loading . . . Ask Maggie: Plenty to Coordinate Thanks for joining me for another edition of Ask Maggie! It’s in the negative 30s in Wisconsin as I write this, but not exactly as cold as it was during the Ice Bowl, which is kind of crazy to think about. Remember to submit your own questions at [email protected]! Now let’s get into this week’s mailbag:
“What would be your top 5 DC Candidates for the Packers?” Thanks for your time. Have a good day. Go Pack Go.” - Justin A.
What’s funny about this question is that my top candidate would have been Brian Flores, who stayed with the Vikings. Then I redid my list with Christian Parker at number one, but he was just hired by the Cowboys to be their DC. So we’re down to a top three (at least in terms of realistic candidates).
* Raheem Morris (former Falcons HC) - LaFleur reached out to Morris shortly after he was relieved of his duties in Atlanta, indicating the closeness of their relationship. The pair have worked together on a few different coaching staffs. Before his time in Atlanta, Morris won Super Bowl LVI as the Rams DC. If he doesn’t get a head coaching job this cycle (I think his only remaining team is the Cardinals), it makes a heck of a lot of sense for him to join LaFleur in Green Bay.
* Al Harris (Bears defensive pass game coordinator/DBs coach) - self-explanatory, right? One of the best Packers players and now an incredible secondary coach in the league. He helped Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland become first-team All-Pros with Dallas, then led a Chicago secondary that snagged 23 interceptions. His emphasis on forcing turnovers is needed in Green Bay, and his personality. We know Green Bay’s secondary likes to talk the talk. Harris could help them walk the walk.
* Jim Leonhard (Broncos defensive passing game coordinator) - This is a fun one for Badgers fans, and I like the idea of Leonhard given how much he plays man coverage. It’ll depend on how the Packers view their cornerbacks long-term, but he certainly plays more man than Hafley did, allowing his corners to get physical. He’s received praise from players like All-Pro Pat Surtain II. He’s also great at simulating pressure looks, which is fun with a guy like Micah Parsons on the roster. While he doesn’t have any prior experience as a DC, he’s got a great defensive mind and could be a dream candidate for the Packers and LaFleur.
Wild Card/Honorable Mention: He’s probably a few seasons removed from a DC job, but keep an eye on Jacques Cesaire in the next few coaching cycles. He’s currently the Browns defensive line coach and prior to that was the defensive line coach for the Texans. He’s worked with players like Will Anderson, Jonathan Greenard, and of course, Myles Garrett. He spent nine years as a defensive end with the Chargers, despite going undrafted. He also got to be the defensive coordinator in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in 2025. It wouldn’t shock me if he’s in DC conversations within the next few years, assuming he wants to make the jump from position coach.
“Hey what are the chances the Packers bring back Doubs on a franchise tag? And who if any would most likely be tagged this offseason? Thank you Go Pack Go!” - Justin H.
Spotrac estimates the franchise tag for a WR in 2026 is going to be just over $28 million. It also lists Doubs’ free agent market at around $12 million per year. So I don’t think there’s any way the Packers use the franchise tag on Doubs, even in a tag and trade scenario like they did with Adams (who warranted that caliber of money). Looking at the projected rates for this offseason, I don’t know if there’s anyone currently on the roster that Green Bay would even consider using the tag on. There are some big names coming up in free agency in 2027 (Tucker Kraft, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Devonte Wyatt) assuming extensions don’t happen sooner, so the Packers should be pinching pennies for that.
“Welcome to the Thunderdome. With our DC heading to deal with the current mess that is the Dolphins, how do you see this impacting us after a mostly phenomenal year? Do we look outside of the organization, are we looking internally, and does a potentially healthy Parsons lessen the impact of the upcoming change? Looking forward to hearing what you have to say.” - Justin B.
Shoutout to my friend Justin B. who I told to submit a question to keep the all-Justin inbox going. I’m really curious who the Packers will retain on the defensive coaching staff and whether or not Hafley will poach anyone to come work with him in Miami. You didn’t specifically ask about offensive coaches, but there’s a world where Hafley offers someone like Adam Stenavich play-calling duties (which he won’t get in Green Bay) and he leaves for the Dolphins, too.
The two most-likely internal candidates for a promotion would be DeMarcus Covington who’s the current defensive line/run game coordinator, or Derrick Ansley who’s the current defensive passing game coordinator. Both have prior experience as defensive coordinators, but one (or both) could head south with Hafley.
I think the Packers go external for this hire, and I think they should. If they feel they’re in their Super Bowl window, now is the time to swing for the fences. Honestly, if I’m LaFleur, I’m letting guys like Micah Parsons and Xavier McKinney sit in some of these interviews with me to get opinions from my vets. You’re right that Parsons will certainly be a draw. There isn’t a candidate in the league that wouldn’t want to come work with someone of his caliber, even if isn’t able to start Week 1 with the ACL recovery.
There are a lot of defensive-minded candidates this cycle with former head coaching experience. Raheem Morris, Sean McDermott, Jonathan Gannon. LaFleur might benefit from having someone in his ear who not only can take over the defensive side of the ball, but offer opinions and insight on things like clock management. Whoever the candidate is, they’re inheriting some exciting talent to work with (Edgerrin Cooper and Evan Williams come to mind right away). Those are the guys that’ll help lessen the impact of a new coordinator, even if the scheme is different.
“Hi Maggie! Green Bay has shied away from young innovative Defensive and Special Teams coordinators for decades. Is there a reason and will that ever change?” - Scott
I’m not sure I would say they’ve shied away from young coordinators intentionally. The Packers took a gamble on Jeff Hafley during the 2024 hiring cycle. His most recent NFL experience was as a DBs coach for the 49ers all the way back in 2018, and he’d never been a defensive coordinator previously. In fact, he only had seven years of coaching experience at the NFL level versus 16 years at the collegiate level. Hafley is also the same age as LaFleur, they’re both 46. I’m not sure what counts as “young” in coaching cycles these days.
Now for special teams, Bisaccia is 65 and has been coaching in the NFL since 2002 (his collegiate experience goes all the way back to 1983). When he was hired, I thought the years of experience made sense to stabilize a unit that’s struggled for a long time. Most special teams coordinators come up through the ranks and serve various assistant roles before they get their opportunity. Or, if you’re lucky, you can lure an existing coordinator away when their contract is up for a better salary/opportunity. So I think that’s part of the challenge, too. There are some very good former players who make great candidates for special teams coordinators, but more on that in a second.
If Bisaccia does retire or LaFleur decides to move on this offseason, I would expect an internal promotion for someone like the team’s current assistant special teams coach, Byron Storer. He’s a former NFL fullback who’s come up the NFL ladder working various roles within special teams units. That seems like the kind of candidate the Packers would be interested in, and he’s relatively young. Now, if the Packers wanted to poach Chris Banjo from the Jets, I would simply hand that man a blank check and let him fill in his own numbers. What a story for Banjo. His first season as a special teams coordinator and he boasts one of the best units in NFL history. Maybe the Packers should give Jarrett Bush a call…
As far as whether or not the hiring process is intentional for the Packers, I don’t necessarily think so. I mean we’ve seen the stories about how business operates in Green Bay compared to larger markets, but I don’t think the Packers have any specific checklists they reference when they’re going into these hiring conversations. Could salary be part of it? Sure. Could it be that some of these decisions are being made by the front office and not LaFleur? Potentially. I’m not sure how much of that we’ll ever truly know. If Jim Leonhard is really one of the top candidates for Green Bay’s DC job, then that would be just one example of the Packers looking for a young, innovative mind.
“Hey Maggie! Hate-watching the Seahawks and Broncos with the rest of us? (Not that I hold a grudge or anything like that)” - Jim
Whenever the Packers are out of playoff contention, I immediately start pulling for whichever franchises have never won a Super Bowl (aside from NFC North rivals, which will never happen).
This year, I’m rooting for the Rams solely because I want Davante Adams to get a ring. But when it comes to Super Bowl matchups and my preferences, if it’s down to teams who have already won one, I always root for new matchups. We’ve had Seahawks vs Broncos, Seahawks vs Patriots, and Patriots vs Rams already. That leaves the only new matchup as Broncos vs Rams.
Filed Under: FeaturedMaggie Loney
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Maggie Loney is a writer for Cheesehead TV and podcaster for the Pack-A-Day Podcast and Pack's What She Said. Find her on Twitter at @MaggieJLoney.
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NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Matt LaFleurdefensive coordinatorsSpecial TeamsChris Banjo
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