Packers Lose DL Coach Candidate to Cowboys
![Then-Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Eric Washington talks to his players during training camp in 2022. Then-Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Eric Washington talks to his players during training camp in 2022.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5088,h_2862,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/packer_central/01jjthj8qywz6yjr7vac.jpg)
GREEN BAY, Wis. – New Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer is wasting no time in filling out his coaching staff. Meanwhile, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur is still looking for a defensive line coach.
On Wednesday, the Cowboys announced that Schottenheimer had hired Aaron Whitecotton to be his defensive line coach. Whitecotton is one of three coaches known to have interviewed for the vacancy in Green Bay. Whitecotton and Kacy Rodgers, who went from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Detroit Lions, are no longer available.
The only known candidate who remains available is former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington.
The Packers need a defensive line coach after LaFleur fired Jason Rebrovich.
Washington is a strong candidate.
Before serving as the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2024, he was with the Buffalo Bills for four seasons as defensive line coach in 2020 and 2021, defensive line coach and senior defensive assistant in 2022 and defensive line coach and assistant head coach in 2023.
“He is a great communicator with elite leadership skills, and he will enhance our current defensive staff,” former Bears coach Matt Eberflus said upon hiring Washington. “His track record speaks for itself with coordinator experience as well as expertise in the area of defensive line.”
During Washington’s tenure, the Bills ranked first in points allowed, eighth in sacks and 21st in yards allowed per carry.
“He’s really got a presence to him,” Rod Marinelli, who was Chicago’s defensive line coach in 2009 and defensive coordinator in 2010 when Washington was a first-time NFL assistant, told The Athletic. “He’s very, very, very detailed. And he’s just got a nice way of dealing with people, but he’s strong. And he just did a really nice job. He was really a sponge learning pass rush, coming up from college into the NFL.
“And just the thing I always admired was his work habits. (He was) in early and worked smart on the details. So, you knew he had a chance to be really good.”
The Packers need to crank up the pass rush. In 2024, the defensive line’s four first-round picks, Rashan Gary (7.5 sacks), Devonte Wyatt (5.0), Lukas Van Ness (3.0) and Kenny Clark (1.0), combined for 16.5 sacks. Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks by himself.
“I thought there were times this year we were able to rush with four,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “I think every team in the league, that’s how you’d prefer to do it. There was periods of time where we didn’t do that well enough. I think everybody understands that that affects your football team.”
Former Bears defensive lineman Corey Wootton called Washington “old school” and the type of coach necessary to take a young defensive line to the next level.
Aside from Clark, who just completed his ninth season, and Gary, who just wrapped up his sixth season, the Packers’ defensive line was filled with youth, with defensive end Kingsley Enagbare and defensive tackle TJ Slaton serving as veterans as third-year players.
LaFleur also could look within his staff. Vince Oghobaase was Rebrovich’s assistant last year. He was Jeff Hafley’s defensive coordinator at Boston College from 2020 through 2023 and also was an assistant defensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 and 2017.
“I had the opportunity to work with Vince in San Francisco and his knowledge of the game, energy and commitment to the players jumped out to me,” Hafley said after hiring Oghobaase in 2020.
“At Ohio State, he trained under one of the best defensive line coaches in all of football in Larry Johnson and he gained excellent experience the last two seasons at the defensive line coach at UCLA.”
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