When the Green Bay Packers hired Jonathan Gannon as their new defensive coordinator, they knew they were getting an eccentric personality.
Some interesting clips of Gannon went viral during his time as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, but there is no question his infectious energy is having an impact on his new players in Green Bay.
Defensive back Javon Bullard said last week: “I ain’t gonna lie, I like JG, I mess with JG. Just the mindset, the attitude, the passion that he has, it shows. You can tell he really just loves ball. He shows it in many different ways.
“He’s a little crazy, but it’s a mutual respect because I think I’m a little crazy."
Edgerrin Cooper confirmed his teammate's report, saying Gannon is “Very crazy, but we love it.
We needed that spark in the room. He’s gonna have us rolling, so I can’t wait."
Gannon has been bringing his brand of crazy to the practice field early in training camp, causing plenty of problems for Matt LaFleur, Jordan Love and the Packers offense.
Part of the recipe has been regular and unpredictable blitzing, including sending plenty of defensive backs after the quarterback. The results have been there so far, as Love has had free runners barrelling towards him on multiple occasions.
Asked about the stress Gannon has been putting on his offense, LaFleur said: “There’s been some exotic looks in practice and we’re gonna see some of that early on in the season."
Discussing one such instance where Jordan Love came out of his play fake to find a cornerback in his face, LaFleur said Gannon “Dialed it up. He had a good play versus the play the offense had for sure."
Every defensive coordinator claims they are going to play to the strengths of their personnel. Gannon walks the walk more than most though.
One of the more notable elements of camp so far has been the prevalence of three-safety looks for the Packers on defense.
Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams and Javon Bullard are three of Green Bay’s best defensive players, and previous DC Jeff Hafley made sure to get all three on the field, with Bullard playing mostly in the slot.
Now Gannon is getting creative to get the most out of the Packers’ best three defensive backs.
Asked how he is adapting to the new defense, Williams said: “It’s been a lot of fun, it’s been very fluid, they give us a lot of freedom to be (different) places before the snap.
“Me, X and Bull are really tied in with our disguises and I feel like I’ll have the opportunity to do a little more than just playing in the post or playing a quarter, getting some blitzing opportunities as well, so I’m definitely excited for it."
On having all three safeties out there, he said: “I haven’t played in any system like it where you just have equal confidence in anybody that goes on the field, that they’re going to be able to do everything.
“I feel like we’re in a pretty unique situation to where we’ve got three guys that can do a whole lot and I feel like from a scheme perspective, it gives JG a lot of freedom. He has a lot of confidence in all of us doing whatever job he sees fit.
“I know that’s probably frustrating from an offensive perspective, looking at three guys that don’t have many weaknesses. I feel like we’re going to be pretty dangerous this year."
Giving his two cents on the three-safety package, McKinney said: “We love it. It’s going to continue to progress and get better as we learn different spots and we’re all able to move around and do different things."
It is not just the safeties enjoying the new scheme. Linebacker Nick Niemann said “I really like the defense. JG brings a special aspect having been a head coach, that’s huge. The scheme that he runs, he’s wicked smart, you could sit with him in a meeting for five minutes and realize that."
Cornerback Keisan Nixon explained: “It really helps my skillset. (Gannon) allows me to make plays at corner. I like what we’re doing."
Early on, the vibes for Green Bay’s new defense are all positive. It remains to be seen how those encouraging signs translate onto the field when it really matters in September.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Jonathan Gannon puts stamp on Packers defense: 'He's a little crazy'
