The Green Bay Packers got a pleasant surprise when they switched Clay Matthews to inside linebacker last year due to injuries. Although not a natural inside linebacker, Matthews revitalized Green Bay's defense and excelled at the position. His success has some wondering if the Packers are going to make the move permanent.
This question was brought up to ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky in his weekly mailbag.
@RobDemovsky can Jake Ryan make an immediate impact or will we see more of Clay at inside LB? #PackersMail
— Josh (@mantygolf) May 3, 2015
"Coach Mike McCarthy said after the draft that Matthews has been meeting with both the inside and outside linebacker groups since the offseason program began on April 20," Demovsky wrote. "That's not likely to change now. If it was not clear at the time, it has become clear now that McCarthy and Dom Capers loved the idea of using Matthews in both spots. And it makes sense to utilize your most dynamic defensive player in a variety of ways. If Ryan shows he can play right away, then Matthews could play more on the outside. But there's certainly no urgency to play him right away. The way things look now, Matthews' role will be similar at the start of this season to what it was at the end of last year."
While a full time move inside would give the team a talented field general in the middle of their defense, it would also hurt the pass-rush. Matthews has totaled 61 sacks from the outside linebacker position in his career.
Ryan recorded 112 total tackles last year with 14 tackles for a loss, two sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles.
