Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst met with the media for 20 minutes on Monday afternoon, answering questions about his quarterback, linebacker and cornerback positions and the possibility of adding wide receiver Malik Turner.
Here’s more from Gutekunst on those topics:
Three quarterbacks
Gutekunst said all NFL teams will have three quarterbacks on the roster during this unique season, regardless of whether the third is on the new practice squad or the active roster. What does that mean for Tim Boyle?
“Tim has a bright future ahead of him,” Gutekunst said. “He’s very, very talented. Having him here and watching him develop over the past few years has been neat to see because he really is gifted. It’s really important for us as a football team.”
The Packers released Jalen Morton, an undrafted free agent, leaving only Boyle, Aaron Rodgers and rookie Jordan Love on the roster at quarterback. Matt LaFleur indicated he is expecting all three to be on the roster.
Adding Turner?
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported on Saturday that the Packers worked out former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Malik Turner. However, teams can’t just work out outside free agents without intending to sign them, suggesting Turner is likely to be added to the roster in the near future.
“Right now, we are not able to bring in guys off the street to work out. You can bring them in to sign them, and then there is a multiple day protocol before they get into your building,” Gutekunst said.
Turner caught 15 passes for 245 yards for the Seahawks last season. He could help the Packers replace Devin Funchess, who opted out of the 2020 season.
Who plays next to Kirksey?
Gutekunst talked about four different players vying for snaps next to veteran inside linebacker Christian Kirksey.
“I think there’s going to be pretty good competition for that spot next to Christian. We’ll see how it goes over the next four weeks. There’s opportunity for those guys. I’m excited about all of them,” Gutekunst said.
Oren Burks, Ty summers, Kamal Martin and Curtis Bolton are the four top candidates.
“We’re excited about (Burks) staying healthy and seeing what he can do with a full year out there healthy. I thought Ty Summers as a rookie did a really nice job for us not only as a backer but also on special teams. We’ll look for him to improve and move forward and maybe affect the game more on defense than he did last year. Kamal Martin, a fifth-round pick for us, we’re excited about him. Curtis Bolton, coming off knee surgery,” Gutekunst said.
Cornering the market
Gutekunst is happy with the stability of starters Jaire Alexander and Kevin King at cornerback, he’s excited about the potential of Chandon Sullivan in his second season in Green Bay and he’s not giving up on Josh Jackson as a contributor.
“Jaire has established himself as one of the better corners in the National Football League. He has so much in front of him,” Gutekunst said. “We saw what (King) can do when he’s healthy for a full year. They give us a lot of stability.”
Sullivan, the top candidate to replace Tramon Williams in the slot, has a “different level of confidence” entering 2020. Jackson, a second-round pick in 2018, is also back in the mix after dealing with injuries to start his 2019 season.
“I like the youth of the room, and we’re certainly are as athletic as we’ve ever been on the backend right now,” Gutekunst said.
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