Packers hiring LaFleur.

[Teamcheez1]

SERIOUS F'CK UP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who holds accountabioity……………….Jerry Jones.....aka MARCIA MARCIA MARCIA

Rizzi is such a hot prospect that no teams have scooped him up yet. No story here.

[Bretsky]

Rizzi is such a hot prospect that no teams have scooped him up yet. No story here.

Completely Disagree

He's have a job if he wanted one\

Hands down the top qualified ST coach and most are reporting he could choose his job
GB Marcia'd out on the initial Offer and let him leave and then pretty much admitted their wrong but it was too late.

Whoever they hire won't be nearly as qualified.

[pbmax]

I am with Bretsky on this one. Kinda steamed about this one. Maybe there were good reasons to hesitate; maybe the new HC wanted to avoid the trap of hiring your first interview. I understand that. Maybe the guy is unquestionably the most qualified but he's also a Grade A schmuck.

But the entire concept of ST inside the Packer org needs a look. They sometimes piece together good and great defenses. But they do not piece together good and great ST.

Someone like Rizzi could help that evaluation. They also need to rethink this in personnel.

It's no guarantee he was the right guy, but I want to see the explanation for it. Not that I actually expect one.

That said Mennenga seems qualified and I like that kind of hire here rather than an Assistant ST coach promotion.

[pbmax]

Nice breakdown of Davante Adams thoughts on LaFleur's offense. Packers Wire at USAToday's website is very good at small stories developed from stray player conversations. Joe highlighted Bach's ESPN interview about the player's attitude in the McCarthy thread. Pretty good stuff.

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/28/packers-wr-davante-adams-is-digging-matt-lafleurs-plan-on-offense/?utm_source=packerswire&utm_medium=recirc&utm_campaign=rail-most-popular

Adams also said different route combinations, including more crossing patterns, will be a staple of the new Packers offense. The Rams make a killing off crossing routes, especially when they’re paired with playaction fakes – which helps open up passing lanes in the middle of the field.

Adams is also excited about LaFleur’s plan to get him the ball in new ways, even after he just finished a Pro Bowl season with 111 catches, 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns, all career highs.

“And moving me around, to get me different ways to get touches too is going to be big — moving me inside, outside, just different opportunities, putting me in spots where I can really maximize my potential,” Adams explained.

[Joemailman]

Nice breakdown of Davante Adams thoughts on LaFleur's offense. Packers Wire at USAToday's website is very good at small stories developed from stray player conversations. Joe highlighted Bach's ESPN interview about the player's attitude in the McCarthy thread. Pretty good stuff.

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/201...l-most-popular

Adams also said different route combinations, including more crossing patterns, will be a staple of the new Packers offense. The Rams make a killing off crossing routes, especially when they’re paired with playaction fakes – which helps open up passing lanes in the middle of the field.

Adams is also excited about LaFleur’s plan to get him the ball in new ways, even after he just finished a Pro Bowl season with 111 catches, 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns, all career highs.

“And moving me around, to get me different ways to get touches too is going to be big — moving me inside, outside, just different opportunities, putting me in spots where I can really maximize my potential,” Adams explained.

What Adams is saying sounds to me a lot like what Rodgers was saying should have been happening in the Buffalo game:

“We need to find ways to get our playmakers in position to get some more opportunities. Davante [Adams] is a tough cover for anybody. But he should’ve had 20 targets today. They couldn’t stop him. And they dared to play one-high a few times. So we’ve got to find ways to get him involved and Jimmy [Graham] as well.”

[pbmax]

What Adams is saying sounds to me a lot like what Rodgers was saying should have been happening in the Buffalo game:

I don't mind increased targets for Adams, but that should come in the design of the offense so you can both set him up AND then take advantage of the defenses reaction to him. So I like constructing him open better than simply trying to find him a one on one matchup, which at times was the best Rodgers could do for him.

[pbmax]

Official announcements about things you already knew:

The Green Bay Packers have retained defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery and running backs coach Ben Sirmans and promoted Jason Simmons to defensive backs coach and Ryan Downard to assistant defensive backs coach. Head Coach Matt LaFleur made the announcement Thursday.

https://www.packers.com/news/packers-announce-coaching-staff-changes

[Joemailman]

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/201...s-coordinator/

One of the last major positions on Matt LaFleur’s first coaching staff with the Green Bay Packers has been filled.

LaFleur went back to college to find his sought-after answer at special teams coordinator.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers are hiring Vanderbilt special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga to replace Ron Zook, the team’s special teams coordinator from 2015-18.

Rob Demovsky
✔
The Packers have hired Vanderbilt's Shawn Mennenga as special teams coach, a source said. It's a big hire for new Packers coach Matt LaFleur because the Packers ranked last in the NFL in special teams, according to Rick Gosselin's annual rankings. More on the hire to come on ESPN

Mennenga, an Iowa native, was the assistant special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns from 2011-17. He spent last season coordinating the special teams at Vanderbilt.

His time in Cleveland brought Mennenga in contact with current Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, a long-time friend and mentor of LaFleur.

With the Browns, Mennenga worked directly under Chris Tabor, the current special teams coordinator of the Chicago Bears. Tabor was an assistant under Dave Toub, who is widely considered one of the best special teams coordinators in the NFL. That coaching connection was likely a draw for LaFleur as he attempted to find a coach capable of rebuilding what ranked as the NFL’s worst special teams group last season.

Under Zook’s coordination, the Packers finished 32nd in Rick Gosselin’s special teams rankings in 2018.

It’s unclear who will assist Mennenga on special teams. Maurice Drayton, who worked under Zook last season, interviewed for the coordinator job.

Not official, but looks like a done deal. I'm gonna cut him some slack and not start the Official Fire Shawn Mennenga Thread. He looks a little like Pettine, so he could be good.

[Patler]

As for Rizzi, if the Packers met his number while he was still available, yet he pulled himself out from consideration, I doubt he would have been all that satisfied long term anyway. I suspect it really came down to him making a strategic decision to hold out for a different step career-wise. Not a knock against Rizzi, but I prefer the Packers to have 3-4 years of stability with their new staff. A young, inexperienced, first time head coach doesn't need the distractions and uncertainties that come with overly ambitious staff members.

Just maybe the delay was because the Packers were uncertain of the "fit" for reasons something like that. Again, that is not a knock against Rizzi, just recognition that maybe GB is not the best situation for either of them right now.

[Bretsky]

I am with Bretsky on this one. Kinda steamed about this one. Maybe there were good reasons to hesitate; maybe the new HC wanted to avoid the trap of hiring your first interview. I understand that. Maybe the guy is unquestionably the most qualified but he's also a Grade A schmuck.

But the entire concept of ST inside the Packer org needs a look. They sometimes piece together good and great defenses. But they do not piece together good and great ST.

Someone like Rizzi could help that evaluation. They also need to rethink this in personnel.

It's no guarantee he was the right guy, but I want to see the explanation for it. Not that I actually expect one.

That said Mennenga seems qualified and I like that kind of hire here rather than an Assistant ST coach promotion.

We seemed to have the opportunity to hire the Home Run but instead didn't take a swing and after a few days we decided to. If him and Matty hit it off it's really inexcusable to let an overqualified guy go at a spot we've sucked forever. VERY disappointing, and indications are it came down to up being tight asses.

THe Packer Beat writers were all over this and in an ugly manner.

They went as far as indicating we were interviewing retreads for the job, and I think when they created that article it was when GB was set to interview the guy they hired.

[pbmax]

I think its fair that they address what they were looking for and whether they were disappointed in not getting him after the contract offer. I doubt they will answer the question, but it should be asked.

[pbmax]

Nice story mostly about M4's family: https://www.packersnews.com/story/sp...rs/2714245002/

[Joemailman]

Nice story mostly about M4's family: https://www.packersnews.com/story/sp...rs/2714245002/

These stories are what make me optimistic about LaFleur. He's not some lightweight who got this job because of Sean McVay's coattails. He comes from a family that lives and breathes football. He is no shrinking violet who will be dominated by Aaron Rodgers. I think he has a vision for the kind of team he wants and will implement it.

[call_me_ishmael]

But let's be honest, if we wasn't first Kyle Shanahan's QB coach and then McVay's OC he wouldn't have gotten the job. He's riding their coat tails. But, he is the right hand man of very successful people for a reason, so he's probably a pretty smart guy. My concerns are the assistants. It seems like a second rate staff, but I do accept that could just be due to age.

[gbgary]

col. kurtz