Tag: Brian Gutekunst

The Green Bay Packers added new restrictions to what reporters can and cannot report during training camp practices this week, with an emphasis on limiting information about where players line up on the field and other specific depth chart projections.

GM Brian Gutekunst confirmed it was his decision to limit reporting in an effort to “equal the playing field” during a unique training camp without preseason games or fans due to the coronavirus.

“The changing landscape of the preseason, with no preseason games and no fans at our practices, as we got into it, it changed things,” Gutekunst said Thursday. “From a competitive advantage viewpoint, I thought this was the right thing to do, in the short term.”

The team’s restrictions, put in place before Wednesday’s practice, specifically mentioned limiting “projections on the depth chart and personnel packages.”

After digging into how the rest of the NFL was operating to start camp, the Packers thought they were dealing with a competitive disadvantage at the information level. Without fans at practices or preseason games, the only information of any value coming out of camp comes from what the local media provides.

“As we got into the first three days, and seen the landscape of what other teams were doing, and just the information we were gathering. Again, without 8,000 people at practice and four preseason games, I thought we were at a disadvantage, and I wanted to equal the playing field,” Gutekunst said.

The idea, according to Gutekunst, is with available information so limited on other teams, the Packers needed to follow suit and keep as much information away from other teams as possible.

The Green Bay chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association publicly denounced the decision, and many local beat writers mocked the new restrictions through sarcastic tweets on both Wednesday and Thursday.

Gutekunst said his pro scouts do use information from local beat writers to help sort through rosters and identify potentially available players during this time of year.

Gutekunst confirmed the restrictions were “temporary” and “nothing permanent.”

“We always try to make the best decisions for our football team, and that’s why this decision was made,” Gutekunst said.

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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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Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst answered questions from the media over a virtual conference call on Sunday morning.

Here’s what to know from Gutekunst’s first press conference of training camp:

– Gutekunst said he appreciated how receiver Devin Funchess approached his opt-out situation. The Packers were supportive of his decision. Gutekunst hasn’t heard of any other player on the roster wanting to opt out.

– Gutekunst provided no update on if the team wants or plans to bring veteran cornerback Tramon Williams, who remains unsigned.

– Gutekunst dismissed an increased need to add a receiver after losing Funchess, indicating a comfort level with the players on the roster.

– The Packers will operate with split squads and won’t immediately cut down to 80 players. They are at 83 players currently on the roster, not including reserve/COVID-19 list players.

– Gutekunst said the Packers attempted to sign tight end/fullback John Lovett after the 2019 draft, but the former Princeton quarterback signed with the Chiefs. The Packers claimed him off of waivers from the Chiefs this week.

– Gutekunst admitted evaluating the roster will be different and possibly more difficult without preseason games. Getting to see players under the lights at Lambeau Field was a step in the process. Without the preseason this year, the coaching staff will attempt to emulate game situations and pressures at practice.

– The Packers are planning on big things from second-year tight end Jace Sternberger. “We’re depending on Jace to be a big part of what we’re doing this season,” Gutekunst said.

– Gutekunst is trusting players to make the right decisions away from the facility. Said it will be “tough” for players to look at teammates if they’re wreckless away from Lambeau Field and get the coronavirus.

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Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst doesn’t think a change of format will make wheeling and dealing during the draft any more difficult this week.

In fact, Gutekunst is planning to remain aggressive and attempt to make trades despite the fact that the draft will be conducted virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gutekunst told reporters on a conference call Monday that the operation of making trades won’t be significantly different for him or his staff, and he believes he has the draft capital to find ways of moving around the board.

“We’ll be as aggressive as we need to be,” Gutekunst said. “I’d like to move around and get to the areas of the draft I think are strong.”

Gutekunst has made four big trades during his first two drafts, including three trades in the first round. In 2018, he moved back from No. 14 overall and then up to No. 18 in the first round. Later, he traded up into the third round. Last year, he moved up to No. 21 from No. 30.

The Packers have 10 picks in this year’s draft, including one each in the first five rounds and five in the final two rounds. The abundance of picks in the sixth and seventh rounds could give Gutekunst the chance to move around the board, especially on Day 3.

“We’ve got enough ammunition to move around a little bit and do what we need to do,” Gutekunst said.

While he intends to be aggressive, Gutekunst said he didn’t yet have a feel for how the circumstances of this year’s draft will affect trading volume throughout the NFL.

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Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst answered questions for about 15 minutes on Tuesday morning at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Here are some highlights from the press conference:

– Gutekunst was happy to get a new deal done with veteran kicker Mason Crosby. “It was something we wanted to do. It was pretty smooth. Talks went good,” Gutekunst said. “Really happy to have him back.”

– On Za’Darius Smith’s belief that the Packers weren’t ready to play in the NFC title game: “I understand where he’s coming from, but I wouldn’t read too much into that.”

– Gutekunst confirmed the Packers will “carry on” with many of the player thresholds set by Ted Thompson and Ron Wolf.

– Why is Gutekunst so excited about Aaron Rodgers in his second season in the new offense? He’s confident everything will “become more instinctual,” both for Rodgers and the rest of the offense. He referenced Matt Ryan’s big second-year jump with Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur in Atlanta in 2016.

– Gutekunst mentioned more joint practices as a way to get reps and evaluation opportunities for young players if the new CBA takes away a preseason game.

– Gutekunst called the inside linebacker position an “evolving room” at the moment. He believes Oren Burks has “all the talent” necessary to make an impact, but only if he stays healthy. “I feel really good about Oren,” Gutekunst said. He also mentioned the development of rookies Ty Summers and Curtis Bolton but admitted the position is “in flux.”

– Gutekunst said Blake Martinez’s future with the Packers is “uncertain.” The linebacker is an unrestricted free agent.

– Gutekunst said he was “impressed” with the draft class at wide receiver overall. “It’s a deep group, it’s heavy at the top.” He expressed confidence in some of the receivers in Indianapolis having the ability to make an “immediate impact” as rookies in 2020. “Excited about that,” Gutekunst said.

– Gutekunst said he uses the combine and all the testing to verify what he sees on tape. “You hope it verifies it.” If it doesn’t, it’s back to the tape to figure it out. “We’re going to go back to the tape and see how they play the game because that’s most important.”

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst spoke for 30 minutes with reporters on Friday at Lambeau Field.

Here are the highlights from Gutekunst’s season-ending press conference:

– The Packers will use the next few weeks to map a plan for free agency and the offseason. In terms of players with expiring contracts, Gutekunst echoed Ted Thompson when said he’d like to “keep them all,” even if it’s probably not possible. Praised contributions from veterans Bryan Bulaga, Tramon Williams and Mason Crosby.

– The Packers will have a “little more restriction” financially this offseason as compared to last offseason, especially if the team brings back most of its in-house free agents. He’s confident they’ll still have opportunities to add help. “We’re pretty sound financially right now,” Gutekunst said.

– Disappointed in the result in the NFC title game but “excited about where we’re headed and the foundation we laid.”

– Gutekunst on Bryan Bulaga: “Bryan is a really good player.” Bulaga played in 17 of 18 games in 2019. “Of course we’d love to have a guy like Bryan Bulaga back, but we’re still getting through all of that.”

– Gutekunst praised Allen Lazard for stepping up this season but confirmed the Packers will add help at receiver this offseason: “I think that’ll be a position we look to add.”

– He credited “good fortune” for the Packers avoiding injuries but also praised the training staff and coach Matt LaFleur for keeping everyone healthy.

– On Aaron Rodgers in 2019: “I think Aaron had a really, really good year.” Credited the veteran quarterback for adapting to a new system and said he’s still playing at an “elite level.”

– Gutekunst wouldn’t rule out adding a quarterback. “I was raised by Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson.” Said he’d never pass up drafting a starting-level quarterback.

– More on Rodgers: “I’m really excited to see what he can do in Year 2. I know Matt talks a lot about what Matt Ryan did in Year 2, the comparatives there. I’m really excited to see where him and the offense can go.”

– Gutekunst said it’s “important” to get a new deal done with Kenny Clark this offseason. “I’m optimistic we’ll be able to come to an agreement at some point.” Said the idea was always to get a deal done this offseason.

– The Packers want Mason Crosby back. “Mason had a fantastic year this year, one of his best.” Said his leg strength, power and accuracy are still there. He’s confident he’ll be a good kicker for a long time. “We’d certainly love to have him back.”

– Gutekunst said personnel executives Jon-Eric Sullivan and Matt Malaspina believe it’s a “strong receiver class.”

– Gutekunst is still confident in the 2018 draft class. Injuries and lack of opportunities have hurt some of the players. Mentioned injuries for Oren Burks and a lack of opportunities for Josh Jackson, who “really came on” at the end of this year.

– Gutekunst on Rashan Gary: “I thought he contributed quite a bit.” Sees his skill set and future role as similar to Za’Darius Smith. Liked his explosiveness off the edge and ability to affect the passer. “He’s growing into it.”

– On linebacker: “We’re going to have to take a long look at the inside linebacker group and make sure we’re squared away there.”

– On defensive line: “I really do like our defensive line group.” Likes Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster. Excited for Montravius Adams and Kinglsey Keke in 2020. Said he wouldn’t pass on adding a talented player along the line.

– On playing inside linebacker: “Difficult” position to play in today’s NFL. He said speed is “no doubt” a necessity at the position.

– The excitement level is high for Jace Sternberger. “Really excited about Jace.” The rookie tight end had an injury early and needed to learn/develop in his first season. Gutekunst said Sternberger made a bunch of big plays late in the year at practice and showed great flexibility. “He can be one of those guys, as he develops, he can play from different places and be a matchup problem.”

– Gutekunst hasn’t talked with Jimmy Graham about whether or not he’ll play next season.

– Gutekunst said he wanted to add another explosive offensive player at the trade deadline. Explored options. Didn’t like the value of some of the in-season trade opportunities.

– Happy with the progression of rookie safety Darnell Savage. “He did a really nice job.” Battled through an injury and turned into a true pro. Said he’s excited for his future. “He has a bright future.”

– On Elgton Jenkins: Stepped in and the offense didn’t miss a beat. “He has a rare ability in terms of his size, athleticism and power.” Said he has a chance to be as good as T.J. Lang, Josh Sitton, Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle, former great Packers guards.