Defensive Coordinator Candidates

[Team Ronny]

Sounds like Leonhard is the front runner & may have been offered the job.

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

Hopefully it's Evero or Leonhard. I'd prefer Evero at this point.

Joe Barry would be the "Packer-esque" hire....seeing as the Packers biggest obstacle is always themselves. If he doesn't make them a bonafide Top 10 D next year I'm on the "Fire Barry" train immediately.

 

[Dantés]

Hopefully it's Evero or Leonhard. I'd prefer Evero at this point.

Joe Barry would be the "Packer-esque" hire....seeing as the Packers biggest obstacle is always themselves. If he doesn't make them a bonafide Top 10 D next year I'm on the "Fire Barry" train immediately.

Nice. Rational and level headed.

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

I'm so happy we're on the same page.

 

[Dantés]

I just don't see what they see in Joe Barry, sure he may have been under some good coaches but that's not a guarantee of success. At least Leonhard and Evero have demonstrated with their respected units.

Barry is not my top choice, but he's generally done a good job with his position group.

Cory Littleton was a stud with the Rams and has completely fallen apart since leaving.

Alex Ogletree also played well under Barry.

I also recall him as the Chargers LB coach-- Donald Butler really did well under his coaching, though an achilles injury really sapped him.

It's also worth noting that Staley chose to take him along in his new HC gig.

 

[Fredrik87]

Hopefully it's Evero or Leonhard. I'd prefer Evero at this point.

Joe Barry would be the "Packer-esque" hire....seeing as the Packers biggest obstacle is always themselves. If he doesn't make them a bonafide Top 10 D next year I'm on the "Fire Barry" train immediately.

Well if this article is on point you may get your wish.

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/20...alists-for-packers-defensive-coordinator-job/

By the way I'm with you they are my two favorite candidates, and I also slightly am biased towards Evero.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Oh I'm not saying I expected a hire, but just some kind of progress in the search.

It seems there has been progress made but the final decision is still pending. I'm fine with them taking their time.

Good point... They probably want to sign whoever their guy is before anyone else swoops in though. Hard to keep that a secret until next week.

I don't think the Packers need to be worried about that as they're currently the only team in the league with an opening at defensive coordinator.

 

[Pugger]

Silverstein's guess is that Leonhard is their top choice, but that he will be the most difficult to hire.

Why would you say this? If Leonard wasn't interested why would he go up to GB for an interview?

 

[Dantés]

From what I can glean about Leonhard, he creates his edge as a DC by being a really clear, effective teacher of complex concepts. Most who comment on his abilities as a coach seem to highlight that, that he can make defensive assignments simple in the minds of his players without actually oversimplifying the system itself and thus rendering it vulnerable to offenses.

I'm also aware that he's a really zone heavy coach, or at least he has been in the Big 10. That wouldn't actually be much of a shift. While Pettine ran more man earlier in his career, the Packers have been a heavy zone coverage team in recent years.

I know his base defense at Wisconsin has technically been a 3-4, but he obviously lives in sub like anyone else. I am guessing he's been more of a nickel guy than Pettine? Pettine's preference to be in dime was basically unparalleled.

If you look at Badger draft picks on defense since he arrived, the linebacker position has been far more prevalent than anything else. That seems to be the position that he's developed the best, which is a little ironic as he is a DB's coach. A lot of the guys he's coached have been sort of hybrid off-ball/edge types.

-Joe Schoebert, 4th round pick
-T.J. Watt, 1st round pick
-Vince Biegel, 4th round pick
-Jack Cichy, 6th round pick
-Leon Jacobs, 7th round pick
-Ryan Connelly, 5th round pick
-Andrew Van Ginkel, 5th round pick
-Zack Baun, 3rd round pick

It's hard to know if this is his preference, or if circumstances dictated this, but his defenses have been fueled more by being unpredictable in their pressure packages than by lining up 4 guys and letting them rush every play.

Badger fans who know more, speak up.

 

[Pugger]

Snow is a four letter word.

 

[PackAttack12]

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[Favre>Rodgers259]

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[Dantés]

Why would you say this? If Leonard wasn't interested why would he go up to GB for an interview?

Because it's common in college and pro football for guys to interview for jobs that they end up declining for various reasons (compensation, location, autonomy, alternatives etc). Interested enough to interview does not necessarily mean interested enough to accept the job under any circumstances.

I'm not saying that he won't take it. I'm just saying that he will be harder to pry away from Wisconsin than Evero from the Safeties Coach position in LA.

EDIT: Lol. See above!

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

We're seriously about to screw this up. I swear it better not be Barry....

 

[Pugger]

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Oh, that's too bad. I wonder if Leonard is hoping to eventually be the next WI HC? Or could it be he is more comfortable teaching young players instead of dealing with professional players?

 

[GreenNGold_81]

Does this mean they offered it to Leonard and he didn't accept? Or that he knew he was shortlisted and didn't want to make the move?

 

[Dantés]

Does this mean they offered it to Leonard and he didn't accept? Or that he knew he was shortlisted and didn't want to make the move?

The rumor was that it was offered. Can't know for sure.

 

[Dantés]

We're seriously about to screw this up. I swear it better not be Barry....

I know man... last time they conducted a full search for a coach they totally blew it and came away with Matt LaFleur. He's lost 8 entire games! Classic Packers screw up. Totally condones assuming the hire is bad before the guy's coached a snap.

 

[PackAttack12]

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[Favre>Rodgers259]

My thing with Barry is that both times he's been a DC he was bad, terrible even. I get his teams weren't world beaters but it's your job as a coach to get the best out of the unit and make some guys better.

How much of his "success" was built on the backs of Phillips and Staley? We won't know until he's out on his own again. If the defense suddenly falls off a cliff, then we know exactly why he was successful in Los Angeles.

 

[Dantés]

My thing with Barry is that both times he's been a DC he was bad, terrible even. I get his teams weren't world beaters but it's your job as a coach to get the best out of the unit and make some guys better.

How much of his "success" was built on the backs of Phillips and Staley? We won't know until he's out on his own again. If the defense suddenly falls off a cliff, then we know exactly why he was successful in Los Angeles.

My thing with all candidates is to give them a chance to do their job before I decide they suck.

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

If anything, Evero sticks out to me now because of his time as an assistant on the 2011-14 49ers Coaching Staff:

DC - Vic Fangio
DL - Jim Tomsula
LB - Jim Leavitt
DB - Ed Donatell

That's A LOT of good people to learn from.

 

[hasamikun]

Sucks that Leonhard is out. I respect his decision but still kind of a weird choice to go nearly the full lenght of the process and then just not accepting the offer. Was my favourite candidate so that really sucks.

Now Evero has to be the front runner, right? Good thing he has good experience in the NFL and assisted under some really, really good defensive minds already. It stays interesting.

Edit: Only coached one position group tho and was "ignored" multiple times when Rams needed a Dc, most recently this offseason. Definitly a weird and worrysome thing

 

[Jerellh528]

Does evero have enough knowledge/leadership/experience to lead an entire nfl defense and take on play calling.

I’m slightly concerned that he was up for a pair of promotions yet passed up by Mcvay.

He’s basically just coached safeties for the Rams for 4 years and nothing else really notable aside from a couple stints as a defensive quality control coach as far as I can tell. When you’re looking for one of those strike while it’s hot coaching candidates, I think the ascension should be more apparent/ deliberate, but evero has technically been coaching in the nfl since 07 and has not had an impressive trajectory

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

My thing with all candidates is to give them a chance to do their job before I decide they suck.

And I respect your perspective, really I do. But some people should just be a "thanks but no thanks".

Last time Barry was a DC:

2007-2008 - Last in the NFL in points allowed and yards allowed. Also featured a winless season in 2008.

2015-2016 - 28th in yards allowed. 17th and 19th in points allowed respectively.


I'm sorry, but to me he sucks....at least as a Defensive Coordinator. He might be a talented LB Coach, but that's all he'll ever be.