It’s hard to know what to make of Dan Campbell. The star of this season’s Hard Knocks acts and sounds like a meathead, but he spent five years learning his craft under Sean Payton, one of the brightest coaches of his era. If Campbell is able to turn Detroit around, you can expect a lot more former players to be hired in the future. Currently, only 1/4 of coaches played in the league. Anyway, here are a few Packers-related thoughts that ran through my mind in recent days:
1) Inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti wasn’t one of Matt LaFleur’s sexiest hires in 2019, but three-plus years later, he’s proven to be one of the best. The 48-year-old, who worked under defensive coordinator Joe Barry in Washington, nurtured an undrafted rookie into a capable starter in 2020 (Krys Barnes) and turned a journeyman into an All-Pro last season (De’Vondre Campbell). Now, Olivadotti’s working his magic again with Isaiah McDuffie, a sixth-round pick in 2021 who’s been one of the team’s most improved players this summer. Even more impressive is that Green Bay, with the possible exception of Blake Martinez, hadn’t been able to develop even above-average players at this position in the decade before Olividotti’s arrival. All of this bodes well for the immediate future of Quay Walker, the team’s top pick in April.
2) The return of All-Pro David Bakhtiari and Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins from the physically unable to perform list and the draft status of Sean Rhyan made Cole Van Lanen expendable, even though the former Wisconsin star was having a good training camp. The Green Bay native was dealt to the Jaguars on Tuesday for a seventh-round pick in 2023. That makes projecting which offensive linemen will be around after final cuts next Tuesday a lot easier. Bakhtiari, Jenkins, Rhyan, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan, Royce Newman, Yosh Nijman, and Zach Tom are locks, and Jake Hanson appears safe. With Van Lanen no longer in the picture, the odds of massive rookie left tackle Caleb Jones making the final roster are now better than they were 48 hours ago. In fact, it would be a mild surprise if the former Indiana star isn’t part of the 53.
3) Speaking of Jones, he’s one of only four undrafted rookies with a chance at making the final roster. The other three are Akial Byars, Tyler Goodson, and Jack Coco. At least one UDFA has been part of Green Bay’s initial 53 since 2005. Out of this quartet, the long shot of the longshots is Byars. He hasn’t flashed often enough at a defensive line position that’s the deepest it’s been in many years. Jones, Goodson, and to a lesser extent, Coco have all done enough to stick, but all three should still be renting. The Packers would probably have to keep 10 O-linemen to accommodate Jones, and the coaches might prefer Patrick Taylor’s experience on special teams over Goodson’s superior skills as a runner and a receiver. As for Coco, he’ll need to have a good game on Thursday and then hope no proven long snapper is cut next week.
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