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The Packers continued their defensive transformation into Pittsburgh Steelers West today as Oakland Raiders defensive backs coach Darren Perry, a former Steelers defensive back and assistant coach, agreed to become Green Bay's safeties coach, an NFL source said.

Perry joins defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who held the same position in Pittsburgh from 1992-94, and outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene, who played for the Steelers from '92-95.

Perry, who played for the Steelers from '92-98 before moving onto San Diego (1999) and New Orleans (2000), was coached by Capers and played with Greene. Both started Super Bowl XXX against the Dallas Cowboys. Perry was also coached by Packers assistant head coach/inside linebackers Winston Moss with the Saints.

Perry's addition makes it likely that Joe Whitt Jr., the former defensive quality control coach, will instruct the cornerbacks, and Mike McCarthy's staff may be close to completion. Unless an assistant defensive line coach is named to help Mike Trgovac, then the strength position could be the final piece of the puzzle. Mark Lovat could be promoted from within for that position.

Outside of Caper's hiring, the Packers have made none of their additions official.

Perry, 39, spent the past two seasons with the Raiders. Previously he was with the Steelers (2003-06, defensive backs) and the Bengals (2002, safeties).

He helped both safety Troy Polamalu (Pittsburgh) and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (Oakland) to All-Pro honors.

Pittsburgh linebackers coach Keith Butler, whom the Green Bay Packers researched as a possible defensive coordinator candidate, heartily endorsed the Packers' hiring of Kevin Greene and Darren Perry as assistant coaches.

Butler coached on the same staff with Perry and this past summer invited Greene to come to Steelers training camp to work with his linebackers.

Perry, who was not retained in Pittsburgh after Mike Tomlin took over as head coach in 2007, spent four seasons with the Steelers, one as assistant defensive backs coach and three as defensive backs coach. He was part of Bill Cowher's staff that won Super Bowl XL.

He played for new Packers coordinator Dom Capers in Pittsburgh and has a vast knowledge of the 3-4 scheme.

"Great hire," Butler said. "Darren knows this system, front and back. He's probably more updated than Dom is in this system. He’ll be a great asset. There’s a lot of secondary techniques that we’ve used that probably Dom hasn’t used. He’ll be a great help."

Perry has been assigned to coach the safeties. Butler said in the Steelers' system, the safeties have to be extremely smart and well-coached because they must set the coverages based on how the front seven is aligned. In other words, they have to know the defense inside and out.

In the case of Greene, Butler said, his best work will be teaching converted defensive ends and pass-rushing linebackers how to best utilize their talents. Greene perfected rush techniques that fit the system, Butler said, and he helped teach them to the Steelers' current group.

"If I got a chance to hire him, I would have hired him," Butler said. "He helped our guys a lot, especially (LaMarr) Woodley. I thought Woodley was more so like him than a lot of guys I had and I wanted him to come up and spend some time with Woodley and talk about the bull rush.

" He starts in terms of teaching rushes with the bull rush because he did that so well and everything else comes off of that. I agree with him. I think his philosophy is excellent. It comes from a physical standpoint. He’ll do well, he’ll do well."

Butler said the coach with the toughest job will be defensive line assistant Mike Trgovac. The former Carolina defensive coordinator has been coaching the 4-3 the past decade and Butler said the techniques Capers will use will be vastly different from what he's used to coaching. He said it's going to take time for the Packers' linemen to adjust to the new scheme.

Butler said he still had hopes of becoming a defensive coordinator. He was unaware of any interest the Packers had in him, but said he knows being in the Super Bowl this year has limited his advancement opportunities.

We'll have more -- including comments from Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau -- on the Packers' most recent hire, Perry, in a litle while.

UPDATE: Here's CB DeShea Townsend on Perry:

"Great coach. Knows the game. Prepares his players. The guys are going to love him there. True student of the game.

"Even when he was at free safety he lined everybdoy up in Pittsburgh in one of the most complicated defenses there is. I thknk that's carried over to him being a good coach.

"He's going to be hands-on. he will expect a certain high level."

DrugBust wrote:What, was Carnell Lake unavailable?

Ayt wrote:

DrugBust wrote:What, was Carnell Lake unavailable?

The 1994 Steelers team was one of my favorites when I was in HS. I was always the Steelers that year in Madden. I also liked the Colorado Buffaloes a lot at that point, so it made sense I loved the Steelers in the NFL.

Joel Steed (Colorado) on the line. Greene, Lloyd, Kirkland, and Chad Brown (Colorado) at LB. Woodson, Figures (Colorado), Lake, and Perry as DBs.

Bam Morris and John L. Williams. Rookie Charles Johnson (Colorado) at WR. Eric Freakin Green. Beastly line.

What an awesome team.

Anyway, here's hoping we can approach the awesomeness of that defense in the next few years. We may need to hire Woodson to be our CB coach to pull that off.