Silverstein: Packers reach agreement with Dom Capers as DC

[Badgerinmaine]

He posted this about ten minutes ago:
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/37805704.html

[red]

well, alright

we got one

so does this mean we're going to be a 3-4 team?

[Bub]

Hmmm...sort of late....well, I think it's great, if it's true. He was my fav remaining prospect.

[bobblehead]

I liked the numbers regarding Capers success. I think in most cases D's got better when he arrived as opposed to going the other way. I am all about results, so I hope this works out.

The 3-4 Question is indeed a good one. I'm neutral. I want success, if we hire buddy ryan and run the 4-6 I'm ok with it as long as we stop teams.

[billy_oliver880]

I liked the numbers regarding Capers success. I think in most cases D's got better when he arrived as opposed to going the other way. I am all about results, so I hope this works out.

The 3-4 Question is indeed a good one. I'm neutral. I want success, if we hire buddy ryan and run the 4-6 I'm ok with it as long as we stop teams.

Excellent point. Don't matter what the heck he runs just hope that it stops the opponent.

[BF4MVP]

NICE!!!

I wanted either Dom or McDermott..Good hire, Coach!

[mission]

hell ya... im drunk, i was born 28 years ago (in an hour) and ill definitely take this!!

dont buy into the 3-4 vs 4-3 ... the nfl today is not so black and white. capers will adjust exactly how he has to for us to improve on defense.

im sticking to my 11-5 ... but now it's 09 :D

[BF4MVP]

I liked the numbers regarding Capers success. I think in most cases D's got better when he arrived as opposed to going the other way. I am all about results, so I hope this works out.

The 3-4 Question is indeed a good one. I'm neutral. I want success, if we hire buddy ryan and run the 4-6 I'm ok with it as long as we stop teams.

Excellent point. Don't matter what the heck he runs just hope that it stops the opponent.
QFT

[vince]

Capers is a strong, safe choice from a coaching standpoint. Seems to be well respected throughout the league, and would appear to be an upgrade in coaching experience and acumen from Sanders, Nolan and Williams, IMO, I don't believe McCarthy has any past relationship with Capers, so Patler will be relieved.

I'm anxious for the press conference to hear McCarthy and Capers talk about what they think about the future.

Now go and wreak some havoc Dom!

[Joemailman]

Great news! He's known for the 3-4, but he's had a chance the last couple of years to see first hand how Belichick utilizes a hybrid 3-4/4-3 defense. The big winner as far as players goes I feel will be A.J. Hawk who I thought was under-utilized in the Bates system. Don't worry about Kampman. Capers will have no trouble utilizing him.

[mission]

So does this mean I rooted for the Cardinals for nothin?! :lol:



(yay, this is real good for us!)

[TennesseePackerBacker]

oh happy day

[Badgerinmaine]

hell ya... im drunk, i was born 28 years ago (in an hour) and ill definitely take this!!

Happy birthday...let's hope this is a good present for all of us.

[Joemailman]

I'm guessing even Wist may approve of this move. :D

[Badgerinmaine]

I'm guessing even Wist may approve of this move. :D
Would that make the first move in forum history he liked, then? :-)

[pbmax]

Holy bleeping bleepy bleep.

And that's the extent of my reasoned analysis. Not sure how this makes me feel. I think we could stand to get some good assistants as Capers will have good contacts and respect and its early in the hiring season.

I just saw on TV he was going to interview with the Giants. I need to watch less TV and stayed glued to PackerRats. :lol:

[Waldo]

Yes, best and safest candidate out there, BY FAR.

Well done MM. :bclap:

[Bub]

Looks like the news is spreading...

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090118/PKR01/90118045/1058&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL

[vince]

Here are his results as a DC from Harv. so they don't get lost at the beginning of another thread. He had little success taking over a couple expansion franchises as HC, but his accomplishments as a defensive coordinator speak for themselves. He's been particularly adept at taking over new defenses and bringing them immediate success.


1992 - Pittsburgh - 2nd (points allowed); 13th (yards allowed)
1993 - Pittsburgh - 8th (points allowed); 3rd (yards allowed)
1994 - Pittsburgh - 2nd (points allowed); 2nd (yards allowed)

1999 - Jacksonville - 1st (points allowed); 4th (yards allowed)
2000 - Jacksonville - 16th (points allowed); 16th (yards allowed)

In 1992, he was DC for a team with a new coach. Pittsburgh's defense ranked 24th in points allowed and 22nd in yards allowed in 1991.

In 1999, he took over as DC for a Jacksonville defense that ranked 17th in points allowed and 25th in yards allowed in 1998.

Great track record. I'll take him.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Here are his results as a DC from Harv. So they don't get lost at the beginning of another thread. He had little success taking over a couple expansion franchises as HC, but his accomplishments as a defensive coordinator speak for themselves. He's been particularly adept at taking over new defenses and bringing them immediate success.


1992 - Pittsburgh - 2nd (points allowed); 13th (yards allowed)
1993 - Pittsburgh - 8th (points allowed); 3rd (yards allowed)
1994 - Pittsburgh - 2nd (points allowed); 2nd (yards allowed)

1999 - Jacksonville - 1st (points allowed); 4th (yards allowed)
2000 - Jacksonville - 16th (points allowed); 16th (yards allowed)

In 1992, he was DC for a team with a new coach. Pittsburgh's defense ranked 24th in points allowed and 22nd in yards allowed in 1991.

In 1999, he took over as DC for a Jacksonville defense that ranked 17th in points allowed and 25th in yards allowed in 1998.

Great track record. I'll take him.
+1

[BallHawk]

I'm happy with the move. I don't really see how somebody could be unhappy with it. There are some that will be a bit underwhelmed, perhaps, but I don't think you can call it a "bad hire" in any sense. Winston Moss could of been seen as this by some.

I'm hoping we stick with the 4-3 but add in some different looks and schemes.

Good job, Pack. :glug:

[vince]

Capers was reportedly being (or going to be) aggressively pursued by either or both the Giants and Cowboys...

I guess the accusations of MM/TT not being able to get a "top tier" guy and Green Bay being the Siberia of the league are somewhat nullified.

[Pugger]

Bravo MM! This is indeed good news. :D

I wonder what they'll do with Winston Moss now....?? :?:

[vince]

Here's a good article from training camp the year he took over the Jag's D that gives good insight into the new man running the defense. Obviously, time will tell if he gets the job done, but he seems to be a perfect fit for McCarthy's coaching philosophy and style.

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/080899/jag_capers.html


The X factor
Dom Capers steps into critical role in the Jaguars' run toward the Super Bowl

By Pete Prisco
Times-Union sports writer

You observe him from afar, watching his every move, and something strikes you as odd. As you closely monitor Dom Capers during Jaguars practices, he looks more teacher than coach.

Rarely does his voice fly above the rest of the camp noise. Instead, it's a caring, coddling tone.

His approach is a cerebral one, offering words of encouragement much like a dad would a son.

There is no berating players, no in-your-face tirades filled with profanity.

Can this really be the guy who is bringing aggression to the Jaguars' defense?

''Don't let that fool you,'' said Carolina Panthers assistant coach Sam Mills, who played for Capers when he was the head coach of the Panthers. ''He is calm and cool and is a very good teacher. But his style of defense is the opposite of that. They will play an aggressive style.''

The Jaguars' defense has had a tissue-soft reputation for four seasons. While the offense has flourished, the defense has floundered. Last year it finished ranked 25th in the league, the lowest ranking in the team's four seasons.

Super Bowl champions don't have 25th-ranked defenses.

Enter Capers. When Tom Coughlin lost defensive coordinator Dick Jauron, who became the head coach in Chicago, Coughlin immediately turned to Capers, who had been fired less than a month earlier by the Panthers. In fact, there was some talk that Coughlin was so interested in Capers that he may have hired Capers and reassigned Jauron had Jauron not departed.

In targeting Capers, Coughlin was easily able to forget that Capers was once the coach of the rival expansion Panthers, a team that also came into the league in the 1995 season, and quickly took the lead in the expansion race. He also put aside that Capers won NFL Coach of the Year honors in 1996 for leading the Panthers to a division title and a berth in the NFC title game, the same year Coughlin took his team to the AFC Championship Game.

None of it mattered. What did matter was this:

Capers knows defense, and the Jaguars needed to improve on that side of the ball.

''He was a coach I had great respect for,'' said Coughlin. ''When Dick was leaving, I knew Dom was a guy I would be interested in having.''

What about the other way? Would Capers come to Jacksonville to work for a man who had exceeded him in terms of success as an expansion coach?

Capers wanted to be a head coach again, but lost out in his bid to land the Kansas City job. He then thought about staying out of coaching and collecting a paycheck, but he wanted back in.

The Jaguars were that in, an in with Super Bowl hopes.

''Who would have thought two years ago I'd be coaching here?'' Capers said. ''I'm so thrilled to be working for this organization. I am big on structure and discipline, and that's certainly here.''

''For him to choose Jacksonville says something about what he thought about our franchise and how he feels he can make a contribution,'' said Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver. ''I think Dom Capers is going to make a huge contribution.''

The Jaguars provide Capers with a chance to wash away the stink from a head-coaching job gone bad. After losing in the NFC Championship Game following the 1996 season, the Panthers fell quickly. Stocked with older players whose abilities dropped off, Carolina went 11-21 in the two seasons after that, leading to Capers' firing.

''I was very surprised,'' said Mills. ''I never thought he was the problem. I hated to see him go. A lot of people did. There's a great deal of respect in Carolina for Dom Capers. We know what he stands for.''

''One of the things you understand about this business is how quickly things can change,'' said Capers. ''You don't get too high with the highs and too low with the lows. Things change quickly. A couple of years I was one game from the Super Bowl and then I was out of a job. That's sometimes the coaching story.''

Capers a hot topic

This year, Capers is the coaching story. Around the league, he is a hot topic. The thinking is this: If he can improve the Jaguars defense from 25 to near the top 10, then the team should be a legitimate Super Bowl threat.

And Capers could be back as a head coach.

''He'll be a hot coaching commodity again,'' said Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Mora, who was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints when Capers worked as a secondary coach. ''The guy's too good of a coach not to be back in it.''

''My feelings on that are that I've seen too many people say this is where they want to be a year, three or five years from now,'' said Capers. ''In this business, you can't do that. You just have to do the best job you can. You have to ignore all the peripheral things and predictions. What happens down the road, happens. I just have to do my part to make sure we are successful.''

Don't doubt him.

''With the personnel on this team, and Dom's coaching, we can be very good,'' said safety Carnell Lake, who signed with the Jaguars as a free agent after 10 seasons with the Steelers. ''Can we be top 10 good? I think so.''

''He'll make them better,'' said Mills. ''That I know.''

''We certainly hope all that is true,'' said Coughlin. ''That's not for me to say. I know he will be an important part of our success.''

If track record is an indicator, the defense should have success under Capers. In his three seasons as defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1992-94, prior to landing the Carolina job, Capers' defenses finished highly ranked in a bunch of statistical categories.

They were always among the leaders in takeaways, and his 1994 group finished as the second best defense in the league while leading in sacks. In his three seasons as coordinator of the Steelers, no other defense gave up fewer points.
The secret? An aggressive style that became known as Blitzburgh.

''It is an aggressive defense,'' said Lake, who was Pro Bowl player for Capers with the Steelers. ''The idea is to first stop the run, then get after the quarterback with a lot of different blitzes. That brings confusion, which in turn creates turnovers.''

''Every player on the defense can rush the quarterback,'' said Mills. ''There are blitzes for everyone. That's what makes it so successful. You never know who is coming.''

Unlike the all-out blitzes of a coach like Buddy Ryan when he was with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, Capers' defense is built on the zone blitz. What that means is if one player blitzes, another may drop out into coverage.

It is essentially blitz and replace. Say a linebacker blitzes, then maybe a defensive lineman will drop into coverage, the idea being the offensive linemen may get confused, leading to a missed block. Or the quarterback may miss a read and throw into the midsection of the dropping lineman.

It is an attack defense that is filled with caution.

''It's not like the old Bears who used to sell out every play,'' said Mills. ''There's a lot of thinking involved.''

''It's going to be an attack defense,'' said Coughlin, who has turned over the defense to Capers. ''We want to be in attack mode a great deal of the time. In order to do that, assignment football on the part of everybody has to be improved. We have to be a team that is accountable. A lot of our people have made errors in the past when we have blitzed, and the results have not been good.''

Every year under Jauron, the Jaguars have said they were prepared to attack more. They even showed it the last two preseasons, giving hope that finally the passive style would be passe.

Then when the season started, the blitzing was gone. And so was the pressure. The Jaguars had just 30 sacks last season, tying them with Tennessee for 28th in the league.

''The quarterback has to be pressured,'' said Coughlin. ''They're too good to just sit back there with time.''

''It's a lot harder for a team to prepare when a defense gives you a lot of looks,'' said Mora. ''That's what Dom's defenses give you.''

Unlike his defenses in Pittsburgh and Carolina, Capers will use a four-man front instead of a 3-4. That's because that's the Coughlin way, even though Capers did use some 4-3 last season in Carolina.

The change up front is one of the few differences with this defense, but with a wrinkle here and there -- like standing up end Tony Brackens or putting down linebacker Bryce Paup -- the defensive look can change in a hurry.

You will also see a lot of 3-4 from the Jaguars, thus a lot of hybrid looks.

''So many times those things are overrated,'' said Capers. ''It's still the same personnel, just being used differently.''

''It still comes down to the players,'' said Mora. ''No matter what style you use, it still comes down to personnel.''

It will be sometime into the preseason, Capers said, before he knows if he has the right personnel to run his zone-blitz successfully. If he does, you can expect a lot more pressure on the quarterback, which has the Jaguars players excited.

''That brings an attitude,'' said cornerback Aaron Beasley. ''Guys want to be aggressive. That's what defense is all about. This style is becoming contagious.''

Don't expect all-out attacking all the time, however.

"It's a mistake on your part if you think it's just going to be one form of pressure defense after another,'' said Coughlin. ''That's not going to be the case. In the right situations, with the right athletes involved, we certainly want to be as aggressive as we can without hurting our football team.''

The one question about the zone blitz, however, is the thinking around the league that offenses have caught up to it. Carolina (30th) and Cincinnati (28th) were two of the lowest-ranked defenses in the league using that style. Only Pittsburgh, which finished ranked 12th, had success with it.

''I hope they haven't because we're running it,'' said Mora, who hired Capers' former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to run his defense this season. ''People do catch up to things, so you do have to adjust.''

''The zone blitz, from my perspective, it's an evolving defense,'' said Lake. ''Since it started, it has evolved and it will continue to evolve. You have to make slight changes. You have to tweak it a bit. That's where Dom is so important.''

'Involved in everything'

The teacher lives by details. So much so that since 1981 Capers has kept notebooks filled with the date, time and details about every event in his day, noting them in leather-bound books he replaces each year.

He can tell you what he did in 1983 on this date 10 years ago at 10 p.m. In the books he writes down everything from what he ate for lunch to things that caught his attention on the practice field.

''He has it down to the last detail, which also makes him a great coach,'' said Mora. ''He is so well prepared.''

''He's so well organized and he's a good communicator,'' said Steelers coach Bill Cowher, Capers' boss in Pittsburgh. ''Those are two skills very important in coaching.''

He is, like Coughlin, a tireless worker. With the Panthers, he slept in his office three nights a week sometimes, always trying to make those nights coincide with the nights his wife, who is a flight attendant, was flying. He is unsure if he will sleep at the office with the Jaguars, but you can bet he will.

''I never want to say I didn't do everything possible to win,'' said Capers.

Thus, the teaching. It is the Capers way.

''He's an excellent teacher,'' said Mora. ''He presents his information in an organized way and has a lot of patience. He doesn't lose his cool. That's important in teaching.''

''That's what the game is all about,'' said Capers. ''You have to be a good teacher. It comes down to communication. Different guys learn different ways. That's the interesting thing. Getting to know guys' hot buttons. Once you do that, the teaching is easy.''

''I love the way he coaches,'' said Beasley. ''It's different than last year. Jauron let the coaches do their jobs. With Capers, he's involved in everything. He's in all the meetings. If you have any questions, he's the man to ask. And he's always low-key about the way he does things.''

That won't change, either. Even if he turns the Jaguars defense into a top 10 team, Capers will remain Capers.

Even tempered, it would seem to be a style that would conflict with his defensive ways.

But it has worked.

If it works again, the teacher could very well be heading his own class in the next millennium -- as a head coach again in the NFL.

[Lurker64]

Good article Vince. I'm feeling good about the Capers hire.

[channtheman]

Very nice article. I'm getting really excited now. He seems like a great coach and teacher and also a great husband. Very cool.

[Kiwon]

Well, one thing is for sure, he'll be an upgrade to what the Packers had on the sidelines this year.

[packers11]

www.rotoworld.com

Packers hired Dom Capers as defensive coordinator.

He chose the Pack over the Giants. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel expects Capers to run a "hybrid" scheme, but he may ultimately lean towards a 3-4. The Packers have enough linebackers and space eaters up front for the three-man front, although it may take away from LE Aaron Kampman's strengths. Green Bay will keep man-to-man coverage in the secondary.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Maybe we can get Julius Peppers now, and make him a 3-4 OLB.
:D

I was higher on Capers than Nolan and Williams, so I'm happy. I'm intrigued by a possible move to the 3-4.

[Partial]

Capers was reportedly being (or going to be) aggressively pursued by either or both the Giants and Cowboys...

I guess the accusations of MM/TT not being able to get a "top tier" guy and Green Bay being the Siberia of the league are somewhat nullified.

Very good news indeed! This is a very good hiring for M3 in my opinion. Hopefully he ranked #1 over Nolan and Williams, not number 3. If he did in fact rank #1, then kudos to MM for doing due diligence and not settling for a name.

[bobblehead]

OK, I read that whole damn article and took one thing away. The dude is an NFL head coach in Carolina making probably a cool million plus even then and his wife is working as....a flight attendent?? What was taking down about 25K a year? WTF!!!

[vince]

Packers, Capers reach agreement on deal

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/37807024.html

Interesting passage in the middle of the article about how the Eagles would not have allowed McDermott to get away. He is supposedly being groomed to take over in Philly when Johnson retires, which could be sooner than later with his chronic back problems. Previous reports indicated that the Eagles would not have stood in his way.

Previous reports also had a Nolan deal done, Williams holding out for the Titans, and Capers bypassing the Packers for New York or Dallas, so I guess there shouldn't be much surprise here.

[Fritz]

Packers, Capers reach agreement on deal

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/37807024.html

Interesting passage in the middle of the article about how the Eagles would not have allowed McDermott to get away. He is supposedly being groomed to take over in Philly when Johnson retires, which could be sooner than later with his chronic back problems. Previous reports indicated that the Eagles would not have stood in his way.

Previous reports also had a Nolan deal done, Williams holding out for the Titans, and Capers bypassing the Packers for New York or Dallas, so I guess there shouldn't be much surprise here.

My thoughts exactly, Vince. Sounds like no way no how was Reid going to let McDermott go. I wonder when MM knew this, though. You'd think that word would've been out for a little while, any way. In that case, it makes one wonder why MM waited so long to interview Capers - it seemed like MM was waiting for an assistant or two to free up from the playoffs. Maybe, though, that assistant was with the Steelers or Cards, and MM couldn't wait any longer. Who knows.

Having said that, for all the folks who made that point about why, if Capers was so strong a candidate, MM waited so long to talk to him, well, the same could be said about all the other teams who have been searching for DC's (Cowboys, for just one example) or who have recently hired head coaches who would need to put a staff together. It's just been a long strange trip, as Jerry Garcia would say.

In sum, I am fine with the hire, though I still have some trepidation if we hear Capers is going to a 3-4. My hope is that he'll run more of a 4-3 with some wrinkles. Something un-Bates-like.

[vince]

I would have been fine with Nolan, Williams, Haslett, Capers, McDermott or a number of other candidates...

I don't purport to know more than McCarthy and the Packer organization about any of these candidates or what their professional assessment is of the existing players are and which defensive approach will be most successful and how quickly.

Capers may have been their second or third choice in the end. Who knows for sure but McCarthy & Co. There has been, and still is, a lot of demand out there for defensive coordinators. First, second, or hundredth choice, he's a solid coach and defensive mind - and is a good philosophical fit for the Packer program.

His record stands on its own, he brings a ton of credibility on the defensive front, and he appears to have little ego to conflict with McCarthy's - unlike the other two guys perhaps.

Now we get to hear what he has to say and see how he does.

I think he comes into a very good situation with a team that has a lot of flexibility, and that suffered a number of tough injuries through the season and underperformed coming off a top 10 defensive performance in '07. Add a couple new guys into the mix at key spots this offseason for impact and depth and I think high expectations are justified for the unit next year.

[RashanGary]

I was higher on Capers than Nolan and Williams, so I'm happy. I'm intrigued by a possible move to the 3-4.

I didn't think about Capers at first, but after his name got thrown in, I was also more impressed by his resume than the other two. Another good thing is that McCarthy got to interview several candidates. He knew what type of options were out there and got to choose one that has a similar vision for how practice and game structure will work.

Based on McCarthy's patient, detailed search for a good fit and Capers experience and success, I think this is going to be a great hire.

[Bretsky]

Good hire; we have somebody qualified running our D. Can't say that for the past three years.

When Willliams shot us down Capers and Haslett were the next two

We chose the one we wanted; good hire.

[privatepacker]

I sat in front of coach Capers once at a UT football game. He was very approachable and really a nice guy. Came from a small town and went to Kent State. I think he was good coach before he was an assist. w/ New England. Can you imagine how good he is now after being w/ BB and seeing how he runs things? We may have hit the jackpot.

[Patler]

Capers seems to have some flexibility and some creativity in his defensive philosophy. Sanders had little.

The defense seems to have some players with evident talent displayed overtime and often in Kampman, Woodson and Harris. It has others who seem to have talent, but they have not displayed it consistently, or they have not gotten to the levels we think they might, including guys like Jenkins, Barnett, Williams and Collins. It has other guys we thing or thought had talent, but we really have not seen it with any certainty; Hawk, Bigby, Jolly, Blackmon. There are other solid, role playing players like Chiller, Poppinga, Cole. There are "projects," but ones who seemed worth the investment at least at one time, Harrell, Lee, Montgomery, Thompson, Hunter. It is not a "bare cupboard" by any means.

Maybe now with some flexibility, creativity and experience in a DC we will see:
- if Hawk is the player many thought he was coming out of college or a disappointment,
- if Collins and Barnett can take the next step of being players that influence a game from start to finish,
- if Kampman's ability and determination can be maximized in a scheme,
- if Jenkins will ever be more than a flash here and a flash there;
- if some of the projects can become legitimate NFL players;
- if collectively this seemingly talented group can take over game situations
- if TT actually has brought in players for a good defense, or if he has failed on that side of the ball.

In very limited opportunities, Chiller displayed more of a feel for blitzing than anyone else. It will be essential for at least a couple other LBs or safeties to also develop that feel because Capers will use it. Guys like Hawk, Barnett, Collins, Bigby.

Hopefully we will see that there is more talent on defense than has been displayed recently; or if TT has failed in that area. I believe if it is there, Capers will find a way to use it.

[pbmax]

More proof that most good football coaches are connected to Ohio in some way. Its a little odd how many college and pro coaches are either from there, or have spent time there.

[Packnut]

ANYTHING is better than what we had. Gee, may-be we might acually see one freakin well timed blitz next season. That would be something new and exciting. May-be our LB's might play just a tad closer to the the line and be able to make a play for negative yardage. Just may-be, we might even have the miracle of miracles and confuse an oppossing QB. :roll:

[sheepshead]

I cant punch a hole in this hire at all. There are any number of former head coaches as coordinators in the NFL. Hopefully, this "marriage " hoists a few Lombardis soon!

[PackerPro42]

One benefit that will come out of this, is that it will enable us to truly pick the BPA in this year's draft. Now we're not limited to the prototypical 4-3 defensive prospects, which enables us to look at a lot of new prospects. The two that stick out to me are Everette Brown and Rey Maualuga.

[LL2]

I'm glad MM got Capers. As intriguing as McDermott may sound I think the Packers needed to go with an experienced coach at this stage in MM coaching of the Packers. Also, it will be good for the veterans and the guys that are becoming veterans like Collins that they have a D coach that knows what he is talking about. Now if Capers can convince TT to go after a stud like Peppers that would be awesome!

[pbmax]

I'm glad MM got Capers. As intriguing as McDermott may sound I think the Packers needed to go with an experienced coach at this stage in MM coaching of the Packers. Also, it will be good for the veterans and the guys that are becoming veterans like Collins that they have a D coach that knows what he is talking about. Now if Capers can convince TT to go after a stud like Peppers that would be awesome!
I agree with the thought about the experienced coordinator. The only thing that worried me about the position coaches (who were all from terrific backgrounds) was the possible on the job training. There is enough about this franchise in flux that a steady hand on defense, even with a new scheme, will be welcome. Not so sure about Peppers, he is older and has been hurt. He seemed to be in a contract drive this year.

[pbmax]

I cannot believe there isn't more traffic here after this hire. Is everyone doing research? Celebrating MLK day? Or traveling to the inauguration? :lol:

How is this for uninformed speculation: Caper chooses Packers over Giants interview because he gets to run a 3-4 or 3-4 hybrid unlike his situation in Jacksonville, where he was asked to run 4-3 by Coughlin?

[Carolina_Packer]

Good solid hire. It was a good to see the Packers get such a guy at DC. As for Peppers, the Panthers now know that he doesn't want to be there, so he will probably get the Jared Allen treatment and be tagged, which means trading for him, which may be too high of a price to pay. Peppers is a great athlete and shows a lot of ability, but I question his drive and consistent intensity to make plays, and not take some off. You can't trade a guy for high draft picks, give him a lot of cash and then worry about his drive and intensity. Yes to the talent, no to the lack of consistent effort.

[BZnDallas]

i'm really really excited to see how Dom does with the players we have... alot of us have always thought that there were some decent players on the d side of the ball that just needed some good ole coaching... now they are going to get some... although that doesn't mean i don't want TT to bring in some new talent aswell... :wink:

[rbaloha1]

Great move -- maybe TT learned from the Randy Moss debacle.

A hybrid approach makes great sense due to personnel and opponents. A NE style defense is what the Packers require to be a playoff contender again.

My only concern is the players over thinking and not playing fast. At least we have a DC willing to take chances with blitzes. C'mon we we have shutdown corners which makes blitzing less risky.

[Patler]

Great move -- maybe TT learned from the Randy Moss debacle.

Huh??

[Pugger]

A lot of folks on Packers' internet forums were concerned about our ability to attract a good DC but not me. I'm sure Capers was attracted to the situation at 1265: full autonomy for the DC to run things as he likes, ability to pick his own assistants and no interference from the HC or a nosy owner! :D

[sheepshead]

Great move -- maybe TT learned from the Randy Moss debacle.

Huh??

LOL..I had the same reaction. That's a forehead slapper my man.

[Patler]

A lot of folks on Packers' internet forums were concerned about our ability to attract a good DC but not me. I'm sure Capers was attracted to the situation at 1265: full autonomy for the DC to run things as he likes, ability to pick his own assistants and no interference from the HC or a nosy owner! :D

How about a nosy "Assistant Head Coach" coaching your linebackers?
I wonder if Capers has any say about what Moss does?
I have always thought the idea of an "Assistant Head Coach" reporting to a coordinator, especially the one opposite to the head coaches expertise, made for a real weird relationship.

Moss is "Assistant HC" supposedly because he is head coach material.
Moss gets HC interviews.
Moss is a defensive coach.
Moss isn't good enough for MM to promote to DC.

Strange, very strange.
Maybe now MM will allow Moss to interview for DC openings. Supposedly he had denied Oakland's request, if rumors are to be believed. If he did, he can not now change his mind and allow Moss to interview for others, but since Oakland hasn't filled theirs, can he go back and allow Oakland and anyone else to consider Moss?

[gbgary]

Great move -- maybe TT learned from the Randy Moss debacle.

Huh??

LOL..I had the same reaction. That's a forehead slapper my man.

come on! you guys remember the Randy Moss debacle! :D

i think it's a good hire. maybe he can help convince tt to go get a high impact f-a.

[texaspackerbacker]

Well, assuming this one is true, all I can say is: it could have been worse, much worse. Given Thompson and McCarthy's background in the 3-4, it would seem likely we would go to that--little if any "hybrid", mostly a complete conversion.

I've come around to the point of view that 3-4 is OK. Overdoing the blitzing is far from an automatic thing, yet the option is there to bring it from a lot of different directions--I wouldn't even really consider sending one backer for a total of 4 going in to be blitzing, and the beauty of it is the offense never knows where the 4th man in will be coming from.

The 3-4 also does not automatically mean deviating from the highly successful man coverage of the Packers. Hopefully, they will stick with that. Does anybody know what New England ran last year--mostly man or mostly zone?

Assuming this rumor is true, I'm glad the mess is over. Hopefully, the Packers defense will approach the quality it had in 2007.

[BallHawk]

Great move -- maybe TT learned from the Randy Moss debacle.

Huh??

I think it's supposed to be like "TT wasn't wanted Randy but wasn't aggressive enough so he didn't get him. This time TT wanted a guy (Dom) and he got him."

That's my best guess.

[rbaloha1]

Great move -- maybe TT learned from the Randy Moss debacle.

Huh??

LOL..I had the same reaction. That's a forehead slapper my man.

come on! you guys remember the Randy Moss debacle! :D

i think it's a good hire. maybe he can help convince tt to go get a high impact f-a.

Guys, TT thought RM was a Packer. The next day the Patriots out "foxed" TT and stole RM.

Signing Capers pronto prevents another team from stealing Capers.

[Fosco33]

He's got a kickass first name :P

[cpk1994]

He's got a kickass first name :PYep. Dom Dom Dom Dom, Dom bee do be Dom.

[pbmax]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?

Tex, if you read vince's post on Capers in another thread, an article about the then new DC of the Jaguars, Sam Mills (or Carnell Lake) has an interesting fact about his approach.

His first order of business, they said, is to stop the run. Not coverage, not blitz but stop the run on first and second down. This happens to jibe with Saban's and Belicheck's first order of business and one of the reasons they like the 3-4, is that it usually lends itself to stopping the run.

A site called Smart Football has their hands on Saban's playbook from LSU and he mentions this is his opening statements, his mission or vision of the defense. In addition he states that as part of stopping the run on 1st and 2nd down, they will usually play zone behind this. He doesn't explicitly state the reason for this, but the reason is likely to keep everyone's eyes on the LOS.

Then on passing downs, they will go to more man and find a way to pressure the QB. Smart Football maintains this is Belicheck's basic approach and that Saban had learned this during his time in Cleveland with Belicheck. Capers has now worked with both after himself been brought in to run 3-4 for Bill Cowher.

So my first guess is that you will see zone on 1st and 2nd down when they believe they will see a run, then man to man and blitzes on passing downs. Of course you have to tailor this to the opponent and their tendencies, but that is the best read on Saban/Belicheck I have found.

[rbaloha1]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?


On Saturday night, TT went to bed thinking RM was a Packer. Sunday morning TT discovered RM was a Patriot.

If Capers left GB without a deal more than likely a similar scenario occurs.

[PlantPage55]

True, but it would be MM in this case. TT isn't making the hire, after all. :D

[rbaloha1]

True, but it would be MM in this case. TT isn't making the hire, after all. :D

TT still must approve. Probably Mark Murphy as well but he most likely rubber stamps.

[pbmax]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?


On Saturday night, TT went to bed thinking RM was a Packer. Sunday morning TT discovered RM was a Patriot.

If Capers left GB without a deal more than likely a similar scenario occurs.
That would be the definition of outbid. Outfoxed would be if Thompson was willing to give up a third, thought he could get away with a fourth, and then lost the player. Given you have no evidence of this, I think outfoxed is the wrong description.

[Patler]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?


On Saturday night, TT went to bed thinking RM was a Packer. Sunday morning TT discovered RM was a Patriot.

If Capers left GB without a deal more than likely a similar scenario occurs.

If TT had made his "best offer" for Moss, went to bed thinking he had him, and woke up to find out he had been outbid, he was not "outfoxed" at all. He was simply outbid. Personally, I question whether or not Moss would have agreed to come to GB, in view of the uncertainty about the QB position at the time. Favre was a very short timer at best; Rodgers was very "iffy" at the time. McCarthy was certainly not established. After the mess in Oakland, do you really think Moss was interested in GB? I don't, especially with NE, Tom Brady and Bill B. being in the picture.

Besides, according to his agent and every other report I have seen, Capers did leave GB without a contract. According to further reports, he would sign a contract some time today. So I guess the Packers went to bed last night thinking they had Capers, without anything being certain, not unlike when they thought they had completed the negotiation for Moss..

[Patler]

If Capers changes his mind before actually signing the contract, and decides to go interview with the Giants instead, would the Packers be "outfoxed"? I don't think so.

[rbaloha1]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?


On Saturday night, TT went to bed thinking RM was a Packer. Sunday morning TT discovered RM was a Patriot.

If Capers left GB without a deal more than likely a similar scenario occurs.
That would be the definition of outbid. Outfoxed would be if Thompson was willing to give up a third, thought he could get away with a fourth, and then lost the player. Given you have no evidence of this, I think outfoxed is the wrong description.

You can view as outbid. TT lowballed and got burnt. Should have had a first right of refusal.

[pbmax]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?


On Saturday night, TT went to bed thinking RM was a Packer. Sunday morning TT discovered RM was a Patriot.

If Capers left GB without a deal more than likely a similar scenario occurs.
That would be the definition of outbid. Outfoxed would be if Thompson was willing to give up a third, thought he could get away with a fourth, and then lost the player. Given you have no evidence of this, I think outfoxed is the wrong description.

You can view as outbid. TT lowballed and got burnt. Should have had a first right of refusal.
You do not know that T2 lowballed, because you have no idea whether he was willing to give up a 3rd.

[rbaloha1]

If Capers changes his mind before actually signing the contract, and decides to go interview with the Giants instead, would the Packers be "outfoxed"? I don't think so.

No. Changing his mind is one thing.

The point is you want to make an offer BEFORE CAPERS INTERVIEWS WITH ANOTHER TEAM.

He left without a signed contract but maybe there an agreement in principal with minor details to be worked out.

Be it as it may, Packer managemet got it done and should be commended.

BRAVO!

[rbaloha1]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?


On Saturday night, TT went to bed thinking RM was a Packer. Sunday morning TT discovered RM was a Patriot.

If Capers left GB without a deal more than likely a similar scenario occurs.
That would be the definition of outbid. Outfoxed would be if Thompson was willing to give up a third, thought he could get away with a fourth, and then lost the player. Given you have no evidence of this, I think outfoxed is the wrong description.

You can view as outbid. TT lowballed and got burnt. Should have had a first right of refusal.
You do not know that T2 lowballed, because you have no idea whether he was willing to give up a 3rd.

TT's initial low balling allowed another team to steal Moss.

Obviously in the Capers situation the same thing did not occur.

[gbgary]

Capers? Cool. Now if we could just sign Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, Rod Woodson, Levon Kirkland and Hardy Nickerson.


didn't we actually have him at one point? :lol:

[Zool]

Why do we have to have this Randy Moss discussion every couple months.

Randy Moss said the day after the trade "the only team I would redo my contract for was the Patriots". What do you think that means? The Raiders used the Packers to get what they could out of the Patriots.

[Patler]

If Capers changes his mind before actually signing the contract, and decides to go interview with the Giants instead, would the Packers be "outfoxed"? I don't think so.

No. Changing his mind is one thing.

The point is you want to make an offer BEFORE CAPERS INTERVIEWS WITH ANOTHER TEAM.

He left without a signed contract but maybe there an agreement in principal with minor details to be worked out.

Be it as it may, Packer managemet got it done and should be commended.

BRAVO!

From what I heard, the Packers had an "agreement in principle" for Moss, with just the paperwork to be completed when the league office opened the next day. How was that any different from the situation with Capers? Apparently, Oakland/Moss changed their minds.

[cpk1994]

Capers? Cool. Now if we could just sign Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, Rod Woodson, Levon Kirkland and Hardy Nickerson.


didn't we actually have him at one point? :lol:Indeed. That was the cherry on the FA sundae for SHerman after his prized Joe Johnson aquisition. :lol:

[gbgary]

Capers? Cool. Now if we could just sign Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, Rod Woodson, Levon Kirkland and Hardy Nickerson.


didn't we actually have him at one point? :lol:Indeed. That was the cherry on the FA sundae for SHerman after his prized Joe Johnson aquisition. :lol:

http://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2/images/smilies/smiley23%5B1%5D.gif

[Patler]

Capers? Cool. Now if we could just sign Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, Rod Woodson, Levon Kirkland and Hardy Nickerson.


didn't we actually have him at one point? :lol:Indeed. That was the cherry on the FA sundae for SHerman after his prized Joe Johnson aquisition. :lol:

Sherman did land those former Pro Bowl players just a tad bit too late in their careers, didn't he?? :lol:

[Gunakor]

Well, assuming this one is true, all I can say is: it could have been worse, much worse. Given Thompson and McCarthy's background in the 3-4, it would seem likely we would go to that--little if any "hybrid", mostly a complete conversion.

I've come around to the point of view that 3-4 is OK. Overdoing the blitzing is far from an automatic thing, yet the option is there to bring it from a lot of different directions--I wouldn't even really consider sending one backer for a total of 4 going in to be blitzing, and the beauty of it is the offense never knows where the 4th man in will be coming from.

The 3-4 also does not automatically mean deviating from the highly successful man coverage of the Packers. Hopefully, they will stick with that. Does anybody know what New England ran last year--mostly man or mostly zone?

Assuming this rumor is true, I'm glad the mess is over. Hopefully, the Packers defense will approach the quality it had in 2007.

They will stick with man coverage in the secondary. They'd be foolish not to, considering they have 4 corners drafted/signed to play physical press/bump coverage on the WR's. Of them all, Woodson is the only one who seems like he'd be comfortable in zone. Harris would be useless if we switched primarily to zone coverage. Pat Lee would become a wasted round 2 pick, as he was drafted specifically for his skills in press coverage. Switching to a cover 2 or any variation of it would be extrememly counterproductive, and I'm sure MM knows that.

[bobblehead]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?


On Saturday night, TT went to bed thinking RM was a Packer. Sunday morning TT discovered RM was a Patriot.

If Capers left GB without a deal more than likely a similar scenario occurs.

so he held a gun to capers head and made him sign the contract....its so obvious guys.

[bobblehead]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?


On Saturday night, TT went to bed thinking RM was a Packer. Sunday morning TT discovered RM was a Patriot.

If Capers left GB without a deal more than likely a similar scenario occurs.
That would be the definition of outbid. Outfoxed would be if Thompson was willing to give up a third, thought he could get away with a fourth, and then lost the player. Given you have no evidence of this, I think outfoxed is the wrong description.

You can view as outbid. TT lowballed and got burnt. Should have had a first right of refusal.

Yes, other GM's often give a right of first refusal to make sure they don't get the most that they can for a player.

[LL2]

Seems like there is no coverage of the Packers hiring Capers at Fox Sports or ESPN...but they mention the Giants already hired a new DC.

[K-town]

Seems like there is no coverage of the Packers hiring Capers at Fox Sports or ESPN...but they mention the Giants already hired a new DC.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3843754

[Joemailman]

What exactly is your (rbaloha) definition of outfoxed?


On Saturday night, TT went to bed thinking RM was a Packer. Sunday morning TT discovered RM was a Patriot.

If Capers left GB without a deal more than likely a similar scenario occurs.

so he held a gun to capers head and made him sign the contract....its so obvious guys.

MM told Capers that either his brain or his signature would be on piece of paper.

[LL2]

Wow! Capers is going to get $2 mil from the Packers in 2010? I think it will be worth it if he takes the Packers defense to the top 10. Considering teams pay mega millions for top defensive talent what's $2 mil for a proven DC?

[Partial]

Rumor has it that they are going to go after the Dallas DC that got let agressively to be either one of the DL or one of the secondary coaches. MM seems very serious about putting together a very high quality staff. Would love to have another guy on here with success from the DC spot.

[mission]

Rumor has it that they are going to go after the Dallas DC that got let agressively to be either one of the DL or one of the secondary coaches. MM seems very serious about putting together a very high quality staff. Would love to have another guy on here with success from the DC spot.

That'd be dope... what's your rumor source?

[Partial]

Rumor has it that they are going to go after the Dallas DC that got let agressively to be either one of the DL or one of the secondary coaches. MM seems very serious about putting together a very high quality staff. Would love to have another guy on here with success from the DC spot.

That'd be dope... what's your rumor source?

Rob Demovsky of the GBPG said that this afternoon on WSSP this afternoon. He said that he has an interview with Capers soon.