Packer 2021 Team Discussion (Rodgers Out Vs. Chiefs)

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Jaire's next step would be making more plays on the ball. It's hard when they don't throw at you.

[CheezWizHed]

So any thoughts about Jerry Gray or Kris Richard?

 

Gray was kind of "meh" as a former DC, but after spending time under Zimmer, he was very highly regarded as a DB coach. I at least hope he sticks around as a DB coach.

 

Kris Richard might be the last gift MM gives us? Fired as Cowboys DC when they cleaned house for MM. I don't recall how he was doing in Dallas - thought he whole team kind of stunk, nor how Seattle let him go. But Seattle's D was always aggressive.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

So any thoughts about Jerry Gray or Kris Richard?

 

Gray was kind of "meh" as a former DC, but after spending time under Zimmer, he was very highly regarded as a DB coach. I at least hope he sticks around as a DB coach.

 

Kris Richard might be the last gift MM gives us? Fired as Cowboys DC when they cleaned house for MM. I don't recall how he was doing in Dallas - thought he whole team kind of stunk, nor how Seattle let him go. But Seattle's D was always aggressive.

 

Saints hired Richard as their new secondary coach yesterday, so it likely isn't going to be him.

[Underachiever]

I have a feeling that Leonhard gets to bypass the MAC-level HC job. His ten years in the NFL, praise from his NFL head coaches, and quick rise at UW bode well for him. We will probably be saying, "we knew him when" in a few years.

[HiAndTight]

Jaire's next step would be making more plays on the ball. It's hard when they don't throw at you.

 

 

Yeah, I thought about adding that, but he just played so great this year, I'd be a little worried more picks could mean more chances and more completions given up. But you're right.

 

IF he can get 5-7 picks and cover like he did last year and tackle as he did, he's gonna be the top CB in the NFL for a few years.

 

 

Arguably Gutenkunst's best move thus far. Trading back to 27 and picking up a first the following year. Then trading the 27th, a 3rd and a 6th for 18 and a 7th rounder. Then the following year using that first-round pick they had and moving up to get Savage at 21 by trading two 4ths.

 

So they basically traded the 14th overall pick, a 3rd, a 6th, and then the 2 4ths, for the 18th pick(Alexander), the 21st pick the following year(Savage), and a 7th round pick.

[Mr Southpaw]

Jim likes Madison and UW a whole heck of a lot. The Packers may be Wisconsin's team, but i think his heart is with UW foootball.

 

Do we really know that as a fact? Weren't there substantiated rumors that he was a legit candidate to be DC at Florida State or something like that a couple of years ago?

 

Right from the horses mouth.....

 

“I had conversations with a lot of people,” Leonhard said in 2018. “The biggest thing is, this is where I want to be. I’m home. This place means a lot to me and trying to take this program to the highest level, whatever that may be, means a lot to me. That is what it came down to.”

 

“This was kind of the dream job to come back and coach,” he told reporters in December. “Also, being on a lot of different teams, you just realize the culture is different every single place.

 

“There is a comfort level here, understanding what this place is about and how I'm allowed to coach and act and recruit, kind of the whole big picture of what college football is.

 

“(I) understand what Wisconsin is and a big part of me coaching is wanting to come back here and make this place better. I had a great experience as a player and want to give that back to the next generation.”

 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2021/02/02/wisconsin-defensive-coordinator-jim-leonhard-interview-packers/4354136001/

[HiAndTight]

So any thoughts about Jerry Gray or Kris Richard?

 

Gray was kind of "meh" as a former DC, but after spending time under Zimmer, he was very highly regarded as a DB coach. I at least hope he sticks around as a DB coach.

 

Kris Richard might be the last gift MM gives us? Fired as Cowboys DC when they cleaned house for MM. I don't recall how he was doing in Dallas - thought he whole team kind of stunk, nor how Seattle let him go. But Seattle's D was always aggressive.

 

 

I don't know, it's really hard for me to have an opinion on most of these guys beyond what you read about in their Bio. And even then. Richard was the secondary coach as Sherman, Maxwell, Thomas, Browner, and Kam were all coming up. The Legion of Boom. Cool. So how much credit does HE get for that and how much does the HC who also coaches safety and was a former DB himself get?

 

Then he take over and the Seahawks are once again the top-ranked D, their 4th year in a row, then 3rd and then they fall of, he's fired. So how much blame does he get? You lose Sherman, Kam, and Maxwell get hurt. You develop a young stud in Shaq Griffin, but I can't get a read from that.

 

 

If a guy has coached for a long time you can get an idea of what he does and if you've played against him(like Zimmer).

 

Just on the surface, both Seattle and NOLA run 4-3, they play more zone than they do man(though the Saints played more since they picked up Jenkins from the Giants). So that just doesn't feel like the right fight. I like the 34 more than the 4-3 at this point, but that's probably about 20 pct of the snaps each game that you're in the base.

 

As for Jerry Grey, seems like a players coach. Pretty well-liked, he's done a good job with the young guys we have in the secondary. He comes from a 4-3, but obviously understands the 3-4 as well. Former Pro-Bowler, so it's probably a bit easier to earn the respect of the guys.

 

 

But again, that's all mostly from their bio's. I've seen Leonhard, I like how he calls his defenses, how he pressures, how he'll overload in order to get pressure. I know him and I like him. He might be the 3rd best among the three, so I'll trust whoever they hire(I never would have picked Matt LaFleur out, the Titans OC when they were 30th in the league).

 

So I'm really hoping for the Packers to be the one who steals the Badgers' most promising young coach. And then hopefully he can help them draft a CB in the 1st or 2nd round who can start across from Alexander.

[HiAndTight]

Jim likes Madison and UW a whole heck of a lot. The Packers may be Wisconsin's team, but i think his heart is with UW foootball.

 

Do we really know that as a fact? Weren't there substantiated rumors that he was a legit candidate to be DC at Florida State or something like that a couple of years ago?

 

Right from the horses mouth.....

 

“I had conversations with a lot of people,” Leonhard said in 2018. “The biggest thing is, this is where I want to be. I’m home. This place means a lot to me and trying to take this program to the highest level, whatever that may be, means a lot to me. That is what it came down to.”

 

“This was kind of the dream job to come back and coach,” he told reporters in December. “Also, being on a lot of different teams, you just realize the culture is different every single place.

 

“There is a comfort level here, understanding what this place is about and how I'm allowed to coach and act and recruit, kind of the whole big picture of what college football is.

 

“(I) understand what Wisconsin is and a big part of me coaching is wanting to come back here and make this place better. I had a great experience as a player and want to give that back to the next generation.”

 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2021/02/02/wisconsin-defensive-coordinator-jim-leonhard-interview-packers/4354136001/

 

 

Given the size of the schools who have asked him for interviews, he'd most likely be gone if he weren't a former Badger himself. It's obvious he loves UW.

 

But he's also ambitious and I doubt he'd be interviewing with the Packers if he weren't really serious about taking the job. In fact...I'd be kinda shocked if he was offered it and passed. As I said, it's one thing to leave UW to move to an entirely different part of the country. It's another to move up to the NFL level and stay in your home state.

 

 

Plus...the guy went to "Flambeau" High School. Cheesy sports writers are going to go nuts with those headlines. "From Flambeau to LAMBEAU!"

 

That's about as creative as I expect. That and he'll tell stories about being a LeRoy Butler, Reggie, Favre fan growing up(although I know a lot of people in that area are Vikings fans).

[CheezWizHed]

Having grown up north and west of Ladysmith (Solon Springs), there are some Viking fans up there, but it is pretty small. The Cubs have far more of a foothold in southern WI than the Vikings do in North and West WI.

[JosephC]

After listening to a Silverstein podcast at jsonline, one would have to think that the favorites for the job are Ejiro Evero (Rams safety coach) or Joe Barry (Rams linebacker coach). Jerry Gray also in the mix. I've always had the impression that the NFL coaching ranks are largely built on a buddy-buddy system, where coaches seem to love to hire guys they've worked with in the past. That gives Evero and Barry a possible advantage because LaFleur has worked on the same staff as those guys (not an advantage over Gray, but over Leonhard and a bunch of candidates not mentioned). The Rams run Vic Fangio's defense. Silverstein points out that Leonhard played under Pettine and uses a lot of that in his defense, so it's pretty likely the Packers would just keep doing the same thing on defense if Leonhard was hired.

 

I think I prefer Evero. Seems like a bright guy who has been doing this a long time and has an impressive resume. The fact that he's already spent some time in Green Bay doesn't hurt his chances.

 

https://www.therams.com/team/coaches-roster/ejiro-evero

[HiAndTight]

Having grown up north and west of Ladysmith (Solon Springs), there are some Viking fans up there, but it is pretty small. The Cubs have far more of a foothold in southern WI than the Vikings do in North and West WI.

 

 

I just remember going up and visiting my Grandparents who retired up in the middle of nowhere in Ashland County. So maybe not that close to Ladysmith, but when you drive 6 hours to get there, it feels kinda close. And the only station we'd get at night would be Duluth. That and all my Cousins who grew up there were Vikings fans. I guess I just accepted that explanation. It was because that was the only coverage they could get.

 

Of course, when I say a lot, I certainly didn't mean it was anything like the number of Cubs fans in Southern Wisconsin.

[GAME05]

I think if you're given the choice, you go NFL d-coordinator over college head coach. Not saying that some guys don't jump from college to the pros but it never seems like a great transition.

 

 

A few years ago I'd have definitely agreed that a B+ NFL guy would be preferred to an A+ college coach at the NFL level. But I don't know anymore; there does seem to be a bigger push not specifically for relative youth, but for someone with very new ideas, which often show up as surprising hires. Capers was a same-thing-different-name coach. So was Pettine. How happy are fans in Dallas where McCarthy still uses Bill Walsh's playbook?

 

Granted, a team that's 13-3 and should be playing next weekend probably isn't going to take big risks with coaching hires. You bring in the guy who won't hit the HR, but you're more sure they'll at least advance the runner.

[HiAndTight]

After listening to a Silverstein podcast at jsonline, one would have to think that the favorites for the job are Ejiro Evero (Rams safety coach) or Joe Barry (Rams linebacker coach). Jerry Gray also in the mix. I've always had the impression that the NFL coaching ranks are largely built on a buddy-buddy system, where coaches seem to love to hire guys they've worked with in the past. That gives Evero and Barry a possible advantage because LaFleur has worked on the same staff as those guys (not an advantage over Gray, but over Leonhard and a bunch of candidates not mentioned). The Rams run Vic Fangio's defense. Silverstein points out that Leonhard played under Pettine and uses a lot of that in his defense, so it's pretty likely the Packers would just keep doing the same thing on defense if Leonhard was hired.

 

I think I prefer Evero. Seems like a bright guy who has been doing this a long time and has an impressive resume. The fact that he's already spent some time in Green Bay doesn't hurt his chances.

 

https://www.therams.com/team/coaches-roster/ejiro-evero

 

 

Fangio and Ryan coached together in Baltimore and Fangio himself have said he's taken a lot from Ryan. Pettine is the same, he coached under Ryan. So I think the fact that Leonhard played under Pettine is a little overblown.

 

But I would agree with you, if they don't hire Leonhard, Evero would probably be the guy I'd pick based on his resume. Seems like a bright guy, young, lot of energy. Not dissimilar from Leonhard.

[CheezWizHed]

Having grown up north and west of Ladysmith (Solon Springs), there are some Viking fans up there, but it is pretty small. The Cubs have far more of a foothold in southern WI than the Vikings do in North and West WI.

 

 

I just remember going up and visiting my Grandparents who retired up in the middle of nowhere in Ashland County. So maybe not that close to Ladysmith, but when you drive 6 hours to get there, it feels kinda close. And the only station we'd get at night would be Duluth. That and all my Cousins who grew up there were Vikings fans. I guess I just accepted that explanation. It was because that was the only coverage they could get.

 

Of course, when I say a lot, I certainly didn't mean it was anything like the number of Cubs fans in Southern Wisconsin.

 

Yes, Duluth was all you could get up there and they REFUSED to cover anything of the Packers. Sports would only mention the Packers if they played the Vikings. Games were rarely played on TV even if the Vikings weren't playing. This was back when it was Sunday noon, mid-afternoon, and Monday night only. You'd only see the Packers on MNF, playing the Vikings or perhaps during a bye week. There were the few (5%?) that caved in, but for the rest of us, it just cemented a loathing of all thinks Vikings.

 

I lived near LaCrosse for a while too. The situation was reversed (default to Packer games), but the sports covers both teams heavily. Packer games have the default, but Viking games are always second.

 

Please don't aske me why I live in the Twin Cities area now...

[Zad Fnark]

Tell me about it. Lived in Superior for 9 years and had to live with Minnesota-centric TV.

[FVBrewerFan]

Would not surprise me if Leonhard is offered the job and turns it down. If that does happen, I'm sure they would make it sound mutual, so we may never know which side said no.

 

He is the Head Coach in waiting at UW, and that's likely what he really wants. He's not going to wait 10 years to get it, but he probably knows he has 2-3 years to wait.

[PeaveyFury]

Isn't Chryst only like 55, though?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Isn't Chryst only like 55, though?

 

Yeah, Chryst just turned 55, which isn't old for a college coach. He has about as much job security as any coach in major college football.

[FVBrewerFan]

Oh, yea, he's not too old yet by any means. They may have a plan in place though, maybe he becomes AD, who knows. I'm just saying that would be the reason if Leonard turns down the Packers.

[JosephC]

Barry has been grooming Chris McIntosh to be the next AD, and it's pretty likely that will eventually happen unless someone else with power derails it (someone from outside the department). I don't see Chryst becoming the next AD. Chances are pretty good that Leonhard leaves within the next couple of years but it sure wouldn't be that surprising if he eventually found his way back to Madison as the head coach when the job does open up.

[balsamlaker]

Since Leonhard reportedly interviewed with the Rams last year and the Packers this year, you would think he is definitely considering moving back to the NFL. From a long-term financial standpoint, he would likely need to move up to the NFL head coaching level as Chryst makes within a million/year of LaFleur. I would expect Leonhard would be in line to replace Chryst when he retires, maybe 4-5 years. I am confident with Leonhard's NFL playing background and the four years of dominating defenses at UW that he could do the job in GB, especially since he does run a similar system and has a connection with Gray. If not Leonhard, I would lean towards one of the first-time coordinators, but don't know which one at this point. Evero and Barry have been passed over twice by McVay, Burke would have been passed over in Philadelphia and is currently unemployed, and Kiffin and Nielsen haven't been considered by many at this point, but Nielsen is probably a Dennis Allen head coaching hire away from being a coordinator.

[HiAndTight]

Since Leonhard reportedly interviewed with the Rams last year and the Packers this year, you would think he is definitely considering moving back to the NFL. From a long-term financial standpoint, he would likely need to move up to the NFL head coaching level as Chryst makes within a million/year of LaFleur. I would expect Leonhard would be in line to replace Chryst when he retires, maybe 4-5 years. I am confident with Leonhard's NFL playing background and the four years of dominating defenses at UW that he could do the job in GB, especially since he does run a similar system and has a connection with Gray. If not Leonhard, I would lean towards one of the first-time coordinators, but don't know which one at this point. Evero and Barry have been passed over twice by McVay, Burke would have been passed over in Philadelphia and is currently unemployed, and Kiffin and Nielsen haven't been considered by many at this point, but Nielsen is probably a Dennis Allen head coaching hire away from being a coordinator.

 

 

Whoever it is, I'll feel more confident in them than I did in Pettine. If it's a relatively unknown coach, then I won't know if they're good or bad. I can just hope... as we all did with LaFleur.

[balsamlaker]

If Leonhard gets the GB job, it will be interesting what route UW goes to replace him. Maybe they would promote April (seven years in the Ryan/Leonhard system) and bring back someone like Fenelus to coach the DBs.

[homer]

Sounds like it's Leonard's job if he wants it:

 

[Jenkins5]

If Leonhard gets the GB job, it will be interesting what route UW goes to replace him. Maybe they would promote April (seven years in the Ryan/Leonhard system) and bring back someone like Fenelus to coach the DBs.

 

April is who I am thinking. Chryst is a very promote internally guy. Keep system in place and everything as consistent as possible