Vikings Hiring Former Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers as Senior Assistant
By Brendan Balsamo
Former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers has been hired to fulfill a new role with a team he used to try with all his might to beat: the Minnesota for the Vikings.
The 69-year-old Capers, who has previously served as head coach of the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans as part of a career lasting almost 50 years, joins Mike Zimmer's Minnesota staff as a senior defensive assistant.
It flew under the radar somewhat but 2019 was maybe Zimmer's most creative year designing fronts; hiring Dom Capers likely helps the Vikings build out those creative front-7 looks
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) February 10, 2020
Also fills some of the gap left by George Edwards https://t.co/WV5lZwzyc3
After a solid year for the Vikings defense in which they finished fourth in the NFL in points allowed per game (18.9) and 14th in yards allowed per game (341.6), Capers -- a coach that excelled even when he had subpar defenses -- will have a chance to elevate the Vikings D to an even greater level than they demonstrated in 2019.
In 2009, Capers took over as defensive coordinator in Green Bay and oversaw a defense that was ranked 21st in the NFL. He subsequently turned them into the second-best unit in the entire league.
Vikings have added former head coach Dom Capers to the coaching staff as a defensive assistant. A good move. He’s a great defensive mind. I had a chance to cover him when he was the Panthers head coach.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) February 10, 2020
Some Packer fans may be laughing at the move on social media, but looking at Capers' resume and his overall longevity in the game of football shows that this move was a solid one for the Vikings, who aren't so far away from being compelling contenders for the NFC crown.