What to know from Packers’ finalized coaching staff for 2021
The Green Bay Packers finalized their coaching staff for the 2021 season on Monday, announcing four promotions and four new hires.
Here’s what to know about the Packers’ staff:
– The Packers replaced Mike Pettine with Joe Barry at defensive coordinator, but the defensive coaching staff is largely intact. In fact, all the major positional assistants under the coordinator are back. Almost always, new coordinators handpick a brand new staff, or at least get a chance to add some of their own assistants. Not this time. The Packers retained defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti and outside linebackers coach Mike Smith, and defensive backs coach Jerry Gray – an internal candidate to replace Pettine – got a promotion to passing game coordinator.
– Did Matt LaFleur genuinely like the composition of his defensive assistants, or were the Packers interested in saving money? Retaining the defensive staff, even under a new coordinator, will save the franchise a few million bucks. The group is getting a new leader and playcaller, but the defense will have some continuity entering 2021.
– Keeping Smith could be important. Rashan Gary was really ascending to end his second season, and now he’ll get his position coach back for a third season. His development arrow should remain pointed up.
– Gray’s return is also a big deal. Jaire Alexander, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage all had career years working under Gray in 2020. The Packers need to get better behind Alexander at cornerback, but there was a lot to like about Gray’s work with the secondary in his first year in Green Bay.
– The Packers promoted from within to fill the special teams staff. Maurice Drayton, the top assistant the last three years, is the new coordinator. Rayna Stewart, the quality control assistant on special teams over the last two years, is the new top assistant. And Connor Lewis, an offensive quality control assistant last year, is now a special teams assistant. LaFleur could have done a full reset on the special teams after two disastrous years. Instead, he’s giving the two assistants under former coordinator Shawn Mennenga an opportunity to get the third phase turned around.
– Offensive line coach Adam Stenavich, who might be the fastest rising assistant on Matt LaFleur’s staff, added run game coordinator to his job title. It’s a solid promotion – with a likely raise – for a young coach who will be coveted around the NFL if he continues doing great work with the Packers offensive line.
– The Packers lost offensive quality control assistant Kevin Koger, defensive quality control assistant Christian Parker and senior analyst Barry Butch. To replace them, LaFleur hired offensive quality control assistants Ryan Mahaffey and Tim Zetts, defensive quality control assistant Wendell Hood and senior analyst John Dunn.
– Mahaffey, Zetts and Hood all come from the college ranks. They are entry-level coaches without NFL experience. Dunn spent the last two seasons coaching tight ends for the New York Jets.
– Lewis is officially LaFleur’s new game management specialist. He’s been a big part of the analytics side of in-game decision-making for LaFleur over the last two seasons. Now, he has the title to go along with it.
– The continuity on defense and special teams suggests LaFleur felt the biggest problems on his staff came in the leadership roles. He replaced Pettine but kept all his assistants. He replaced Mennenga by promoting both of his assistants. The Packers coaching staff is mostly unchanged from 2020. Barry is new, but the turnover overall is really low. Were Pettine and Mennenga the problem? We’ll get a chance to find out.
