Nate Palmer: 2015 Packers Player Report Card
By adamczech
Nate Palmer
- Age: 26
- Ht./Wt: 6'2", 248lbs
- College: Illinois St.
- NFL Experience: 3 years
Expectations coming into the season: After moving to inside linebacker, 2015 was supposed to be a season where Palmer continued to learn the ropes of his (somewhat) new position and provide some coverage help when called upon. After Sam Barrington got hurt, that all went out the window and Palmer was called up to start and contribute. It didn't go well.
Player’s highlights/low-lights: Palmer got benched against Carolina, but managed to still hang onto his starting job for a couple more weeks before Jake Ryan took his spot full time. After struggling against the Bears in week 1 when he initially took over for Barrington, Palmer played OK over the next three games. Then Todd Gurley ran rampant for 159 yards in week 5 and Palmer's play never really picked back up.
Level of Expectations met: You could say it was unfair to expect Palmer -- a player new to the inside linebacker position coming off a recent major injury -- to hold serve when called upon following Barrington's injury. You could also blame Ted Thompson for failing to fix the inside linebacker position in the first place, which forced Palmer into a role he was not ready for. Both of those things would be true, but life often isn't fair in the NFL. Palmer had a job to do when thrust into the starting job and he didn't do it.
Grade: D
Player’s contributions to team success: Most pegged Palmer as a linebacker who could excel in pass coverage. Well, he didn't. He also looked lost in the run game. Overall, Palmer didn't appear to posses the natural instincts and reaction time to play inside, which isn't surprising since he has minimal experience at the position. When Ryan supplanted Palmer in the starting lineup, it wasn't an immediate and obvious upgrade, but Ryan was clearly the better, and more natural, player.
Grade: D
Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Palmer played on special teams, but that's it.
Grade: D
Intangibles/misc: Palmer plays hard. Effort and want-to wasn't an issue at all. You also have to give a player credit whenever he's asked to play a new position and forced into a bigger role than he or the team probably planned for. Unfortunately, effort, flexibility and attitude wasn't enough to turn Palmer into a contributing player in 2015
Grade: B+
Comments (29)
KenEllis
January 30, 2016 at 12:17 pm
Not Palmer's fault.
He was a lowly rated outside linebacker coming out of a mediocre college program.
He did nothing as an OLB as a rookie and blew out his knee in 2014. He was then switched to an unfamiliar position, inside linebacker, because the position was bereft of talent.
No way anyone should anyone have been counting on someone like Nate Palmer to perform competently at ILB in 2015. Sad that the Packers did.
jeremyjjbrown
January 30, 2016 at 03:35 pm
Putting Nate Palmer at ILB was one of the stupidest moves from this regime thus far.
Denver
January 30, 2016 at 12:23 pm
True, ILB has been beyond frustrating for years now....
Tundraboy
February 01, 2016 at 08:42 pm
Yes it's gotten to the point of beyond maddening
It is hurting the team and TT has to fix it sooner rather than later. Asking Matthews to patch it is not the way do do it. Last year yes it paid off, but at what cost.
DrealynWilliams
January 30, 2016 at 01:11 pm
Drafting those promising CBs definitely helped.
NickPerry
January 31, 2016 at 07:47 am
Exactly Tundraboy, maddening is the perfect word. I HATE Free Agency because Thompson hardly plays. Look at what happened when he did in 2014. He signed Peppers and Guion and they were key players in a season the Packers should have been in the SB. Ted has continued to ignore positions of need for years at a time while here. RB, S, ILB, and TE have all been positions where Ted could have improved the team a hell of a lot quicker than he did.
Tundraboy
February 01, 2016 at 08:47 pm
Thanks. Think of how much better team would have been had he even picked up an above average ILB and TE. Huge unfilled holes for a team with championship aspirations. I think I will blow a gasket if we are having the same discussion this time next year.
NickPerry
January 31, 2016 at 07:47 am
Double Post...
DrealynWilliams
January 30, 2016 at 01:12 pm
He's 6'2???
Since'61
January 30, 2016 at 01:24 pm
Chuck him, he's done. Thanks, Since '61
mrtundra
January 30, 2016 at 03:22 pm
Palmer looked absolutely lost on several run plays he was defending. He was running ahead of and away from the running back in one game. I don't think he had a clue where the ball was. I feel for the guy. It had to be tough being thrown into the ILB spot. But that's football and if he was having all these problems, where was his LB coach?
mrtundra
January 30, 2016 at 03:23 pm
Palmer looked absolutely lost on several run plays he was defending. He was running ahead of and away from the running back in one game. I don't think he had a clue where the ball was. I feel for the guy. It had to be tough being thrown into the ILB spot. But that's football and if he was having all these problems, where was his LB coach?
Tundraboy
February 01, 2016 at 08:49 pm
Threw him out there to to sink or swim and coach was awol I guess
Razer
January 30, 2016 at 04:29 pm
Maybe our ILB woes are equally a problem of talent and coaching. Not sure what Winston Moss does but ILB has been a problem going back through AJ Hawk. Surely, all these guys can't be that bad. Either way, ILB is an ongoing weakness that teams have exploited for many years. Time to fix this.
NickPerry
January 31, 2016 at 07:53 am
That's an excellent point. I mean can all these guys really be that bad? Look at the CB position, Joe Whitt turns UDFA into All Pros. Williams, Shields, and I'm betting on Gunter to be his next. Moss doesn't seem to be able to do anything with anybody.
lou
January 31, 2016 at 01:01 pm
Razer and Nick Perry "nailed it", he is an Associate Head Coach and coaches one of the smallest groups of players, just the ILB's and the overall performance has been below average every season but the Super Bowl season when Desmond Bishop was a difference maker. Like you guys said, until this year (Randall & Rollins) they give Joe Whitt Jr. nothing but "projects" and they become not only starters but top of the line starters. Time for some "accountability" on the coaching staff, too much loyalty again on display.
Thegreatreynoldo
February 01, 2016 at 12:52 am
I mentioned Moss under the Perry grade article. Perry is not a guy I as a LB coach would put on my resume (never developed a 2nd pass rushing move). I have no idea why GB loves Winston Moss. He was the inside LBs coach when CM3 was drafted, so no credit there. He gets credit for Bishop, but apparently did not have enough influence to get the DC to actually play Bishop, or Moss missed Bishop's talent too. Peppers is playing OLB pretty well, though he is not exactly a complete OLB, but perhaps Moss gets some credit there.
Buckywunder
January 30, 2016 at 05:18 pm
Don't mean to pile onto a guy who had a tough season, but somebody would be remiss not to mention the special teams' penalty right at the beginning of the AZ playoff game. That put GB in a hole for practically the entire first half. They were lucky to only be down 7-6 at half after all the crappy field position. Didn't cost the game, but it sure as heck didn't help much. Hope the position group gets an upgrade because GB needs it...
Tundraboy
February 01, 2016 at 08:51 pm
Excellent point. Early momentum killer.
GVPacker
January 30, 2016 at 05:35 pm
Time for the Packers and Nate Palmer to Part Ways!
Ima fubar
January 30, 2016 at 06:03 pm
Why keep a player because he so called ' knows the system' this guy could not play third string on any ogher team. You cannot get to the sb withnthis caliber of players TED.
DrealynWilliams
January 30, 2016 at 08:07 pm
You mean like James Jones?
NickPerry
January 31, 2016 at 07:55 am
James Jones, 2 Thumbs Up!!!!
Lphill
January 31, 2016 at 09:54 am
Mason Foster . TT could have had this guy for cheap. End of story .
Rossonero
January 31, 2016 at 10:59 am
Palmer was just another example of the Packers grasping at straws at ILB. Rolando McClain and Mason Foster were available and would've been cheap.
The ILB position reminds me of the disaster we had at safety from 2011-2013 after Nick Collins went down. Nothing got solved until Ted spent a first round pick on Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix. This ILB class isn't great though.
Perhaps Kentrell Brothers will be available in the 2nd round, but for whatever reason, the Packers just don't seem to value this position. If anything, they won't draft an ILB at all since Barrington will be back, but it's still needed.
hybridauth_Facebook_100004084225446
January 31, 2016 at 01:11 pm
Packers need a Kevin Green like coach for the ILB .....
Lphill
January 31, 2016 at 06:53 pm
Unless they trade up to get Ragland .
TKWorldWide
January 31, 2016 at 10:41 pm
Yep I guess not every player can be picked in the first round.
egbertsouse
February 03, 2016 at 11:36 am
Palmer sucks. I hope TT doesn't waste another dime on him.