The Green Bay Packers officially named Joe Barry as the team’s new defensive coordinator on Monday. Barry is a veteran NFL coach with previous (but forgettable) experience as a coordinator and will take over Matt LaFleur’s defense after Mike Pettine’s contract was not renewed after the 2020 season.
Here are some early thoughts on Barry as Packers’ new defense coordinator:
– Matt LaFleur and the Packers have spent a lot of time preparing that Rams defense for the divisional round playoffs. You can be sure that all the work involved – and the various difficulties in preparing for the plan – 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 hope to do the same with Barry.
– No need to get around the fact: Barry’s previous two stints as defense coordinator didn’t go well. His defenses in Detroit and Washington ranged from fantastic average to historically poor. And two failed opportunities as a coordinator are hard to overlook. But talent is important. It just works. The players are almost always more important than the coordinator. And in Green Bay, he will have significantly more individual talent, especially in key positions. It’s on Brian Gutekunst and the Human Resources Department to ensure that the stars in the Packers defense – Kenny Clark, Za’Darius Smith, Jaire Alexander and Adrian Amos – are complemented by better surrounding talent in 2021. Arrangements and coordinators can mask shortcomings but a defense is usually only as good as its weakest link.
– There is something to be said about the fact that a head coach is given the opportunity to fully implement his own vision. Remember, Pettine was a remnant of Mike McCarthy. There is 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 the chance to find his coach and fully realize what he wants to do in defense. Whether or not it will lead to improvement is clearly in the air. But everything that happens in the future will happen within the fully realized framework of LaFleur’s vision, both in terms of 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 defensive influence will affect how the Packers attack the off-season position. Kamal Martin and Krys Barnes are intriguing young talents, but this is one place where the Packers could really use an upgrade. Is it coming internally, through Barry or with outside help? A mix could do the trick.
– Just as it would be foolish to outright reject his previous work as a coordinator, it would also be unwise to overlook what he has been doing for the past four years. Getting the opportunity to work under Wade Phillips and Brandon Staley likely had a big impact on the defense philosophy he will bring to Green Bay. The Rams had the No. 1 scoring defense in football last season, although 2020 marked the first time in the past four years that Los Angeles finished in the top 10 in scoring or yards.
– There should also be a lot of intrigue about how the Packers use Jaire Alexander. Barry was on the staff that provided cover for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey in Los Angeles. It’s possible the Packers will put more on Alexander’s board in 2021. He is ready.
– One question to consider: Will Joe Barry get an interview at all if he has not previously worked with LaFleur in Los Angeles?
– Another pertinent fact: McVay and the Rams have hired two defense coordinators for the past two seasons. Both were hired externally with Barry on the staff.
– This was undoubtedly the biggest decision LaFleur has made since he became the Packers coach. His team has won 26 regular season games and each moved to the door of the Super Bowl for the past two seasons. Now he’s making a big change in the most important coaching position below him. Even a marginal improvement in defense could make a big difference, but the Packers have no 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.