Green Bay Packers: Morgan Burnett injury tests strong depth

Green Bay Packers safety Morgan Burnett is still being held out of practice with a calf injury ahead of their season opener against the Chicago Bears. According to Weston Hodkiewicz of Press-Gazette Media, Burnett was the only member of the Green Bay Packers 53-man roster not on the practice field Thursday.

The 26-year old is coming off a strong 2014 season in which he started 15 games, recording a career-high 94 total tackles with 1.5 sacks and one interception. Green Bay’s secondary is undergoing a rebranding with the departures of Tramon Williams and Davon House, but Burnett and second-year pro Ha Ha Clinton-Dix are comfortably entrenched as the long-term safety duo.

Trending on Spin Zone: Each team’s X-factor entering the 2015 season

Coach Mike McCarthy was noncommittal on Burnett’s status during his media availability. “What’s today, Thursday? We’ll see how it goes.” If Burnett is unable to suit up against the Bears, the versatile Micah Hyde would slot in alongside Clinton-Dix, a role he filled earlier in the preseason while Burnett was away from the team due to a personal matter.

More from Green Bay Packers

Hyde has taken the majority of his snaps as the slot cornerback in nickel defense throughout training camp, so his transition back to safety would open up that role for rookie Quinten Rollins to play in week one. As Hodkiewicz notes, the physically imposing safety Sean Richardson also saw time as a slot corner over the past month.

Promoting Rollins to this role would leave the depth behind him as first round pick Damarious Randall and undrafted rookie Ladarius Gunter, who stole the show throughout preseason play. Second year holdover Demetri Goodson remains on the active roster at cornerback, but I expect little contribution from him on defense barring injuries.

Another option would be to move starting cornerback Casey Hayward to the inside, a position where he excelled earlier in his career, and have one of the younger corners take care of the boundary. This seems to be a counterintuitive move, however, as there is value in Hayward receiving uninterrupted work as an outside corner from day one.

While Green Bay’s secondary lost a great deal of experience this past offseason, the talent pool remains impressive. There have been no indications given that Burnett’s injury will be long-term, but general manager Ted Thompson has given the defense ample tools to survive in his potential absence. Micah Hyde being of the foremost value in this situation, as his ability to play across the defensive scheme and contribute on special teams makes him on of Green Bay’s most underrated players.

Next: Meet the Packers new 3rd-string RB, Alonzo Harris

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Green Bay Packers