Green Bay’s 2017 defense appears stocked with more hybrid players than at any point in the team’s history. If you’ve paid any attention to the team’s offseason—or have observed the league in recent years—this fact isn’t exactly a revelation. But if you’ve cooled to the common narrative trope that “this year will be different,” then 2017 might finally erode your cynicism.
Forgive the banality of “it’s the way the league is going.” Where need for versatile, multidimensional players is concerned, the NFL demand has never been higher, and it’s not hard to understand why. The evolution of offenses has led to the creation of what’s in effect a new starting position, slot receiver.