Boston College Head Coach Jeff Hafley is Packers New DC

[coachbuns]

If he can get the defense to stop the run, play some press coverage, get some turnovers and adapt his defensive scheme to who they are playing .. I don't give a crap what he did at BC.  MLF knows he has to get his D coordinator choice right this time.  Here's fingers crossed he did!

[Leader]

Packers -     For all the coaching he's done with defensive backs, he was actually a wide receiver as a collegiate player. A native of Montvale, N.J., Hafley went from Pascack Hills High School in Bergen County to playing four seasons at wide receiver for Siena College (1997-2000) in Colonie, N.Y., graduating with honors and a degree in history.

 

[craig]

8 minutes ago, Mdpackfan22 said:

Pretty much all our front 7 would be better in a 4-3

Gary and LVN are both 270+ and built for their hand in the dirt 

Wyatt and Clark are prototypical 3Ts

Brooks plays like a big strong side DE in the Reggie White mold(not saying he's anywhere near as good)

Quay is athletic enough to play Sam or Will 

One of the things that drove me mad with our drafting on the defensive side of the ball was it seemed we were drafting players that fit a 4-3 more than a 3-4.

Thanks for your thoughts on this.  And RT's, on what impact a change might have on guys we've currently got.  Pretty sure MLF must have considered some of this as well, and concluded (wisely or not) that not many of our guys would be badly disadvantaged, and others might fit better.  So I'm hoping it doesn't really compromise any/many careers.  

We're going to be in nickel anyway.  Will adjustments in scheme really change much?  

[PossibleCabbage]

5 minutes ago, spilltray said:

What's the nickel look? That's the real "base"

It's 2 bigs, 2 edges, 2 stack LBs, and 5 DBs.   But this is every defense, and the difference between "4-3" and "3-4" is "do the edges drop."

[Mdpackfan22]

Just now, PossibleCabbage said:

It's 2 bigs, 2 edges, 2 stack LBs, and 5 DBs.   But this is every defense, and the difference between "4-3" and "3-4" is "do the edges drop."

To go off this, it's a lot easier on the edges when they just have to worry about setting an edge and getting after the QB. 

[incognito_man]

Hope y'all treasure this off-season. It's a near-perfect storm for fan optimism and excitement:

New, young QB that looked like the MVP the final half of his first year starting

Team grew throughout year to the point where they likely should have beat a top 1/2 team in the league for a trip to the NFCCG

Excess draft capital

New, young DC with some strong resume points

This stage of hope in fandom is the best stage of fandom. Any subsequent success will further solidify our expectations. And expectations are the enemy of happiness.

[Refugee]

2 minutes ago, Mdpackfan22 said:

To go off this, it's a lot easier on the edges when they just have to worry about setting an edge and getting after the QB. 

I agree. But your ILBs better have some coverage ability and S be willing supporters in the run game to clean up everything. I do think our front has plenty of talent though. I’m excited. Change is good until it isn’t. 

[incognito_man]

9 minutes ago, Refugee said:

These guys spend 12 hour days with each other at minimum. It’s not a surprise when they bring in people they are comfortable with. At one point 3/4 of MM’s offensive staff were Pittsburgh guys. AR used to joke that he could pull off that accent because it’s all he heard day in day out. A lot of those guys in the Shanny circle have proven to be damn good coaches. 

absolutely. I would, too. Everybody does. The higher the stakes, the more we seek out those we're familiar with.

The important part is making SURE they're also talented. Which is, of course, why there's a gray area with legitimate points from both sides of the issue. 

Let's hope MLF picked the right friend.

[craig]

2 minutes ago, PossibleCabbage said:

It's 2 bigs, 2 edges, 2 stack LBs, and 5 DBs.   But this is every defense, and the difference between "4-3" and "3-4" is "do the edges drop."

Might adjustments be more with the 5 DB's than with the front 6?  More 1-high than 2-high?  More press?  More man?  More box?  Who knows.  

Coaches are coaching all the time, so I assume there must be all kinds of nuances and different rules when you adjust a defense.  But *IF* there is more man, I'd think it would be easier to coach guys over from zone to man than to teach zone to guys who aren't accustomed to it.  

[Refugee]

11 minutes ago, Leader said:

Yahoo Sports - The Packers will have at least one familiar face for Hafley in linebacker Isaiah McDuffie, who played for Boston College in the coach's first year on the job.

I was wrong, I said it was AJD calling the shots when it was really Duff all along. 

[Leader]

2 minutes ago, Refugee said:

I was wrong, I said it was AJD calling the shots when it was really Duff all along. 

I posted a tweet from Ryan Wood earlier which indicated AJD left the same year Hafley was starting at BC. Ships passing in the night.

 

Edited February 1 by Leader

[Refugee]

Just now, Leader said:

I posted a tweet from Ryan Wood earlier which indicated AJD left the same year Hafley was starting at BC. Ships passing in the night.

 

Sure, and the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. 

[HighCalebR]

21 minutes ago, PossibleCabbage said:

It's 2 bigs, 2 edges, 2 stack LBs, and 5 DBs.   But this is every defense, and the difference between "4-3" and "3-4" is "do the edges drop."

Theres a ton of overlap between 4-3 and 3-4. you can drop an edge in a 4-3. watch Hafley's BC stuff. they do at times, heck he drops his 1T.

4-3 over/under is basically a 3-4

3-4 into nickel with a safety walked down is a 4-3

Barrys system isnt really designed to drop edge guys because he doesnt want to be in base. hence the lack of players able to do it. offenses are starting to force Fangios back into base. this is a major problem.

4-3/3-4 is just incredibly blurry. A good coach will be able to pull from both and have influences from both. Hell Hafley has his edge guys 2 point pretty damn often

what matters is 1 gap v 2. middle open vs middle closed. man vs zone.

Edited February 1 by HighCalebR

[incognito_man]

10 minutes ago, incognito_man said:

Hope y'all treasure this off-season. It's a near-perfect storm for fan optimism and excitement:

New, young QB that looked like the MVP the final half of his first year starting

Team grew throughout year to the point where they likely should have beat a top 1/2 team in the league for a trip to the NFCCG

Excess draft capital

New, young DC with some strong resume points

This stage of hope in fandom is the best stage of fandom. Any subsequent success will further solidify our expectations. And expectations are the enemy of happiness.

Although 2025 might top it after we win the Super Bowl. Since we host the draft, too. And there will be a LOT of optimism all off-season after that.

[Leader]

Not sure if this has been posted already, but an interesting interview/listen....