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The Green Bay Packers enjoyed a fantastic 2019 season. Although it did not end with a Super Bowl win, it's hard not to see the positives.
Green Bay went 13-3 in the regular season. That was good enough for first place in the NFC North, and the second seed in the NFC.
They then went on to beat the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional round of the playoffs, before losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.
Still, there are a lot of positives to build from a 13-3 season. Especially considering the turnaround it was from the season prior, when the Packers went 6-9-1.
However, if they want to keep the momentum heading in the right direction, the Packers will need to make some moves this offseason.
Moves aren't always adding new players though. Sometimes, it's simply keeping old ones. For Green Bay, one of the players they need to keep is linebacker Blake Martinez.
Martinez is currently a free agent, after spending the first four years of his career with the Packers.
In that time, Martinez quickly became a starting linebacker for the team, and one of the leaders of the defense.
Due to that, it's not hard to see why they should keep him. Martinez racked up a career-best 155 tackles last season. He added three sacks and a forced fumble as well, and even had an interception to go along with two pass deflections.
Simply put, Martinez truly does it all. He's fantastic at stopping the run, and solid in pass coverage. One of the more sure-tacklers in the NFL, he can also make game-changing plays when needed.
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Sure, Martinez won't come cheap, but he's proven to be an important piece in the defense. That's the importance here. Not only is Martinez good, he's vitally important.
Green Bay doesn't have an elite defense, but they've been vastly improving in recent years. There is a ton of young talent. And the best way to keep the young talent growing, and to help it reach it's full potential, is to let them grow together.
Martinez is now at that part of his career where he's still growing a bit, but he's a leader. He's the perfect person to have in the middle of a young defense. He's young enough that he's still getting better, but he's also experienced enough to lead.
The Packers need that. They need someone who can take charge of the defense. Someone they can count on to lead the unit when they need a big stop.
Yes, you can get someone else in free agency that can fill that hole, but then chemistry becomes a question. With Martinez, you already know he works in the locker room. You know he works on the field with this set of players around him.
Bringing in someone else suddenly makes those parts of the game wild cards. Who's to say “player X” gels with the team the way Martinez does?
It's really pretty basic when you break it all down. Martinez is one of the better players at his position, he's a perfect fit for the defense and he works with the current roster. Green Bay needs to be smart and bring him back before someone else snatches him up.
