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NFC North Coaching Updates: Lions, Packers, Vikings

March 29th, 2023 at 9:28pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions announced earlier this month that they have finalized their coaching staff for the 2023 season. Much of the staff remains identical to last year’s coaches who helped the Lions to some surprising success. Many of the minor changes that did occur, such as promotions and the additions of assistants, have already been covered on this site. There were a couple that still need to be announced.

On the offensive side, the Lions hired Jim Hostler as a senior offensive assistant. Hostler has served in Washington for the last three years and has an extensive history as a position coach in the NFL for several franchises, including a stint as offensive coordinator for the 49ers back in 2007. Hostler’s most recent experience was assisting with wide receivers for the Commanders, but there didn’t appear to be a place for him on Eric Bieniemy‘s new staff in Washington.

On the defensive side of the ball, Detroit has hired John Scott Jr. to take over as defensive line coach. With Todd Wash departing to rejoin Frank Reich in Carolina, the Lions went to the college ranks for their next defensive line coach. Scott will return to the NFL for the first time since serving as the assistant defensive line coach for the Jets in 2016. Since then, Scott has coached the defensive lines at Arkansas, South Carolina, and Penn State, adding the title of run game coordinator for the Nittany Lions in 2022.

Here are a few more coaching updates from around the NFC North:

  • The Packers made a couple additions to their coaching staff near the start of the month. Similar to Detroit, Green Bay also pulled from the college ranks, hiring recently dismissed Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester to a senior analyst position, according to Matthew Ehler of MLive.com. Lester has worked plenty with college quarterbacks but will be making his NFL debut in 2023. The team also hired two new quality control coaches, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Rob Grosso joins as offensive quality control and Kyle Wilber will be special teams quality control. Grosso, a former defensive assistant who followed Vance Joseph from Denver to Arizona, was expected to once again follow Joesph back to Denver but will part ways with Joseph while switching from defense to offense. Wilber, a former NFL linebacker, recently finished a 10-year career in which he played for Packers assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia at both Dallas and Las Vegas.
  • The Vikings joined the Lions and Packers in dipping into the college ranks of coaching, hiring Michael Hutchings as assistant linebackers coach, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Hutchings most recently served as outside linebackers coach at Western Kentucky and previously worked at USC and Oregon.

Jets Willing To Give Up Second-Round Pick For Aaron Rodgers

March 28th, 2023 at 10:55am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 28: Providing the latest update on the matter of compensation, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports that talks are now centered on the possibility of New York sending a second-round pick in 2023 and ’24 to Green Bay. The latter selection would be conditional, and have the potential to become a first-rounder depending on the Jets’ success with Rodgers at the helm.

With the 39-year-old admitting that retirement was a strong consideration following this past season, however, the Jets remain hesitant to sign off on 2024 compensation without assurances Rodgers will continue his career that long. As a result, Robinson notes that New York is seeking 2025 draft capital from the Packers in the event Rodgers does indeed retire after next season, to help protect against the lost draft pick in 2024. Progress made within this new framework will help determine if/when this deal gets over the finish line.

MARCH 27: The Jets and Packers remain engaged in trade talks on Aaron Rodgers; this week’s league meetings will allow for additional time for the sides to produce a resolution. While Douglas said Monday no timetable is in place, the Jets GM acknowledged progress has occurred.

Another Jets transaction may have changed the Rodgers talks. In trading Elijah Moore, the Jets obtained an additional second-round pick (No. 43 overall) from the Browns. They are willing to give up that pick for Rodgers, Armando Salguero of Outkick.com notes, but have thus far refused to part with their first-rounder (No. 13 overall). The Packers want a first-rounder in this trade.

Gang Green is also likely prepared to part with a conditional draft asset down the road, Salguero adds. That choice’s value could be a sticking point as well. When asked about parting with the No. 13 pick in this deal, Douglas did not shoot down that prospect, nor did he address which picks have been discussed. But the veteran Jets GM said that selection will give the team a chance to “bring in a strong player,” while confirming (via The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt) the Jets and Packers’ talks are not where they need to be yet.

Fifteen years ago, the Jets sent the Packers a conditional draft choice — which ended up a 2009 third-rounder — for Brett Favre. The Packers are positioned to land more for Rodgers, who made it clear he is ready to join the Jets. The Packers are moving forward with Jordan Love, but they want better draft capital than the Jets have offered. They also want “cap-related concessions” in this deal, Salguero adds.

It would cost the Packers just more than $40MM to trade Rodgers before June 1. While that dead-money number drops considerably (to $15.8MM) on a deal after that date, the Packers look to be targeting more than just draft capital from the Jets, who would — absent any contract maneuvering — have Rodgers on their 2023 cap sheet at barely $15MM in 2023. The Jets are, assuming they finish this trade, prepared to pay Rodgers’ roughly $59MM bonus negotiated into his three-year, $150.8MM extension agreed to last March.

Leverage in the form of a Lamar Jackson pursuit could have been an option for the Jets, but Douglas joined the host of teams preparing to stand down on the Ravens’ disgruntled quarterback. Praising Jackson but not wanting to negotiate with the Packers in bad faith, as they are far down the Rodgers road, Douglas said (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) the Jets will not pursue him. Hit with the franchise tag, Jackson has requested a trade.

Jackson would likely have been a Jets consideration had he requested a trade in January or February, SNY’s Connor Hughes adds (video link). The team met with Derek Carr, but its Rodgers meeting took place a day after Carr signed with the Saints. It would seem the Jets could still pivot to Jackson, though the former MVP would cost far more in a trade and require a monster extension. But they are pot-committed to Rodgers at this point. That represents good news for the Packers. While Green Bay is certainly taking a risk with its Rodgers-to-Love transition, the team is set to collect a premium draft choice for a player no longer in its plans.

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst Addresses Aaron Rodgers Situation

March 27th, 2023 at 9:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers have been entrenched in their drama with Aaron Rodgers for years now. With the end seemingly drawing nearer and nearer, general manager Brian Gutekunst gave some comments to the media today.

Primarily, Gutekunst confirmed what we all presumed, that he expects Jordan Love to take over as starting quarterback for the Packers in 2023. While he admitted that there were unknowns to be dealt with, mainly the pending trade deal shipping Rodgers to New York, everything is trending toward an offense centered around Love, according to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Additionally, Gutekunst added that he is not necessitating a first-round pick in exchange for Rodgers. He stated that he wants a fair value for Rodgers, whom he called a “premier” player, but claimed that he isn’t drawing a line at the first round.

Gutekunst was also asked some hard-hitting questions from The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman about the team’s inability to communicate with Rodgers and Rodgers’ displeasure concerning the perception that the Packers were shopping him out, and Gutekunst didn’t shy away from the answers. Gutekunst basically asserted that they attempted to reach out after the season and, after they failed to reach him or get a response, Gutekunst “had to do (his) job.”

“Certainly, whenever a player may have issues, you prefer that they talk to you directly and not do it in the media,” Gutekunst said Monday, via Schneidman. “But that’s not necessarily the way he goes about it and that’s okay.”

Gutekunst’s efforts to reach Rodgers were an attempt to discuss the future of the franchise and Rodgers’s part in it. After the season, though, he was only able to reach Rodgers’s representatives. After Gutekunst talked with the veteran’s representation, Rodgers asked for the trade, leading to the limbo that Green Bay is currently in. Most parties involved are going about their business as if Rodgers is a member of the Jets already. It’s only a matter of compensation at this point.

Cardinals Sign LB Krys Barnes

March 25th, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

Arizona has added a young veteran to their defense. The team announced on Saturday that they have signed linebacker Krys Barnes.

A former UDFA, Barnes spent the first three seasons of his career with the Packers. Even in his rookie campaign, he took on a notable workload, starting 10 games. His 52% snap share in 2020 was matched exactly the following year, making him a key member of Green Bay’s LB corps.

Over the course of his first two seasons, Barnes racked up 161 tackles and a pair of sacks. While his work in pass defense led to an unflattering PFF evaluation, he maintained an important role in a Packers’ second-level group which was bolstered significantly by the arrival of De’Vondre Campbell in 2021. Things took a different turn this past season, however.

Barnes, 24, was limited to just six games played in 2022 due to an ankle injury. He was able to return in November after suffering the injury in Week 1, but his playing time took a noticeable step back. Barnes’ snap share dropped to just 37% on defense, as Campbell and first-round rookie Quay Walker saw the bulk of work for the team. It thus came as little surprise when Green Bay elected not to tender Barnes as a pending restricted free agent.

Now, he will head to Arizona and aim for a return to staring duties in his new home. The Cardinals have been busy at the position so far in free agency, including the addition of Kyzir White. Arizona has also signed Josh Woods and re-upped Ezekiel Turner, though those deals will primarily affect their special teams units. The Cardinals have hybrid defender Isaiah Simmons available as well, depending on how the team’s new coaching staff chooses to use him, along with 2021 first-rounder Zaven Collins and depth option Blake Lynch.

Barnes will look to carve out a role amongst those other ‘backers, as he seeks to boost his own value ahead of next offseason. Arizona has plenty of room for improvement in all aspects of their defense compared to 2022, so a productive season would be beneficial to both player and team in this situation.

Packers Re-Sign OLB Justin Hollins

March 23rd, 2023 at 9:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers claimed Justin Hollins off waivers midway through the 2022 season, and his play upon arrival has earned him an extended stay. Per a team announcement, the veteran pass rusher has re-signed on a new deal in Green Bay.

Hollins, 27, was a draftee of the Broncos but only spent his rookie campaign in Denver. He was waived ahead of the 2020 season and claimed by the Rams, with whom he took on an incrementally larger role in each season. Hollins registered seven starts across 34 games in Los Angeles, working his way up to a 50% snap share in his 10 games in 2022.

The former fifth-rounder notched only one sack in that span, however, leading the Rams to waive him in November amidst their general struggles in the pass rush department. No player outside of Leonard Floyd managed to record more than one sack for the Rams’ edge rushers, so the position figures to be a position of interest in the secondary waves of free agency and the draft.

With the Packers, Hollins saw a lesser role in six games compared to his workload with the Rams earlier in the year. He was more productive in Green Bay, though, notching 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. He added nine total tackles and four QB hits, numbers which will earn him a full season with the team in 2023.

The Oregon product will look to maintain a rotational role amongst the Packers’ edge rushers next season. Green Bay has Rashan Gary and Preston Smith at the top of the depth chart, but the former suffered an ACL tear in November. Hollins could serve as an insurance policy if Gary is unable to return in time for Week 1, and provide a depth option for the team when he is available moving forward.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/23

March 20th, 2023 at 10:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

The Giants are giving Leonard Johnson a three-year deal, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. The former Duke prospect suffered a torn ACL while training for the 2022 draft; the Giants worked him out Monday and saw enough to take a flier. While Ford made two starts for the Falcons last season, the ex-UDFA is best known for his special teams work. He saw action on 83% of Atlanta’s ST plays last season, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) the Bengals are giving him a one-year deal worth up to $2.25MM.

Both Scharping and Lonnie Johnson are former Texans second-round picks. The Texans waived Scharping on roster-cutdown day in August, but the Bengals claimed him. Although Scharping only played 30 snaps for Cincinnati last season, the team will keep him around for another run at a backup gig. Months before bailing on Scharping, the Texans traded Johnson to the Chiefs. But Kansas City did not see much from the acquisition in camp and waived him. The Titans picked up Johnson via waivers, using him as a backup. Johnson has experience at both cornerback and safety, and The Score’s Jordan Schultz adds he agreed to a one-year Saints deal (Twitter link).

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/23

March 17th, 2023 at 10:28pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

 

Board is a strong special teamer, signing a two-year, $5MM deal with New England, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The contract reportedly includes incentives that can push the deal to a maximum value of $6.7MM.

Colon-Castillo reportedly visited the Falcons today, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Despite the visit, he decided to sign with the Jets.

Packers Sign S Tarvarius Moore

March 17th, 2023 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

A 2021 season-nullifying injury postponed Tarvarius Moore‘s free agency by a year. After the safety’s contract tolled, however, the Packers will still add him to the mix.

The 49ers used Moore as both a cornerback and a safety, though he spent more time at the latter post. He competed with Talanoa Hufanga to start opposite Jimmie Ward last year. Hufanga going on to earn first-team All-Pro honors signaled San Francisco’s long-term plans at that position. But Ward and Moore have now relocated, with the 10th-year veteran joining DeMeco Ryans‘ Texans staff.

Moore will land with another ex-Kyle Shanahan coworker, joining Matt LaFleur‘s team. The Packers experienced some issues at safety last season, and Adrian Amos is now a free agent. The team is considering shifting Darnell Savage to the slot on a full-time basis, and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes Rasul Douglas is a candidate to move from cornerback to safety. With the safety spot unsettled and Rudy Ford (six 2022 starts) also a free agent, the Packers may have an opening for Moore.

The former third-round pick — in part because of a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at Southern Miss’ 2018 pro day — began his 49ers career at cornerback moved back to safety in 2019. He started eight games in 2020, making 52 tackles and forcing a fumble. A torn Achilles in June 2021 kept Moore on the 49ers’ PUP list throughout the season, and since he was in the final year of his contract, his rookie deal tolled. Moore would have been unlikely to do well on the market last year anyway, considering his 2021 injury, and he played 13 games this past season.

Moore, 26, does not have a regular-season interception, but he picked off Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIV. Even if Moore does not mount a serious charge to start in Green Bay, the Packers have added an experienced special-teamer. Moore saw action on 66% of the 49ers’ special teams plays last season and cleared the 50% barrier on ST snaps in each of his other three active seasons.

Packers Still Eyeing First-Round Pick From Jets For Aaron Rodgers

March 16th, 2023 at 10:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Late last week, the notion the Packers wanted a first-round pick and change from the Jets for Aaron Rodgers emerged. Despite Rodgers declaring his intention to join the Jets, the Packers are not believed to be budging.

While rumblings of the teams having agreed to compensation also surfaced, that certainly does not appear to be the case. The Packers want a first-round pick and then another asset down the road. In the event Rodgers plays in 2024, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes the Packers want another draft pick in 2025. Former GM Michael Lombardi brought this asking price to the forefront last week.

Fifteen years ago, the Jets sent the Packers a conditional draft choice — which eventually became a 2009 third-rounder — for Brett Favre. It is clear that will not finalize the next blockbuster Packers-Jets deal involving a future Hall of Fame quarterback. Rodgers attempted to make clear during his latest Pat McAfee Show appearance he is not holding up this trade; the Packers are. The Jets view the Pack’s ask as unreasonable for a player not in their plans any longer, Florio adds.

Rodgers making his Jets intentions clear could up the ante for the Packers, with no other teams on the radar for the 39-year-old passer. It also would cost the Packers more to trade Rodgers than it will for them to keep him on their payroll in 2023. A trade now would saddle Green Bay with $40MM in dead money, which would match the record-setting amount the Falcons ate in last year’s Matt Ryan trade. A Rodgers trade after June 1 would tag the Packers with just $15MM in dead cap. This rather large gap between the two trade timelines could certainly entice the Packers to drag their feet, and while Rodgers said weeks ago he expects a contract adjustment to occur before he is traded, not doing so could lead to a lengthy delay.

The Jets being near-certain they will obtain Rodgers could prompt them to act as though his contract will be on their payroll and operate accordingly throughout free agency. But some doubt would naturally exist the longer this situation drags. The team’s other targets — Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo — are long gone, representing another leverage-boosting factor for the Packers.

Though, the Jets being set to install Nathaniel Hackett‘s offense — the Matt LaFleur-implemented system Rodgers has played in for four seasons — would not make it a requirement for this trade to happen immediately. Rodgers already has a rapport with new Jet Allen Lazard, but he would need to develop timing with Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore and possibly Corey Davis — should the former top-five pick remains in the team’s 2023 plans.

Same as it was 15 years ago, when the Packers installed Rodgers as their starter following Favre retirement No. 1, Green Bay will turn to a fourth-year passer (Jordan Love). Favre re-emerged from retirement that summer. Rodgers indicating Wednesday he is not planning to retire separates these two situations, but the Jets did not have their 2008 QB starter on the roster until August 6.

It would be shocking if the Rodgers trade saga lasted that long, but with the Jets not wanting to give up a first-round pick, it will probably take some time for the teams to finalize this.

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