It was expected, but the move wasn’t swift, that’s for sure. However, the Green Bay Packers made what some would consider a long-overdue move and fired defensive coordinator Dom Capers.
Coach Mike McCarthy refused to address any potential changes after the Packers dropped their season finale to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. It’s also known that McCarthy hates firing people. Well, Mike, who does like firing people?
Capers had been with the Packers since 2009. His last top-10 defense came in 2010. Surely not coincidentally, that’s the last championship the Packers won.
The Packers finished 22nd in total defense in 2017. Following 2010, when the Packers were fifth in total defense, Capers’ defenses were, in order, last, 11th, 25th, 15th, 15th, 22nd and 22nd.
Clearly, things have been going in the wrong direction.
The leader in the clubhouse to replace Capers appears to be former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Is this the end of the offseason upheaval with the Packers?
We already know there will be more changes to the team’s defensive coaching staff.
It may not stop there, however. General manager Ted Thompson cannot feel 100 percent safe after the season — and talent level — we all just witnessed. There’s even a chance that McCarthy himself isn’t safe.
It will be an interesting week at 1265 Lombardi Ave.
8 Comments
If McCarthy was going to go they would have fired MM and that would have taken care of Capers.
I would think MM lost several players on the team by his blinded support of Hundley. Like I said before players have a really good shit filter and MM filled those shit filters up with his support for Hundley. Players hate the taste of shit and they got a mouthful from MM this year. MM is no longer safe from a firing.
I’m fine with McCarthy being gone as well. Blow hard Pack fan will be like well hes won a lot of games. Dude I’m over it. I’m over this regime. I wanna start fresh. Even if it means tanking for a year or so.
Kevin Greene, Chuck Pagano, Jack del Rio, Gus Bradley are also interesting prospects. I hope we interview a bunch. Ted Thompson contract is up after the draft I heard. Does anyone know if it is true? I’m curious on who they resign and reup. Will they be aggressive in free agency.
is there some reason a coordinator needs to be over 50 yrs old?
Why are the names people bringing up all old guys who failed elsewhere?
Is there no scouting department for promising successful young energetic sharp coordinators…
Usually not in a “Good Old Boy” environment . . .
Thompson’s going nowhere and nothing’s gonna change re lack of free agent signings or fucking up the draft. Going to just be more of the same old shit until somebody puts his mentally deranged ass in a home for the socially awkward. I’m immune to it after all these years. Pitchers and catchers reporting soon?
We knew MM has received job security assurances once he and “IR-on” Rodgers worked to tank the final few games to jockey for draft position.
Dom’s Ds were average at best. But, was it the coaching? I hate the 3-4 or, as Dom played it, the 2-5 at times, but where was the talent? Clay Matthews’ talent was injected PED and he may or may not be back on it but he is still getting pretty old. They let Julius Peppers go after last season and replaced him with… Ahmad Brooks?
Kevin King and Josh Jones and Adams had little or no impact. These moves and lack of moves in free agency and these draft picks are all on TT, not Dom.
How many above average players on D? Mike Daniels, Blake Martinez, Kenny Clark. You could make an argument for Morgan Burnett (now a free agent). But they are only above average. No star talent — despite what you may think from watching beef jerky commercials.
Even at 22nd in defense it very well could be that Dom was getting greater performance from this motley crew than would move defensive coordinators.
I predicted the Vikings would sweep the Packers. I predicted the Packers would miss the playoffs. I predicted the Packers would finish third in the division. All that came true.
My newest prediction? The Packers defense will do as bad or worse next year than 22nd overall in yards(*). This move will actually be a subtraction by subtraction instead of the addition by subtraction as it is intended.
* = The caveat is that this prediction only holds IF the Packers do not obtain a supreme “name” defensive coordinator. So no Vic Fangio and no Jack Del Rio. Damn them if they get Del Rio! He is a great former Viking, #55 long before Anthony Barr. He was our MLB the year we hit something like 3rd in NFL history in fewest run yards allowed per game. Speaking of regrets from coaching changes the Raiders are going to rue the day they gave up Del Rio for Gruden.
Too little and waaaaay tooooo late.
Like many others have said, Capers should have been gone on January 19, 2015, or even before that.
We probably are stuck with Big Mike for at least another year and with the wonderful 2018 draft choices of TT.
Hope TT doesn’t draft a punter in the first round.