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Matt LaFleur's first job as head coach has nothing to do with revitalizing Aaron Rodgers or overhauling a prehistoric offense. The first-year head coach faced a much harder task: uproot complacency and give it its source in an organization where it permeates all levels of operations.
A culture of complacency deprived the Packers of Green Bay of the recent vintage. The plans have stalled with the lineup, with Ted Thompson missing critical choices, an error that can not be made when the repechage is the only way to transform the lineup. Among Mike McCarthy 's critics in reporting on his dismissal, an abominable truth has come to light: responsibility and competition have diminished and the team needs a recovery.
LaFleur's ties with Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan attracted a lot of attention during his hiring, as did his poor Titan season. However, an essential element of coaching remained a mystery: how would he manage a whole cloakroom? A first-year head coach, despite being a footballer-coach of a coaching family, finds himself in a difficult situation after the loss of the last head coach.
Instead, the 39-year-old coach accelerated the pace of the practice, demanding that his team demonstrate more energy. Creating a sense of urgency on the ground provides a natural advantage, but it is also a metaphor for the type of culture he builds. Every representative counts, every snapshot counts; play hard and be in the right place or leave the damn ground (just ask the rookie the offensive midfielder Dexter Williams). But this only serves to create a climate of fierce competition as he places his proverbial money where he was. The best players have to start regardless of where they come from, where they were drafted or how well they played last season.
Even before the final cuts, we see this culture manifest. Jaire Alexander spent a lot of time, both in practice and in practice, working with Davante Adams on the idea of the old cliché that iron sharpens iron. Competition could lead to contempt or promote fraternity. No one competes harder than he does with his family. Rashan Gary spoke to Za'Darius Smith for advice on the pass-rush technique. David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga have taken an active approach in coaching young linemen. Aaron Rodgers guided the receivers, the tight ends, the halfbacks, even the defensive players like Darnell Savage.
If the best players play, there is no contempt for veterans who start simply because they are there. In turn, locker room policy is easing and acrimony over playing time never grows (though, inevitably, some players will continue to believe that they should play more).
On many teams, it would be presumed that the second round choice would be played as soon as possible, but this was not always the case for Mike McCarthy's Packers. Out of loyalty, Green Bay has not managed to pass from renowned veterans to its reasonable utility for the team, with A.J. Hawk providing the most infamous example among the fans. But Lane Taylor, a seemingly entrenched starter, could still lose his job to Elgton Jenkins because of the quality of his training camp and pre-season performances. At present, less than two weeks after the kickoff against the Bears, LaFleur will still not name a starter.
Brian Gutekunst's first major maneuver as general manager brought DeShone Kizer to the Packers, but as he calls it, Kizer has yet to win his share. Tim Boyle started the pre-season game against the Raiders last week. This is the most consistent Packers reinforcement in practice. If Tim Boyle is the best option to be QB2, LaFleur has already shown his willingness to honor that, despite the practice paid by Green Bay for Kizer.
On the other hand, Tra Carson offers more reliability than Dexter Williams, a sixth-round pick, despite a clear talent gap. In the years passed under Ted Thompson, there was no doubt that someone like Williams would be part of the team. Drafts had to make the team. LaFleur let Carson beat Williams on the depth chart and could possibly be willing to risk losing Williams to another team in the final cups.
Meanwhile, the fourth round pick, J'Mon Moore, might not even be WR8 at this point, and seems to be a deadlock for the day. Gutekunst will have to show his willingness to make project mistakes in the same way as his predecessor. A year would be fast enough to cut the baits, but that reflects Moore's lack of progress after a disappointing rookie season.
The Adams-Alexander camp competition may be nothing more than a funny story. It may not make Gary better to work with Smith. And choosing Boyle on Kizer may not have a significant impact on the Packers this season. That said, complacency can rot a team and grow over time until it collapses. Green Bay is on the verge of collapse last season. Smoking the house will not make it more valuable, but it will stop the infestation. It's the starting point.
LaFleur has taken steps to put the Packers house back in order. Increase your energy level, create competition everywhere and ask a GM to bring in hungry young veterans to add an extra layer of insulation against the upcoming pests. A new offensive system, "the illusion of complexity", a renewed importance for an extremely effective pass-game, which could not work under any circumstances. This might not "fix" Aaron Rodgers. But the impact of LaFleur on the restoration of culture can already be seen in just a few months. To make it last will be a battle that will begin to fight even before the first week. He is now responsible for the maintenance of the house built by Lombardi.
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