Clemson Football: Tiger LB traded to Packers; Will it revamp his career?

The New York Giants have traded former Clemson linebacker B.J. Goodson and a conditional seventh-round draft pick to the Green Bay Packers prior to this weekend’s opening games, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Giants received a seventh-round pick.

BJ Goodson was a casualty of the Giants’ trade for former Georgia standout middle linebacker Alec Ogletree last summer.

At the time, New York played a 4-3 scheme with Goodson in the center. But when the Giants hired Pat Shurmur to become their next head coach, he hired James Bettcher as his new defensive coordinator who installed the 3-4 defense. Last season, Goodson and Ogletree manned the middle.

Then the Giants drafted linebackers Ryan Connelly and Lorenzo Carter in consecutive NFL college drafts to which Goodson was demoted in this year’s training camp.

Goodson was a fourth-round pick of the Giants in the 2016 draft to help mostly on special teams. He was signed to a $2.92 million four-year contract. Starting middle linebacker Jon Beason had just retired, so the competition for his position was wide open. Goodson won the backup position before the season opener. His rookie season included nine tackles, one forced fumble without any starts.

In 2017, Goodson competed against two other inside linebackers and won the starting position. Prior to Week 3, he sustained a shin injury which sidelined him for two games. In December, he was placed on season-ending IR with a persistent ankle injury. At the time, Goodson was having a promising season and finished with 53 tackles, one forced fumble and two passes defended.

With Bettcher on board as the new DC in 2018, Goodson was instantly named one of the starters inside. The club then traded for Ogletree to work alongside him. In Week 13, he sustained a neck injury and missed two contests but finished the season with 61 tackles, four pass defenses, two interceptions, and half a sack. Pro Football Focus graded him at 66.2, which ranked him No. 41 in the linebacker category.

But this same season, the Giants used linebacker Tae Davis more in nickel situations which supplanted Goodson’s playing time. He did not have a good training camp this year and was regulated to the second-team defense, and with Davis’ added value plus the Giants had drafted another inside backer in Connelly with Goodson’s injury history, the team decided a trade would be best.

Goodson was known as a good fundamental linebacker, but did not have great closing speed. The emergence of Connelly as a solid player in training camp allowed the Giants to retain a younger – and cheaper – version as the backup. Davis has been named the starter beside Ogletree.

The Packers also play a 3-4. With his new club, Goodson has been penciled in to back up Oren Burks. The inside linebacker position for Green Bay was already thin with only three players listed, so the addition of Goodson is a plus.

For Goodson, the move is a good one. He should get more reps on game days despite his backup role, but as a seasoned veteran, he should see the field more. Plus, the Packers are good enough to compete for the NFC North division title alongside the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. And if they fail, a Wild Card playoff spot is just as feasible.

The Giants, however, will end up in the lower third of the NFL standings again this year and just might see yet another coaching change. And when the head coach leaves, all of his assistants are fired as well. That might mean another defensive coordinator with his own scheme and usually his choice of players to envoke his visions.