The hardships within transition from one position to another is often an underplayed, less frequently talked about aspect of shifting around on the roster. Having to develop a completely different focus on what your duties are and understanding a new section of the playbook is a lot easier said than done. Just ask Spencer Havner who, in 2009, made the move from outside linebacker to tight end. Call it a brief, yet successful move considering he hauled in four touchdowns that season.

Aaron Kampman and Jeremy Thompson - two former defensive ends in Green Bay. Both were obligated to make the transition to edge-rushers at outside linebacker once Dom Capers came onto the scene in 2009 as the new defensive coordinator. With Capers' and the Packers swapping from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defensive scheme, Kampman prevailed before being placed on injured reserve late in the season. Thompson, however, not so much. But that's another story.

2013 first-round pick Datone Jones will be the most prominent defensive end to make the move to outside linebacker since Kampman.

His expanded role didn't take form until halfway through the 2015 campaign where we saw Jones balance as a hybrid at both positions. Once he caught the eye of Mike McCarthy and Capers, that is. Realistically with Julius Peppers and Mike Neal locked into the depth chart as the clear-cut starters on the outside of the front seven, Nick Perry and Jones would be the substituting duo.

Through weeks 2-9, Jones was averaging 27.8% of the defensive snaps as a pure defensive end, accumulating 133 total snaps.

Through weeks 10-17, that percentage spiked to 46.3, tallying 231 snaps as opposed to the previous 133.

It was clear the coaching staff saw something they liked with the versatility he showed. At 6'4", 287 pounds, it was easy to see why. Jones had more than enough physicality to successfully meet the requirements and prove as a hybrid weapon on the defense. This was shown tenfold in just his second game into the sudden transition. Jones managed to bring down Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater twice in a 30-13 routing in Minnesota, solidifying his potential standing up on the edge.

Like all first-round picks from the 2013 draft class and beyond, there comes a point where their fifth-year option surfaces and places the front office in a bind. In Jones' case, that bind was rather constricting.

What do you do with a player who has been relatively disappointing and a non-factor through most of his first three seasons, but has just begun showing slight promise and a hint of potential? Well, much like the Packers did with Nick Perry a year ago, you disregard that fifth-year option and place that player in a bind of his own: a put-up or shut-up year.

Jones' contract will expire next offseason, and how well he plays in his "elephant" role as coach McCarthy likes to call it, will likely determine whether or not he inks a new deal. So far, all signs are pointing to the newfound edge-rusher staying in America's Dairyland.

Another factor that can roll in Jones' favor is the presence (nonexistent or significant, you decide) left behind by Mike Neal. Another former defensive end turned outside linebacker who was drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft, Neal began showing flashes of his own in his slightly-enhanced role on the edge in 2015. The Packers, despite this, showed no interest in renewing his contract. If there was any hope Neal would return to suit up in 2016, the drafting of Kyler Fackrell at 88th overall may have shoved that hope into the dirt and blatantly rubbed it in.

There's high hope for Jones heading into his contract year, especially with the opportunity to take advantage of the offseason and master his new role. Unlike 2015 where the shift was so sudden, Jones can now hone in on his skills on the edge and find a sense of comfort.