former packer star player considered for the position….
The Green Bay Packers made headlines on Wednesday when the organization announced that defensive coordinator Joe Barry would not return for the 2024 season.
Holding the role since 2021, Barry had been a highly-criticized coordinator during his tenure, which made his dismissal on Monday somewhat anticipated, although head coach Matt LaFleur declined to talk specifics just two days ago following the Packers’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round.
With Barry out of the picture, one name that the Packers could look to hire is former Wisconsin Badgers head coach Jim Leonhard, who was considered for the position in 2021.
Leonhard was reportedly LaFleur’s top choice during that cycle, according to The Athletic, but ultimately chose to remain at Wisconsin as the school’s defensive coordinator, leading the head coach to pick Barry over top candidates like Ejiro Evero, who has turned into one of the NFL’s top coordinators over the past few seasons.
Now, a potential pairing between Leonhard and the Packers is possible, as the former Badgers head coach is currently a senior defensive analyst with the Illinois Fighting Illini, but has been in regard for several defensive coordinator jobs, both in the NFL and in college, over the last two cycles.
Will Leonhard return to Wisconsin for a different team? Or will the Packers go in a different direction to fill their newly-created void.
Updated Packers 2024 Depth Charts Show Holes on Roster.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The offseason is here for the Green Bay Packers. For general manager Brian Gutekunst, that means attention has turned toward building the most competitive 90-man roster possible for the start of offseason practices in May.
Yes, Gutekunst will be focused on adding difference-makers to the roster, but he’s also got to build depth. A perfect example is safety.
With Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford set to hit free agency, the only safeties who are under contract for 2024 who played in 2023 are Anthony Johnson, Benny Sapp and Zayne Anderson.
Johnson, a rookie seventh-round pick, played 303 snaps of defense with four starts during the regular season. Sapp, an undrafted rookie, played three snaps on defense. Anderson, who was claimed off waivers from Bills after final cuts, played zero.
Meanwhile, receiver is loaded, with every player set to come back for next season.
So, how does Green Bay’s roster look when the free agents are removed from the equation?
The following is an adapted version of the depth chart posted at Packers.com for the playoff game at San Francisco. Players listed under “depth chart” are under contract for 2024 but do not include practice-squad holdovers (or futures-contract additions), who are in a separate category. Free agents include only unrestricted free agents.
Hopefully, this provides a good feel for where the Packers are strong and where they are weak with free agency about seven weeks away.
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