The Green Bay Packers officially named Joe Barry as the team’s new defensive coordinator on Monday. A veteran NFL coach with previous (but forgettable) experience as a coordinator, Barry will take over Matt LaFleur’s defense after Mike Pettine’s contract wasn’t renewed following the 2020 season.
Here are some early thoughts on Barry as the new Packers defensive coordinator:
– Matt LaFleur and the Packers spent a lot of time preparing for that Rams defense before the divisional round playoffs. You can bet all the work involved – and the various difficulties of preparing for the scheme – played into LaFleur’s desire for a coach from the Rams system.
– Like Sean McVay, LaFleur wanted a coach with ties to the Vic Fangio system. The Rams struck gold with Brandon Staley. The Packers are hoping to do the same with Barry.
– There’s no need to skirt around the fact: Barry’s previous two stints as a defensive coordinator didn’t go well. His defenses in Detroit and Washington ranged from fantastically average to historically bad. And two failed opportunities as a coordinator is hard to overlook. But talent matters. It just does. The players almost always matter more than the coordinator. And in Green Bay, he’ll have significantly more individual talent, especially at key positions. It’s on Brian Gutekunst and the personnel department to make sure the stars on the Packers defense – Kenny Clark, Za’Darius Smith, Jaire Alexander and Adrian Amos – are complemented with better surrounding talent in 2021. Schemes and coordinators can mask deficiencies, but a defense is usually only as good as its weakest link.
– There is something to be said about a head coach getting an opportunity to fully implement his own vision. Remember, Pettine was a holdover from Mike McCarthy. There’s no doubt that Pettine’s previous experience as a head coach was a good thing for LaFleur during his first two seasons. Now, LaFleur finally had an opportunity to find his coach and fully realize what he wants to do on defense. Whether it provides improvement or not is obviously up in the air. But everything that happens moving forward will happen within the fully realized framework of LaFleur’s vision, both on offense and defense.
– Barry’s coaching background is in linebackers. It will be interesting to see what he thinks of the returning group, and how much his influence over the defense will impact how the Packers attack the position this offseason. Kamal Martin and Krys Barnes are intriguing young talents, but this is a spot where the Packers could really use an upgrade. Will it come internally, via Barry, or with outside help? A mix might do the trick.
– Just as it would be silly to flatly dismiss his previous work as a coordinator, it would also be unwise to overlook what he’s done over the last four years. Getting a chance to work under Wade Phillips and Brandon Staley likely had a big impact on the philosophy of defense he’s going to be bringing to Green Bay. The Rams had the No. 1 scoring defense in football last season, although 2020 was the first time in the last four years that Los Angeles ranked inside the top 10 in scoring or yards.
– There should be a lot of intrigue about how the Packers use Jaire Alexander, too. Barry was on the staff that built coverage around All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey in Los Angeles. It’s possible the Packers will put more on Alexander’s plate in 2021. He’s ready for it.
– A question that must be considered: Does Joe Barry even get an interview if he didn’t previously work with LaFleur in Los Angeles?
– Another relevant fact: McVay and the Rams hired two defensive coordinators over the last two seasons. Both were outside hires with Barry on the staff.
– Without much doubt, this was the biggest decision LaFleur has made since becoming the Packers coach. His team has won 26 regular season games and advanced to the doorstep of the Super Bowl each of the last two seasons. Now, he’s making a big change at the most important coaching position under him. Even marginal improvement on defense could make a big difference, but the Packers don’t have a grace period. This is a team ready to compete for Super Bowls. Barry’s defense must play a key role in finally getting the Packers over the hump.