Considering 2018 for Green Bay

It's about time!

That's the first reaction to the news that the Packers parted ways with Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers. He wore out his welcome several seasons ago. And while there are those in his corner who will point to the massive number of injuries the team suffered AGAIN, it was time to move.

Capers himself has admitted his complex defense requires veterans. Yet GM Ted Thompson consistently put emphasis on draft-and-develop instead of filling gaps with free agents. That philosophy, plus the general stubborn approach the last few years to Green Bay's own free agents, was a formula for disaster.

Replacing Capers? The popular name at the time may well be Jimmy Leonard, the University of Wisconsin D-Coordinator who had such great success this season as the Badgers used a top-ranked defense to finish 13-1. Regarding Leonard, I have just two words -- Not yet. Leonard did a fabulous job in his first year as the D-Coordinator, and only his second as a coach at any level. But let's see how he does in rebuilding a defense, and gets some seasoning, before we anoint him. Maybe that means hiring another guy with Wisconsin ties, Dave Aranda (currently D-C at Louisiana State). Maybe that means getting another guy with NFL experience.

Back to Thompson. While he was making moves, or avoiding them, he consistently refused to step up to the microphone and defend those moves to the public. Green Bay doesn't have one owner, it has thousands. Yes, the team has a president/CEO and board of directors -- and I'm sure he spoke with them. But for the rest of us? Thompson was the sphinx. And never should have been!

Now Thompson will transition to another front office position --Senior Advisor to Football Operations. Another It's-About-Time moment. There are plenty of potential replacements who have a background in Green Bay. But I think it's time for Eliot Wolf to step in as the general manager, with hopefully a new approach to the operation. Thompson did alright in his stretch, yes, but only 1 Super Bowl with the best quarterback in the league

What does this mean for Coach Mike McCarthy? He's got another year on his contract, and I think you will see an extension here. Green Bay's problems are not on the offensive side of the ball, once Aaron Rodgers is healthy. Despite a few play-calling snafus here and there, Coach Mac is pretty solid. And if this past 7-9 debacle had any bright spots, it was the development of a pair of running backs that will assist McCarthy and Rodgers in 2018.

Speaking of 2018, taking a look at the home-and-away schedule that has been set so far, Green Bay will face three new head coaches (in Detroit, Chicago and Arizona) and five playoff teams (Minnesota, Buffalo and Atlanta at home, the Los Angeles Rams and New England on the road). In addition, the Packers will face eight teams with winning records and only five clubs with losing records.