Jonathan Gannon new Packer DC

[Heyjoe4]

A lot depends on when Parsons gets back. Teams will double him but it allows other players a golden opportunity. If Parsons is back early we could be top 10. If it is mid-season then likely we are middle of the pack and the standings will reflect it.

Agreed. Parsons got injured in the first half of December against the Broncos. Seems like ACL recovery has shrunk from one year to 10 months. I'd love it if he could be back for the first game in November.

And Parsons' presence and the attention he draws should make it easier for other Edge/LB guys to get through. That's one reason I was so disappointed with Gary last season. Gary never was able to get to the QB with single coverage. Of course, Parsons makes up for a lot.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I at least like this quote from Gannon, "It's not what scheme you play, it's how you play."

It's just like saying it is the musician not the instrument, or the batter not the bat. The proof with Gannon will be in the pudding.

Excellent analogies. It's the player, and how that player is used depending on his skills and the defense (or offense). So it's a function of the player and how the DC uses him.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It's just like saying it is the musician not the instrument, or the batter not the bat.

I've always liked "It's not the size of the boat in the harbor that matters, but the expertise of the Captain steering it that counts.

 

[El Guapo]

Well, that tells us a lot. In other words those DLs were never that good in the first place. And fans were probably fantasizing. The one DL that had a productive history went to Dallas in exchange for Micah.

Agree 100%

 

[PikeBadger]

Those are fair comments. Gannon has said he doesn't have a "scheme" he uses game to game. Rather de deploys the talent he has for maximum effectiveness against an opponent.

That's probably what all DCs and OCs would say. I take Gannon at his word. Hafley was pretty rigid and predictable in the way he called games. He is also a very bright coordinator and was certainly good for the Packers.

Top 5 D this season? I doubt it - not with this CB group. Just a gut feel by me that there are more talent holes on the D than the O.

Even so, I expect the D to finish in the top 10. And maybe the additions to the CB room pay off big time. So what I'm saying is, there's a chance.......

I'm not an expert but I don't think Hafley was anywhere near as rigid as Capers

 

[Heyjoe4]

I'm not an expert but I don't think Hafley was anywhere near as rigid as Capers

Yeah Pike, I did not mean to compare Hafley to Capers. Even using the term "rigid" is incorrect when referring to Hafley. He did follow a scheme, ran a lot of zone, and didn't vary that much. But he was light years better as a DC than Capers and Barry. And his players respected him.

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I would have been fine with Leonard, I believe he has been very successful at every opportunity he has had.

Tough to not be excited for what Gannon brings. He was very highly regarded as a DC before his HC gig.

I highly appreciated Hafley for his outstanding leadership. He communication was elite and has really good Xs and Os. I think he will be an even better HC than a DC.

Gannon is elite with his Xs and Os. With the right positional coordinators, which I believe he has, he can be a much better DC than a HC.

And Barry really excelled at . . err ah, did okay with . . . well I understand he had a really good chili recipe.

Really good chili recipe - so Barry had that going for him, which is nice.

Hafley excelled as a communicator and leader. His guys respected him, and he played it straight with them, the press, and the fans. He may very well make a better HC than coordinator. I wish him well as long as the Dolphins are not playing the Packers.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I won't dispute that at all. However, if you polled 100 Packers fans I think that you would find that 98 out of 100 expected the other DLs to be more productive with all of the attention paid to Micah. As you stated, the pass rush was almost non-existent when Micah was gone.

I was shocked that the other Edge guys didn't put up better stats with Parsons on the field, especially Gary who did not have a good year relative to his contract.

I really hope that changes when Parsons returns. LVN needs a big year and in spite of the injuries, showed improvement last year. With Dennis-Sutton in the mix, as well as the other Edge guys, competition will be tougher and that should make for a better group of Edge/LBs. Parsons will only make the Edge/LB group better, but they have to be willing to take advantage of the opportunity.

 

[milani]

Yeah Pike, I did not mean to compare Hafley to Capers. Even using the term "rigid" is incorrect when referring to Hafley. He did follow a scheme, ran a lot of zone, and didn't vary that much. But he was light years better as a DC than Capers and Barry. And his players respected him.

Thanks for pointing that out.

And also Petine.

 

[milani]

Agreed. Parsons got injured in the first half of December against the Broncos. Seems like ACL recovery has shrunk from one year to 10 months. I'd love it if he could be back for the first game in November.

And Parsons' presence and the attention he draws should make it easier for other Edge/LB guys to get through. That's one reason I was so disappointed with Gary last season. Gary never was able to get to the QB with single coverage. Of course, Parsons makes up for a lot.

What still frustrates me is the beating our D took at the hands of Derrick Henry and a back up QB at home! That has to get fixed. I know Henry is a great back. But the 3 times he faced us with Tennessee his average was just under 4 yards a carry. Henry faced a Capers D, a Petine D, and a Barry D. Now the Ravens had a good offense but not a great one. They did not make the playoffs. And their All-Pro QB did not play. How can you not slow Henry down? 6.0 yards per carry? Our defenses in 2016, 2020, and 2022 were not top 10. Our offense carried us back then. Stop the run!

 

[gopkrs]

Henry can be tough to stop. A freight train comes to mind. You really have to get to him before he picks up steam.

 

[Heyjoe4]

What still frustrates me is the beating our D took at the hands of Derrick Henry and a back up QB at home! That has to get fixed. I know Henry is a great back. But the 3 times he faced us with Tennessee his average was just under 4 yards a carry. Henry faced a Capers D, a Petine D, and a Barry D. Now the Ravens had a good offense but not a great one. They did not make the playoffs. And their All-Pro QB did not play. How can you not slow Henry down? 6.0 yards per carry? Our defenses in 2016, 2020, and 2022 were not top 10. Our offense carried us back then. Stop the run!

Yeah milani all good points and I'm afraid the offense is going to have to carry the team this year as well. The defense has been improved at the margins, but the CB group and the Edge group have too few studs (I don't think any of the CBs could be referred to as a "stud". And behind Parsons, the list is underwhelming, bit in fairness, has some potential to be v good.)

And I believe that teams with elite Ds win championships. Gluten will have a lot more opportunity to improve the D next offseason. For this year, we'll have to hope the offense starts strong and stays strong. Kraft should be back to start the season, the WR group has been tightened up with a v good cast. Still need a depth guy for the OL and maybe a RB2 (although the team is pretty much saying Lloyd will be the guy).

So another year of being patient with the D. Maybe Gannon will have some surprises.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Henry can be tough to stop. A freight train comes to mind. You really have to get to him before he picks up steam.

Very true - but if a defense knows the RB is going to be used a lot, allowing an average of 6 yds/carry is unacceptable.

 

[gopkrs]

Very true - but if a defense knows the RB is going to be used a lot, allowing an average of 6 yds/carry is unacceptable.

You can probably tell that to most teams in the league. And Baltimore is a triple threat

 

[milani]

You can probably tell that to most teams in the league. And Baltimore is a triple threat

Well, the Steelers beat them twice last season and got the division.

 

[Heyjoe4]

You can probably tell that to most teams in the league. And Baltimore is a triple threat

Henry is just a damn difficult guy to bring down. For such a tall guy, he has incredible balance and threads his way through opponents.

 

[GBkrzygrl]

Jeff was such a Personable guy. He’ll be sorely missed.

I do like the long term experience Jon Gannon has (I almost said Rich!). I also love the track record of Babich. We’ve got a highly successful Defensive mind working with him. Both have shown signs of recognizing talent and putting them in positions of success. Our own Micah was just 1 of several examples.

As a DC Gannon was given adequate resources. How often to you get to coach Micah Parsons and have a good supporting crew. Evan Williams, Franklin, Cooper and some nice adds to our D front 7 with RD4 Sorrell, RD5 Oliver RD1 Van Ness getting more looks. Then hitting a trio of what I really think are all Day 2 quality draft picks. Cisse, McClellan and Dennis-Sutton.
Gannon really has mostly young players he can mold. That along with some great experience in former Probowler Franklin and All Pro’s McKinney and Parsons. Plus bringing some experience back inside with Hargrave snd Watt.

I do find it interesting that Jeff's defense did well the first year. But the 2nd, not as much. Was it because of the injuries or were the other teams starting to figure out his defense?

 

[milani]

I do find it interesting that Jeff's defense did well the first year. But the 2nd, not as much. Was it because of the injuries or were the other teams starting to figure out his defense?

The injuries were are part especially down the stretch. But a lot of it was that we faced better opponents in 2025 than in 2024, particularly on offense.

 

[OldSchool101]

I do find it interesting that Jeff's defense did well the first year. But the 2nd, not as much. Was it because of the injuries or were the other teams starting to figure out his defense?

A mixture. Let’s face it we traded Clark to attain Parsons. Plus we tried an experiment with Wooden by converting him to a NT to cover over TJ Slaton loss. Plus we lost a very good LB in Eric Wilson back to the Vikings. That’s 3 really good players off our 2024 D
Those Roster trades and cuts won’t really heal until this year.

NOW in 2026 we got our reinforcements. Hargrave essentially replacing Kenny’s lost production.
Plus we have our 2025 5th Rounder back (Oliver) and he’s an highly athletic and disruptive LB. We took a 313lb McClellan over Wooden, who artificially inflated to around that weight. Here we’ve got a guy who not only plays natural between 310-320, he looks to be a super quick study. Probably why we traded up there. Typically Brian has a good hit ratio on trade ups (Love, J’aire, Evan Williams etc)

Then we had Cisse drop into our lap at #52 and he’s really closer to a top 40’s ranked drafted player, but he fit perfectly at top 3 needed position group. We also added a veteran boundary CB from the 2021 draft. Round 3, Benjamin St Juste, who I think is every bit as good as Valentine (similar Pass Protect but better in the run D)

You’d like to believe (can’t guarantee) that Sorrell or Brinson will mature some in year 2. Then we added what should’ve been a Top 50-75 area drafted player in Dennis-Sutton. Now to offer full disclose we traded Enagbare and Gary. This Sutton kid profiles like a young Montez Sweat (without his long speed). Both prospects killed it in the Combine.

We really have a net positive in both talent + depth on Defense in 2026. The one position we looked to backup on after losing Gary and Enagbare? Pass Rush
Im convinced that our FO saw what I see in that Cox Jr to me is ready to play a more vital role. he just needs to stay healthy! We are relying on 1 from the grouping of Sorrell, Dennis Sutton or Oliver to bolster the loss of Kingsley and Gary also. I like our chances from those 3 recent draft picks.

 

[OldSchool101]

While I understand Micah might not be ready Week 1 (or not be fully primed)
I do think Gannon having Wyatt, Hargrave, Lukas, McKinney, Evan and All Pro Parsons is going to absolutely reap havoc. Especially if we get another player or 2 from a handful of young rookie or 2nd year guys to step up some. This Roster is relatively Stacked. If Franklin resumes any part of his 2024 form we’re in for a treat.

I also don’t believe Brian is finished. He’s got Cap and plenty of 2027 Draft equity to add another substantial player before trade deadline. Wouldn’t shock me if we’re over .500 to go get another legit upgrade.

 

[CarryTheG14]

While I understand Micah might not be ready Week 1 (or not be fully primed)
I do think Gannon having Wyatt, Hargrave, Lukas, McKinney, Evan and All Pro Parsons is going to absolutely reap havoc. Especially if we get another player or 2 from a handful of young rookie or 2nd year guys to step up some. This Roster is relatively Stacked. If Franklin resumes any part of his 2024 form we’re in for a treat.

I also don’t believe Brian is finished. He’s got Cap and plenty of 2027 Draft equity to add another substantial player before trade deadline. Wouldn’t shock me if we’re over .500 to go get another legit upgrade.

The CBs and O-line. If the line bounces back and the CBs can play average ball, they're going to be a wagon.

 

[milani]

A mixture. Let’s face it we traded Clark to attain Parsons. Plus we tried an experiment with Wooden by converting him to a NT to cover over TJ Slaton loss. Plus we lost a very good LB in Eric Wilson back to the Vikings. That’s 3 really good players off our 2024 D
Those Roster trades and cuts won’t really heal until this year.

NOW in 2026 we got our reinforcements. Hargrave essentially replacing Kenny’s lost production.
Plus we have our 2025 5th Rounder back (Oliver) and he’s an highly athletic and disruptive LB. We took a 313lb McClellan over Wooden, who artificially inflated to around that weight. Here we’ve got a guy who not only plays natural between 310-320, he looks to be a super quick study. Probably why we traded up there. Typically Brian has a good hit ratio on trade ups (Love, J’aire, Evan Williams etc)

Then we had Cisse drop into our lap at #52 and he’s really closer to a top 40’s ranked drafted player, but he fit perfectly at top 3 needed position group. We also added a veteran boundary CB from the 2021 draft. Round 3, Benjamin St Juste, who I think is every bit as good as Valentine (similar Pass Protect but better in the run D)

You’d like to believe (can’t guarantee) that Sorrell or Brinson will mature some in year 2. Then we added what should’ve been a Top 50-75 area drafted player in Dennis-Sutton. Now to offer full disclose we traded Enagbare and Gary. This Sutton kid profiles like a young Montez Sweat (without his long speed). Both prospects killed it in the Combine.

We really have a net positive in both talent + depth on Defense in 2026. The one position we looked to backup on after losing Gary and Enagbare? Pass Rush
Im convinced that our FO saw what I see in that Cox Jr to me is ready to play a more vital role. he just needs to stay healthy! We are relying on 1 from the grouping of Sorrell, Dennis Sutton or Oliver to bolster the loss of Kingsley and Gary also. I like our chances from those 3 recent draft picks.

I certainly feel a lot more confident than General Custer did.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I do find it interesting that Jeff's defense did well the first year. But the 2nd, not as much. Was it because of the injuries or were the other teams starting to figure out his defense?

Hafley ran a solid defense, but it did seem predictable. I didn't see much difference from year 1 to year 2. His D was decimated by injuries, notably Parsons and Wyatt, and the CB group was just not good - mostly due to the players rather than the defensive calls.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I certainly feel a lot more confident than General Custer did.

Well there's a vot of confidence milani!

Aside from the addition of Hargarave, and even he is a ? due to age, the DL and Edge groups don't exactly inspire confidence without Parsons. There are a lot of guys who should be able to make up for losing Gary and Engabare (themselves not huge losses).

I hope that McLellan and DS get significant snaps - but they'll have to earn them, and as rookies, it's a big "if". And LVN has to prove he belongs as one of the best Edge guys on the team. Right now, that seems like a big ask. In fairness, we lost a lot of time to injury and when he did play, looked a lot better than his first two years.

 

[rmontro]

I certainly feel a lot more confident than General Custer did.

Custer was overly confident.