During the regular season, the Packers moved Clay Matthews from outside to inside linebacker at points to help bolster their run defense and change their look in ways that opposing offenses might not have anticipated.
It wasn’t a permanent arrangement, but it was a successful one that coach Mike McCarthy said could remain part of the team’s playbook in the future when he spoke to reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.
“It’s really coming off last year and moving him around,” McCarthy said, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “We were able to be more flexible in how we utilize Clay and Julius [Peppers] and the elephant position. I felt those changes were positive for our defense. Clay is an outside linebacker. I think we all recognize that. He was very productive when he went inside. I think there will be more answers and options.”
Having more possibilities to work with on defense heading into next season should only be a positive for the Packers as they look for pieces to fill in around Matthews and Peppers in the front seven. Based on what McCarthy said Wednesday, the team will be exploring those possibilities.