Like a lot of articles written about the Packers on PFT, my post from earlier today about Aaron Kampman’s struggles received an immediate reaction.
And not only from our passionate commenters.
Bob Glauber of Newsday and ESPN’s First Take posted a few tweets letting me know Kampman was “hopelessly miscast” as an outside linebacker, but defensive coordinator Dom Capers was unlikely to realize it.
Capers’ hopeful comments about Kampman this week certainly support the notion the Packers aren’t changing course.
I also caught wind of a piece for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel by Greg A. Bedard that looked at Green Bay’s options for Kampman in such dizzying detail that it made my brain hurt. (Especially on a Saturday.)
The Packers have plenty of options, but my takeaway was that trading Kampman now makes little sense because they can place the franchise or transition tag on him next offseason, then potentially trade him them.
Green Bay would only get a fifth-round compensatory pick if Kampman left via free agency, but they could do much better if they tag him and make him available to the highest bidder. (They may also need the franchise tag for Chad Clifton, but that’s another matter.)
While Kampman’s transition to the 3-4 defense hasn’t been smooth, do they really have any better options at outside linebacker to replace him for this season?
A deal doesn’t make sense for the Packers this year with them contending for a playoff spot, and fans suggesting a Julius Peppers-for-Kampman deal have played in too many fantasy leagues.
The Packers will get better value by squeezing what production they can from Kampman for the rest of the season, and hoping that he improves. Just like Capers believes. (Capers has forgotten more about NFL defenses than any of us will ever know, so he gets some benefit of the doubt.) If Kampman continues to struggle, they should still be able to get some value for him in 2010.
Bedard asked what his readers would do with Kampman at the end of his post, and got an astounding 1,546 comments.
We’ll ask PFT Planet the same question, with the knowledge that any non-Limbaugh post on a Saturday will be lucky to get 1/30th that number.