Green Bay Packers: De’Vondre Campbell Provides Upgrade & Added Element at LB
By Paul Bretl
The linebacker position is one that many fans have wanted the Green Bay Packers to upgrade over the years, but truthfully, it’s just not a position that the organization has valued very highly.
Green Bay has been unwilling to spend a top draft pick on the position or spend top dollars on a linebacker in free agency—that’s just not how they operate.
Even the addition of De’Vondre Campbell early on this summer falls into the category of “not breaking the bank,” as they say. According to Spotrac, the Packers signed Campbell to a one-year deal worth $2 million.
However, through the first three games of the season, although financially and in the draft the Green Bay Packers didn’t operate any differently when it came to the linebacker position, it’s easy to see that they found a real upgrade in Campbell, whose coverage abilities add a new element to this defense.
"“He’s a guy that is a big, long guy that can run,” said LaFleur via Sports Illustrated after the team signed him. Definitely brings a different dynamic to that room in his ability to just cover, whether it’s tight ends or backs. And we think he’s a really versatile player. I think he’s a great person, first and foremost, which I think is so important for our team.”"
De’Vondre Campbell provides the Green Bay Packers with a legitimate upgrade at linebacker.
As I’ve discussed in the past, Campbell isn’t a super-flashy player that is going to turn this Green Bay Packers linebacker unit into an elite one. But he is steady and reliable as a run defender, as a blitzer, and in coverage.
Through three games, Campbell leads the Packers in tackles, and I know that can be a hollow stat but not when it comes to Campbell, who is always around the football.
He’s also recorded one pressure, two takeaways, 11 run stops — or plays that constitute a “loss” for the offense — and although he’s allowed 15 receptions on 21 targets, according to PFF ($$), opponents are averaging just 4.9 yards per catch–as I said, he’s always around the ball.
While PFF’s grades are not everything by any means, they can be helpful when it comes to illustrating just how good — or bad — a player has been. And in Campbell’s case, he is the 10th highest-graded off-ball linebacker in the NFL through three games–showcasing just how good he has been.
"“I’ve always kind of pride myself in being multi-dimensional,” Campbell said via Sports Illustrated. “I feel like I can rush, cover and play behind the ball. That’s something I’ve always kind of taken pride in throughout the course of my football career. Some people are surprised (I can cover) considering I am a bigger guy, because I can run with tight ends, wide receivers and running backs. It kind of surprises a lot of people. But it never surprises me because I know what I’m capable of.”"
While Campbell certainly deserves the credit for his early season performances, he may also be benefitting from the Joe Barry defense, which does a very good job of creating opportunities for the linebackers to make plays.
With consistent five-man defensive fronts, Campbell and the linebackers are kept clean more often than what they would have been in the past, making their jobs a bit easier, which can then lead to more impact plays, as we’ve seen.
Having a player in the middle of the defense with Campbell’s skill-set benefits everyone around him. His ability to fill gaps and move sideline-to-sideline is a big boost to the run game, and in coverage, he can take away or limit the damage over the middle or on easy completions to the flat.
Not to mention that without Joe Barry having to worry about Campbell, or hiding his deficiencies, it can free up his play-calling as well as how the other defenders on the field play.
In the grand scheme of things, what we’ve seen from Campbell is a small sample size — there is still plenty of football to be played — but he has already proven to be a massive upgrade at the linebacker position. Campbell gives the Green Bay Packers a player that they have not had at the linebacker position in quite some time.