Packers had different plans for their defensive coordinator hire
For the second consecutive time, head coach Matt LaFleur couldn't get his first option to be the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. In 2021, he offered the job to former Wisconsin DC Jim Leonhard, and moved on to Joe Barry when Leonhard refused it. Now, NFL insider Aaron Wilson, from KPRC2, has reported […]
For the second consecutive time, head coach Matt LaFleur couldn't get his first option to be the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. In 2021, he offered the job to former Wisconsin DC Jim Leonhard, and moved on to Joe Barry when Leonhard refused it.
Now, NFL insider Aaron Wilson, from KPRC2, has reported that Green Bay wanted to hire former Baltimore Ravens inside linebackers coach Zach Orr. However, with Mike Macdonald moving from Ravens DC to the Seattle Seahawks head coach, Orr got an internal promotion to be Baltimore's coordinator, refusing the offer from the Packers.
Without Orr, the Packers moved in another direction and hired former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley to replace Joe Barry.
The most curious aspect of all this situation, that is normal around coaching circles, is that LaFleur went with a totally different profile.
Orr is only 31 years old, and his background is coaching linebackers — he was an NFL linebacker from 2014 and 2016, but had a spinal condition and herniated disc, career-ending issues. He spent most of his career in Baltimore, both as a player and as a coach, expect for one year — he spent the 2021 season as the Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebackers coach.
Meanwhile, Jeff Hafley is 44 years old — still relatively young, but much older than Orr. He is also much more experienced as a coach. He's been coaching since 2001 and worked in the NFL for seven seasons — one as an assistant DBs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and six as a defensive backs coach for the Bucs, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers. He was also a co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State and spent four seasons as the Boston College head coach.
The aforementioned backgrounds are also different: while Orr coached linebackers, Hafley specialized in defensive backs.
This is probably an indication that Matt LaFleur wanted a good teacher and communicator, not necessarily making a hiring based on a scheme priority.
Ravens staff
The Baltimore Ravens defensive staff caught the attention of NFL circles in this cycle. Besides coordinator Mike Macdonald who went on to be the Seahawks head coach, several position coaches got interviews.
Associate head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver got a head coaching interview with the Washington Commanders and is still running for the Miami Dolphins DC job. Moreover, former Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who was also interviewed by the Packers, was hired as a defensive coordinator by the Tennessee Titans.
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Green Bay hired the Boston College HC as their new DC
