Despite all the signs that Matt LaFleur has no interest in replacing Joe Barry, almost everyone thinks it’s a foregone conclusion that he will be the Packers’ new defensive coordinator next season.
Instead of writing a depressing article explaining why that’s not the case, let’s look at some canonical candidates that Matt LaFleur might be interested in. phil snowMatt Rhule’s longtime defensive coordinator through Temple, Baylor and Carolina will serve as an assistant for a resurgent Bears defense this offseason.
Snow’s Panthers defense was good. Arguably better than Ejiro Evero in 2023. Both Temple and Baylor’s teams relied on strong defenses to win. Perhaps the best review of Snow is that Aaron Rodgers pointed out that Snow’s Panthers defense plays differently than other defenses. It was very hard to figure out other NFL defenses and what they were doing defensively. One reason for that is Snow’s triple front and triple deep fuses. It’s not often you see three safeties in the NFL. Perhaps the team could use safeties as extra linebackers or to fill the slot, but to stop the spread, a defense built in the Big 12, Snow uses three safeties in the deep zone to eliminate deep balls and force coverage.
. The snow was also famous for its tremendous pressure and high blowing rate. If the team wants to go in a different direction after Barry, Snow could be the right choice.Jim KnowlesKnowles is in a very good position now. His defense at Ohio State was the best in college football this season. He went from Duke’s defensive coordinator to a leader in defensive football in about six years.
The Patriots defense ranks 11th in DVOA this season, despite how bad the team has been at times, and Mayo is Steve’s de facto defensive coordinator. Belichick. The Pats D is built around versatile players who can run and pass. They run a dime personnel package that stops the run better than the Packers’ base D and a base defense that stops the pass better than the Packers’ 2-4-5. Obviously, part of being able to do that is personnel, and if Mayo is hired, I think it will completely change how the Packers select safeties and linebackers going forward.
The linebacker is probably someone who can rush the passer a little bit, and the safety is someone who can play man coverage in the slot or in the front seven when needed. Mayo could also improve their man coverage and attacking speed. Remember, Brian Flores was also the Pats linebackers coach. Speaking of Flores, Mayo has the same leadership qualities as Flores and is considered a future manager in the league. It would be nice to lose DC after promoting once.
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