Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is getting some new help scouting offensive linemen from a former long-time assistant coach. According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers are adding James Campen — a former Packers offensive lineman who spent 15 seasons coaching the position group in Green Bay — as a scouting consultant under Gutekunst.
Campen, who most recently coached the offensive line for the Carolina Panthers, is in Green Bay for Tuesday’s practice.
Campen played eight seasons in the NFL — three with the New Orleans Saints (1986-88) and five with the Packers (1989-93). He was named the team’s assistant offensive line coach by Mike Sherman in 2004 and was later held over on Mike McCarthy’s first staff in 2006. In 2007, McCarthy promoted Campen to offensive line coach, a position he held for the next 11 seasons.
While in Green Bay, Campen coached and developed offensive linemen such as Marco Rivera, Mike Wahle, Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher, Scott Wells, Jeff Saturday, Josh Sitton, David Bakhtiari and T.J. Lang.
The Packers have long targeted athletic and versatile offensive linemen in the draft. Campen was personally responsible for developing many into great players. Now, he’ll get a chance to find and evaluate offensive linemen for Gutekunst and the Packers.
Campen is one of the NFL’s most respected teachers of the offensive line. He also coached the offensive line for the Cleveland Browns (2019), Los Angeles Chargers (2020) and Houston Texans (2021). He spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Panthers.