Green Bay Packers will Miss Randy Ramsey on Special Teams
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers’ edge rusher Randy Ramsey left practice last week with an ankle injury, and the early indication from Matt LaFleur was that it was a significant injury, unfortunately.
We then learned on Thursday that Ramsey was officially placed on IR, thus ending his 2021 season before it really even began.
Last season, Ramsey was the team’s fourth edge rusher, although he would only see the field for 75 total defensive snaps, according to PFF ($$). Once again this season, he would be competing with Tipa Galeai and Jonathan Garvin for that role.
However, where the Green Bay Packers will really miss Ramsey’s presence is on special teams—as he was one of their key contributors last season.
Regardless of whoever the fourth edge rusher would be, considering that the Green Bay Packers have Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Rashan Gary, anyone else likely isn’t going to see much playing time. So as OLB coach Mike Smith told reporters recently, that edge rush spot is going to come down to special teams contributions:
"“To get that fourth spot, you better be damned good on special teams,” said OLB coach Mike Smith. “That’s big shoes to fill. They know that. You’re not going to get that 4th spot at linebacker, you’re going to get it on special teams.”"
The “big shoes” that Smith is referring to belong to Ramsey. Last season he had the fourth most special teams snaps of any Packer; he was fourth on the team in tackles and finished third by PFF’s grading system.
It’s well known that Green Bay’s special teams unit has struggled in recent years. In 2020, PFF ranked the Packers special teams unit as 29th in football while Rick Gosselin of Sports Illustrated also had them ranked 29th. And 2019 wasn’t much better.
Based on the conversations that Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst have had with reporters this summer, there appears to be an added emphasis on turning this sputtering special teams unit around—and there absolutely should be. The Packers are fortunate that last year’s blunders didn’t cost them more in the win-loss column.
The hiring of Maurice Drayton and several of the Packers’ draft picks earlier this spring also suggest that there is more emphasis on the often forgotten about special teams unit.
However, if Green Bay is going to improve in this phase of the game, they’ll have to do so without one of their key contributors from a season ago. At the edge rusher position specifically, it’s going to be up to either Garvin or Galeai and their limited experience to fill that role the best they can.
"“That was not a good injury, and it’s a shame, because he’s (Ramsey) done so much in terms of bringing that special teams value, but also he’s reliable when we’ve been putting him in there on defense as well, and bringing some much-needed depth to that position,” LaFleur said via Packers Wire."