Green Bay Packers Players Excited to Play For Jeff Hafley

One of the major changes that the Green Bay Packers made this offseason was on the defensive side of the ball. Joe Barry, who had been the coordinator the last three seasons, was out. He was replaced by Jeff Hafley, who was the head coach at Boston College for the last four seasons.

It was certainly a move that took many people by surprise. Moving from college to the NFL is seen as a promotion, but going from head coach to coordinator will have its challenges. But, there is certainly some excitement surrounding the team’s defense and the players love the changes.

“I love Hafley,” said cornerback Eric Stokes. “I love how his mindset is and everything … He just wants you to ball. He’s gonna put you in the positions. He ain’t gonna make you overthink anything and all that stuff. He just wants you to go out there and have fun and just play 110 miles per hour, and that’s what I love about Hafley, to where he always says, ‘Imma go ahead and take the bullet [when things don’t go well]. You just go out there and just have fun and you just play.’ And it’s different for every position.”

Under Barry the last few seasons, the Green Bay Packers underachieved. There is a lot of talent on the defense, but they weren’t always put in the best position to succeed. Scheme fit was a constant topic, as Barry didn’t always take advantage of the personnel he had.

A former defensive backs coach, Jeff Hafley will have several weapons to work with in the secondary. It should come as no surprise that the backend was a focus for the front office this offseason, as the safety position was revamped.

But, the biggest change will come in the front of the defense. Under Barry, the Green Bay Packers ran a 3-4 base. With Jeff Hafley calling the shots, it will be a 4-3 base. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt has commented on how much more aggressive he can be in this scheme, as veteran Kenny Clark is also excited about the change.

“I think it’s going to be really good,” Clark said. “It’s one of the things where all my career I’ve been kind of playing this way but in more of a controlled way. And I think now this is giving us a chance to shut all that other stuff off. Just use your ability and just go up the field and be disruptive. I just think with my get-off and how I am, I think it’s going to suit me well.”

It will be interesting to see how the Green Bay Packers look once they can go full boar in the regular season. The changes under Jeff Hafley have players excited, as we could see a more dynamic and playmaking defensive unit in 2024.

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