Seen enough of what? The guy hasn't even been on the field in most of those coverage situations where GB has given up explosive plays over the middle, so it's pretty strange to say that he should be gone.

I've gotta take issue with your evaluation that the Packers are "excellent on the line, good at olb and steady at defensive back." They're excellent at olb. But except for Kenny Clark they still need two strong defensive ends. Lowry and Adams are back-ups on a Super Bowl caliber defense. Green Bay needs a new Cullen Jenkins and Ryan Pickett on this one. The big explosive "chunk" plays the secondary gives up isn't "steady." But the personnel could be helped out by a stronger front 7. A new Desmond Bishop type ilb has been the dream in Titletown since 2011.

The question LaFleur and Gutekunst need to look at in these remaining years of Aaron Rodgers is whether they can get the defense they need for a championship by sticking with the 3-4 or is it time to go 4-3?

Oren Burks is a mystery to me also, there are so many reasons that players don't play that fans will never know about that goes on inside NFL teams inner circles, games and practices.

With that being said I can't help thinking about when Aron Rodgers came to the side lines and requested that Alan Lazard be put into the game. If he has NFL talent and the other players, team leaders of our defense think he can make a difference why hasn't this happened.? It could be the difference in the approach of our defensive and offensive coaching staffs, or just maybe the guys he plays and trains with every day see something that fans just might not be privy to.

As a fan I see a young player who checks all the boxes youth, speed and low cost for a couple of more years. The first year he was playing on a team in turmoil and big changes coming. This year he had a tough injury early, the kind you just don't come back early unless you are young like him. If I had to vote I guess I would say, see what happens down the stretch this season and how the draft shapes up this year and probably give him one more year to develop on a team that now has a much better chemistry and better leaders on defense.

Go Pack

As pointed out he's cheap, young and fast. The Pack needs special teamers too!

The DL is not excellent. It’s average. It’s Kenny Clark and the JAGs. Blake Martinez is not good in this defense. He makes a lot of tackles but, as McGinn says, not where they need to be made for this defense to work. He might work next to a thumper but that will never happen because Gutey, likE Uncle Ted, does not value ILBs and will never draft one in the first 2 rounds.

Don't know what you see in Blake Martinez. Sure he makes a lot of tackles, 5 yard beyond the line of scrimmage. When is the last time Martinez made a game changing play? He consistently puts himself in bad position, does not fill holes on the run and never attacks the RB but waits to get over run. Constantly gets swallowed up by TE or OL and cannot get off blocks. Time for Martinez to go away.

I am also going to take issue with the "DL is excellent" statement. We have one really good defensive lineman, Kenny Clark, and rest are rotational players. Lowery and Lancaster are very average defensive linemen and I think Adams has a greater chance of being cut next year than Burks (and I think you are right that Burks may well be gone). Keke is still largely an unknown although he is getting as many snaps as Adams lately.

I am not absolving the ILB position of its shortcomings, but they would look better if they had a solid defensive line ahead of them. A big part of the reason Martinez makes his tackles five yards behind the line of scrimmage is the D-line is not keeping him clean. He is often fending off a guard or center while trying to make the tackle. In a 3-4 defense, that shouldn't be happening nearly as often as it does.

Maybe they could transition Oren Burks to TE. The Packer way.

I haven't seen Burks play enough to determine if he should be chucked or not. However, given the Packers situation at ILB I have to believe that if he could make a difference he would be out there for more snaps. As for the defense, Kenny Clark basically plays alone on the DL, the other players show up and make an occasional contribution. OLB is excellent. ILB group is the TE of our defense, ineffective.
DBs young and improving but still need improvement in tackling and consistency but they are going in the right direction.

As for Rodgers at 36 the best way to support him is to get him better weapons at WR and TE. OL depth would be helpful as well.

Unfortunately, none of these reinforcements are coming until next season. We're healthy so let's go with what we have and beat the Redskins. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since '61

Burks was a waste of a 3 rd round pick, a third rounder should make an immediate impact he did not . Packers need to replace him and Martinez moving forward.

I see Raven Green as Burks replacement. But he is on IR now. Let’s see who comes up in FA next year at that spot and/or see if Burks shows any improvement next year before we cut him.

Is Burks not playing much, or is he playing and not doing much?

Lare I think they have no confidence in him I have seen him on the field but have not heard his name called for making a play.

I also don't think the D line is excellent. It might be the main issue with the defense as teams are shredding us with runs right up the heart of this D. Clark is having a sub par season probably because of overuse. We could have a solid rotation, but desperately need another good lineman. We only have 3 sacks and 140 tkls from our interior. Martinez has 118 by himself usually 4 yds downfield because the line is not holding its ground.

The defense is excellent at defensive line, good at outside linebacker and has been steady at defensive back. The one gigantic wart on the Packers' defense is inside linebacker.

When you read this type of stuff you can make excuses for the author and say, well he meant the Smiths are part of the DL. Of course that we mean GB does not have any OLB at all and plays without the position

Or you can say, well this article doesn't make any sense at all. Why did I read it?

I take exception to the use of ' excellent ' as a description for any position group on this team.

No matter how one feels about Oren Burks,whether he will or won't be as hoped/expected, the amount of injury time he has accumulated certainly diminishes the likelyhood of him being as hoped/expected.

GB has had a bad habit of hanging on to injured players, under the wait and see thinking/policy, only to see nothing but time invested pass by with no return and the issue that ails the team, still ailing the team because of such thinking/policy.

I know many will say that you can't get rid of players just because they get hurt and I agree. The problem is GB seems to keep players of ' suspicious value ' when hurt for too long and finding themselves in the middle of these types of discussions.

Gary is a #12 overall pick and at the moment is of 'suspicious value ' as that of Burks,less the injuries. The feeling is split on Gary as half are in the ' wait til next year ' thinking and they may be right. I hope they're right but the low level of his impact on this team as a #12 overall selection and his invisibility when on the field, may dampen that thinking or the justification of such, and will quickly equal that of Oren Burks, position of play aside. If the Packers have been molding him into some held secret for a time to present him to opponents amid the hoped ' win now ' mode, this is the time to serve that notice if there's one to be served.

The problems on defense is more than a Burks or ILB problem, It's a problem of having too many players, too often, however obtained that simply don't ripen quick enough or at all.

Some will be quick to pounce on the ' win now ' mode I used with the GB is in a ' rebuilding mode ' and will need a couple of years. With Rodgers aging yearly,because he IS human, the only rebuilding being done should be for his successor,if that is in the FO mindset, which I doubt, therefore any move or non move is to fulfill the ' win now ' mode with Rodgers and that is the question that all should be wondering/discussing, because the Rodgers window can get shut at any moment via the unlucky injury or by natural phenomenon. He's 36 and aging and not revitalizing and the decisions on players on both sides on the ball just might age him faster than need be. Getting players for Rodgers shouldn't be this difficult unless it is and that falls on the FO or the man,Rodgers himself, as to why it is. Many a good player chose NOT to come to GB during Rodgers current tenure.

Here's to hoping Rodgers looks 26 Sunday and for either 7-8 games in total if possible....WIN NOW MODE!!!

“The defense is excellent at defensive line, good at outside linebacker and has been steady at defensive back”.

What games you watching bro? Our Dline is terrible. If it was excellent we would be dominant against the run game and win at the line of scrimmage, and they never do. Part of that is due to the fact we play in nickel formation most of the time and that’s only allowing 2 Dline to 3 Dline per formation. ALSO, our Dbacks are really inconsistent. QBs are finding ways to expose King because he’s terrible in coverage, even against tight ends which is pathetic. And Jaire is playing good football but not what’s to be expected. If they played more man coverage and did more jamming at the line of scrimmage it would allow them to be more physical but because Pettine is incompetent on how to coach and call plays it’s hard for them to do there job.

Pettine has to go, and we need an agressive DC to get these guys moving, light a fire under their asses... or it’s just more waste of talent.

If you can't play. You get injured! Comparison was Joe Thomas. Another failure. This was a terrible pick, and Trade up by Gute. Stamp him BUST!

This is an example of where you really need to trust your organization...coaches, scouts and GM. I can’t tell a damn thing as he never plays. Never even on the field. If he’s on the field he is the invisible man. Is it because of injury? Performance in practice? Only Gute and staff know. This is year 2 for a 3rd round pick. Question really Is he developing?

We will find out this off-season as no one rides for free. Either he is in the plans or it’s time to find someone else.