The division’s first order of business in the offseason is finalizing missing staff pieces that will be roaming the sidelines in 2019."It has been a heck of a ride over the past week as the Green Bay Packers named a new head coach and began to fill other open roles on staff. With Matt LaFleur announced as the organization’s 15th head coach Justin Vogel Jersey White , Green Bay moved swiftly to retain Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator and add Nathaniel Hackett as the new offensive coordinator. With the Packers in need of several new assistants, including on the offensive line and among the wide receivers, a slew of further announcements are expected to be made in the coming weeks.Of course, Green Bay is not the only NFC North competitor on the assistant coaching prowl.Coordinator changes are in the air for each team, especially for the Chicago Bears who lost several defensive assistants to the AFC West.More updates on the divisional coaching searches in and out of Chicago form today’s rundown.Detroit LionsDetroit Lions offensive coordinator search: Answering your questionsThe names circulating around Detroit in the past week have landed elsewhere. Here is a look at where the Lions go from here and when a decision can be expected.Former Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell to join Miami Dolphins staffAfter interviewing for the Packers’ vacant head coaching position earlier this offseason, Caldwell accepted a new position with Miami as an advisor. He will officially return to the NFL in 2019.Report: Former Lions OC Jim Bob Cooter to interview with CardinalsOne of the best assistant coach names in the NFL may be on his way to the desert after departing from Detroit.Minnesota VikingsVikings Add Gary Kubiak As Assistant Head Coach, Offensive AdviserThe former Denver Broncos Super Bowl-winning head coach moves to the Twin Cities to take on an advising role for a transitioning offense.Minnesota Vikings add another new coach to their 2019 staffOn top of Gary Kubiak and his son Klint joining the Vikings’ staff, Brian Pariani was hired to lead the tight ends.Kevin Stefanski returning to Vikings as offensive coordinatorLast but not least, Minnesota moved quickly to name a new offensive leader, retaining its interim offensive coordinator since Week 15.Chicago BearsChuck Pagano replaces Vic Fangio as Bears’ defensive coordinatorWith Fangio leaving to take the head coaching job of the Denver Broncos, the Bears filled the position with a former head coach in Pagano.Ed Donatell leaving Bears to be Broncos defensive coordinator under Vic FangioA former Packer defensive coordinator will be following Fangio to Denver to serve as the leader of the Broncos’ defense after coaching the Bears’ defensive backs last season. Broncos hire another Bears assistant in Brandon StaleyThe Fangio influence is in full effect, as Chicago lost another defensive staff member - its outside linebackers coach - to the Mile High City. Mike McCarthy preached balance, but rarely practiced it. Matt LaFleur sounds ready to enact action to go along with his words on the run game."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections The APC PodcastPackers Film RoomFantasy Football AdviceCSTShareTweetShareShareMatt LaFleur stays on message at combine: Run game can help Aaron Rodgers Aaron Jones should be preparing for a feature role in the Packers offense under Matt LaFleur. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY SportsAfter Brian Gutekunst dismissed the idea that scouting potential draft picks would change under Matt LaFleur Womens Muhammad Wilkerson Jersey , the Green Bay Packers' new head coach could have gone up the podium in Indianapolis and repeated how similar everything would be in 2019. He didn’t. And while he didn’t explicitly say, “We’re going to look different this year,” the implication of his words, about the importance of running the ball and stretching the field off that, run counter to the offense we’ve seen in Green Bay the last few years. In 2018, the Packers were among the least balanced teams in the league, particularly on first down. Despite Aaron Jones’ remarkable efficiency and top-of-the-league average per carry, Green Bay obstinately refused to give him the ball. Exacerbating the problem, McCarthy’s design and the players' execution of the play action schemes were pathetic given the quality of talent involved (including and especially Aaron Rodgers). That will change under LaFleur. To wit, the new head coach barely even mentioned his two-time MVP quarterback, but answered multiple questions about offensive line traits, running-back-by-committee, and run game philosophy. “What we want to do is assemble or offense through the running game. It think it takes a lot of pressure off the quarterback http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-demetri-goodson-jersey ,” the new Packers coach said Wednesday. “We want to have plays that start off looking the same, that are different.” Before LaFleur took the podium he told ESPN’s Rob Demovsky he won’t worry about why Rodgers no longer thrived under his predecessor, focusing instead on how the two of them can make it work in 2019 and beyond. “I know he wants to win, and he’s starting to think about his legacy,” LaFleur said to ESPN, pointing out that better balance can make the Rodgers’ life easier on third down while also extending his career. Throwing to backs would also ease that burden. The top three teams last year in targeting running backs were quarterbacked by Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers. That’s not a coincidence. Get the ball to playmakers, reduce the hits on the quarterback, and give him outlets to create positive yardage when it’s not there down the field. That said, the Packers aren’t going to force a square peg into a round hole. LaFleur says the roles of the players will be determined by their skillset. “You look at, going back to Atlanta how we used with Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman is different than how we used Todd Gurley where he was more of your checkdowns and screens. Certainly I think if you got a guy you can release out of the backfield, it just adds another layer to you offense and gives defenses something else to think about.” In particular, the Freeman and Coleman comparison could be apt given the Packers willingness the last two seasons to split carries between Jones and Jamaal Williams. LaFleur emphasized the need to take stress off individual players and spreading carries around Muhammad Wilkerson Jersey White , something he did in Tennessee last season with Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis as well. Whether or not that means he’s comfortable with the two backs Green Bay already has is a separate question. As is following through on these promises. Mike McCarthy was famous, or perhaps infamous, for preaching the value of balance and the run game, then abandoning it at the first sign of trouble. LaFleur spoke glowingly about his friends Sean McVay and Matt Nagy, two virtuoso offensive coaches who thrived in Year 1. Each has been criticized for their lack of commitment to the run game despite the success of their backs. We may get a better picture if the Packers use draft capital on a running back and/or a tight end who can really block. Not only would those players solidify the notion Green Bay truly will move to better balance, but they’ll likely fit the description of what LaFleur said he’s looking for: “Tough players that are really smart and really love to compete.” In a stark departure from his previous press conferences, LaFleur wasn’t asked much about his plans for Aaron Rodgers, and he didn’t offer much in the way of new insight. When asked about the three receivers returning from the 2018 draft class, LaFleur pointed out their size and speed relative to the new offense which will prize the ability to create big plays down the field. He also mentioned the ability to adapt, something he learned last year as a playcaller in Tennessee where he had to modify his offense from Week 1 one once Marcus Mariota got injured. It got to the point he had to call wildcat plays just to create something. “Just being prepared for every situation in terms of you look at what happened with us in Week 1, dealing with injuries, and trying to plug in people to be productive on offense, just thinking outside the box http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-deshone-kizer-jersey ,” LaFleur said. That would likewise be a major change from McCarthy, who stubbornly refused to alter his approach to games year-to-year, week-to-week or quarter-to-quarter. Malleability should also benefit Rodgers, along with the run game, to make his life easier with an offense that is less predictable. Getting Rodgers to buy in will be part of the philosophy they’re already working to install, one based on building relationships every day. LaFleur’s most eloquent response of the media session came to a question about McVay’s traits as a leader and communicator above his football acumen. Attempting to create an open and honest line of communication, one aimed at getting buy-in from players, will be a cornerstone of the program under LaFleur, much like the one McVay built in Los Angeles. Rodgers still stirs the drink on offense in Green Bay. LaFleur’s job is to make sure he can stir it for years to come, starting with the run game. Considering that’s the tenant on which his entire offensive scheme is predicated, that’s a pretty good place to start. The moves the Packers make in free agency and the draft should hint at just how committed to that plan he is, and whether he can shake the stigma of McCarthy by actually following through with his ground game promises.