Losing a top lieutenant to an external promotion is never easy. Perhaps the biggest (albeit unintended) consequence is the corresponding staff overhaul, as Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has experienced firsthand this offseason.
LaFleur lost six former Packers assistants to the Miami Dolphins, who hired Green Bay's ex-defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, as head coach in January. That doesn't even include Jon-Eric Sullivan leaving his role as vice president of player personnel in Titletown to become the general manager in South Beach. Or quarterback Malik Willis and safety Zayne Anderson following suit in free agency — though who's counting, right?
It's a natural ripple effect, one that the Dolphins have embraced to the point that many have dubbed them the "Packers South." The pendulum eventually swings both ways, however, which could materialize ahead of the NFL's August 30 cutdown deadline, when rosters shrink from 90 to 53.
The pipeline to Hafley and Sullivan may present Green Bay with opportunities to benefit from their pre-established connection in the coming days. These two clubs will be the first to contact each other if they can both gain something. Keep tabs on the names below who appear to be on the bubble in Miami and can be of service to LaFleur and Co.
Two players the Green Bay Packers could try to poach from Jeff Hafley's Miami Dolphins
Lonnie Johnson Jr., DB
The Packers can use some safety depth behind the dynamic duo of Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams. Johnson has transitioned from corner to the back end of the secondary as he's entered the back nine of his career and is ostensibly dispensable.
A youth movement is kicking the elder statesmen to the curb, and Johnson is no exception. Defensive backs like Anderson, fifth-round rookie Michael Taaffe and undrafted free agent Louis Moore are the future at the position and are quickly becoming the present, too.
While Johnson, who turns 31 in November, is a rotational piece at this stage, that's exactly what the Packers need. He recorded 25 tackles and two pass deflections in nine games with the Las Vegas Raiders last season. Bringing him in as the experienced reserve certainly makes sense for LaFleur.
Jaylen Wright, RB
Josh Jacobs is a declining veteran with a ton of tread on his tires. He's also been banged up this summer and can still face a suspension for an off-the-field situation. And while MarShawn Lloyd's good to go right now, extensive health concerns suggest his tendons can quite literally fall off the bone at any moment.
Enter Wright, 23, an explosive runner who can provide much-needed insurance for both Jacobs and Lloyd. An above-average 51.4 percent rushing success rate and a solid 2.5 yards after contact per rush last season indicate growth as a downhill threat.
The Dolphins' 2025 sixth-round running back Ollie Gordon II has emerged as star De'Von Achane's primary backup. Hafley has gone on the record to say the Oklahoma State product can be an "every-down" contributor. A change of scenery would arguably be in Wright's best interest, and Green Bay gives him a real chance to earn touches.
Miami sending veteran wide receiver Tutu Atwell to the Los Angeles Rams in a late-summer trade for second-year RB Jarquez Hunter makes Wright further expendable.
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