Hawk to Migrate to Mike

The Packers lost middle linebacker Nick Barnett to a season ending knee injury last week against the Vikings, leaving a gaping hole in the center of their defense. Their solution is to move former number five pick A.J. Hawk inside from his Will spot and insert Brandon Chillar to replace Hawk.

The middle backer position is one of the most important positions for a defense, considering their generally called upon in most defensive schemes to provide a majority of the tackles in run support. The job of an outside linebackers is to seal off the edge of an outside run to either make the tackle themselves, or funnel the runners back towards the middle. Obviously you need a large, physical, sure-tackler in the middle of your defense. Barnett led the team with 49 tackles, but Hawk was a close second with 41.

Hawk has spent his entire Collegiate and Professional career playing the weak side, but he has the size and physical skills to perform well at the position. What I would be most concerned about is the mental aspect. While some people might think "linebackers are linebackers" there is a big difference in responsibilities depending on which of the three spots you play. If Hawk doesn't keep his head in the game he might find himself accidentally reverting back to Will assignments the first week or two he's in there. To complicate matters Hawk is also taking over the role of defensive playcaller, meaning he gets to wear the radio helmet.

While it might not be a flawless transition, from what I hear Hawk's a pretty bright guy and I think he'll pick it up quickly. The Packers are in a tough spot, trailing Minnesota and Chicago by one game in the NFC North. With a record of 4-5 it's more likely they'll get into the playoffs as division champions than as an NFC wildcard team, so every remaining division game is vital.