The Green Bay Packers are expected to be one of the many teams to target inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski in free agency.
A spot starter for the Chicago Bears, Kwiatkoski has earned an opportunity to start elsewhere. The Bears re-signed Danny Trevathan on Thursday, all but guaranteeing Kwiatkoski will reach the open market.
The Packers need to improve drastically at inside linebacker this offseason, and with Blake Martinez and B.J. Goodson both free agents, a major shift at the position is expected. Adding Kwiatkoski could be part of the rebuilding process.
After reviewing eight games of Kwiatkoski from 2019, here’s a review of his game and how he could fit with the Packers in 2020 and beyond:
What he can do
– Tough as nails. Plays through injury without impact on performance. Never avoids contact on the field. Actively seeks it
– Instincts against the run look well-refined. Rarely leaning the wrong way or caught out of position. Can tell he studies formations and tendencies
– Really comfortable playing in space. Easy to tell he was a former safety. Not super athletic and doesn’t have elite sideline to sideline range but has no problems getting to spots against the run and in coverage. Play speed is far better than athletic measurables
– Looks confident sorting through the traffic in the box, finding the ball-carrier and securing the tackle playing forward. Good patience and knows when to attack downhill
– Should have had interceptions covering both T.J. Hockenson and Jimmy Graham. Rarely had problems covering tight ends up the seam or in intermediate areas. Intercepted his one and only pass in 2019 when he read the quarterback’s eyes and stepped in front of a quick slant to his left
– Got depth in his zone and made a nice diving knockdown of a third-down pass to Golden Tate against the Giants
– Strong tackler but isn’t perfect. Missed 11.6 percent of tackle attempts in 2019, per Pro Football Reference. Usually finishes with force.
– Short arms can make it difficult at times to stack and shed blocks at the second level
– Made at least one tackle for loss on screen plays to the running back, receiver and tight end positions in 2019. Instincts show up in a big way when teams attempt screens
– Can really pack a punch. Smacked Aaron Jones with a vicious collision on an outside zone run in Week 15. Impact could be heard easily on the broadcast
– Productive as a blitzer. Turned 22 blitzes in six pressures, including three sacks in 2019. Has a good feel for timing and finding the right rushing lane. Plowed right through Aaron Jones on an A-gap blitz and sacked Aaron Rodgers on third down in Week 15. Earlier in the year, he impressively sidestepped the block attempt of Dalvin Cook, closed the space and strip-sacked Kirk Cousins
– Good feel for coverage on boot action passes. Identifies eligible receivers and gets in good positions to shut down passing windows or make stops
– Led the Bears with eight special teams tackles. Easily gets off blocks and creates havoc for returners in the middle of the field. Often right there for a tackle on punts
How he fits
Comparing inside linebackers is tough. Schemes are different. Personnel around the position is different. Still, contrasting the body of work of Kwiatkoski and Blake Martinez from the 2019 season helps show how the Bears linebacker could provide improvement in Green Bay in 2020 and beyond. He’s both confident and tough against the run, moves well in any direction and shows a comforting level of ease and playmaking ability in the passing game. No, Kwiatkoski isn’t the hyper-athletic, super-fast linebacker that relies on 4.4 speed to get to plays from sideline to sideline. But he does impressive work between the tackles and won’t be overmatched on the move or in coverage, giving him true three-down ability for a defense that really prefers playing with as few true linebackers on the field as possible. The film shows how increasingly confident Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano was in playing Kwiatkoski in all situations. He played over 90 percent of the defense’s snaps in six straight games to finish the 2019 season. He is an ascending player with a diverse skillset, just the type of player the Packers hit home runs on last March. Kwiatkoski could provide an upgrade on Martinez, help solidify the middle of the defense and decrease the pressure of finding a Day 1, impact linebacker in the draft.
Impact of adding him
Kwiatkoski looks to be in demand as the start of free agency approaches, making it possible he’ll cost a pretty penny to sign. The Packers weren’t afraid of spending last season to fix a position, and GM Brian Gutekunst can easily make the money work if they really like the player. Signing Kwiatkoski would provide an immediate starter at linebacker and possibly drop the need at the position down a rung or two. More than likely, the Packers can’t afford to sign Kwiatkoski and another top linebacker, so that’ll mean losing Martinez and missing out on Cory Littleton and Joe Schobert. Pairing Kwiatkoski with an athletic linebacker could really reshape the inside linebacker position.
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