"Back to where he was" both in terms of his productivity, but perhaps even more importantly in terms of his availability. I agree, unless we get incredibly lucky in the draft, Alexander is probably the only guy who can make a press man defense effective. But can a new DC afford to put any real emphasis on a scheme that depends completely on a man who missed 13 games in 2021 and 10 games last season?
I really don't see press man being a big part of our D next season.
Its just hard to say. As I said somewhere we need an eraser like Earl Thomas. I have not watched Johnson at all to be honest, but we need an instinctual safety who has a feel for where the ball is about to go. Someone like...Rasul Douglas maybe. I'm not sure if Johnson is that or not. None of our current corners convert to that skillset though (that I can tell). And we have no legit Safeties on the roster so...
I don't hold Grudges. It's counterproductive.
Rob Demovsky
@RobDemovsky
Packers defensive quality control coach Justin Hood is joining the Falcons as secondary coach. He’s reunited with Jerry Gray in Atlanta.
Peter Bukowski
@Peter_Bukowski
League sources tell
@TheLeapGB
there WILL be changes to the #Packers defensive staff.
This will including a shuffling of responsibilities among coaches already on the staff including an elevated role for Jason Rebrovich who was promoted to pass rush specialist last year.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
Brady Henderson
@BradyHenderson
Former Rams, Vikings and Seahawks QB Sean Mannion is ending his nine-year NFL playing career and has accepted a position on the Packers’ coaching staff, a source tells me. He’ll work with QBs and the passing game.
Packers News
@PGPackersNews
All coaches on the Packers defense have been given permission to apply for other jobs after the team hired Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
DL coach and running game coordinator Jerry Montgomery will not be back.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
Formerly known as JustinHarrell.
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But Rodgers leads the league in frumpy expressions and negative body language on the sideline, which makes him, like Josh Allen, a unique double threat.
-Tim Harmston
Not convinced they'll suddenly become a '4-3' team. Nickel is more or less the base defense nowadays anyhow. I wouldn't be surprised if they continue to play it similarly on the front (2 DT, 2 EDGE with a choice of standing up or 3pt., 2 ILBs). The coverage will be different - I think they go more MOFC coverages and throw in a bit more man coverage and maybe even some press. I would expect there to be more pressure dialed up, and there will still be a healthy amount of zone coverage. All NFL defenses play a lot of zone. I don't think he'll line his CBs as far off the LOS compared to Barry or Pettine.
My first response was "who?" and feeling generally underwhelmed, but he has worked with some smart people and I would expect a guy like Saleh to give MLF an honest assessment. He doesn't have the stink of an 0-16 season on him. My impression of BC is that they are basically in the bottom half of the ACC, getting beat by Clemson, FSU, and Louisville, the way Indiana gets beat by Michigan or OSU.
I'm firmly in the wait-and-see camp on this one; I suspect he'll be like a slightly better Pettine, which would be an upgrade.
I expect this hire will steer draft strategy a bit -- probably using 5+ total draft picks among CB, S, and LB.
I've adjusted my fly many times before.
The key is "maximizing the talent of the players." If you have players with a certain skill set, you put them in positions to use those skills, and try to keep them out of situations that ask them to do things they don't do well, just because it's your "system." That was apparent in the two Minny games - was it last year? - where in the first one, Joe Barely didn't match up Alexander with Jefferson, and Jefferson went wild. Second game, Barely did match Alexander up, and Jefferson was much quieter.
"The Devine era is actually worse than you remember if you go back and look at it."
KYPack
Ladies and gents, fellow humans of the expression of our gratitude for the shared love of this Franchise, which allows us to intimately behave as fans of grown men scheming other grown men who run around in tight uniforms do..
I like the hire. After watching and reading and researching and spending time understanding this man's character, he's the exact hire we need. This is how you play defense in 2020s, and he seems to be a great fit. Barry lacked versatility and knowledge, which you can get away with when you have smart players and great guys in key positions of importance, but if you're putting them out of position I don't think you belong I the nfl as a coordinator in any capacity because you can't adjust to what you're seeing in the same way inept quarterbacks continue to display conduct detrimental to the growth of the team.
The resume doesn't matter if you think you can coordinate 11 men to make plays in unison and have them give you the credit, credit is due in your ability in allowing them to get there by putting them in the best position to succeed in the circumstances given to them by following the trust you have in your instruction to succeed. Calling plays means nothing of you're defending the inevitable destruction of what you built and in essence allowing your confidence in who you are to be questioned by the opponent who either outscored you with coaching or with talent, and if you lose more than 3 battles a year due to coaching you either get better or you get fired.
Wink martindale was the only other option but I think he's a bit of a hard headed guy and that's traditional dc type character and he took us to the cleaners in new York but he doesn't have the upside of this guy. The game against tampa showed lafluer was really in control of the Barry defense and what type of schemes he wanted to play, which only confirms the game is offensive, meaning lafluer knows d enough to know you don't call certain plays in certain circumstances because the probabilities are all fucked and basically Barry was a yes man.
What I'm looking for from this guy is to have a clear command of the defense just like I would expect from an OC. Trust. Get your guys in the right spot so when you're reviewing film you're not explaining why this was a bad call against this offense in front of your defense. As a leader of a team you're allowed to fuck up provided the consistency of error isn't your fault and you have the ability to ask of your players what many respects they expect of you. In this case he's at fault. But also don't hire yes men because subservience an education of free thought and creativity isn't a building block.
Sounds like it's more of an attack scheme, which I have to think the players will like. Who really wants to read and react? Defensive guys tend to be aggressive, so that doesn't sound that appealing. I would think guys like Alexander and Valentine will benefit - and Rudy Ford if they decide to bring him back. And Quay Walker. He could be a good blitzer.
But they are going to need a maestro on the back end to coordinate and direct it all. Can a rookie come in and do that? Or will Guter restructure some contracts and bring in a free agent?
"The Devine era is actually worse than you remember if you go back and look at it."
KYPack
This is a strong class of FA safeties. I don't think Gute will go after one of the top guys. But he should be able to find someone not too expensive who is an upgrade over Owens and Savage. A name I've heard mentioned is Geno Stone of Baltimore. 2020 7th round pick. But he started 11 games in 2023 and had 7 INT's so his asking price could be pretty high.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
Rob Demovsky
@RobDemovsky
Defensive backs coach Ryan Downard and pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich will remain on the Packers staff under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, per a source.
There also could be more who return, but those two are locked in.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
I like the DC choice. I hope he doesn't have Preston Smith covering wide receivers. I also hope he blitzes alot.
"Winners never quit and quitters never win." - Lombardi
I didn't like that either in hindsight, but if you're gonna do zone blitzes - which Hafley apparently likes, using Quay Walker as a blitzer, etc., somebody needs to cover that short zone, and the way most zone blitzing teams handle that is with a D Lineman dropping back - as Preston would be in a 4 man line. I say use the element of surprise, and do what works. If P. Smith as a DE rushes the passer, it's not even a blitz.
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