Green Bay Packers needed a new defensive backs coach after their coach, Jason Simmons, left for Carolina. Green Bay needed a coach that could develop young talent. Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, and Darnell Savage are all established starters, but they’re still young guys. Packers decided to hire veteran coach Jerry Gray from the Minnesota Vikings. This is a great addition to Green Bay. Gray will immediately help the young guys in the back end, and this should help Green Bay flourish next season.

In the last four years, Gray had a secondary that ranked in the top 10. The corners were not good this year, but in years past, Xavier Rhodes was a Pro Bowl player. They had a long history of great safeties in the last few years. That is due in large part for Gray. Harrison Smith is one of the best in the game. Anthony Harris had a breakout year. Jayron Kearse also developed wonderfully under Gray. These should all be positive signs for the relatively young Packers secondary.

Some are concerned that Gray does not come from the Mike Pettine tree. That is nonsense. First, you want to have the best coaching staff possible. There is nothing wrong with mind-melding ideas together. Pettine adding some tendencies from the Mike Zimmer system is not a bad thing. Coaching staffs are sometimes too incestuous and there aren’t enough new ideas in the room. Take Gray’s former team, for example, they just hired Vikings’ head coach son to run their defense. That’s a problem.

Additionally, this is not some takeover situation where if Pettine starts slow, they’ll switch him out for Gray. Is it possible? Sure. But I don’t know if that’s realistic unless things go drastically bad to start the season on defense.

I’m very excited to see what comes from Savage, King, and Alexander. Savage had a good season in his first year but could get better. King is one guy that could potentially grow under Gray.

Charlie.