Feb 12, 2015 3 min read

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has made it official: He is relinquishing his job calling plays for Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the offense.

The decision was part of a significant shake-up announced Thursday. The Packers led the NFL in scoring in 2014 and Rodgers won his second most valuable player award, but McCarthy is handing off the play-calling duties to Tom Clements, whom he promoted from offensive coordinator to associate head coach. Receivers coach Edgar Bennett was named offensive coordinator.

McCarthy has called plays since being hired as coach in 2006.

The changes come less than a month after the Packers’ 28-22 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game, in which Green Bay blew a 16-0 halftime lead.

Former Bucs GM would take Marioto: Josh Freeman looked the part – mobile, with a big arm and supreme size at 6-6 and 248 pounds – and by his second year was playing like a blossoming franchise NFL quarterback, leading the Bucs to a 10-6 record.

But by the time he was released by the Bucs after a 0-3 start in 2013, Freeman’s work habits and skills had deteriorated to the point where he was fined heavily for being late to meetings. He nearly missed the team bus for the season opener against the Jets as speculation raged about his participation in Stage 1 of the NFL’s substance abuse program.

“With Josh, it certainly was a roller coaster,” former Bucs general manager Mark Dominik, now an NFL analyst for ESPN, said Wednesday. “He had good years and bad years and some in between, quite frankly. That’s something you have to think about and something that stays in the back of your head.”

As much as anything, Dominik’s experience with Freeman is why he prefers Oregon’s Marcus Mariota to Florida State’s Jameis Winston.

The Bucs own the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick and their decision likely will be deciding between the two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks: Winston, who went 26-1 for the Seminoles and is more pro-ready but has made poor decisions off the field; or Mariota, who was never asked to play under center and could take time to develop but has an impeccable character rating.

Cignetti promoted to Rams offensive coordinator: The St. Louis Rams have promoted quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti to offensive coordinator, replacing Brian Schottenheimer, who left in January to become offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia.

The Rams also announced Thursday that tight ends coach Rob Boras was promoted to assistant head coach for the offense.

The team says Cignetti will call plays. He has been with the Rams for three seasons. Before that he was offensive coordinator for several college programs, most recently Rutgers in 2011.

Coach Jeff Fisher says Boras will help oversee all aspects of the offense but will particularly focus on the running game. He will continue as tight ends coach.