When Packers linebacker Jake Ryan saw his season come to an end due to a torn ACL early in training camp, rookie Oren Burks was immediately thrust into the starting lineup.
That in and of itself is a big ask of a talented – yet unproven – player.
Add to that a shoulder injury that according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “popped out” on Burks during Friday’s pregame warmups in Oakland, and you can see where the team would have a high level of concern regarding its inside linebacker depth.