After four straight practices in training camp, Friday was an off day for the Packers but I still had the chance to hear from a handful of Matt LaFleur’s assistant coaches. It was a kind of a staff meeting for the media.
They’re always useful sessions, hearing what the coaching staff thinks about their individual players or unit.
For instance, Special Teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga trying to sort out maybe 75 percent of the current roster, deciding who can produce on cover and return teams. There are only a handful of players that are exempt from special teams work, guys like Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Kenny Clark. You get the picture, the stars do their thing, everyone else is on the special teams.
Friday was a day to visit with the defensive staff. Line coach Jerry Montgomery told us how proud he was of Clark for earning his big contract extention, how he’s anxious to see young linemen Montravius Adams and Kingsley Keke develop and how he wants a big improvement in the over all run defense.
New secondary coach Jerry Gray is making a solid connection with his group, passing along his years of playing experience and coaching acumen to willing listeners in Jaire Alexander and Kevin King.
The highlight of Friday’s staff meeting though was outside linebacker coach Mike Smith.
An always intense looking linebacker coach, Mike Smith.
Last year, the Packers invested mightily in his position group. They spent a lot for two unrestricted free agent edge rushers in Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith. General Manager Brian Gutekunst used the first of his two, first round draft picks on another in Michigan’s Rashan Gary. Which brings us to a pair of dissertations you simply have to hear.
The Smith brothers of course, were a huge hit with sacks and pressures, the best edge rushing tandem in the league. But neither got a lot of post-season recognition. So do sacks make the player or do players make the sacks. Smith, who played for the stingy Baltimore Ravens and has coached with and under coordinator Mike Pettine, believes it’s clearly the latter. When asked if he’s looking forward to the challenge of getting even more out of the Smith brothers in 2020, Mike offered a fistful of his philosophy on making life miserable for quarterbacks.
Enlightening to say the least. Now add Gary to the outside linebacker room and Smith can’t wait for the possibilities. Granted, Gary was a patient understudy to a pair of defensive stars but Rashan has come back for year two noticeably more fit and ready to help. Smith was over the top excited about the Packers drafting the former Wolverine and now he fully expects the two-headed monster on the edge to become a three-headed terror for opponents this fall.
Without a doubt, Mike Smith is one of the most interesting and passionate assistant coaches I’ve come across.
The man who has to put those edge rushers in a position to dominate, not to mention tighten up the run defense and have passing attacks clamped down on the back end is Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine.
The leader of the Packer D, Mike Pettine
To wrap up the staff meeting, I asked Pettine about his expectations for this season. He joined the Packers in 2018 and installed his defense only to witness the end of the Mike McCarthy era as Head Coach. LaFleur didn’t wait long to announce he was going to retain Pettine as coordinator who integrated three new veterans and a late first round draft choice into the mix in the Smiths, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage.
Now it’s year three for the system, year two with a dynamic edge rushing tandem and only one significant change in personnel, adding Christian Kirksey in place of Blake Martinez at middle linebacker. I asked Pettine if the third year will be the charm for his unit:
With that, the defense rests.
A full week of training camp practices awaits.
