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Packers announce coaching-staff changes

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Ben Sirmans

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.  The announcement was made on Thursday by head coach Matt LaFleur.

Montgomery is entering his fifth season with the Packers and second as defensive line coach.  He joined the Packers in 2015 after coaching at the collegiate level for 11 seasons.

Sirmans is entering his fourth season as the running backs coach of the Packers.  From 2016-18, Green Bay led the NFL with an average of 4.66 yards per carry, including an average of 5.01 yards per carry in 2018 (No. 2 in the NFL) that was the second-best single-season mark in team history.  He joined the Packers after spending the previous four seasons (2012-15) as the running backs coach for the St. Louis Rams. [Read more…]

Packers land 30th pick from Saints in 2019 Draft

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T.J. Watt, taken with the 30th pick in 2017 by the Steelers (Photo by David Stluka).

The Green Bay Packers traded the 14th overall pick in the 2018 draft to New Orleans for the No. 27 pick and the Saints’ first round pick in 2019.

Following the Saints 26-23 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, the Packers know they’ll have the 30th pick in the first round of the 2019 draft.  The Packers will also have their own first round pick, number-12 overall.

There’s been some good players that have been selected with the 30th pick.  Following are the last five years of picks at number-30:

2018:  Mike Hughes, CB, Minnesota
2017:  T.J. Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh
2016:  Vernon Butler, DT, Carolina
2015:  Damarious Randall, S/CB, Green Bay
2014:  Jimmie Ward, S, San Francisco

Packers officially announce Hackett as Offensive Coordinator

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The Green Bay Packers have named Nathaniel Hackett as the teams new offensive coordinator.

Hackett comes to the Packers after spending the majority of the last four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars as quarterbacks coach (2015-16) and then offensive coordinator.

In 2017, Hackett guided an offense that finished in the top 10 in the NFL in points per game (No. 5, 26.1), yards per game (No. 6, 365.9), rushing yards per game (No. 1, 141.4), rushing yards per carry (No. 9, 4.29), red-zone TD percentage (No. 2, 64.0%), goal-to-go TD percentage (No. 1, 85.7%), sacks allowed (T-No. 3, franchise-low 24), sacks per pass attempt (No. 6, 4.55%) and average time of possession (No. 5, 31:47).  It was the first time in franchise history that the Jaguars led the league in rushing.

Jacksonville averaged 25.0 points during the 2017 postseason, helping the Jaguars reach the AFC Championship Game.

Prior to Jacksonville, Hackett was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills from 2013-14.  He joined the Bills after three years at Syracuse.

LaFleur picks Packers new Offensive Coordinator

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After confirming that the Green Bay Packers would retain Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator, new head coach Matt LaFleur has his new offensive coordinator in the fold.

According to multiple reports, former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett will be hired by the Packers.

Nathaniel Hackett is the son of former offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, who learned the West Coast offense from former 49ers Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh.

Nathaniel Hackett has been an offensive coordinator for seven seasons with Syracuse, the Buffalo Bills and the Jaguars.  He coached under head coach Doug Marrone in each of those stops.

The Jaguars fired Hackett after a 24-21 loss to Buffalo in November.  That loss dropped the Jaguars to 3-8. [Read more…]

Campen leaves Green Bay for Cleveland

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James Campen

Green Bay offensive line coach James Campen has left the Packers to take the position of associate head coach/offensive line coach with the Cleveland Browns.

Campen joined the Packers as a player in 1989.  He joined the Packers coaching staff under Mike Sherman in 2004 as assistant offensive line coach/quality control.

When Mike McCarthy was hired in 2006, Campen moved to offensive line coach and held that position until last year.  Going into 2018, Campen continued coaching the offensive line but was promoted to run-game coordinator for the offense.  He spent 15 years as an assistant coach and five as a player with the Packers.

Campen was under contract with the Packers for the upcoming season, which means he needed to get permission to take the Browns job.

The Browns also hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken to fill the same role in Cleveland.  Monken has interviewed with Matt LaFleur for the same position with the Packers last weekend.

 

McCarthy says he’ll sit out 2019

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Mike McCarthy

Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy interviewed for the New York Jets head coaching position recently and it was the only job opening that he pursued.  However the Jets are reported to be interested in former Miami head coach Adam Gase and told McCarthy he wasn’t going to be their top choice.  That left McCarthy with the decision to not coach in 2019.

McCarthy told ESPN on Wednesday that he plans to coach in the NFL again, but it won’t be next season.

McCarthy received a call from the Jets while sitting down to dinner with his family on Wednesday.  When he informed them of the news he had received, they all started cheering.

McCarthy has five children, four of them still school-aged, so they were naturally glad knowing dad was going to be hanging around the home front more this year.

McCarthy also has the luxury of getting paid to not coach as well.  He had one year left on his contract with the Packers and they’ll be on the hook for the more than $8 million salary.

In 12-plus seasons with the Packers, McCarthy went 135-85-2, including a Super Bowl victory.  McCarthy’s reign ended when he was fired with four games left in the 2018 season.

LaFleur needs to get Rodgers back to his elite self

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New Packers head coach Matt LaFleur

Green Bay Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy said several weeks ago that the teams search for a new head coach wouldn’t center around quarterback Aaron Rodgers approval, but they would welcome the quarterback’s input.

But who was Murphy kidding.  The number one job for new 39-year-old head coach Matt LaFleur is to get the Packers back into the playoffs with a chance to win championships.  To do that, LaFleur needs to figure out how to get Rodgers to return to the elite form that he possessed not to long ago.

Murphy and his management team know that as well.  Even before he offered the job to LaFleur on Monday, general manager Brian Gutekunst was told to call LaFleur to have a discussion.  That phone call was the start of the relationship building process between the two and it will need to grow leaps and bounds in the coming months as the Packers push towards the 2019 season.

At his introductory press conference on Wednesday, LaFleur acknowledged that it’ll be important to build a relationship with every player on the team.  But he also knows it starts with Rodgers. [Read more…]

Packers go with offensive mind, pass on experience with new coach

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Mike Pettine expected to stick around as the Packers defensive coordinator.

The Green Bay Packers have found their new head coach, hiring Tennessee Titans 39-year-old offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur as the teams 15th head coach.  The hiring was first announced by ESPN on Monday.

They passed on coaches with previous head coaching experience, instead going with a coach that they believe will get the most out of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  He’s already worked with a number of top quarterbacks, including Matt Ryan, Jared Goff and Marcus Mariota.

LaFleur also spent time working in the Rams offense with Sean McVay and with San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan.  LaFleur will bring that same offensive scheme to the Packers, which should excite Rodgers.

The decision to bring LaFleur to Green Bay will also reportedly keep Mike Pettine and his defensive coaching staff around for at least another season.  Pettine just finished his first season as the Packers defensive coordinator.  Under Pettine, the Packers [Read more…]

Thomas, Buckey part of 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class

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Joe Thomas (Photo by David Stluka)

The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame released its 2019 Class on Monday.

The Class is made up of 13 players and two coaches, including a pair of players tied to the Big Ten and one to the Green Bay Packers.

Former Wisconsin two-time All-American tackle Joe Thomas is considered the best offensive lineman to ever play at Wisconsin.  Thomas won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman as a senior and was selected with the third overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Thomas was named to the Pro Bowl in 10 of his 11 seasons in the NFL.  He didn’t miss a single snap until his final season (2017) when he suffered a torn left triceps in Week seven against Tennessee and had season ending surgery.  It ended a string of 10,363 consecutive plays, which is an NFL record. [Read more…]

Butler falls short of Hall of Fame cut

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LeRoy Butler

Former Green Bay Packers safety LeRoy Butler missed the cut to 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019.

Butler was among 25 semifinalists for the second straight year but didn’t make the cut to 15 finalists.  Three former NFL safeties did make the cut, Ed Reed, John Lynch and Steve Atwater.

Butler finished his career with 38 interceptions and 20.5 sacks in 12 NFL seasons.

Also making the cut to 15 were Tony Gonzalez, Champ Bailey, Isaac Bruce, Tony Boselli, Alan Faneca, Don Coryell, Tom Flores, Steve Hutchinson, Edgerrin James, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae and Richard Seymour.

Also being considered for induction are senior committee nominee Johnny Robinson as well as contributors finalists Gil Brandt who is the former personnel director for the Dallas Cowboys and Bronco’s owner Pat Bowlen.

As many as eight new members can be elected with the winners to be announced Super Bowl weekend.  Induction takes place Aug. 3 in Canton, Ohio.