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Packers GM Brian Gutekunst explains 53-man roster decisions

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst explained some 53-man roster decisions on Wednesday.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst spent over 20 minutes answering questions regarding his first 53-man roster of the 2023 season on Wednesday.

Here are the highlights from Gutekunst’s post-roster press conference:

— On youth: Wasn’t trying to get young. Wanted to get athletic and fast and competitive during training camp.

— On three running backs, Emanuel Wilson: “He took advantage of his opportunities.” Said he “really progressed” as an all-around back the last few weeks. “He certainly earned it.” The Packers loved his growth and upside as a player.

— On Tarvarius Moore: Dealt with a few injuries (including knee injury) that limited him in camp. Decision to keep Jonathan Owens came down to availability.

— On Daniel Whelan over Pat O’Donnell: “He came in and earned it.” Said Whelan and O’Donnell both had great camps, but Whelan learned a lot from the veteran. “He had a nice camp and earned the job.”

— On Luke Tenuta: Big, smart, tough. Packers love his upside at offensive tackle. “We think he’s a big guy who can play. We’d like to keep developing him.” Said Packers won’t keep 11 offensive linemen, suggesting Tenuta will go on injured reserve.

— On offensive tackles: Said Packers took “calls” on availability of several offensive tackles, but teams can never have enough good tackles.

— On UDFAs in Green Bay: “You’re going to get a real opportunity.” Packers kept undrafted rookies Malik Heath, Brenton Cox Jr and Emanuel Wilson.

— On Malik Heath: He should have been drafted. Packers knew he had the talent to make 53, he put it on display every day. “It was impressive.”

— On Jonathan Taylor: Packers listened, investigated, but he can’t talk about players on other teams and wants to be in every conversation about good players.

— On Aaron Jones: “He’s the heart and soul of this team.”

— On Brenton Cox Jr: Did thorough research on him before signing him. Gave him a clean slate once he got to Green Bay. Resources within the team helped him succeed. Loved the way he attacked the process every day and made plays.

— On expectations for 2023: Youth is no excuse. “These guys were brought in for us to be better than last year.” The expectations don’t change.

— On De’Vondre Campbell and Rashan Gary: “I feel good about both of those guys. They’ve both looked very good for the stages they’re at.” Injury report comes out next week.

— On rookie tight end Ben Sims, who was claimed Wednesday: Had top 30 visit to Green Bay pre-draft. Still needs to pass physical. “Big athlete who can run really fast.” Said he really improved over final three weeks with Vikings.

— On Jayden Reed: “He came in a little more polished than we expected, that was a nice surprise.” Kept making plays, fit in with Jordan Love and the offense right away.

— On Sean Clifford: “Sean did enough good things that we feel confident in (him being the No. 2 quarterback).” Said he earned the job.

— On 16-player practice squad: Allows teams to not get boxed into keeping a certain amount of players at each position. Helps develop players, and gives veterans chances to play.

Green Bay Packers draft history under GM Brian Gutekunst (2018-22)

The complete draft history of Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst entering the 2023 NFL draft.

Since taking over as general manager of the Green Bay Packers in 2018, Brian Gutekunst has made 48 total picks over five different drafts. He will enter the 2023 NFL draft with 10 more picks, and more could be coming if he can complete the increasingly difficult Aaron Rodgers trade.

Reviewing the past can sometimes be the only way to understand what’s possibly coming in the future.

Here’s a complete breakdown of Gutekunst’s five-year draft history (2018-22) with the Packers.

Packers get major impact from minimum free agent contracts last 2 seasons

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst keeps striking gold on cheap veteran finds. Can he unearth another impact player this offseason?

Given the team’s salary cap situation, the Green Bay Packers likely aren’t going to have the opportunity to make a big splash in free agency as they did in 2019. However, as Brian Gutekunst has shown, this reality doesn’t mean that high-impact players can’t be added to the roster.

Over the last two seasons, Gutekunst has brought in De’Vondre Campbell, Rasul Douglas, and Keisean Nixon. All three played on relatively small contracts, and all three had a huge impact in Green Bay.

Campbell played the 2021 season on a $2 million deal. He was eventually named an All-Pro after finishing sixth among linebackers in tackles and fourth in total stops. He allowed the second-fewest yards per catch and had the fewest missed tackles, according to PFF.

That same season, Green Bay signed Douglas off the Arizona practice squad. Douglas earned less than a million dollars during that year with the Packers while holding opponents to a catch rate of 51%, along with coming away with five interceptions and seven pass breakups.

Most recently, Green Bay brought in Keisean Nixon last offseason, who, like Campbell, was named an All-Pro after being the most dynamic kick returner in the NFL. Nixon earned $965,000 in 2022 and was the only return man with over 1,000 kick return yards. He also finished with the third-best kick return average and the second-best average on punts.

“Give a lot of credit to Richmond Williams, John Wojciechowski, our pro scouting staff; they do a great job,” said Gutekunst, via Packers.com. “We have a process we believe in very much, and I think the key to that is working that process each and every day and understanding the opportunities that present themselves. It can be at any time, and sometimes you’re ready to make that opportunity work for you, and sometimes you’re not, but it’s got to be a process each and every day, and those guys do a great job of it.”

In total, that’s two All-Pros, two players on second contracts with the Packers, and potentially a third in Nixon this offseason, and less than $4 million in total contract value was spent to bring these players in.

This also goes to show that these impact players can really be found at any time. Nixon wasn’t signed until the second week of free agency in March. Campbell was brought in over the summer, while Douglas was an in-season addition.

Where the next Campbell, Douglas, or Nixon is going to come from remains an unknown, and realistically, there may not be one. It’s not as if finding this level of impact on near-minimum deals is a common occurrence, although Gutey has proven otherwise as of late. However, positions that Green Bay should be looking to add to in free agency include receiver, safety, tight end, and interior defensive lineman.

If the Packers are going to bounce back in 2023, regardless of who is under center, those biggest improvements are likely going to have to come internally from players already on the roster. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to come through jumps from players entering Years 2, 3, and 4. Free agency can help supplement a few positions; the draft will hopefully bring in a few contributors, although most rookies are very inconsistent, and anything beyond either of those things is a bonus.

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Packers releasing S Micah Abernathy to make room for S Rudy Ford

Needing to make room to fit newcomer Rudy Ford, the Packers are releasing safety Micah Abernathy.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said he is releasing safety Micah Abernathy, who made the initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, to make room for newcomer Rudy Ford, a backup safety and special teamer who is being signed on Wednesday.

Abernathy, who signed with the Packers on Aug. 10 and made the team 20 days later, was impressive over three preseason games this summer and could eventually return on the practice squad.

In need of experienced depth at safety and wanting to continue a focus on special teams, the Packers targeted Ford immediately once he was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.

Gutekunst called Ford an “accomplished” special teams player and one of the “better gunners in the league,” who brings an ideal mix of “speed” and “physicality” to the safety and special team roles.

Ford has played almost 1,000 career special teams snaps and 23 special teams tackles over his five NFL seasons. He has 4.40-second speed in the 40-yard dash.

Abernathy, who previously played in the USFL, was the Packers’ second-highest graded defensive player at PFF during the preseason.

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Packers GM Brian Gutekunst hopeful David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins will play early in 2022

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst on David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins: “They are both doing really, really well. I think they both have a shot to play early in the season.”

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst remains hopeful that offensive linemen David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins will return to play early in the 2022 season.

“They are both doing really, really well. I think they both have a shot to play early in the season,” Gutekunst said Wednesday. “They are progressing very well.”

Both Bakhtiari and Jenkins started training camp on the PUP list and have missed the first 12 practices of camp. Bakhtiari is still attempting to return from an injury first suffered on Dec. 31, 2020, while Jenkins injured his knee in Week 11 of last season.

Gutekunst said there’s no timeline for a return for either player and having one or both start the season on the PUP list – meaning missing four games – is still an option, even for Bakhtiari, who has battled through a nightmarish rehab.

“We’d love to have him out there now, but I think there’s some risk/reward on that,” Gutekunst said.

Without Bakhtiari and Jenkins, the Packers have used a combination of Yosh Nijman, rookie Zach Tom and Royce Newman at the two offensive tackle positions throughout training camp. The entire offensive line has been a work in progress, especially facing off against a talented No. 1 defense featuring several line-wrecking front-line players.

Do the Packers need to make a move at offensive tackle? Not necessarily, says Gutekunst, who is still content to wait on the return of his two Pro Bowlers. He said nothing is “imminent” in terms of signing a veteran offensive tackle.

Having Bakhtiari and Jenkins back manning the offensive tackle positions would change the entire outlook of the starting five.

“We do have two significant players that haven’t been out there that will be coming back,” Gutekunst said. “Certainly, getting those two All-Pros back changes things a little bit, and I’m confident those guys will get there.”

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Packers feeling no pressure to draft a wide receiver

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst isn’t going to reach to draft a wide receiver, even after missing out on the top options in the first round.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst stayed put as six wide receivers came off the board before his team was ever even on the clock. Sure, Gutekunst could have used the 22nd and 28th overall picks to move up and select his most desired receiver, but instead, he let the board come to him.

“We worked through some scenarios, and there were some conversations, but at the end of the day, we have four picks in these first two rounds and felt really good about sitting and picking,” said Gutekunst. “We certainly explored some options, and there was a little run on receivers, and once that happened, we thought we would stay and pick.”

And with those two first-round picks, the Packers strengthened their defense. First, they added Georgia linebacker Quay Walker and then his teammate Devonte Wyatt, an extremely explosive defensive tackle.

Bolstering a defense that was already pretty good might be the prudent approach, but there is a strong inclination that Green Bay needs to surround quarterback Aaron Rodgers with talented pass catchers. Since trading Davant Adams and losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency, the team has only added one new face (Sammy Watkins) to the room.

When examining the Packers’ current depth chart, it is clear they do not have a true number one receiver. But Gutekunst is not feeling any outside pressure to reach for a guy in the draft. The Packers GM is as cool, calm, and collective as they come, and while most people think they have to add at least one wide receiver during the second or third round on Friday, his stance is clear.

“I don’t think we have to.”

“I think there are some really good receivers left in this draft, and we’ll see how it plays out,” Gutekunst said. “We have nine picks left, so we’ve got a lot of ammunition.”

Gutekunst really likes how Green Bay’s roster looks on paper, noting that’s it not because they de-value wide receivers. In fact, he confirmed the team must add more pass catchers at some point.

“It’s extremely important,” Gutekunst said of the receiver position while acknowledging the time they have plenty of time until the start of the regular season. “We play in September, and like I said, we have nine picks the next couple days and a whole summer before we play our first game, so certainly by the time we get to that first game, we’re going to add to that room some way or another.”

For those bummed about the team not landing a first-round wide receiver for the 20th year in a row, Gutekunst and the Packers have no regrets. And if you think Gutekunst is guaranteed to take a receiver on day two, you are also sorely mistaken.

“Hopefully (the board) will fall right to us, but if it doesn’t, I don’t think we can reach and make bad decisions just because they have a WR by their name,” Gutekunst said.

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Every draft day trade made by Packers GM Brian Gutekunst

Looking at Brian Gutekunst’s trade history during the draft since becoming Packers GM in 2018.

Trading during the draft has become a common happenstance for Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. In his first four drafts, Gutekunst has executed six trades on draft day, including four during the first round. In five of the six trades, Gutekunst traded up to select a specific player.

With 11 picks in the 2022 NFL draft, including two in the first round, four in the first two rounds and five in the top 100 overall, the Packers can be (and likely will be) aggressive again in terms of moving around the board and targeting players.

The draft is this month. Here’s a quick breakdown of Gutekunst’s draft trade history since becoming Packers general manager: