Will Bishop finally get a chance?

It’s about time we read something like this piece from Tom Silverstein at jsonline.com this morning. If the coaches truly believe that Desmond Bishop is rising in the LB ranks and they finally give him a chance to play, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re all talking about how good he really is at the end of the season. One thing he does well is make plays. Our other LBs, don’t. Between Chillar, Poppinga, Barnett and Hawk last year, I’d bet there were only 3-4 turnovers caused (if that). If I’m not mistaken, Bishop forced 2 by himself in seriously limited action. Silverstein brings up the Minnesota game and the missed tackle on Chester Taylor (which is a favorite for anti-Bishopers to bring up too), but let me tell you right now – not one LB on the team last year would have made that tackle. It was not only a nice move by Taylor, but Bishop was also left alone in the flat with a shifty running back. It was not an easy play. It just looked extra bad because not one other Packer was around for 47 yards.

TT and the gang are always talking about the importance of drafting “football guys” or players who just know how to play the game. Bishop is one of those guys. And he was absolutely right last year when he accused the coaching staff of not basing playing-time decisions on what a player has actually produced. If Bishop does some damage early, I hope that Capers has the stones to make objective football decisions based on performance – even if that means relegating Hawk or even Barnett to the bench. That may sound far-fetched at the moment, but that’s how good I think Bishop can be.