If Green Bay Packers fans had the opportunity, they might have moved on from defensive coordinator Joe Barry a while ago. Packers fans have been fed up with the way Barry is calling the defense, and a change at the defensive coordinator position might be a matter of "when" and not "if" at this point.
But if the Packers are going to eventually move on from Joe Barry, who do they need to have on speed dial? Are there some coaches they need to be reaching out to already? I think the answer to that question is yes.
Let's take a look at a handful of options the Green Bay Packers need to already be considering as the potential replacement for Joe Barry in the defensive coordinator spot as soon as the 2024 offseason hits.
1. Jim Leonhard
It feels like Jim Leonhard is really wasting away as a "senior football analyst" at Illinois. With all due respect to the university and Leonhard himself, it feels like Leonhard was on a trajectory to becoming a top college football head coach at the very least, if not on his way to becoming a prominent NFL defensive coach.
I still think that will ultimately be the case this coming year as Leonhard's current role as an "analyst" seems like an evaluation year on his part. Perhaps a way for "absence to make the heart grow fonder" in the eyes of potential suitors.
And the connection to the state of Wisconsin would certainly get Packers fans on board with this move. Leonhard obviously played at Wisconsin before becoming a coach there and is a Wisconsin native. It might seem like a big jump from an analyst at Illinois to defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, but Leonhard's resume is much more indicative of a qualified candidate.
2. Ryan Downard
The Green Bay Packers might have a solution for the Joe Barry woes right in their midst. Defensive backs coach Ryan Downard is a young coach (35) who was recently identified as a coach to watch for the future on Tom Pelissero's expansive annual list for NFL.com.
When you look at defensive coordinator options, one of the things you have to take into account is player development. And the Packers have developed some studs in the secondary while also being able to prove they can coach at least one guy up as a reclamation project (Rasul Douglas).
Downard may not have the experience of some other possible DC candidates, but he definitely offers some intrigue and familiarity with the personnel, which could be a key factor.
3. Marquand Manuel
Bringing in former players to your coaching staff is undoubtedly en vogue in today's NFL, and former NFL safety Marquand Manuel has been steadily ascending up the coaching ranks in recent years.
Manuel is currently the defensive backs coach for Robert Saleh's New York Jets, and that alone makes him a fascinating candidate. The Jets have managed to stay in the thick of the playoff race this season thanks to their incredible defense, and getting a piece of Robert Saleh's coaching tree defensively at this point seems like it could be a wise idea.
The Jets obviously have some studs in that defensive backfield, but they have developed everything from top picks like Sauce Gardner to late-round and undrafted guys contributing to that aggressive defense.
4. Glenn Schumann
It's clear that the Green Bay Packers have taken a liking to the Georgia program in recent years, especially in the 2022 NFL Draft, where they made Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt their first-round picks.
Well, maybe the next step in this progression with guys like Walker, Wyatt, and Eric Stokes in the Packers' defense already is just to lure Glenn Schumann away from the Georgia program if at all possible. We know that Georgia has been a gold standard for defense and player development on that side of the ball for the last handful of years, and the 33-year-old Schumann has obviously played a major role in that.
Don't be shocked if he's on speed dial.
5. Christian Parker
If the name Christian Parker rings a bell, it's because he was once part of the Green Bay Packers coaching staff as an assistant on the defensive side. When Vic Fangio was head coach of the Denver Broncos, he lured Parker to the Mile High City and took him in as an apprentice while also hiring Parker to coach up the defensive backs.
Parker has done an incredible job in Denver, coaching DBs like Pat Surtain and Justin Simmons, two absolute stars, but also developing unheralded guys like slot corner Ja'Quan McMillian, young safety PJ Locke, and other players like Caden Sterns.
Parker's work in Denver has earned him a lot of respect among the Denver Broncos fan base and people want to see him get promoted ASAP so a team doesn't steal him. But perhaps the Green Bay Packers can lure him before anyone else has the chance.