The Green Bay Packers finalized their coaching staff for the 2021 season on Monday, announcing four promotions and four new signings.
Here’s what you should know about the Packers team:
– The Packers replaced Mike Pettine with Joe Barry as the defensive coordinator, but the defensive technical team is largely intact. In fact, all the main positional assistants under the coordinator are back. Almost always, new coordinators handpick an entirely new team or, at least, have the chance to add some of their own assistants. Not this time. The Packers hired defense coach Jerry Montgomery, lineback coach Kirk Olivadotti and external lineback coach Mike Smith, and defense coach Jerry Gray – an in-house candidate to replace Pettine – was promoted to pass coordinator.
– Matt LaFleur genuinely liked the composition of his defensive assistants or were the Packers interested in saving money? Keeping the defense team, even with a new coordinator, will save the franchise a few million dollars. The group is gaining a new leader and top scorer, but the defense will have some continuity starting in 2021.
– Keeping Smith can be important. Rashan Gary was really on the rise to end his second season, and now he will have his coaching role back for a third season. Your development arrow should remain pointing upwards.
– Gray’s return is also a big deal. Jaire Alexander, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage had years of career working with Gray in 2020. The Packers need to get better behind Alexander in the cornerback, but there was a lot to like about Gray’s work with his high school junior in Green Bay.
– Packers promoted from within to fill the staff of special teams. Maurice Drayton, the main assistant for the past three years, is the new coordinator. Rayna Stewart, the quality assurance assistant on special teams for the past two years, is the new principal assistant. And Connor Lewis, an offensive QA assistant last year, is now an assistant to special teams. LaFleur could have done a complete reset on the special teams after two disastrous years. Instead, he is giving the two assistants to former coordinator Shawn Mennenga the opportunity to reverse the third phase.
– Offensive line coach Adam Stenavich, who may be the fastest rising assistant on Matt LaFleur’s team, added the coordinator of running games to his position. It is a solid promotion – with a likely increase – for a young coach who will be coveted by the NFL if he continues to do a great job on 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 QA assistants Ryan Mahaffey and Tim Zetts, defensive QA assistant Wendell Hood and senior analyst John Dunn.
– Mahaffey, Zetts and Hood all come from college. They are beginning coaches with no experience in the NFL. Dunn has spent the last two seasons training tight end for the New York Jets.
– Lewis is officially LaFleur’s new game management specialist. He has been a big part of the analytical side of in-game decision making for LaFleur for the past two seasons. Now, he has the title that goes with it.
– The continuity in the defense and special teams suggests that LaFleur felt that the biggest problems in his team were in the leadership roles. He replaced Pettine, but kept all of his assistants. He replaced Mennenga by promoting his two assistants. The Packers technical team has hardly changed since 2020. Barry is new, but the overall turnover is very low. Were Pettine and Mennenga the problem? We will have a chance to find out.