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Packers Eschew Quantity for Quality

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

By dealing up into the last part of the first round for Clay Matthews, Ted Thompson may have forever changed his image in Green Bay. He went from being consistently ripped for his trade-downs and seemingly passive nature during the draft to being branded a genius. Of course, if either of his first-round selections fail, he'll be back to being an idiot again.

Former Linebacker/Pro Wrestler Kevin Greene Joins Packers' Staff

The Green Bay Packers have spent the first part of the offseason fine-tuning their coaching staff, especially on defense. Anyone who watched the team play in 2008 knows this was work that needed to be done.

With Dom Capers in as defensive coordinator and former Carolina defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac now coaching the defensive line, things were looking up. Capers and head coach Mike McCarthy weren't done, however, and they've now made a hire that could be fairly described as "interesting."

Is Aaron Kampman a Good Fit in Packers 3-4 Defense?

Earlier this week, the Green Bay Packers hired Dom Capers to run their defense. Capers replaces Bob Sanders, who ran the defense into the ground for three years, and he'll bring with him a new way of doing things. Part of the reason behind the coordinator change was a decision by head coach Mike McCarthy. Even though there are rumblings he may be sitting on an increasingly warmer seat, McCarthy is overseeing a changeover in defensive strategy. The Packers have been a 4-3 team for some time, but the head coach wants to make the switch to a 3-4. That's why he hired Capers, who is well-schooled in that scheme.

However, does Green Bay's best defensive player fit the scheme?

NFL Veteran Dom Capers Named Packers' Defensive Coordinator

Perhaps it took longer than expected for Mike McCarthy, but the search is over. The Packers canned defensive coordinator Bob Sanders after a miserable season, and speculation on a replacement immediately began to center around former San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan.

When Nolan took the job in Denver, the talk turned to former Redskins and Jaguars coordinator Gregg Williams. He ended up going to New Orleans, leaving McCarthy to what was presumably his third choice for a coordinator.

The third choice for McCarthy is a veteran coach with a ton of credibility around the NFL. Former Carolina and Houston head coach Dom Capers, a very successful defensive coach, is going to take over the Packers' defense.

Patriots Hire Dom Capers as Secondary Coach


This seems like sort of a big deal: the Patriots have hired Dom Capers as a special assistant/secondary coach. Weird. Last month, word on the street had Capers going to Dallas, presumably in an effort to line up Jason Garrett's coaching staff for when he inevitably takes over in 2009*.

And now, Capers joins the New England coaching staff. Double weird. New England head coach Bill Belichick issues press releases:
"I have known Dom for a long time and respect him tremendously as a coach, particularly defensively. To add a coach of his caliber is an outstanding opportunity for us. I look forward to getting to work with Dom and Dean [Pees] immediately."
Capers was the Dolphins defensive coordinator last season but was part of the housecleaning effort once Bill Parcells took over. He has experience in the 3-4 defense (a scheme the Patriots feature frequently) serving as the Steelers defensive coordinator from 1992-1994, and the head coach in Carolina and Houston before landing with the Dolphins in 2006.

Who knows why Capers chose New England over Dallas, but with Asante Samuel headed for free agency, there's no unit on the team in need of more attention than the secondary.

* Baseless speculation

Some People Think Jerry Jones Is Assembling a Coaching Staff for Jason Garrett

There are Cowboys fans still mad at Jerry Jones for firing Tom Landry. Certainly understandable. But much of the hatred directed at the Arkansas Hairpiece has softened over the years, particularly the '90s, when Dallas won three Super Bowls.

Still, fans are suspicious and probably for good reason. So too are the media. In today's Dallas Morning News, Jean-Jacques Taylor writes that the new staff Jones is putting together is more for the team's future head coach, Jason Garrett, than it is for incumbent Wade Phillips.

Taylor points to Dom Capers interviewing with the Cowboys for a spot on the defensive staff as a consultant or linebackers coach. You see, Capers was Garrett's hand-picked selection as his defensive coordinator had he taken the Ravens job. And since Dallas already has a defensive coordinator, Brian Stewart, this move seems fishy, at least according to Taylor. He also adds some other curiosities:
• Jerry has made Garrett the NFL's highest-paid assistant with a salary that's nearly as much, if not equal to what Phillips earns. We all know Phillips is going to spend all next season answering question after question about his future every time the Cowboys lose.

• Jerry hired Hudson Houck, a quality offensive line coach, who has more ties to Garrett than Phillips.
Taylor goes on for a few hundred more words, but you get the point. And i suspect Phillips does too. I don't think anybody will be shocked if when Phillips gets canned in a year's time and Garrett assumes the throne. And just like Marty Schottenheimer and the Chargers, it'll soon be forgotten if the Cowboys win, especially in the playoffs.

Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Will Match Ravens Offer for Jason Garrett


Owner Jerry Jones ain't going down without a fight. The Cowboys were embarrassed by the Giants in the NFC Divisional playoff game on Sunday, and now Jones is trying to keep from losing his offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. It doesn't look to be going well.

Garrett, 41, was the first coach Jones hired after Bill Parcells resigned last off-season; now the first-year offensive coordinator is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks. Purportedly, the Ravens have offered Garrett the job, but it's not a done deal yet:
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has communicated to Garrett that he would match the Ravens' financial offer -- without knowing the amount -- if Garrett rejects it, according to ESPN.com.
The Baltimore Sun's Jamison Hensley writes that Garrett left Baltimore still employed by the Cowboys, but was presumably on his way to Atlanta for another interview. If it comes down to Baltimore and Dallas, the Ravens could have the upper hand because they are expected to outbid the Cowboys.

If Baltimore does win the bidding war, speculation has Garrett hiring Cam Cameron as the offensive coordinator, and either Dom Capers (former Dolphins coordinator) or John Harbaugh (Eagles secondary coach) as the defensive coordinator.

Assuming the Ravens land Garrett, the big loser in this isn't Jones, but former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. He's probably earned the shot to be a head coach, but it looks like it won't happen in Charm City.

As Long As John Fox Goes 7-9, His Job Will Be Safe

Much has been said about John Fox's future as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have had three winning seasons in their franchise's 13-year history; Fox helmed two of those teams including the one that went to and lost Super Bowl XXXVIII.

On the flip side, only ttwice has a Panthers team failed to win at least 7 games: 1998 and 2001. In both of those seasons, the Panthers elected to dump the head coach and look elsewhere.

In 1998, the Panthers went 4-12 and fired Dom Capers. Capers was the first head coach in franchise history and had led Carolina to the NFC Championship game in just their second season. He was replaced by George Seifert. Seifert was fired after the 2001 campaign after that team won their first game of the season ... then went on to lose the final 15 ones. Enter Fox.

Now, is this all a coincidence? Maybe. However, there have been four 7-9 seasons in franchise history and the coach has survived (including Fox twice). Fox could get a pass since Jake Delhomme (who was having a good start) missed most of the season with an arm injury. David Carr, unshockingly, stunk; 93-yr old Vinny Testerverde doesn't have the stamina to play every game and Matt Moore has never played.

At 6-8, I think if Fox wins at least one more game ... their final two games are against division winners Dallas and Tampa Bay ... he saves his job for at least one more season.

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