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Packers looking to add to WR group

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Brian Gutekunst

New Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Mike McCarthy met with reporters on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

It would appear that the Packers would like to have wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb back and it could come with some financial concessions.

“They still have value,” McCarthy said.  “There’s no question about it.  Their leadership, their instincts, their awareness as players, it increases as their years go on.  You’re always going to measure the physical part of it. That’s the science and chess match of this whole thing.  Jordy and Randall can still play.  But we need to improve.”

Nelson finished last season with 53 catches for 482 yards.  His six touchdown receptions came in the first five games with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.

Cobb had 66 receptions for 653 yards and four TDs in 15 games.

For Nelson, Gutekunst believes his six touchdowns in the first five games with Aaron Rodgers is a more accurate indication of what he can do for the Packers offense.

The Packers signed Davante Adams to a new contract and they’re hoping to add depth at the position, whether it’s through the draft or the use of free agency.

The Scouting Combine continues today.  Running backs and offensive linemen will work out for NFL scouts today.

 

 

Perry moving on from Green Bay

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Darren Perry – Photo courtesy of the Green Bay Packers & Packers.com

Veteran Green Bay Packers safeties coach Darren Perry had an offer to stay on in Green Bay but coach Mike McCarthy announced today that Perry will not return to the teams coaching staff.

Perry will leave to pursue other opportunities.  He’s believed to be a candidate on the Tennessee Titans coaching staff.

Perry coached the Packers safeties since 2009 when he joined the team.  He has coached defensive backs in the NFL for the past 16 years.

He has tutored the likes of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett, who have developed into the team’s top two safeties over the last few years.

Packers finalize coaching staff

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James Campen promoted to Offense – Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line

The Green Bay Packers finalized their coaching staff this week and it included some coaching promotions.

Joe Philbin returns to Green Bay as the teams new offensive coordinator.  Mike Pettine is the defensive coordinator.  James Campen was promoted to offense – run game coordinator/offensive line.  Jim Hostler is the offense – pass game coordinator.  Patrick Graham is the defense – run game coordinator/inside linebackers.  Joe Whitt Jr. is the defense – pass game coordinator.  Frank Cignetti Jr. is the quarterbacks coach.  Ryan Downard was hired as defensive quality control coach.  Maurice Drayton is the assistant special teams coach.  Scott McCurley returns as a defensive assistant.  Jerry Montgomery is the defensive line coach, taking over for Mike Trgovac who was let go.  David Raih is the wide receivers coach and Jason Simmons is the secondary coach.

The new additions will be made available to reporters later today.

Following is what Mike McCarthy’s coaching staff will look like for the upcoming 2018 season.

Offensive Coaching Staff

Joe Philbin  –  Offensive Coordinator
James Campen  –  Offense – Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line [Read more…]

Wolf is headed for Cleveland

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Eliot Wolf

When the Green Bay Packers hired Brian Gutekunst as their next general manager, they passed on Eliot Wolf.  Now Wolf is taking his expertise with him to Cleveland, joining John Dorsey and the Cleveland Browns.

Wolf was a 14-year veteran of the Packers scouting team.  He had an offer to remain with the Packers and could have joined Reggie McKenzie and Jon Gruden in Oakland as well.  But in the end, after meeting with the Browns on Tuesday, he decided that would be the best place for him.

Wolf served as the Packers director of football operations from 2016 to 2017.  He most likely would have been named as an assistant GM in Green Bay, working alongside Gutekunst.  But Wolf being passed over for the position that his father Ron Wolf once held, likely played a factor in his decision to move.

It’s not a matter of whether or not Wolf becomes a GM in the NFL some day.  It’s more a matter of when.  Wolf was qualified for the Packers opening and will continue to get other opportunities moving forward. [Read more…]

Packers set to hire new defensive coordinator

By

Mike McCarthy

The Green Bay Packers are reportedly set to hire Mike Pettine as their new defensive coordinator.

The 51-year old Pettine was a defensive coordinator with the New York Jets (2009-12) and Buffalo Bills (2013) before taking over as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns prior to the 2014 season.  Pettine went 7-9 in his first season with the Browns but was fired after going 3-13 in 2015.  He spent last season as a defensive consultant with the Seattle Seahawks.

Pettine’s New York Jets defenses ranked first, third, fifth and eighth.  His defense in Buffalo in 2013 ranked 10th.

Pettine runs a 3-4 scheme that involves press man coverage with a series of blitzes.

Mike McCarthy fired Dom Capers after the Packers finished 7-9 and ranked 22nd in total defense.  Capers didn’t have a top ten defense in Green Bay since the Packers’ Super Bowl season in 2010, when it ranked fifth.

Offensive Coordinator Edgar Bennett will not return to the team.  Joe Philbin, who previously spent nine years with the Packers, including five as offensive coordinator, returns.  Philbin left in 2012 for the head coaching job in Miami.

The search is on for a new GM in Green Bay

By

Mark Murphy

The Green Bay Packers made it official today, announcing Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson will transition to a role as senior advisor to football operations.

Packers team President/CEO Mark Murphy addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon regarding the move.

“I want to thank Ted for his tireless efforts as the general manager of the Green Bay Packers for these past 13 seasons.  Under his guidance, the Packers enjoyed a remarkable run of success, one that included our 13th world championship, four NFC Championship appearances and eight consecutive postseason berths,” said Murphy. “The organization, our fans and our community were fortunate to have had one of the NFL’s all-time great general managers leading our football operations.”

During the press conference, Murphy revealed that he will use a consultant, Jed Hughes from Korn Ferry, to help him, but stressed that “I will make the decision” on the GM hire.

Murphy said he’ll begin the interview process for GM “very quickly” and that the hire would be made “as soon as possible”. [Read more…]

Packers fire DC Dom Capers, others

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Dom Capers

The Green Bay Packers fired defensive coordinator Dom Capers after nine seasons.  The move was made after Sunday’s 35-11 loss at Detroit on Sunday.

The decision came after a 7-9 season as the Packers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Head coach Mike McCarthy isn’t stopping with Capers either.  ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky reported this afternoon that McCarthy has also dismissed defensive line coach Mike Trgovac and inside linebackers coach Scott McGurley and their could be more.

The Packers’ defense finished 22nd this season, the fourth time it has finished in the bottom third of the NFL over the past seven years.  The only time Dom Capers finished with a top 10 defense was the Super Bowl season of 2010.  The Packers defense finished 5th that season.

The 67-year-old Capers broke into the NFL as the defensive backs coach of the New Orleans Saints in 1986 and earned his first coordinators job with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992.  He served as head coach of the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans and was named the AP NFL Coach of the Year in 1996 with Carolina.

Packers end season in disappointment

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Mike McCarthy

As it turned out, when Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone injury in week six against the Vikings, the Green Bay Packers season was over.

The Packers capped off their season with a 35-11 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field,  Rodgers backup, Brett Hundley went 3-6 in games that he started in place of Rodgers, 3-7 if you count the game that he played in after Rodgers was injured.

The Packers finished the year 7-9, their first losing season since 2008.  They were swept in their season-series with Detroit for the first time since 1991.

Brett Hundley threw just one touchdown pass over the last two games, once the Packers were officially out of the playoffs.

The Packers looked like a demoralized bunch on Sunday.  In fact, there were signs that was the case even prior to Sunday as Brett Hundley continued to struggle, week after week.

When Mike McCarthy was asked after Sunday’s game if he sensed his players were demoralized, the coach snapped back. [Read more…]

Rodgers season comes to an end

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Brett Hundley

Aaron Rodgers returned to the Green Bay lineup for just one game, a 31-24 loss against the Carolina Panthers.  Just two days later, the Packers placed Rodgers on season-ending injured reserve.  Brett Hundley will return to the starting lineup for the final two games of the season, including Saturday nights home game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers was sore after taking a number of hits in Sunday’s game and felt it was the best decision.

“He’s not happy about it,” McCarthy said.  “It’s a hard day for him.  This is not the way, I don’t think, any player wants to see their season come to a conclusion, being on IR.  We all understand and appreciate and respect his competitive spirit, but we felt as an organization this was in his best interest.

Several times during McCarthy’s press conference on Tuesday, he said, “We felt this was clearly in Aaron Rodgers’ best interest.” [Read more…]

Packers eliminated from playoff contention

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With Sunday’s 31-24 loss at Carolina, the Green Bay Packers season was hanging by a thread.  That thread broke on Monday night when the Atlanta Falcons knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-21 to officially eliminate the Packers from playoff consideration.

The Packers were eliminated with two games left on their schedule, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

The Packers will now close out the season with a home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night, following by a road game at Detroit against the Lions the following week.

Minnesota has already wrapped up the NFC North division but the Vikings still have things to play for, like home field throughout the playoffs, or at the very least a home playoff game.  The Packers could have a chance to play spoiler against the Lions, who at this time, are still in playoff contention.

So the Packers are now playing for pride, but there’s no guarantee they’ll have quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the controls.  Mike McCarthy was non-committal on Monday when asked if Rodgers would play the rest of the way if the Packers were eliminated from playoff consideration.

It’s also possible the Packers could be without their top receiver.  Davante Adams is in the teams concussion protocol after being knocked out of the Carolina game with a illegal helmet-to-helmet hit from Carolina’s Thomas Davis.  Davis was suspended two games for that hit on Monday.