The Green Bay Packers fired two assistant coaches last week — running backs coach Sam Gash and tight ends coach Jerry Fontenot — for what now appear to be pretty obvious reasons.
Neither of those units met the Packers’ expectations in 2015 and, probably more importantly, there were better coaches available for the Packers to hire.
On the first point, you know about the struggles. Eddie Lacy never got it going and was disinterested and unmotivated most of the season, finishing with a career-low 717 yards. At tight end, the Packers didn’t exactly have a wealth of talent, but their top guy, Richard Rodgers, averaged a pathetic 8.8 yards per reception.
On the second point, the Packers went out and brought in guys who’ve seemingly worked miracles. New tight ends coach Brian Angelichio turned 30-year-old castoff Gary Barnidge into one of the best tight ends in the game in Cleveland. New running backs coach Ben Sirmans mentored Todd Gurley in St. Louis last season, but somehow created a formidable running attack with Tre Mason and Zac Stacy the two previous years.
That brings us to Packers offensive line coach James Campen, who has held that position with the team since 2007, and this question.
When will the Packers hold Campen accountable?
In 2014, the Packers had one of their best offensive lines under Mike McCarthy. Many said it was their best.
In 2015?
They regressed and were one of the weaknesses of the team, perhaps second only to the wide receiver position.
So Campen certainly met the first criteria for getting fired. What about the second?
Who’s out there?
Well, that guy was already on the Packers staff. He was assistant offensive line coach Mike Solari, who was the offensive line coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2010-14.
Solari joined the Packers after Jim Harbaugh was dismissed in San Francisco, but he coached some of the best lines in the business when he was with the 49ers.
If you’re wondering why we’re using the past tense when speaking of Solari, it’s because he will reportedly be named the offensive line coach of the New York Giants. Or he already has been — that’s not quite clear.
If Solari still happens to be in town, then the Packers would be wise to keep him there.
I mean, if we’re holding assistant coaches responsible for underperforming units, then Campen has to go just like Gash and Fontenot did.