The Packers progress DC search while NFC North rival hits a wall

The Packers have reached the interview stage of their defensive-coordinator search, but more work lies ahead.

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Why didn't The Leap's report on the Packers' DC candidates include all of the names that the team requested for interviews?

Jason B. Hirschhorn: For the uninitiated, The Leap released an extensive report last week that included 10 coaches that, according to a variety of sources in and around the NFL as well as the college ranks, could or would receive interest from the Packers for their defensive-coordinator vacancy. The report also included three coaches who do not have a shot at the job despite efforts on the part of their agents to connect them to Green Bay. Our list of candidates included several already known to have interviewed.

However, some coaches that the Packers requested for interviews did not feature in our story: Buffalo Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich and Dallas Cowboys defensive-line coach Aden Durde.

In putting our story together, we aimed to avoid what too many other outlets do: copy the same, unvetted list of candidates likely taken from another site. Instead, we began working our contacts weeks ahead of defensive coordinator Joe Barry's dismissal to figure out what names might actually gain traction with the Packers' decision-makers. In the process of doing so, The Leap identified multiple coaches now contending for the job as well as names that, while publicly connected to Green Bay, would not garner consideration.

For further context, The Leap inquired about a handful of names that did not ultimately appear in the report. In most of those cases, we received valuable insight but couldn't find enough to properly connect them to the Packers at the time.

One of those coaches, Babich, came up during our info-gathering efforts. To Packers fans of a certain age, that name probably sounds familiar. His father of the same name worked as an NFL assistant for decades, including multiple stints as a defensive coordinator. The younger Babich broke into the league under Sean McDermott with the Carolina Panthers, eventually following him to the Buffalo Bills in 2017.

Babich's ascension truly kicked off in Buffalo. Most young assistants, especially on the defensive side of the ball, stick with one position group. However, he transitioned from safeties to linebackers within a few years, a signal to the coaching community that he had earned McDermott's trust. Multiple league contacts highlighted that part of Babich's résumé as a significant driver of the league's interest in his services. His work with an undermanned and injury-plagued position group in 2023 also received high marks.

Based on our reporting, we thought Babich would likely receive interview requests even if we couldn't tie him to Green Bay's search. As it turns out, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur had him on his list, and we'll continue to track the story along with the other DC candidates.

Of the DC candidates already known to have received interview requests from the Packers, which one makes the most sense for the team?

JBH: At the time of this writing, the Packers have met with or requested interviews for four candidates: Denver Broncos defensive-backs coach Christian Parker, former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, and the aforementioned Babich and Durde. More interview requests could surface as soon as Monday.

In terms of defensive background, the current candidates represent three coaching trees. As detailed above, Babich has spent most of his NFL career coaching under McDermott, a disciple of the late Jim Johnson's blitz-driven defenses. Durde has coached almost exclusively under Dan Quinn, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach and current Cowboys DC. Parker and Staley have each worked under venerated defensive mind Vic Fangio though never overlapped with one another on a staff.

The Packers have plenty of experience with Fangio's defense. They hired Joe Barry, a former assistant under Staley, to bring that scheme to Green Bay with mostly disappointing results. That in turn has led to consternation among fans about investing more time and money into the system.

However, that concern seems somewhat misplaced. First, the Fangio-influenced defenses still work when they have the right players, and Green Bay has most of the required personnel. The game plans under Barry caused more issues than the defensive foundation, an issue already addressed by his dismissal last week.

But even putting those matters aside, Parker and Staley would offer their own twists and differences from Fangio. Staley showed remarkable creativity as the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, finding ways to get Aaron Donald single blocked on occasion while taking advantage when offenses threw multiple offensive linemen at him. As for Parker, he spent only one season under Fangio but multiple years under Mike Pettine as well as other defensive coordinators. He has a wider range than just running quarters and Cover 6.

Because Parker understands the defense that the Packers ran the past three seasons as well as others that might better fit their personnel -- particularly their press-man cornerbacks -- he seems decently suited to transition from Barry's scheme. Green Bay should still interview more candidates, but Parker could ultimately make the most sense.

Did Dan Campbell's Detroit Lions just hit their ceiling?

JBH: Only years in the future can anyone know the full story of the Dan Campbell-era Detroit Lions. Perhaps Sunday's 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers will serve as the prelude to a successful title run in the coming years, closing the door on decades of futility. Certainly, teams have recovered from worse moments than Jahmyr Gibbs' script-flipping fumble and the subsequent 49ers comeback.

There also stands a decent-to-good chance that the Lions reached their zenith during the first half of Sunday's game and won't return to that level at any point in the near future. By most estimations, coveted offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will depart for a head-coaching position within the next week or so. A handful of key players will see their contracts expire or void, including multiple starting offensive linemen, Detroit's No. 2 wideout, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. And while quarterback Jared Goff won't go anywhere, he will soon cost a lot more money.

Meanwhile, the NFC North looks to grow more competitive in 2024. The Packers performed like one of the best teams in football over the second half of the season and have one of the league's youngest rosters. The Chicago Bears will most likely have a different quarterback come April and, as a result, a more-viable path forward. Only the Minnesota Vikings appear poised to take a step back, and that assumes they move on from Kirk Cousins.

All of which underscores how much more difficult the Lions' road to a Super Bowl will soon become. For all that they did well over the past few years, replacing an ace offensive play-caller while working with a fine but not great starter under center could easily result in significant regression on that side of the ball. Perhaps Campbell can find the next Johnson, but few head coaches have pulled off that track. If he doesn't, Goff's performance will likely suffer, and that too would weigh down the unit.

When a club has a superstar quarterback, an all-world offensive play-caller, or both, the contention window tends to stay open for a while. But the Lions probably won't have either of those come Week 1 of the 2024 season. That doesn't mean they'll turn into a pumpkin, but they don't need to lose much before falling into the also-ran category.