FanHouse Mike Trgovac

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Practice pace in training camps varies from team to team. Most are in the throes of full contact by now, although the "teaching" Oakland Raiders went through eight full practices and a day of team meetings at the Napa Marriott before even donning pads this week.

Green Bay, the attitude is hit somebody, and hit 'em hard. Head coach Mike McCarthy has instructed his retooling Packers to go full-bore every play, every workout. The pace is swift as the team switches from individual to team drills at Nitschke Field.

And fiery new defensive assistants, such as outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene -- the former five-time Pro Bowler and pro wrestler -- and defensive line coach Mike Trgovac, who spent the past six seasons as the Panthers' defensive coordinator, have the green light to push, shout and generally stoke their players into a near frenzy on the practice field.

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."

Ron Meeks, who recently resigned from the Indianapolis Colts, has been hired by the Carolina Panthers to fill the role of defensive coordinator. Meeks left the Colts under what can best be described as "heavy scrutiny" recently.

He steps into a role vacated by Mike Trgovac.

It's an odd situation because as the Panthers appeared ready to gut their entire defensive staff all at the behest of Julius Peppers, they offered Trgovac a two year extension, which he subsequently spurned to pursue better offers.