Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon was expected to bring changes to the way the Green Bay Packers defense looks. He has already started to tinker with some looks, and one of them appears to be shifting third-year linebacker Edgerrin Cooper down to the line of scrimmage to play edge rusher for certain looks.
The look is a different front than you would typically see from the Packers. The Packers would typically have a base 3-4 defense, which would be three interior defensive linemen, two edge rushers, and two inside linebackers. Then, they would shift to their nickel defense, which would swap one of the interior defensive linemen out for an extra defensive back on the back end.
In this look, the Packers have an extra defensive lineman in the game, but they continue to use three interior defensive linemen. Essentially, they swap the edge rusher out for the defensive back.
The look can work because Cooper can now bring versatility and rush from the edge, or even show that he is rushing and return to his natural linebacker look. Still, it might be asking a lot of Cooper in his third NFL season.
The Green Bay Packers are Putting More on the Plate of LB Edgerrin Cooper
GettyPackers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
Cooper does have four sacks and 24 career pressures. However, he is doing that on just 126 pass rush attempts in his NFL career. He does not have much experience rushing the passer from the looks Green Bay is currently showing, even though he does have an impressive per-rush rate.
Cooper has gone from 87 tackles as a rookie to 118 tackles. He was solid in coverage, and the thought is that if Cooper has someone like Zaire Franklin to call the plays and keep him in line, he might be even better in his third NFL season. However, taking him out of his role and asking him to do more might take away from some of that progression.
The Packers are Making Adjustments Without Micah Parsons
The Packers are in a tough spot when it comes to Micah Parsons and his recovery. He will be back this season, so the team does not need a long-term plan behind him. However, he is expected to miss a decent chunk of the season, and the Packers do not have adequate depth to replace him.
So, Gannon could be hoping to get creative and find ways to keep his top 11 defenders on the field. The Packers third defensive line option is likely better than Brenton Cox, Dani Dennis-Sutton, or Barryn Sorrell, who will compete to get on the field without Parsons.
More than that, it is just a look from the front that will likely run a few times per game. Cooper might rush a couple more times every week, and it might be a short-term fix as well, until they can get Parsons back in the mix.
This is the time to try things out and see what works. It is smart for the Packers to see if Cooper can take on this role.
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