Packers 2024 Off-Season Thread

[Joseph Zarr]

I understand it's an innate quality to immediately jump to heavy doubts and negativity when it concerns the Packers defense and LaFleur hiring, well, anybody😅. I personally see a coach with a ton of experience from Grad Assistant to D3 all the way up to secondaries in the NFL. He's coached HOF'ers. He specializes in secondaries. I have never been in the department of the Packers need a clean sweep of the defensive staff. I think this is a guy who is extremely hungry to simply coach players again and is glad to relinquish the pressures of the college football era. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt before I begin heavily questioning any aspect of this. It's just the path of least grief - I'll wait for the post-season for that type of reaction.

[homer]

I think the Packers are getting a guy with the same amount of NFL experience and success as a lot of the guys mentioned in this thread as potential replacements. 

[Joseph Zarr]

One thing seems clear with all the secondaries he's coached in the NFL: lottttta turnovers. Same can be said for his time at Pitt where they ranked 9th in passing defense nationally - he coached Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon (both Patriots draftpicks), and Revis. The Packers absolutely needed to improve the performance in the secondary. This seems like a possible step in the right direction. With Pettine, their secondary placed top 5 in Int's (4th I believe).

[Joseph Zarr]

Hafley ran a 4-3 at BC. So did Saleh at SF. He also heavily believes in press man. Thank the heavens. Please, YES. 

[nate82]

Jim didn’t even get an interview.

[Sixtolezcano]

10 minutes ago, nate82 said:

Jim didn’t even get an interview.

Leonhard hasn’t even been mentioned in the national media as a possible DC candidate.

 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I like it a lot. He's got a ton of experience but is still a young up and coming coach and we avoided getting some retread name like Doc Rivers. 

[Joseph Zarr]

 

[Joseph Zarr]

 

 

[young guns]

Alright, my interest is peaked.  My hope is up.  Seems like there's a lot to like about this guy, at least when it comes to the secondary.  This defense could match their hype and pedigree finally and that would make this team very dangerous.

[patrickgpe]

Don’t know anything about him. I’m glad that they didnt go fired dc, fired head coach or an internal promotion. That’s has been their mo since freaking 1992, Ray Rhodes from San Francisco and that’s only because of Mike Holmgren 

[Fear The Chorizo]

1 hour ago, Joseph Zarr said:

 

 

Encouraging, but need to remember that talented secondary also had pre knee injury chase young just wrecking games rushing the passer.  

Like the hire because Hafley seems to be a bit outside MLF's orbit compared to a bunch of the other names the Packers and Rams were interested in.

[Joseph Zarr]

7 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

Encouraging, but need to remember that talented secondary also had pre knee injury chase young just wrecking games rushing the passer.  

Like the hire because Hafley seems to be a bit outside MLF's orbit compared to a bunch of the other names the Packers and Rams were interested in.

Absolutely agreed. And, the thing I really like about him so far is: he worked his way up from DIII, he understands and admits he was the beneficiary of numerous lucky breaks in his career (granted, he had to take advantage of them), and he recognizes the absolute importance of talent. 
 

Now, I'm going to be interested to see how the remaining staff shakes out.  Do they all stay? Do some stay and some go? Who comes with him?

[BrewerFan]

1 hour ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

Encouraging, but need to remember that talented secondary also had pre knee injury chase young just wrecking games rushing the passer.  

Like the hire because Hafley seems to be a bit outside MLF's orbit compared to a bunch of the other names the Packers and Rams were interested in.

I don't know if this is a good hire or a bad hire. I look at these like I look at draft picks. There are the guys I liked...and then when it's almost never that guy, you just have to wait, be optimistic and hope. 

He likes playing a lot of press. He's been part of successful staffs and he played an aggressive scheme at Boston College. That's all you can go off of. 

1 hour ago, patrickgpe said:

Don’t know anything about him. I’m glad that they didnt go fired dc, fired head coach or an internal promotion. That’s has been their mo since freaking 1992, Ray Rhodes from San Francisco and that’s only because of Mike Holmgren 

I'd have been happy with a guy like Martindale. He reminds me a bit of a Dom Capers hire(or would have). 

I didn't realize how long Fritz Shurmur had spent as a DC(I always thought he'd spent a long time before getting an opportunity). I'd have been good with a guy like Zimmer, but with a lot of guys, it's hard to tell if they really elevated the players or if the players elevated the coaching. Hopefully, both will apply here. 

[BrewerFan]

3 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Hafley ran a 4-3 at BC. So did Saleh at SF. He also heavily believes in press man. Thank the heavens. Please, YES. 

Not just press man, but just press in general. 

If they switch to a 43..and I don't know that this means they will(and I still don't think it'll be a big adjustment personnel-wise) that could make Edgerrin Cooper particularly interesting. He's very similar to Quay, but I think he's got a little more pass-rushing ability...but man, what an athletic duo that could be? 

I'd  be 100% on board with bringing Okudah in as a reclamation project. His length and natural ability...while still being on the right side of 25 I believe. And Jordan Fuller...he's not going to be a Budda Baker, but he's exactly the type of guy we need. You bring him in, you have a lot less urgency at the safety position and you can bring along guys at their own pace. Particularly if they were to bring bac Savage or draft a guy like Hicks(WSU) in the 3rd-4th rd. 

 

Just the type of leader you need. Reminds me of Budda insofar as they're just leaders and the types of players you want on winning teams. So sign Okudah because of what he still CAN be and Fuller for what he already is...with the hope their old OSU coach can get more out of them. These are just sorta place holder signings also. Not like you sign either and you say, 'we're good at safety or CB,' after. But remember where Rasul was before we picked him up. I see zero reason why Okudah can't do that...and more given his skill-set. 

https://theathletic.com/5060348/2023/12/05/rams-jordan-fuller-safety-leader/

[patrickgpe]

13 hours ago, nate82 said:

Jim didn’t even get an interview.

normally if you are offered a job and turn it down, you don't get a 2nd chance at said job with said same boss. 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

14 hours ago, homer said:

I am starting to like Hafley, but I don't like this 

This has been challenged by multiple reporters more "in the know" than Thamel. Silverstein said that pretty much all of it is crap.

[homer]

31 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

This has been challenged by multiple reporters more "in the know" than Thamel. Silverstein said that pretty much all of it is crap.

Yep, I meant to post an update and forgot.

[nate82]

2 hours ago, patrickgpe said:

normally if you are offered a job and turn it down, you don't get a 2nd chance at said job with said same boss. 

I probably should have put that in blue. 

[BrewerFan]

19 hours ago, patrickgpe said:

normally if you are offered a job and turn it down, you don't get a 2nd chance at said job with said same boss. 

I don't think that's the case. I doubt they left in an acrimonious place. Leonhard's position was perfectly understandable...and he may just not be interested in coaching in the NFL. He's been mentioned for several high-profile College jobs. 

Plus, some guys leave and they come back to an organization...so I doubt the choice to not interview him(assuming they didn't, we don't know...we sure as hell didn't know THIS guy was going to be the DC choice as it was kept close to the vest) -had anything to do with turning down the job.

[GAME05]

Some inside information tells me Leonhard turned down the GB job because he saw it as something of a "Superbowl or you're out" kind of situation and wasn't looking for that. That seems an understandable thought to somebody who would have been new to coaching in the NFL. We're just kinda used to NFL opportunities being so rare that people don't turn them down when they come along.

[bjkrautk]

Has anyone actually confirmed whether the team is moving to a 4-3 under Hafley?  I actually think the transition would be fairly natural if Gary moves to DE, with Clark, Slayton & Wyatt making up the rest of the line.  McDuffie actually moved to MLB at BC under Halfey, so I assume Campbell will be a cap casualty.  The real questions are how Smith and Walker would fare as 4-3 OLBs.

[Joseph Zarr]

2 hours ago, bjkrautk said:

Has anyone actually confirmed whether the team is moving to a 4-3 under Hafley?  I actually think the transition would be fairly natural if Gary moves to DE, with Clark, Slayton & Wyatt making up the rest of the line.  McDuffie actually moved to MLB at BC under Halfey, so I assume Campbell will be a cap casualty.  The real questions are how Smith and Walker would fare as 4-3 OLBs.

Basically, what I'm hearing is it's a 4-2-5 Nickel League. There are benefits and negatives to every scheme - and no scheme is perfect. We'll likely see some single high, more press man, some 4-down linemen etc. BUT Hafley is versatile and he'll tailor it to personnel. I guess we'll see soon enough. I'm excited for his presser whenever that is.

[Joseph Zarr]

Now, THIS is fascinating:

 

[HarryDoyle]

3 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Now, THIS is fascinating:

 

Why shouldn't they do all this?