New Packer Coaching Staff

The off-season of our discontent finally bore fruit today when Coach Mike McCarthy unveiled his 2015-16 coaching staff. I can't say I'm very excited about the moves, but...well, let's leave it at that for the moment.

First let's look at my checklist for the coaching staff this off-season.

1. Fire Special Teams Coach Shawn Slocum. (Check). This needed to be
   done years ago. While I'm more than happy Slocum is gone, I'm less than
   happy his assistant has been elevated to the job. Mmmmm, I think I've
   seen this movie before. When was it? Mmmmmm, Oh, yeh. It was on Jan.
   13, 2009 when a certain Shawn Slocum was promoted to take over for the
   retired or fired Bob Stock after spending three years as his assistant. Ron
   Zook has only been Slocum's assistant for one season, so maybe his
   incompetence hasn't stuck on him yet. My opinion is just making a change
   at the top is not enough. Someone from outside is needed to replace a terrible special teams unit that has been bad for a decade. (Uncheck).
2. Fire Mike McCarthy play caller. (Check). McCarthy's second half conservatism has irked me for many years. I can literally tell what will happen after halftime and I've been right. When the offense has been on afterburners in the first half it grinds to a halt in the second half - not because of defensive adjustments, but because of McCarthy starting to run out the clock on the first offensive series of the third quarter. Hooray!!!!
   Tom Clements taking over may or may not be a good thing, but I'll give him a chance. (Still check).
3. Fire Dom Capers. (Uncheck). PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make it 3-for-3. I'm waiting, but I'm not holding my breath. If Capers was to fired t then we would know it. But adding a new assistant coach and no announcement means I will end up 2-for-3. I hate being 2-for-3. (Future no
   check).

 

Now let's look at the other coaching staff news. Tom Clements promoted to assistant head coach. This is supposedly to give him a chance to be hired as a head coach, so by definition this is a short term thing. Can't hurt, so OK with me.

 

Edgar Bennett to offensive coordinator. Edgar has done a good job with his previous two jobs. The running game improved when he was running backs coach and when he took the wide receivers that group improved too. So I like this move (even if it's only to give him a chance to become a head coach).

 

Quarterback coach Alex Van Pelt adding receivers coach to his duties. My only problem with this move is losing Edgar Bennett. I will let this move play out and see if a new quarterback or receivers coach will have to be hired in 2016.

 

Jason Simmons promoted to special teams assistant. He has moved up from scout team coordinator and defensive production tabulator. It says his duties would be for the perimeter players on the special teams. A game late it seems to me. I've got no problem with him, so hopefully the only thing the special teams units needed was an extra position coach.

 

The new watch word is not plastics, but specialization. We're only a few years away from having a right starting tackle coach, a left starting tackle coach and the backup tackles coach (wait until Ted Thompson is gone we don't need one of those because we don't have backup tackles).

 

Two new coaches have also been hired. Veteran Mike Solari as assistant offensive line coach. Got no problem with him, but I do hope he brings with him the final nail for the zone blocking scheme. I understand the Packers now run a modified version of the zone scheme, but all I know is since McCarthy changed to the zone and it morphed into the modified zone the Packers can't make one yard when they need it. Good example first half against the Seahawks.

 

Let's go back to power blocking and return to good old fashioned smash mouth physical football. The Packers have accused of being a finesse team and the players took umbrage at that thought. The Packers have been called soft and the players got mad about that. I think all that talk comes from the zone blocking scheme on the offensive line.

 

University of Oklahoma defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery as assistant defensive line coach. Adding another drowning victim on the deck of the Titanic will not help this unit as long as Capers is defensive coordinator. So technically I have no problem with this hire.