REPORT: Packers RB and Te coach fired

[easyk83]

I only have three Packers jerseys, and Campen is one of them. I loved the guy at center but agree with easyk, he just has never cut it as a coach.

Sam Gash is no big loss. Wynnebeck and Ace nailed it. They had to cut Alonzo Harris mid season for discipline. All of the fumbles by Starks and Lacy.

I really think he does do a good job of handling individual guys in game and I think he does a good job working with individual players. But with his units it's always been an adventure, there's always one part of his OL playing like crap.

 

[Sky King]

As dysfunctional as the offense was this year I have to wonder if the coaching turnover ends at Gash and Fontenot. Clements is like a man without a country since MM retook the play calling duties. Maybe MM doesn't fire him if Clements is willing to accept a demotion or he is being given a little time to find a job with another team.

Clements does not seem to be a fit in GB any longer unless he's capable of being an effective WR coach, or Van Pelt is determined to be that guy and Clements moves back to being the QB coach. Or Bennett gets demoted from OC to WR coach and Clements reclaims the OC position. Would egos allow some combination of the above or will any such reassignments result in even more dysfunction?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The thing I never understood about making Alex Van Pelt the QB/WR coach this year, was his lack of experience as a WR coach as well as possibly his knowledge of the position. IMO, the Packers WR's took a step backward this year as a group and you have to wonder if that isn't on the coach?

I know not everyone is a fan of Wikipidia, but a quick look at the Van Pelt and the WR coaches on the 4 remaining teams, seems to show that the other 4 WR coaches belong in that particular position. All 4 have far more experience by working their way up the NFL as a WR positional coach and also played the position (except O'Shea).

I am just lost as to why Van Pelt was given that job and hope there is a change made.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darryl_Drake

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad_O'Shea

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Proehl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyke_Tolbert

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Van_Pelt

 

[Mondio]

i don't know alex van pelts credentials, but they must have seen something in him they liked. I think there's a lot more to being a coach than having played a position. Edgar over saw one of the best receiving units in the league when he was the receivers coach. They looked a lot more physical out there before and after the catch, maybe a bit of his RB skills added in.

I think Edgar is a good coach and pays attention to details and gets his message across. He's done it with all the groups he's coached. It's why I think there was a disconnect in the offense this year, you took a guy very good at getting the most out of his players and made him a guy that had to get a lot out of his coaches. Those position coaches may be great at overseeing and delegating, but they didn't seem to get the personal relationships with the actual players that Edgar got.

 

[TJV]

I hope McCarthy goes farther by figuring out what to do with Clements and Bennett at the top of the hierarchy on offense. (I believe he did say in his press conference that Clements is staying.) It’s difficult to know how much impact position coaches have but one who looks to have been successful at two spots is Bennett. First as RB coach and then with the WRs. And he was rewarded with a promotion to OC, which is great for him, but bad for the team IMO. But it’s a dilemma for McCarthy because after doing a good job he deserved a promotion. I’m all in favor of bringing in new people and ideas - I think this is better than just keeping the status quo - but I would prefer them to have more authority than a position coach. And even if they don’t make it public if Clements and Bennett’s titles don’t change, I hope there are clear lines of responsibility between the Associate HC/Offense and the OC.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

For some reason I think a lot of the coaching changes on the offensive side of the ball last year were an attempt at keeping good coaches happy and with the Packers. But something was way off most of the year with the offense and some of that blame has to be put on the coaches, not just players. Just the general top heavy structure of the 2015 Offensive Coaching staff with Bennett and Clements seemingly having the same duties (besides play calling for awhile), coupled with what you know is MM having a role in the offense.

Who knows, maybe things were running smoothly with this structure and duties were clearly spelled out, but seems to me its a case of too many cooks in the kitchen and Van Pelt seemed to be holding a strainer all season when it came to coaching the WR's.

 

[El Guapo]

The thing I never understood about making Alex Van Pelt the QB/WR coach this year, was his lack of experience as a WR coach as well as possibly his knowledge of the position. IMO, the Packers WR's took a step backward this year as a group and you have to wonder if that isn't on the coach

I'm with Mondio on this. I think that he had the credentials to take on WR coach but both QB and WR might have been a stretch. Mondio stole the thought from my brain, but Edgar Bennett had no experience (less than Van Pelt) when they moved him into the position.

Sometimes you have to promote people on talent and their intangibles and not just what have they accomplished in the past.

 

[El Guapo]

I see what you are saying, but how high of a ceiling do Rodgers and Perillo have? I can't say it's a bad move, but I think there are more pressing issues. Like an offensive mind who can create a scheme that actually still works after 1 player goes down.

I think that there are higher ceilings for Rodgers and Quarless....certainly not Finley levels but that's an unfair comparison. Finley was a rare athlete with a few lose wires in the head. Had someone screwed it on right he could have been great, and not just great at times.

Rodgers can be a very good possession tight end but he needs help and has to work at it harder. Quarless has much less skill than Finley but could be a better pass-catching tight end than he currently is for the Pack. Perillo is what he is....a car mechanic probably. A different coach may be able to coach the extra ability out of Quarless and Rodgers, to make the TE position a strength on this team. Right now it's a notch below reliable.

We need coaches that can get more out of players because it's unrealistic to stock all of the positions with top tier talent. One of the great reasons we went to the SB in 2010 was that we got more out of the low-end players than everybody else. Zombo, Crabtree, Howard Green, CJ Wilson, Erik Walden, Charlie Peprah, and Jarrett Bush were all players that played above their abilities that season. Part of it is internal drive, part of it is leadership from veteran players, and part of it was coaches getting those extra bits out of the players that they've got. We need more of that because we will never be stocked at every position.

 

[Mondio]

I'm with Mondio on this. I think that he had the credentials to take on WR coach but both QB and WR might have been a stretch. Mondio stole the thought from my brain, but Edgar Bennett had no experience (less than Van Pelt) when they moved him into the position.

Sometimes you have to promote people on talent and their intangibles and not just what have they accomplished in the past.

I can give it back to you now that I"m done with it

 

[Gonepackin]

Wow. MM is not messing around.

https://t.co/Fs8hW6xAG3

Sounds like he is saving his own behind. Figures

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Sounds like he is saving his own behind. Figures

As opposed to...firing himself? Isn't it the job of the HC along with the GM to evaluate their coaches and make changes as they see fit?

 

[NelsonsLongCatch]

It is his job for the attitude and focus of.his players. If its one or two players maybe it is not his fault, but when all your players are not performing and have attitude problems, then the coach has got to go. Who was the RB who got cut a few weeks ago, Harris? I think there were some issues with that position group and probably the TEs as well.

I was making a joke about Eddie Lacy's eating. Totally agree with the firing.

 

[Sky King]

No matter how sure he may have been at the onset, McCarthy would hardly be the first leader to be severely disappointed by someone that they had promoted.

 

[4zone]

My thoughts exactly. Maybe there are more changes to come.

The higher on the food chain, the longer it will take to make the decision on their status. These two were low level fires, not much ripple in the pond but may have been a distinct message sent directly to the players they coached.

 

[4zone]

For some reason I think a lot of the coaching changes on the offensive side of the ball last year were an attempt at keeping good coaches happy and with the Packers. But something was way off most of the year with the offense and some of that blame has to be put on the coaches, not just players. Just the general top heavy structure of the 2015 Offensive Coaching staff with Bennett and Clements seemingly having the same duties (besides play calling for awhile), coupled with what you know is MM having a role in the offense.

brat, with MM taking back the play calling, we now essentially have two OC's, regardless of titles, one most likely will have to go.

 

[longtimefan]

brat, with MM taking back the play calling, we now essentially have two OC's, regardless of titles, one most likely will have to go.

I think that is how it was for a few years? I maybe wrong but thought Tom was giving play calling even tho he was the OC

 

[Packerlifer]

http://espn.go.com/blog/green-bay-p...otential-in-now-ex-packers-assistant-fontenot

 

[Wynnebeck]

Update: Mike Solari the Offensive Line coach is looking elsewhere for a promotion. If he leaves, that will be 3 coaches gone in less than a week.

http://gnb.247sports.com/Bolt/Two-coaches-gone-another-with-his-foot-out-the-door-43020438

 

[greenbeard]

Update: Mike Solari the Offensive Line coach is looking elsewhere for a promotion. If he leaves, that will be 3 coaches gone in less than a week.

Maybe he thought he could be the sucessor for campen. But it seems they are gonna keep campen and let him go.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I understand the reasoning behind firing Gash as the running backs struggled all season for various reasons. Fontenot wasn´t given any talent to work with this season and him being fired came as a surprise to me. The responsibilites on top of the offense´s coaching staff have to be reassigned and I truly hope McCarthy will split up QB and WR coaching positions once again.

 

[7thFloorRA]

I like that they got the Browns old TE coach. The TE position is the only position on that team that has played well the last few years. Barnidge and Cameron are exactly what the pack needs.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

2 Coaches out the door (3 if you count OL assistant Solari leaving) .

What does everyone see happening with Van Pelt, Clements and Bennett?

I don't see Van Pelt being the WR coach after what that unit did this year. Was puzzled by him being there at the beginning of the season and even more so now.

Bennett did pretty well with the WR's in his 3 years as their coach, so I see him going back to that as a logical move. However, this may be why the Packers promoted him to OC, he wanted a bigger role and going backwards wont be acceptable to him. So that leaves the Packers with finding a new WR coach and keeping Bennett at OC, but then what do you do with Clements?

 

[TJV]

I think that is how it was for a few years? I maybe wrong but thought Tom was giving play calling even tho he was the OC

I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking but the chronology of the OC position is: Joe Philbin was the only OC from 2007 to 2011. In 2012 Clements became OC and was promoted to Associate HC/Offense in February of 2015. Bennett was WR coach from 2011 to 2014 and was promoted to OC in February of 2015. McCarthy has been the play caller for his entire tenure in Green Bay except this year when he turned it over to Clements.

In addition to keeping Bennett and Clements happy I think McCarthy made the change because he wasn’t planning on spending as much time with the offense this season. That’s changed since he took play calling back and IMO it makes sense to make changes with the staff that reflect that. I don’t care what any of their titles are, but from everything I’ve heard, read, and seen Bennett was very good as RB coach and then a very good WR coach. I hope he goes back to coaching the WRs.

 

[longtimefan]

I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking but the chronology of the OC position is: Joe Philbin was the only OC from 2007 to 2011. In 2012 Clements became OC and was promoted to Associate HC/Offense in February of 2015. Bennett was WR coach from 2011 to 2014 and was promoted to OC in February of 2015. McCarthy has been the play caller for his entire tenure in Green Bay except this year when he turned it over to Clements.

In addition to keeping Bennett and Clements happy I think McCarthy made the change because he wasn’t planning on spending as much time with the offense this season. That’s changed since he took play calling back and IMO it makes sense to make changes with the staff that reflect that. I don’t care what any of their titles are, but from everything I’ve heard, read, and seen Bennett was very good as RB coach and then a very good WR coach. I hope he goes back to coaching the WRs.

Sorry I meant Tom was not given play calling even tho he was the OC

 

[TeamTundra]

I like that they got the Browns old TE coach. The TE position is the only position on that team that has played well the last few years. Barnidge and Cameron are exactly what the pack needs.

A friend of mine who is a Dolphins fan thinks they will be cutting Cameron this spring. He only
had around 35 catches last year and the Dolphins have some cap issues.