Aug 16, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Perry (53) during the game against the Cleveland Browns at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

On the day of the NFL draft, it is easy to get excited about the potential prospects that the Green Bay Packers could be adding to their roster this weekend.

We all expect Green Bay to address their roster needs in the draft, but it is also important to keep in mind the players currently on the roster that could make a big impact on the team next year.

Every year it seems some Packer player makes a big jump from year one to year two, and I expect this year will be no different. This season I expect this player to be outside linebacker Nick Perry.

Many seem to be counting Nick Perry out when discussing the Packers’ need at outside linebacker. Consider these mock drafts from various NFL analysts—

Rob Warner from fftoolbox.com has Green Bay taking OLB Sam Montgomery from LSU in the first round.

Warner says when explaining the pick —

“An upgrade from rush linebacker Eric Walden is sorely needed.”

Clark Judge from cbssports.com has Green Bay taking Texas A&M OLB Damontre Moore in the first round.

Judge explains—

“Rewind the videotape of the Packers’ loss to San Francisco, and see why the Packers must find someone, anyone, for outside contain.”

Charles Davis from nfl.com also has the Packers taking Moore from Texas A&M

Davis states—

“A tough combine might hurt his draft status, but the Packers are still seeking pressure opposite Clay Matthews.”

Gil Brandt from nfl.com has Green Bay selecting OLB Jarvis Jones from Georgia with their first pick.

Brandt—

“Nonetheless, he can be the kind of outside pass rusher Green Bay is looking for.”

Notice a theme here? I have heard similar sentiment among many Packers fans. Where does Nick Perry, their first round pick from last season, factor in? These guys act like Green Bay is desperate to find anyone to fill the other outside linebacker position. They don’t even acknowledge Perry’s return from injury this season.

Yes, the Packers need to add depth to the position, but an immediate need? I don’t think so. I don’t have a problem with Green Bay taking another outside linebacker in the draft that will bring some additional pass rush, but I still see Perry as the solution at the position for the foreseeable future. Perry’s presence means the Packers don’t have to reach for an outside linebacker in the draft and select one in the early rounds.

Feb 27, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive lineman Nick Perry does the shuttle run during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Perry has all the physical tools to be an effective 3-4 outside linebacker. He’s 6-3, 265 pounds, and ran the 40 in 4.6 seconds. He has the strength to hold up well against the run and the quickness and speed to be effective in both rushing the passer and dropping back in coverage. He has plenty of potential — he just needs to put it all together.

Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel interviewed outside linebacker coach Kevin Greene about Perry’s potential — “He can be physical. He can rush the passer … He can do the whole spectrum of this position.”

Coach Greene also went on to say that Perry proved to him that he could rush the passer and cover receivers, citing an example of when Perry covered Colt’s receiver Reggie Wayne perfectly down the seam in week five last season. Coach Greene also reiterated that he likes Perry’s power and his ability to “knock tight ends two yards into the backfield.” Perry proved he can be effective at the position, and he has his coach’s confidence.

Perry was placed on injured reserve week six last season with a wrist injury, so there is very little to work off of when considering Perry’s performance at the position. However, he showed plenty of potential in the five games he started last season, and though there were some growing pains at the position, we need to remember that Perry was working on transitioning from a college defensive end to an NFL outside linebacker. A difficult task that takes time. Last season was Perry’s first year playing the position, and given another offseason to develop, he could prove to be effective rushing the quarterback standing up.

Last season, Perry had his moments. He recorded 18 tackles, two sacks, and eight quarterback hurries in five games. He had a rough game in the season opener against San Francisco, but rebounded strong against the Chicago Bears the following week. If you go back and watch the tape of that game, you’ll see that Perry was effective in pushing the pocket, which forced the Bears to shift their protection to his side. This freed up Clay Matthews to have a monster performance, recording 3.5 sacks and terrorizing Cutler all game. Perry also had a pretty impressive game in week five against the Indianapolis Colts, showcasing his power on his crushing hit on quarterback Andrew Luck, which was unfairly flagged.

Aug 9, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Perry (53) goes by San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Some overlook Perry because of his unimpressive numbers in those five games, but what they fail to see is that Perry got good push at the line and helped take some of the attention off of Matthews. In fact, Matthews had some of his best games last season with Perry lining up on the other side. Just compare the numbers.

With Perry in the lineup last season, Matthews recorded eight sacks, 21 tackles, and one forced fumble. After Perry was placed on injured reserve, Matthews only recorded five sacks, 22 tackles, and one forced fumble in his remaining seven games (I was not counting the four games Matthews missed with a hamstring injury). The change in those numbers is pretty significant.

Simply put, Matthews was better with Perry in the lineup, and that in itself should be enough evidence to believe Perry could be the answer at the other outside linebacker position.

Yes, Green Bay needs another viable pass rusher outside of Clay Matthews on the defense, but who’s to say that pass rusher isn’t currently on the Packers’ roster?

I say he is, but what do you think? Do the Packers bring in another guy to compete with Perry for the starting job or do they trust that last year’s first round pick will play to his potential?

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March 16, 2012; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery speaks at a press conference introducing new signings wide receiver Brandon Marshall (not pictured) and quarterback Jason Campbell (not pictured) at Halas Hall . Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

At the conclusion of the 2009 season, the Chicago Bears fired underperforming offensive coordinator Ron Turner. The Bears were only 19^th in points scored and for the third straight year finished outside the top 10. Making matters worse, Chicago had given up a king’s ransom to the Denver Broncos just a year earlier for Jay Cutler, a disgruntled but talented quarterback.

With this as the backdrop, the Bears formally requested to interview Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements.

That request was ultimately denied by the Packers. League rules permit teams to deny permission to interview their coaches in all cases except when the interview is for a head coaching position. This time around, the Packers won’t be able to keep the Bears away. If Clements is ultimately the guy the Bears think can lead them into a new era of prosperity, he will be theirs.

Clements joined the Packers in 2006 as part of Mike McCarthy’s original coaching staff. Originally only the quarterbacks coach, Clements took over as offensive coordinator when that position became available following Joe Philbin’s departure for the Miami Dolphins last offseason.

Dec 9, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin retunes to the sideline against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Candlestick Park. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Should the Bears hire Clements, it would be a significant blow to the Packers. While Mike McCarthy rather than the offensive coordinator calls the plays, the coordinator is nearly as responsible for the weekly offensive gameplan and halftime adjustments. For further proof, compare the offensive production of 2011 (Philbin’s last year) to 2012. While Green Bay still possesses a dynamic offense, Philbin’s loss was huge.

Clements loss could be greater.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has said repeatedly that he owes his greatest debt to Clements for developing him into the player he is today. While it’s unlikely Rodgers would regress if Clements was to leave, it may be difficult to find another coordinator who would command the same respect from Rodgers.

The presumptive “next man up” to fill Clements shoes would be current quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo. Rodgers openly campaigned for a different coach to take over at quarterbacks coach following Clements’ promotion as he felt a coach who had actually played the position could offer more. Rodgers will most likely accept McAdoo as the offensive coordinator, but there exists the possibility that McAdoo may not always be able to properly communicate with the team’s franchise player. That’s not a knock against Rodgers. It’s rare for a player and coach to have such an open, honest, and trusting relationship as the one he has with Clements.

Oct 28, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy calls in a play in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Sports Authority Field. Mandatory Credit: Byron Hetzler-USA TODAY Sports

The one thing that may prevent Clements from becoming the next head coach of the Bears is age. Coaching in the NFL is a difficult, stressful profession, especially as the head man. Clements will turn 60 prior to the start of next season, making his window as a viable head coach a small one for someone who has never previously held the position. Clements’ most likely competitors for the job are the much younger Mike McCoy (40), Joe DeCamillis (47), and Keith Armstrong (47). While the coaching profession masquarades as a meritocracy, it’s a far more political matter than many care to admit. Age could be the reason the Bears turn elsewhere.

Whether Clements is hired by the Bears or not, this is yet another sign that McCarthy’s coaching staff will see much upheaval in the coming seasons. No team can have as much success as the Packers without losing their top assistants. Whether it’s Clements, McAdoo, or well-regarded defensive coaches Joe Whitt, Darren Perry, Kevin Greene, and Winston Moss, there will be familiar faces moving on to bigger positions over the next few years.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Lombardi Ave. He has previously written for Hail to the Orange, College Hoops Net, Mocking the Draft, LiveBall Sports, and the List Universe. He is currently a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, an indie-music webzine. Follow him on Twitter: @JBHirschhorn

Kevin "It is Time" Greene has been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here he encourages linebackers Clay Matthews and Frank Zombo. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Mike Spofford of Packers.com posted the story below about Kevin Greene and the fact that for the first time he has made the cut as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Green Bay Packers’ linebackers coach who has brought enthusiasm and a player’s attitude to the coaching ranks for the Packers, has been in Green Bay for the past three years and is probably most well known among the general public for his comments in last year’s Super Bowl that were caught on tape when he told linebacker Clay Matthews that “It is time…” Matthews consequently went out and forced the game-changing fumble by the Steelers’ Rashard Mendenhall.

Spofford’s story spells out the full field of finalists and gives us a look at the personal bio of Greene’s.

Greene named Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist

Posted by Mike Spofford on January 7, 2012 – 3:27 pm 

A semifinalist three times previously, Packers Outside Linebackers Coach Kevin Greene for the first time has advanced to the finalist stage for potential induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

See more after the jump, like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Thompson is a big man at 6-4, 270, good size for the outside linebacker position.  The only problem for him was that his speed wasn’t up to par with what the position requires.  So he changed his workout pattern:

This offseason, Thompson changed his workout regimen to make himself into a pseudo linebacker for the new 3-4 defense. That included changing the pace at which he lifted weights and adding hip work between lifts.

He lifted the same amount of weight for the same repetitions but instead of resting between lifts, he did more situps and abdominal work or active stretching.

“A lot of the stretches I was doing worked on my hip flexibility, swiveling my hips back and forth for flexibility just so I’m a more fluid athlete,” Thompson said.

With that, Thompson has moved into the starting lineup of the defense this offseason.  He has seen most or all of the reps opposite Aaron Kampman and the two have developed a rapport that will be vital for the defense to succeed.  The combination of size and speed is important for an outside linebacker in the 3-4, as they have to rush, cover, and take on blockers.  It seems Thompson can do all three.

If I were a coach, I’d want 11 Jeremy Thompsons on my defense.  The Wake Forest product has impressed nearly everyone he has worked with.

“It definitely wasn’t easy, the whole defense being new, plus a new position. It definitely wasn’t easy,” Thompson said. “Whatever we went through during the day I studied that night. So I would study an hour every night.”

Thompson has done so well he has drawn rare praise from coaches on the field for dropping back into coverage. Coach Mike McCarthy also sees potential for Thompson in disrupting the quarterback.

“He’s a natural pass rusher,” McCarthy said. “His experience playing defensive end really will help him this year as it carries over to the outside linebacker position. He’s as natural of an athlete that you’ll see out there at that position as far as dropping and doing all the different things. I know our defensive staff, particularly Kevin Greene and Dom Capers, are very excited.”

One of the best things this does for the Packers defense is create competition and flexibility on the defense.  Thompson’s improvement will push Matthews to get better, giving the Packers two outstanding possibilities for the defense.  It also gives the Packers choices on which athlete they want in the game in different scenarios, giving the opposing offenses more things to gameplan for and more things to think about in the line.  It’ll be a blessing for the defense.

Still, Thompson comes off as a guy you can’t hate, someone that you just want to root for:

“Anytime you work with the ones, it’s an opportunity,” Thompson said. “I’m just trying to be the best I can be. If he comes back and he’s better than me and he can help the team, I mean, I’m not going to be content. But I’m going to have to know my role. But I’m going to do the best I can. If it is being starter, I’m going to try to take off and be the best starter in the league.”

Maybe we’ll see him rolling off of a battered Brett Favre at some point this year.

Defensive Coordinator: Capers

Special Teams Coordinator: Shawn Slocum

Strength & Conditioning Coordinator: Dave Redding

Inside Linebackers: Winston Moss

Outside Linebackers: Greene

Defensive Line: Trgovac

Safeties: Darren Perry

Cornerbacks: Darren Whitt, Jr.

Assistant Special Teams: Curtis Fuller

Offensive Quality Control: John Rushing

Defensive Quality Control: Scott McCurley

Here’s to hoping that these new defensive coaches can actually coach defense. Same goes for the special teams coaches also.