mike McCarthy recently stressed his special teams contributions before getting discussing the defensive side of the football.

Whether at the NFL Combine or NFL Owners Meetings, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has been asked about many of the key players on the team's roster over the course of the offseason.

It's become commonplace this year and every year for McCarthy to talk about second-year players making a large leap in their methaphorical sophomore season in professional football.

In the past few months, McCarthy has talked about players like Datone Jones making a "huge jump," Josh Boyd taking a "big step" and Micah Hyde deserving the opportunity to be an "every-down player," just to name a few.

After looking through the transcript from last week's NFL Owners Meeting, I saw McCarthy address another player entering his second season that I hadn't seen shared anywhere else in the media and wanted to post here.

McCarthy was asked about outside linebacker Andy Mulumba, who made the Packers roster as an undrafted rookie last season and received an unexpectedly large amount of playing time after injuries to Clay Matthews and Nick Perry sidelined them for long stretches.

"I think Andy was a young man that really grew with his opportunities," said McCarthy. "Special teams was a challenge for him early. I look for him to probably make a bigger improvement on special teams. I really liked the way he developed as an outside linebacker, all the new things he was asked to do there. I think he’s a young player … you know, we make a big deal about players in their second year making a big jump, and I feel confident Andy will be one of those players."

Once again, McCarty referenced the "big jump" that he always seems to make about second-year players, but was it perhaps a bad sign that the first thing McCarthy referenced special teams before even getting to the defensive side of the football when discussing Mulumba?

In trying to come to some sort of conclusion, it's probably important to put Mulumba's life story in perspective. Here's a guy that emigrated from war-torn Congo in Africa to Montreal with his family as a child and had to overcome social and language barriers that make football seem pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Mulumba didn't start playing football until high school and was still learning the game when enrolling at Eastern Michigan University.

The learning curve Mulumba has experienced has obviously been steeper than most, but considering the circumstances, his transition to the NFL has been rather admirable. In 361 defensive snaps, according to ProFootballFocus.com, Mulumba made 30 tackles and a sack in his rookie season.

With the addition of Julius Peppers in the offseason and the potential of the Packers adding another few rookies either during the draft or signed afterward, perhaps the opportunity for advancement for an edge rusher like Mulumba is limited.

As long as players like Matthews, Peppers, Perry and Mike Neal are healthy, Mulumba might find playing time hard to come by, and maybe that's why McCarthy brought up special teams being an area of improvement.

Of couse, with Matthews, Perry and Neal having a rather lengthy injury history and Peppers being 34 years old, the door isn't being closed on Mulumba either.

0 points
 

Comments (21)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Clay Zombo's picture

April 01, 2014 at 01:51 pm

Boy you Republican rednecks are some thin skinned people. All you do is bitch about Stroh or Obama, get a life and watch something besides Fox News for a change.

There is a saying that fits you to a T. "Its better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt".

0 points
0
0
Clay Zombo's picture

April 01, 2014 at 04:16 pm

I'll keep politics out of it if you do chuckles. Seems like every other post of yours you take some shot at the President and his administration. News flash buddy, every President in the history of this country has lied and or covered up messes, this one just happens to be Black and im sure that's where your hatred of him comes from.

You're just too dumb to realize that I guess. Anyway back to football.

0 points
0
0
Clay Zombo's picture

April 01, 2014 at 09:12 pm

Try to confuse the issue all you like but we can all see through your façade.

And believe me when I tell you im not racist, because I hate everybody equally. Although you're throwing the balance off a bit.

0 points
0
0
Clay Zombo's picture

April 01, 2014 at 09:19 pm

Let me just apologize to the rest of you for having to read this garbage. I just felt the sudden need to put this clown in his place.

Back to football.

0 points
0
0
LASVEGAS-TOM's picture

April 01, 2014 at 10:18 pm

Clay Zombo, I liked your comment. I always said it a little differently. If asked, I always said I was a Racist, I just didn't have any particular color in mind. I gave you a like.

0 points
0
0
HankScorpio's picture

April 02, 2014 at 06:55 am

"Garbage" doesn't put anyone in their place. It just puts you in the same one.

0 points
0
0
Jakub Mazur's picture

April 02, 2014 at 09:03 pm

His first language is FRENCH and since his from Quebec now, there was no language barrier and he speaks English fluently albeit with a slight French Canadian accent...

0 points
0
0
RCPackerFan's picture

April 01, 2014 at 11:04 am

Yeah, I agree with you on this.

I like Mulumba a lot actually. Talent wise he has shown some good potential. He is just raw and needs to learn how to play the position better. Once he learns how to play the position he could be a very good player.

Maybe he will become a Sam Shields type of player.

0 points
0
0
Allan Murphy's picture

April 01, 2014 at 10:54 am

why they keep changing log in bs if not broke don't fix .....

0 points
0
0
Ibleedgreenmore's picture

April 01, 2014 at 01:56 pm

My name has been changed twice and not a bit to happy about it.

0 points
0
0
LASVEGAS-TOM's picture

April 01, 2014 at 02:31 pm

Tom B., Did you by any chance do a Scan, or Disk Clean Up on your computer?? That will wipe out (I forget what their called) passwords ect.
If you had that name before, that might explain it?? LVT

0 points
0
0
LASVEGAS-TOM's picture

April 01, 2014 at 03:02 pm

Tom B., I'm not a computer expert, but without having your e-mail address, I don't see how anyone could do that. I e-mailed Corey the other day to ask about the (edit) next to the time of the post. He e-mailed me back, & said you are the only one that can see that. I personally liked the old edit feature better. It seems if you edit, you post twice, unless I don't know what I'm doing. (Which could be the case)
The only way I can see how anyone's name could be changed, is if there is a Glitch in "Cheesehead TV's" computer. A key would be if you had that handle before. If you didn't, then someone is able to somehow hack into accounts. My guess would be it's some type of Glitch??? LVT

0 points
0
0
LASVEGAS-TOM's picture

April 01, 2014 at 05:22 pm

Tom B., I was just trying to help.

0 points
0
0
Ibleedgreenmore's picture

April 01, 2014 at 02:18 pm

I like the kid he just needs playing time. The team is going to be better I see about at least 10 new faces this year.

0 points
0
0
BradHTX's picture

April 01, 2014 at 08:05 pm

I have a really simple and profound idea. For the love of Saint Vince and all else that is holy…

EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT THE PACKERS, HERE.

EVERYONE TALKING POLITICS, GO POST ON POLITICO.

EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE, GO TO HOLLYWOOD AND AUDITION FOR E!

Stop turning this great blog's comments into a constant soap opera. It's boring, and everyone who is here to talk about the Packers is sick of it.

0 points
0
0
Clay Zombo's picture

April 02, 2014 at 02:46 am

So no politics and no drama, got it. Won't happen again.

0 points
0
0
HankScorpio's picture

April 02, 2014 at 07:27 am

Can we autopost Brad's comments at the top of every comments section?

0 points
0
0
HarlanHuckleby's picture

April 02, 2014 at 07:53 am

Or refer people who want to combine sports, drama, and politics to the jsonline comments section.

0 points
0
0
@ballark's picture

April 01, 2014 at 11:41 pm

I'm not naming names, but I bet a few of you guys sucked on your SATs.

0 points
0
0
MarkinMadison's picture

April 02, 2014 at 06:48 am

Almost 24 hours since Colin Coward's latest Aaron Rodgers rant. Not that I think that #12 is perfect, but this is Coward's third weak sniping attempt since 2009 and it is getting pathetic. Hey Coward, either get a real story together or shut your trap. 'My source, er sources, who I trust, who have great contacts, tell me that Rodgers isn't as committed as Luck, Peyton, Brady or Brees, even though he is more talented." Seriously? If you tried to make the case that Rodgers is not as talented as those guys, at least we could start arguing. What source on earth has enough intimate knowledge on all five of the top quarterbacks in the game, their work habits, what they do with every minute of their free time, to make that judgement?

0 points
0
0
HankScorpio's picture

April 02, 2014 at 07:22 am

Steve True asked Wilde about those comments. Both were dumb-founded at the accusation that Rodgers is not committed.

Cowerd is typical ESPN bomb-throwing. He's their radio version of Skip Bayless..a guy that will say anything just to provoke a reaction. That kind of junk is why I pay zero attention to anything that has anything to do with ESPN.

Cowerd's rant used Rodgers playoff record (outside the SB run) to back up his case that Peyton Manning & Drew Brees are more committed. Well, if we're throwing out one SB run, Manning and Brees don't exactly have sparkling playoff records either.

0 points
0
0