Mike McCarthy made quite a big deal about relinquishing play-calling duties in the offseason and handing those duties to newly-minted assistant head coach Tom Clements.
The impetus for that decision was two-fold. McCarthy wanted to spend more time focusing on the rest of the team and he wanted his assistants to get recognition — and possibly a shot at their own head coaching job — from the rest of the NFL.
Well, that didn’t work out so great for Clements.
He wasn’t successful as a play caller and McCarthy finally took those duties back last week. In doing so, McCarthy probably also took any shot Clements had of becoming a head coach. Of course, that doesn’t really matter, since no team is going to hire someone to be their head coach who wasn’t successful in a lower position anyway.
So what’s Clements’ role on the Packers now that he’s not calling plays?
“His role hasn’t changed minus the play-calling. He’s very involved in the game-planning,” McCarthy said.
Okay.
Maybe we buy that.
The thing is, McCarthy went out of his way during the offseason to promote two guys on the offensive staff. Clements went from offensive coordinator to assistant head coach. Edgar Bennett went from receivers coach to offensive coordinator.
The only discernible difference between those two positions was Clements was calling plays. Now he’s not.
So how many guys do the Packers need “involved in the game-planning?”
Three seems like it might be one too many.
We wouldn’t doubt if that’s addressed in the offseason.