Defensive back Ibraheim Campbell could give the Green Bay Packers a sense of stability they’ve lacked at dime linebacker since losing Raven Greene midway through Week 2.
Campbell, who tallied 18 tackles in three games with the Packers last season, was activated to the 53-man roster on Tuesday.
Coach Matt LaFleur believes Campbell can provide help on defense and special teams.
“He’s just another versatile guy that played a lot last year. He’ll certainly add a spark for our special teams, but also as a safety, as a dime linebacker,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “Like I said, he’s versatile, we can put him a lot of different places. He’s a very intelligent guy. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.”
Campbell played both safety and dime linebacker for Mike Pettine last season. He knows the scheme well, with previous experience playing for Pettine, and he proved to be a willing and able tackler even while playing in the box. In back-to-back games against the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals, Campbell delivered 16 stops without a missed tackle.
The Packers have been looking for a steadying force at dime linebacker, a position held by Greene until an ankle injury forced him onto injured reserve in September. They’ve played a variety of players at the spot, including veteran Adrian Amos and backup defensive back Will Redmond.
LaFleur envisions Campbell holding down the dime linebacker role while allowing others around him – like Amos – to focus on their own specific roles.
“It’s been a revolving door. We’ve had to put a lot of different people in different spots,” LaFleur said. “I think this will help us in terms of allowing guys to stick to one spot and be a little sharper on the details, so we can go out and play faster.”
Campbell was a fourth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2015. The Packers claimed him off waivers on Nov. 5 of last year. He tore his ACL against the Cardinals and began the 2019 season on the PUP list.
