The Green Bay Packers have officially replaced Joe Barry as defensive coordinator. On Wednesday, head coach Matt LaFleur announced he would not be returning to coach in D.C. “I would like to thank Joe for his hard work and contributions to our success over the past three seasons,” LaFleur said. “These decisions are very difficult, and Joe is one of the best people I’ve had the pleasure of working with in this league.”But that doesn’t mean Joe Barry won’t be in Green Bay next season. According to ESPN’s Rob Demowski and Adam Schefter, there is a scenario where Barry returns in a different position.
“Barry may remain with the Packers in some capacity. That possibility is under discussion.”The exact position has yet to be announced and may vary depending on who the new defensive coordinator is and what he will do with the staff. For now, the coaching staff has remained the same. That doesn’t mean there won’t be more changes in the near future.Breaking down the Packers’ options to keep Barry.If the Packers hire a coach who uses a system like Ejiro Evero, Barry could become the linebackers coach. He has extensive and successful coaching experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams, leading Barry to the defensive coordinator position.Another scenario would be Joe Barry taking on some sort of advisory role, like a senior assistant. Former Western Michigan coach Tim Lester is now State’s lead analyst. Although he has a true offensive background, LaFleur likes to mix things up to get a variety of perspectives in his role as an advisor. It wouldn’t be a far-fetched idea for Barry to be a member of the offensive staff. Joe Barry spent 22 years in the NFL, including three stints as defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, Washington Cardinals and Green Bay Packers.This will be the third under new defensive coordinator Matt LaFleur. When he took over as head coach in 2019, he decided to retain Mike Fetain, who was fired two years later.
Joe Barry was selected and names like Ejiro Evero and Ryan Nielsen were left out. In 2021, the Packers kept most of their defensive coaches in place. It has not yet been announced whether the current coaches will remain in office, but as they have not been fired so far, the final decision is expected to be made in consultation with the new coordinator.
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