When Brian Gutekunst was named general manager of the Packers in early January of 2018, it seemed like a solid, though not an obvious, choice.
Gutekunst has been submerged in football most of his life. His father replaced Lou Holtz as the football coach at the University of Minnesota when Brian was 12. Brian was a ball boy along the sidelines. Brian then went to UW – La Crosse, where he was a linebacker with a shoulder that wouldn’t stay in its socket. His playing days over, he became a student coach.
He was obsessed with reviewing game film, and his player evaluations quickly earned the trust of the La Crosse coaching staff. Barely in his twenties, he got an unexpected call from Ron Wolf, and two days later he arrived in Green Bay to become a scout. He spent 13 years in that position, then was elevated to Director of College Scouting in 2012.
Continuing his rise in Green Bay’s front office, he served as Director of Player Personnel in 2016 and 2017. In all those years in Green Bay’s front office, he watched and learned from some highly-reputed guys: GM Ron Wolf, Reggie McKenzie (Oakland GM 2012-18), John Dorsey (Kansas City and Cleveland GM), Eliot Wolf (Cleveland Assistant GM 2018-19), and his predecessor, Ted Thompson.
No one can question his intelligence – as opposed to his “smarts.” His work ethic is great. He’s an excellent and open communicator. He’s almost universally well-liked – or was. He’s been a football junky since before he was a teenager. It’s not his experience or pedigree that’s the problem. So what went wrong?
The 2020 Draft
The Packers’ 2020 draft has been panned by everyone in sight: the professional critics, the pundits, and the fans. The reaction of Total Packers followers was shock, anger, and not a small amount of despair. After just the first day, Green Bay’s draft was being rated worst of all 32 NFL teams. In my mind, Day 2 even more non-sensical – and more inexplicable – than Day 1. I won’t go into it here – the TP commenters have said it all (here).
Day 1
After selecting Utah State QB Jordan Love with the 30th pick, here’s what Gutey had to say:
“We go through the same process every year. . .we build our board and try to stay true to the board and take the best player available,” Gutekunst told the media. “The way the board fell this year, he was the best player left and we’re excited to get him.”
Can it be that simple? Gutekunst took his notion of the best player available, regardless of what position he played – and with utter disregard to the team’s needs?
More (meaningless) words of wisdom from the GM:
“He’s a very good athlete. He has the size we look for. There’s some rawness to him but he’s got everything in front of him. He’s willing to work and he kind of fits with our culture.”
“Some rawness?” Love rarely even plants his feet properly before throwing. He tends to loop his passes, not rifle them. Playing in the Mountain West conference, he has seldom faced top college opposition – and he still performed erratically in his third and final year there. He didn’t make either first or second all-conference team; instead, he got a consolation prize: honorable mention.
If you believe, as one critic put it, that the Packers were on the cusp of going to the Super Bowl in 2020, that dream has been torn asunder. Gutekunst must feel that Super Bowl runs come along regularly. But everyone knows that the acquisition of Jordan Love will do nothing to aid the Packers’ chances of Super Bowl glory for the next three years. Even if Rodgers were to miss some action due to an injury, is there any doubt that Tim Boyle, and not Love, would go in as the backup? So much for “win now.”
The picking a quarterback in Round 1 also likely signals that Aaron Rodgers will finish his career with a team other than Green Bay.
Day 2
The Packers chose running back A.J. Dillon with pick #62. Where, other than on Gutey’s board, is there any indication that the Packers are in dire need of a running back? For that matter, Dillon is really a fullback: he’s 6 feet tall and weighs 247 – amazingly, he seems to have a trim waistline despite that weight. We had a fullback a year ago, Danny Vitale; he did everything asked of him, but the Packers either weren’t interested in, or don’t know how to utilize, a fullback.
With pick #94 in the third round, the Packers went with tight end Josiah Deguara. From all indications, the Packers are already high on their Round 3 tight end pick of a year ago, Jace Sternberger – and they have a reliable veteran in Marcedes Lewis. Gutekunst keeps stacking players on top of each other, like he did n 2018 when he picked three wide receivers in a row in Rounds 4 through 6, and like he did with the Smiths and Rashan Gary. Has Gutekunst already lost faith in Sternberger?
Day 3
By trading up to get QB Love, Gutey gave up the team’s Round 4 selection, ending his last likely chance to draft a player who might contribute in some way to making this team better in 2020.
I’m not personally knocking any of the Packers’ picks. They just aren’t a fit for the situation. They don’t fulfill the Packers’ needs. And, Brian, they weren’t the BPAs (best players available) either.
Division Favorite
Not so by the way, critics are applauding the Vikings, who the Packers beat twice last season on their way to winning their division. The Vikes have selected seven players in the first four rounds, versus the Packers’ three picks. CBS Sports rates WR Justin Jefferson (#22) an A; OT Ezra Cleveland (#58) an A-; and LB Troy Dye (#132) an A.
CBS Sports has rated the Pack’s top four picks like this: QB Jordan Love (#26), D; RB A.J. Dillon (#62), C-; TE Josiah Deguara (#94), C-; and LB Kamal Martin (#175), D+. Thanks to Gutekunst’s deplorable choices, the divisional race is all but decided.
There’s no blaming Mark Murphy (other than in retrospect for the hiring decision in 2018), the GM’s two dozen or so scouts, personnel people, and advisors, or Coach La Fleur. This is all on Gutekunst’s shoulders.
Let this be Brian’s epitaph: “He Stayed True to the Board.”
I agree with this article. I like the Lions draft much better then Green Bays. This draft was a waste. Add that to the fact they could do nothing in free agency because of the lack of cap space and this offseason was a disaster and it will show in the record and play this next year. Yes, they had a good year but really all of the breaks went their way to get that record. You can not count on that happening again and it will not. The team needs impact players and they drafted none. I agree with the assessment of Love as well. How do you waste your first round pick and 4th on a guy that will not even start for 3-4 years when you are trying to win now? Could have taken a QB next year or the year after, if your QB needs 3 or 4 years to groom in the NFL you are in trouble anyway. Great we get a 5th year option but we will pay him 3 or 4 years to ride the pine until then. If you really wanted a RB then go get a difference maker like Taylor, Swift or Dobbins not spend a 2nd round pick to get your number 3 back and what does that say about the back your drafted the year before? Waste of more draft capital? If you are building a team with drafts and free agency you can’t keep missing on draft picks and have to find difference makers not average back ups. Look at the entire draft class and see what all of the scouts and evaluators were saying about every one of these picks prior to the draft. How is it Gute felt so high about all of these when nobody else did? He is either very smart and everyone else is wrong or we are in big trouble. I am going with the we are in big trouble.
Gute is on the clock more than Rodgers at this point. His personnel decisions are horrendous. This is one of the few difficult things about not having an autonomous owner (the likes of Jerry Jones or Robert Kraft). If we had an owner like that I doubt Love gets picked (in the first round!!), especially at the expense of a 4th rounder in a deep skill position player draft. A Rodgers successor is about 2 drafts away, not a Mountain West honorable mention in early 2020.
Thursday, Friday & Saturday were infuriating.
When we moved up to 26 I was positive we were jumping Baltimore to get to Patrick Queen the ILB from LSU who would’ve paired greatly with Kirksey to give us more athleticism at the position than Martínez could ever offer.
Even if we missed on that, I was thinking …
Tee Higgins, please! Finished his Clemson career tied with DeAndre Hopkins & Sammy Watkins for receiving TDs w 27 (wouldn’t mind a player somewhere between those two across from Davante would we?)-
But no, let down by the Packers drafting abilities again…
Instead, it seems like we reached in EVERY SINGLE ROUND, and yes the Vikings have certainly closed the gap even with trading away their best wideout in Diggs.
Our chances of repeating last year appear sadly very slim, and as always, on the shoulders of 12 and 12 alone.
So…it could be argued..our biggest need was at wide receiver. This draft was touted as being very, very deep
at wide receiver.
The Packers had 10 draft picks. It boggles the mind…we didn’t draft even 1 receiver.
We have 3 or 4 receivers that were drafted in the past 2 or 3 years. Are you taking into account that despite the length of time they have been here, they have had (1) season to learn a (new) system. Also take into account that the entire staff was put together in short order, and they were not just settled into their offices, or becoming experienced in Matt LaFleur’s system. We were paying Mike McCarthy last year yet, as a matter of fact. So you have a system that hasn’t had time to become established and players that have to learn a new play system that isn’t familiar to your core of players on offense. To me, that is about the equivalent of having a full team of rookies.
Even Aaron could claim to be a rookie last year, as well. Mike Pettine kept us alive for the most part, with the defensive players we acquired. Doesn’t anybody think that some of our more recent wide receivers, will have a chance to step forward this year, by having (one) year in it. It doesn’t seem reasonable to fault our offensive players for being green in this new system.
So why is everyone so excited to say that we need some 1st round receivers picked to replace the ones we have here, with (one) yes 1 year of experience in this new system. It’s unfair to think that none of our young receivers can step forward this year.
They are being expected to forget the Mike McCarthy system they worked so hard at, and Aaron had played in for his career so far, and all of them had to literally start over. Then there’s the gripe that Rick Wagner can’t fill the shoes of Bryan Bulaga, but Wagner has rated as the 16th best RT in the league, when he wasn’t hurt, so he isn’t some slouch either. The replacement Kirksey, that the GM got us for for Martinez is as good or better when healthy, and we did pick up another receiver with good potential in Funchess. Sure Martinez was a good player and tackler, but tackling after an offensive player has got big yardage on you, only shows that you have got a lot of tackles, despite giving up many first downs. There are sure a lot of people here that seem to not be taking a lot of these things into consideration. They think that Gutekunst blew the draft, and didn’t get what we needed. I got to wonder if we didn’t already have much of what we needed, right here, in the first place. We were only a player or two away, like a bit better run stuffer in the middle, and a bit better production on offense. If this past year of learning, has helped both the coaching staff and players, and they are able to put their efforts to work on the field, I wouldn’t go so far as to call this draft, the GM, or the Coach, a waste. I’d rather think that we (they) all learned a bit, got a few new pieces we could afford, and are ready to go into battle for another championship.
I know that many people on here don’t like some of what I’ve had to say, but none of our picks are proven failures, when they haven’t been given a fair chance to play.
This draft is only gloomy, if you paint it that way, but it has the potential to surprise a lot of people, if they will just give it a fair chance.
Yeah. The Packers could have sat back and taken Tee Higgins at 30 and then traded back up in the 2nd round to take Raekwon Davis who went what, 54th? That fills two massive needs. Both players start day 1. Instead we’re still sitting here today with our thumbs up our ass wondering whos gonna play opposite Davante and Kenny Clark.
I’ve been singing it for two years. Can you hear it? It’s coming…
Fire Gute!!
FIRE Gute!!
FIRE GUTE!!
I love being right.
Long time my man, how’s the Dog? You got enough peanut butter?
Ask your Mom, licked most of it off her last night.
Wasn’t it hard digging her up?
We are going to the playoffs, and we will continue to do so, year after year. If we lose Rodgers to injury or retirement, if Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams leave in free agency after this season. If half of our offensive line leaves in the same manner.
We will do this, because GM Gutekunst was looking out for the future of this club.
This team, will prove capable of returning to the playoffs, regardless of having 10 or 12 wide receivers. If Gutekunst wanted a few more receivers to get us there, he’d have taken them. He has to keep this team competitive for more than this season, he has to operate under the cap, and replace players that will be too expensive to keep, after this season. Before people open the mouth about what we should have done, perhaps they should consider what a GM has to deal with year after year. This is a task, that apparently too few people here know much, if anything at all about. Some should just shut up and enjoy this draft like I have. I am awfully happy that the Packers have the Coaching, and Management here, that so many other NFL franchises lack!
This was a Brilliant Draft, and once again this season, The Packers win their division, and have a great opportunity to play for all the marbles. Only a Dumbass would think otherwise …
LOL…Where do all these new names come from that are telling us what a brilliant great draft this was all of a sudden? Puffing out their chest calling us dumbass…lol
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Maybe the Public Relations Dept. of the Packers are hard at work.
1265 Lombardi Ave. Damage control dept.
Alberto Buenarte?
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Think about it, you’ll get it.
So you have a right to your opinion but if we don’t agree we should shut up and are dumb asses. Brilliant Draft NOT.
Got it Big Al…. dumbass here…you have your tounge so far into BG’s a*s you haven’t addressed a single substantive comment. Only way this draft makes ANY sense is….nope go nothin to say
Them taking Love signals that clock is running on Rodgers. I bet he is gone after two years when it first becomes possible to drop his contract.
I’m starting to think Gutekunst covets players based on how a player LOOKS and not how he plays. They all LOOK like they should be able to play, but then they don’t. If Gary doesn’t get over 10 sacks next year, I will have lost what little hope I have left.
Wow! There are some things not to like about the selections, but the summary indictment of Gute’s fitness as a GM by a guy whose investment in things Packers starts and ends with formulating some opinions and pecking them out on a keyboard takes a special kind of crust. Last I checked, this team wasn’t some shitshow trying to figure out how to win, let alone win division titles or make deep playoff runs.
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When we as fans start relying upon the opinion of CBS Sports and their monkeys (or anyone else’s for that matter) to determine whether or not, or how, things have and will work out for the team, we can head up that creek named “Shit” and ditch the paddles. I know you have to subscribe to the ‘tell it like it is’ mantra of this site, but lord, get some oxygen. The article reads like you might be hyperventilating and need some.
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And as always, the certainty of failure of the draftee is directly proportional to the extent with which one disagrees with the pick.
Savage, it’s not that the guys we drafted are necessarily bad players. It’s that there was better talent available on the board. Talent that would have matched our glaring weaknesses, namely shifty WR, coverage ILB, run stopping DT. Weaknesses we have not seriously addressed.
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I know there is no sure thing in the draft. The most highly touted guys can end up failing miserably. Undrafted guys can turn out to be pro bowlers. It’s the odds each guy has of becoming a contributor. The game tape, the combine measurables, the interviews. That clearly defines who the most likely talented players are. That’s what pundits, beat writers, scouts and analysts consider. That’s what Gute disregarded, in a TT-like attempt to outsmart everyone.
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And I don’t care if one or three players end up being “meh” average, especially when other teams may have gotten difference makers at OUR positions of need.
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My new catchphrase for our 2020 draft:
Other teams got better. We got backups.
I don’t think Rob has to rely on outside sources like CBS sports or any other media outlet to formulate his thoughts or opinions any more than i do.
I think it’s fairly obvious that Rob does his own thinking. He might look at other sources to see if others concur with his own thoughts. The same exact way when i have thought’s on a player (positive or negative) i’ll often go check their PFF grade to see if they concur with what i’m seeing. Many times i’ll do the same thing with looking up a players past draft scouting report, even years later.
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I don’t always agree with Rob, and i’ll call him out on it. BUT….if i discover he may have been right, and i was wrong coming at him. I’ll post something acknowledging it to him. Like, a few years ago when he wanted to take a receiver in the first round.
Summary Indictment on Gutes Awful talent as a GM-
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2018 Draft? who did we get? – Jaire Alexander (above average) Jk Scott (mediocre punter with a reach draft pick). Thats it friendo. Burks…jackson…the three amigo wideouts…cole madison? Gutes class is shaping up to compete with the 2015 Ted class as the worst in Packer History.
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2019 Draft-
Rashan Gary, a 4-3 defensive end, picks him 12th…Gary proceeds to predictably struggle, to the point where he cant get snaps from the complete stiff kyler Fackrell. Savage and Jenkins could be really good ones…and shit Gary could turn a corner…but they dont look to great right now.
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2020 Draft
Trades up for QB of future, fine, even though the kid wasnt particularly good in in college the packers dont weight production they weigh traits…..which typically doesnt work for them. THen they reach 2 rounds early for a RB, reach 2-3 rounds early for a tight end…and HOPEFULLY redeemed themselves a little bit with the glut of linemen they chose. Hopefully one or two of those guys can stick around. This draft didnt address any of their weaknesses. Unless of course you felt undersized blocking tight ends/full backs are third round investments.
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Free agency –
Signs rodgers to record contract…crippling his teams cap…then drafts his replacement LESS THAN A YEAR LATER….draft aside this contract alone could be grounds for termination. It was unneccesary and completely undermines the ENTIRE POINT of having love on a rookie contract….
Jimmy Graham….Billy Turner….. – THis has been beaten to death.
The Smith bros were good signings but this team is capped out and they have gotten worse from last year. The niners lost one of their 4 all pro defenders…but at least through a series of moves…turned it in to arguably the best tackle in the NFL…Trent Williams. Meanwhile we let our pro bowl tackle walk (cause were capped out) and replace him with a less effective…more injury prone…tackle. Same can be said for the MLB position.
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I dont need CBS to tell me how inept this front office is. And gute no longer gets the benefit of the doubt from me unless im proven wrong, he has made too many incompetent moves to be considered a good general manager. In fact…his last year or so of decisions has him straddling bill o brien territory.
Gutekunst drafts are not looking good. They look like the last few years of Thompson’s drafts. The only thing that separates Thompson from Gutekunst is that Gutekunst did pick up some excellent free agents.
Hey Savage…u gotta be a packers.com troll
This draft was a bust for the Packers. It will set
them back at least four years. Minnesota is the team to beat and Lions had a good draft.
They didn’t have to move up for Love and then give a fourth round pick.
If I was going make a trade, trade up for a wide receiver or trade down for a second and third round pick.
With all the defensive tackles on the board, they didn’t even try and draft one.
I would like to monitor the evolution of the 49ers and Ravens draftees in parallel to ours. Those teams really strengthened themselves, while we took a bunch of overdrafted JAGs.
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Other teams got better. We got backups.
Yeah I heard it all before. I listened all off season last year about how great the Viqueens were going to be. How the rookie coach would take a couple years to get the Packers to the playoffs. But not of that came true. And I doubt I will ever read any apologies when Dillon and Deguara are making a difference next year. How quickly you forget how people were calling Davante Adams a complete bust after his second year. I believe St. Brown and MVS have an awesome opportunity to make the third year jump that Adams made. Maybe Begelton and Funchess fit what MLF is trying to do. Trust MLF and Gute till proven wrong. TT received death threats after drafting Rodgers. If you haven’t seen Rodgers decline in last three years you are blind. Love has the tools to make us the first franchise in history to have three succeeding QB’s rather than the 20 to 30 that the Bears and Vikings have started. Give them a chance. Take a deep breath!
We make no distinction, between those who conducted this draft terrorism, and those who harbor them.
I don’t always have two 1st round picks sitting on the bench, but i do when i’m not concerned with winning right now.- Brian Gutenkunst
I am almost speechless as I was looking forward to our team addressing their fundamental needs to take the next step. Wide receivers,defensive line,offensive line,middle linebacker, and cornerback,but what happened is astonishing.9-7 or 8-8 is my prediction for this season and I will add that I sure hope that I am wrong.Go Pack Go
Rob..i respectfully disagree partially, with your last paragraph.
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It was Murphy who stood tall, proud, proclaiming himself in charge of all football operations after hiring Gute,
Explaining in no uncertain terms that not only is he in charge and everyone has to report to him for approval, but that no decisions are made without his approval. He was the last word on moves made.
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He vocally went out of his way more than once to get that message across.
Pack should’ve just turned on auto-pick.
😂
We ok?
hmmm
I don’t know why we have to go to bed angry.
Pack should have hired a GM from the outside.
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Gutes list of miscues is boggling for a guy who’s been in the GM seat for only 27 months.
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I’m starting to buy into MMSUCK’s philosophy that Gute has been running the drafts even going back
a couple years before TED got fired…OOPS…before Ted got “re-assigned”. Is that the right terminology Mark?
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BROKEN
In hindsight….kind of makes me wonder what things would look like right now had E. Wolf been appointed GM.
I didnt love E. Wolf either to be honest. Seemed like he was too much of a just along for the ride type of guy. His contribution seemed to occasionally get some undrafted guy out of his alma mater Miami to sign with the Pack.
I summarized them above. Feel free to add more as im sure im missing some. While hes not quite there…hes sometimes straddles Bill O Brien Esque decision making.
If you were making a list of fuck ups…you missed a ton.
But it’s all good because i’ve (we’ve) covered them, again and again.
When a horse is dead, it’s dead. It’s up to God (Board of Directors) now.
Keep fighting the good fight Stig!
Petition to refer to “gute” as Brian O’Brien moving forward.
“I’m starting to buy into MMSUCK’s philosophy that Gute has been running the drafts even going back”
OK, I need a minute…
….BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!
I feel like I just won the lottery. This is a glorious day.
Thank you, Total TMZ Packers.
If you fire Gutekunst, they have to fire Murphy too. The problem is, as far as I know, the Packers never fire a president. I don’t know if they can.
Gute, like his Gopher coach dad, is thick. You’ve just seen the result.
My God, slow your roll everybody!!! None of these Packer draft picks have even landed in Green Bay yet, and every one of you is ready to write them off for good? The Jordan Love pick was certainly a gamble, but if he eventually pans out, the impact on the franchise could last for long into the future in the same way the legacies of Favre and Rodgers have made this team a consistent Superbowl contender for the last couple decades. Only time will tell.
I realize that AR needs weapons NOW, but let’s look at who was on the board at the time Gute traded up to pick Love. Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman, and Laviska Shenault were the next three WRs drafted, all of whom lasted until the 2nd round by the way. If you honestly believe that these three guys had a better chance at being immediate contributors to the Packer offense as opposed to guys like MVS and Lazard who already know the system, than you should all quit your jobs and become NFL scouts.
As for the 2nd pick, for Rob to say that AJ Dillon is “really a fullback” makes me question if he even researched what this guy did in college. Sure, at 6-0 250 lbs, Dillon may be the size of your typical fullback, but that’s certainly not the role he played at BC. The guy was a bellcow at BC, rushing for 4,300 yards and 38 TDs in three seasons. Those numbers are the reason that the Packers drafted him. They certainly didn’t draft him to play fullback.
As opposed to a rookie WR who has to learn the offense and work his way into the rotation at a position that usually takes up at least six roster spots, a RB like Dillon could likely contribute right away. A north-south pound-it-inside runner like Dillon could be a perfect complimentary fit as a one-two punch combined with Aaron Jones. Personally, I love the pick. A more dominant running game will only give AR and his receivers more opportunities to catch the defense off-guard in the passing game.
If Rob wants to talk about the fullback position, if anybody has a good chance of fulfilling the fullback’s true role as lead blocker in the running game, it could be Josiah Deguara lining up as an H-back. If Deguara turns out to be as versatile as some suggest, this could eliminate the need to spend a roster spot on a full-time fullback altogether.
As with any draft, only time will tell, but for God sake, let’s not all throw in the towel so soon on this one.
OMG! The sky is falling all hope is lost! Is this a Vikings fan site? STOP LOOKING AT THE ROSTER LIKE THIS IS STILL MM’s OFFENSE! Few seem to be able to figure that out, especially the so-called “sportswriters” that do no in-depth research but just regurgitate what all the talking heads are saying. I’ll tell you right now this offense will be better this year whether their overall record is or not. This additional running back could make a huge difference on third down, a horrible weak spot for us last year. We all know the Packers’ 13-3 season was mostly a mirage, we are bound to take a step back from that record and a first round receiver was never going to change that.
Was the draft for winning now, or building for the future?
You can take the horse to the river, but you can’t make him drink.
This draft (like any other well-rounded draft) was BOTH about winning now AND building for the future. The two concepts of building for the future AND building for the present in any given draft are not mutually exclusive.
Both? How many need positions did we fill? How many starters did we net? How is Gutes record so far on his last two drafts.
I’m just gonna stop…lol. I feel like i’m trying to teach my dog to speak Spanish
This draft definitely moves the Packers more towards the LaFleur offense. It seems like the Packers want to be able to run the ball, spread carries around, but then be able to surprise you downfield once in a while. It’s not an offense which spreads out 4 wides. And the observation about being able to move the chains on third and short is an excellent one. I actually liked the idea of taking a big back. Many times last year I thought we needed a bruiser back to get that one or two yards . A whole lot of drives ended on third and short last year. Some folks said, why not just take a fullback (or do a better of job of keeping guys like Vitale), but LaFluer is looking for backs who can get 20 yards, not just 4 yards.
Did you like how the draft went GBPAKRZ? You forgot to mention your thoughts on the picks besides rb.
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Lets stop losing brain cells. Lets compare production of 2 running backs, vs 7 receivers last season and see where we need help.
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(2) Running backs…
TD’s = 25
Yards = 2,171
First downs = 112
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(7) Wide receivers…
TD’s = 13
Yards = 2,661
First Downs = 117
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Fun Fact: In Jordys last full season with Rodgers, he had 14 TD’s (Himself)
Fun Fact: In his last 22 full games, he had 20 TD’s.
Fun Fact: Jordy had 6 TD’s in the first 5 games of 2017 (with Rodgers)
Fun Fact: 6 TD’s would have led all receivers in TD’s in 2019
No response…i’m shocked.
Nah, he just got tired of listening to a dumbass.
Is that why he’s ignoring you?
I thought you said you were leaving
This was a great draft, so why show so much ignorance, as to where this team is going. Many of our players are in the last year of their contracts, so how will the club move on? Why so many morons write that this is a poor draft, on the part of the GM, let me remind a few, that the GM has to deal with all of these issues. It’s not just as simple as grabbing a wide receiver, we grabbed 3 of them just a couple 3 years ago. It’s time to let them play, and by now, they should know about the system. This article doesn’t address the fact that any of the top receivers in this draft, may or may not be an NFL success. The Vikings spent pick # 16 about 4 years ago on Laquan Treadwell, do you see him playing for the Vikings now? Don’t Bad Mouth our staff before you are able to see the results of these picks down the long road. Assholes that don’t care about the future, are sure welcome to follow some other club, aren’t they? We won’t be sitting near completely disabled next year at this time, because we had people leave in free agency, or retire, or not fit under the salary cap. Some of you people are the most ungracious pecker heads on the planet. This team has not been destroyed, because we drafted a good player with our first pick, and didn’t place the weight of the entire franchise on the shoulders of some wet nosed college wide receiver. We only needed a tiny bit more last year, and what that was, may well have been here, before the draft even started. The Packers have some awesome teachers, both on and off the field. We’ve got a new quarterback that is going to learn from Aaron Rodgers. We’ve got a new running back, that will learn things from Aaron Jones, & Jamaal Williams. We’ve got a new Tight End that will learn from Marcedes Lewis. We’ve got some new offensive linemen, that will learn from some of the best in the business. I can go on and on here, about the positive things that Packer fans everywhere should be Most Thankful For. Don’t make me puke, listening to your baby whining, we were there last year, and playing for the NFC Championship, and we will be there again.
The window is not closed on this team, but some minds, certainly are !
Who’s WE Pecker Head? Stop saying WE like you help make any decisions. Unless your last name is is Gutekunst, stop saying we. And if your last name is Gutekunst fuck you.
Did you notice that both Stephen and Alberto have the same Icon / Avatar? Way too coincidental. Especially since thes guys appear o be new to this site . . . Damage control from the assholes at 1265 Lombardi attempting to quash the fallout of Gutekunst’s epic failure in this draft. And I mean EPIC.
Hows that 2018 draft class stephen? Anyone besides Jaire even going to make the roster? They say you should give a draft class 3 years to truly evaluate…but…how do we evaluate a class if only one player is left after 3 years?
Enlighten me Mr. Gutenkust or shall i call you by your new name… Brian O’Brien.
Please explain how we got better at stopping the run. Did we at least get the only then-available complete-package LB? Please, explain how our WR corps got better. We still have guys that have been trying to prove themselves since 2018. Last year’s rookies from other teams were tearing it up. So please don’t say that a rookie first-round WR can’t help bolster the receiving part of our offense.
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Wanna bet how our rookies perform vs those of BAL and SF? It’s not about the “meh” help we got. It’s about the higher-caliber help we could have gotten. Those teams had pick orders similar to ours. Gute made a high risk series of picks. Consensus talent was available. He outright refused it, chosing instead to overdraft. So, it’s beat SF and BAL draft classes or GTFO.
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Other teams got better. We got backups.
Lol..Stephan brings up one bad receiver (Treadwell) pick by the vikings like it’s the norm…lol
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Here’s the problem sunshine, lets make a list of all the missed picks of the last 2 drafts by 1 person in Green Bay, and how those bad picks affects “the teams future” you’re so worried about.
YOU GOT TIME?
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Stephan also writes even if you grab a receiver, we don’t know if he’ll be good. But….HE KNOWS that Jordon Love will be good. Smh. Jordon Love has a long, long way to go to being a starting QB in the NFL. but at least he can cheer the team on from the bench with Gary. Maybe he’ll win pre-season MVP, idk.
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But in fairness…looking at all viewpoints on this. There are a few people who are standing by Gute here and in the media. Maybe those 2% of the people have a it right, and the other 98% just have a lot to learn.
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My opinion? Even if you said fuck winning now, and decided to pick a draft for the future, this draft was still a fail.
Stephen April 26, 2020
This was a great draft.
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WELLNESS CHECK!!!!!
So personally I feel like most people who say they gave up on Rodgers are correct. I wanted to punch the coach in the mouth after i saw his reaction to the Love pick. Yes, Rodgers is post prime athletic wise, but he is still the most efficient QB in the history of the game. more often than not.. he’s not going to be the reason they lose.. which is why I believe he has the attitude he has and people dont like it because he knows he is great. Patrick mahomes suggested they get a certain RB in this year’s draft.. and what did KC do?? they drafted that RB because he was a good fit and a good choice, AND because they value their QB. The front office doesn’t give a fuck about Rodgers and it makes me sick. that man played hurt, had a leg injury and played through it and won against the bears in the season opener… did everyone forget when they ran the table in the regular season after a horrible start?? that is somebody who knows how to win and is very smart with the football.. a QB like him should be playing in a mix between McCathys system and Lefluers… a good balance that has 3 and 4 reciever sets sprinkled in with receivers who can turn and burn.. The bottom line is the MAN needs some help, I could be very wrong here but I feel like they should have traded up and got mimms in the 2nd, and still had the other two skill players on the board in the 3rd and 5th round while giving up a 6th or 7th round pick to jump ahead in the second… I know Rick Wagner at T is not the answer which is why they drafted so many lineman with key players on the line nearing the end of their deals.. it’s just very frustrating to see them neglect players who had tremendous talent for players that in all honesty probably would have been their in later rounds.. BTW I created a Twitter account and commented on Lafleaurs Twitter account about how he and gute should be ashamed of themselves for doing their QB the way they did. it felt like a deliberate slap in his face.. I mean.. he’s never complained about needing help on the outside and the year he does.. with a deep WR class… they decided not to. it’s like they have given up.. my prediction is a 10-6 team. 1 playoff win and then we lose the next round.. I’m not completely giving up on them.. their is still hope and I believe they still have a chance.. but I must say I really don’t like our front office and HC right now.. that will all change I’m sure if they go out and win but as it sits at the moment.. I think Gute and Lafleur are a couple of spineless bastards who lie through their teeth.. “it’s just the way our board fell” my ass! and Lafleur saying he loves Rodgers. FAKE ASF. if he did he would’ve at least put one potential weapon on the outside.. even if it was just to add depth.. I could go on and on.. I just think they did Rodgers dirty.. but then again.. I’m not there everyday so I really don’t know. only time will tell. in the meantime I’m gonna stay hopeful and go see them play Indy this fall live, since it may be one of the last season’s we get to see #12. and I’m thankful for that at least. barring no injuries
Okay “WE”, “WE” needed an ILB. Did “WE” ADDRESS that need? “WE” needed a run stuffing 6+ graded D-Lineman, did “WE” address that? I think you (in your case “WE”) need to tuck your tail between “your” legs and take your bought and paid for “Homer-Ass” back to your gods at 1265 Lombardi. Take Albert with you. leave the conjecture and cognitive thought processes to people that have those capabilities . . . I could go on, but why?
Sorry, for disambiguation purposes this was aimed at Stephen. As well as Albert. They both have the same icon/avatars as well. Coincidental? hmmmm.
Worst draft I can honestly remember as a Packer fan. Not just the picks, but wasting picks to trade in front of teams that were recently set at QB. Taking players way out of position of their value and ignoring needs of the team because of the previous poor draft at WR. Just like one person already posted it’s not necessarily they will be bad players, but it’s who we missed. We could have just stood pat at 30 got Love and still had a 4th rounder. However The first 3 picks were so incompetent having a 4th we probably would have drafted a kicker or waterboy. By the 7th rd I was hoping we could trade back and pick up a ball bag for our GM and a 7th rd pick to mitigate further damage. Not only might this be the nail in the coffin to win a super bowl during the Rodgers era it could set the team back 5-10 years after. When you have management that can’t admit past mistakes it’s how you end up with Brett Hundley because they won’t change because it validates their inept draft. I have a feeling that is going to continue here. Barring Rodgers winning another super bowl with us I’ll accept nothing less than a house cleaning of this management team.
This! ^^^^ It MUST start with Mark Murphy. This was an embarrassing draft that may be unequaled for decades to come. This is bordering on Houston’s insanity and that is saying something.
As I said…we need to start calling gut Brian O’Brien.
Yep!
This is a BS article poorly written and with questionable expertise in football. I want to see the Buffon who wrote this explain what he/she would have done.. sounds like force a WR where he didn’t fit the talent/round ratio.. That kind of reckless style of drafting will get the Packers back to the 1980’s faster than you’d expect… 1 injury away from giving up multiple 1st round picks for a John Hadl type QB. If you wait until you need a QB to get one it’s to late… So glad the idiot who wrote this NO influence and SO glad Gutekunst is I’m charge!
Welcome new guy
Making decisions like the Smith’s, coming to Green Bay must go completely over the heads of some people. It will become so much more obvious during the course of the season, that Gutekunst is doing things that are paying huge dividends in the long haul. Some of our receivers are likely going to be able to step forward this year, after having had only one year in Matt LaFleur’s new system. Why then would we have to draft a receiver, who is completely green, and undeveloped in an NFL system? We will have players stepping forward here that have benefitted from a year in a brand new system, and a coaching staff also that has had only one year to get up and going.
I am optimistic about the great things that came to pass, just the first year, when our young receivers, had previously only been in Mike McCarthy’s offense, and had to start all over again with a new playbook.
It’s unfair to bad mouth a coaching staff in it’s infancy, a GM that is looking out for our future, while also giving us a team that has gone 13-3, with playoff appearances, all while keeping the club under the salary cap restraints, and saving all but a few of our most valuable assets. I don’t ask for much in the way of respect for my opinion, but I’ve been around for well over 50 years of Packer Football, and can’t say that I’ve seen a fairly new manager, operate much more efficiently. Things got a bit stale with McCarthy, but he also took this team to great heights in his tenure. I watched the Vikings take Laquan Treadwell with the 16th pick in the draft, 4 years ago. He isn’t playing there now is he. The Packers will win the division again this year, and their future will not be in question. We are all unqualified to Judge this draft, or even a few of our most recent ones, given these circumstances. I wouldn’t bet completely against the Packers playing in the SB this year. With some minor adjustments, and a bit of encouragement, I believe that there is a great chance coming once again. I would not disgrace myself, by bad mouthing the Coaching Staff or GM because I wanted a wide receiver, and was completely ignorant of what it takes to build a franchise that can not only compete, but do so year after year, for many seasons to come. There is no team, in the entire NFL, that had a better draft, than … 🏈The Green Bay Packers …
“There is no team, in the entire NFL, that had a better draft, than … 🏈The Green Bay Packers….”
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OK….Now we know they are just trolling for response. Get a life
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I hope this stuff isn’t coming from totalpackers.com. Where’s The Lonely Boy?
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PF4L…out.
Stephen! You belong with the rest of the HOMERS on websites like Talk-n-Packers, or the Green Bay Packers own Pollyanna site that is VOID of most reality.
Rob, I understand why you and several others here are concerned with this years draft. However, I do question how you went from giving Gutekunst an enthusiastic A on September 5, 2019, to basically, but stopping just short of indicating Gutekunst should be fired.
What happened since September 5, 2019? A 13-3 record and a trip to the NFCC, albeit a blow out. And no I do not believe last years improvements were solely the result of Gutekunst’s actions. LaFleur was heavily involved in the team improvement. You might say Gutekunst and LaFleur may work well together. We will see.
So this draft requires removal? When you went full blown optimism last September, I went cautious optimism and stated such. To be clear my optimism meter dropped after this draft, but fire Gutekunst?
No, I think for now I will follow what a very wise poster on this site always says after the draft. Don’t be crowning these guys yet they have not even played one down, or season, in a meaningful NFL game.
I think I will follow that wise advise, and will wait and see how the season and the draft picks play out before I call for Gutekunst’s head. Remember the player procurement, and development process has not concluded just because the draft is over.
He might be concerned because the draft makes no sense. He might be concerned because it’s a draft that tells fans they are giving up and building for post Rodgers. He might be concerned because the draft made absolutely no logical sense in reasoning a win now mode. He might be concerned that having 2 1st round picks cheering from the sideline might not be the best way to win football games now.
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We always should wait to judge talent (but we all do to some extent anyway), because we don’t know if a player works out or not, this is true as the day is long. Nobody is saying that Dillion can’t run, nobody is saying the new tight end is a flop. No one is saying that Love is a flop (unless i’m trying to be funny). There might be signs/information something is off. which is a bit different than crowning a rookie because he made a few splash plays.
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What, they do is…question. They question why a 1st round pick will sit on the bench for 2,3 years and not give immediate help. They question giving up picks that can be used to add players that may help. They question why we picked a rb when we really have larger immediate needs. they question (fair or not) partially on Gutes past drafts.
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If you remember all my post directly after the draft, my beef was i questioned the win now mode they advertise, and that was 100% legit. Because this draft has very little to offer for the (win now/ all in) philosophy.
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Honestly Howard, if someone here calls for Gutes job, i can’t in good conscience disagree with them based on the fact i don’t think he’s done very well myself, when looking at totality. which is why i’ve said this 3rd year is huge for Gute, he has to work some magic. Since the draft, i’ve done a 180 on that, because i think he’s building the future, and i’m assuming he has the backing of the Packers to do so. Remember, it wasn’t too long ago Gute got this job….with training wheels and everything had to be ok’d by Murphy.
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Regardless, as noted earlier..always a pleasure.
The other thing to consider Howard….A lot of diehard fans, have been waiting a long time during a tenuous 9 years since the SB. I’ll spare going through all the dysfunction. But it’s at least reasonable to factor that in. Then they start to see a lot of miscues from “the new guy” in charge and get frustrated thinking…here we go again.
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What’s important to the Packers and what direction they are looking to go was made perfectly clear Thursday night. Not everyone, not many, are going to be on board with it. It is what it is.
I agree. I always thought it was a waste of “win now capitol” when Rodgers was drafted and sat on the bench for three years and didn’t give immediate help. Like I wrote, it made me mad at the time, until Rodgers was needed and then all was well 4 years later. The trade up and drafting of Love just makes me ill. The one thing that experience teaches you, if your honest, is General Managers have to look at short, middle, and long range projections.
Is Love that guy? I don’t know, all I know is Love will have to be a Very different QB than he is now, if he is going to get a chance to shine in the NFL.
I don’t think anyone on this site, except you has been more supportive of Rodgers than me, and that includes during the 2019 season. Reality says Rodgers is getting up there in years and when that occurs in the NFL it only takes one serious injury and poof you are out of the league.
You have a lot of questions about Gutekunst, with some being valid concerns. Do you think Gutekunst had anything positive to do with the 2019 season? If not maybe Gutekunst should have been fired after the 2019 season, and it would have saved this travesty of a draft from occurring.
I think I will see how the rest of the off-season and season plays out before I call for Gutekunst’s firing. Hell, maybe by September Rob will give Gutekunst another “A” grade as a GM, and I will be back up to being cautiously optimistic about Gutekunst. We shall see, and will discuss further during and at seasons end.
I know everyone likes to draw parallels to the Rodgers pick and i’m sure the Packers will cling on tight to that mantra as they go through some public relations drama. Except for age and round picked, i see two totally different situations. Rodgers was just signed to a huge deal. Rodgers hasn’t uttered the word retirement, not once. Plus favre displayed other kinds of drama..his own locker area, blah, bah, blah.
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Again…Rodgers age? Then play out his 2 years without the extra commitment of 100 million dollars. Injury can take anyone out, the Packers have never seemed to concerned with Rodgers having a quality back up unless he got hurt since Matt Flynn, and no, Hundley doesn’t count.
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Here’s where it gets tricky….I’m on board for drafting a QB (any round), i believe in that. But….when to do it? After you lay out huge guaranteed money when you had Rodgers for 2+2 more years? That is not logical for these other reasons also (assuming they want to win now)..You are going into year 3 of a roster turn, and still have plenty of holes to fill. Partially because you missed out on draft picks, and didn’t do very well in free agency (overall). Rodgers dead cap 2 years from now is 17+ million if you cut him after the next 2 seasons. So it’s fair to assume your keeping him 3 years. What happens then is Love starts in his 4th season. So you have one season to determine if he’s worth a second contract. you could exercise a 5th year option, but it will be north of 30 million by then. Then he can also hit free agency. All the while….you don’t get the luxury of having a QB playing on his rookie contract, which is where teams like Kansas City have been sitting pretty with a low cost Mahomes. In todays NFL, the days of sitting a rookie 1st round QB for 3 years is unheard of. Lastly……for the next 3 years, you don’t have that 1st round pick player you could have had if you didn’t draft Love so early, nor the 4th rounder you gave up to get Love.
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All in all, it was too early….there were way better way’s to handle this, and they could have done so like most teams do. There are three victims in all of this. First is Love, who didn’t do a damn thing to deserve the shit he’s going to get and feel.over this. Rodgers, who just took a contract they offered him and figured they were going to get him some weapons this year….and got nothing. Third…. is us…Packer Nation, after so many years of bad drafts, front office dysfunction, no leadership, no direction….etc. Then the draft rolls around when everybody gets juiced up and optimistic. Then the Packers draft a QB who will sit for 3 years, and a rb we didn’t have a pressing need for.
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All the while Farve sits at home with a grin on his face thinking….Sounds about right.
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Hope i articulated that well enough to understand and make some sense.
I think you articulated it well enough and I understand.
If you read any of my comments you know I thought the Packers should take a WR in round 1. I was hoping Jefferson or Aiyuk. If those two were not available then a top O- lineman. Obviously the WRs were gone, and I trust the Packers did not believe the remaining O- linemen had late first or early second round value.
The QB pick was a surprise, but maybe shouldn’t have been. I don’t believe for a minute that LaFleur was not on board with the top three picks including Love.
We will see how this goes. There is still time for the Packers to add a receiver. Receivers always become available during the off-season from trades and release. Just not sure the Packers have the capitol to pick one up.
One thing you can see from this draft is LaFleur wants to run more. The 41% run to scrimmage play ratio last year appears to be to low for LaFleur. I think SF had close to a 50% rate of runs. LaFleur I believe wants to run more on early downs to stay away from those third down and long situations. I think the Packers were like 26th last year in offensive 3 and outs.
I’m still sick over the Love pick because of what I think it means, so I understand why you and others are upset. It probably won’t help any, but if you get a chance look at the more detailed scouting report of Love at Cheesehead site.
LeFleur wants to build an offense that mirrors the 49ers i belive.
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I agree with you, LeFleur is on board and knew exactly what’s going on. I’ll go one further. I also believe that Murphy, Gute, and LaFleur sat at a table numerous times discussing this strategy. They are smart guys, they know these moves might disrupt the locker room, and i’ll guarantee you, they discussed how Rodgers will handle all of this.
My .02 my brother. Take good care.
Just read the rest of your post (sorry).
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You’re correct about the run percentage. just look back at how much more LaFleur ran the ball more than McCarthy. Jones had 103 more touches in 2019 vs 2018, plus 33 more targets.
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I don’t think one receiver is going to catch us up to the 49ers, we lost ground on them, more so than last season. The Packers need to pray they won’t have a leaking right side of the line.
PF4L…Good work
Brian Utekunst (Bury the G)
For those interested, SB 31 is just starting on Fox
LOL. How Did the Packers GM’s Nightmarish Mismanagement Come to Be?
I’ll tell you how. YOU PEOPLE.
For years you screamed for years for McCarthy and Thompson to be fired. Then you got your wish.
This is your fault. You own it. Time to suck it up, buttercup.
Pick a fucking name and stick with it, please
Mike Ditka’s Ass seems appropriate.
Says the guy still with the name MMSucks a year after he’s been fired. Dude, let it go.
OK.
MM stands for Mark Murphy, bud. Unfortunately, he’s still on the payroll so the nickname is current.
Come on Packer Fans let’s be honest. The Packers have not drafted very well in years! Thompson was terrible and Gute is even worse. I would hire Kiper or McShay and let them build this team. They would do a much better job than Gute. This re-building draft performance was absolutely mind boggling! #FireGuteandMurphy
Well, this was interesting. One thing seems certain. This team is going way away from the McCarthy offense where Rodgers drops back to pass 35-40 times. In this day in age where teams are in subpackages more on defense then ever before and linebackers tend to be smaller and quicker, it seems like the team is countering that trend with a physical run game and play action passing built off of it. That’s what I get out of their picks anyways. I am guessing a lot of two tight end sets, maybe even three. Not only is the clock officially started on Rodgers, it is officially started on Aaron Jones as well. You don’t take a RB in the 2nd if you have any intention of resigning him. Also worth noting that the college FA running back from Memphis they signed is another physical running back. The center they drafted will almost certainly be replacing Linsley, and may find himself starting this year if there is an injury.
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Not taking a WR must mean they have confidence in Lazard and ESB (he did show a lot of ability his rookie year) taking the next step, and may even have some hope for MVS still. Not to mention Devin Funchess can play….. Besides that, I am pretty disappointed that they didn’t address linebacker or DL.
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Btw next year’s OT class looks to be loaded at this point, and the WR class looks to be very strong as well. What will be interesting is if football at the pro level and college level is even going to be played this fall.
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It is fair to call Gutekunst an f’ing liar. The board “didn’t fall to them that way” in reference to Love. You traded up 4 spots to get him. Don’t try and sugarcoat it for the fans. You wanted to go after a franchise QB of the future once it became clear that he was going to be available close to your position in the draft and you went after him. People are wondering about the timing of making such a decision. Isn’t it obvious? They viewed a lot of the offense’s struggles were on Rodgers. It’s not exactly a secret, objective fans watching the games last year (the last couple years to be honest) saw decline in his play. Hesitancy, diminished accuracy, not trusting what he saw on the field all marred his play. I can think of dozens of plays right off the top of my head. It’s obvious the organization self scouted after the season and saw these same things that I and other fans have seen. They were rumoured to be obsessed with taking a QB. You don’t do that unless you think your QB is toward the end of the road.
I don’t know if i’d call him a franchise QB just yet.
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They didn’t decide to go after Love just because he was falling down the draft. Gute grabbed one of his scouts and flew out to watch him play last fall against LSU, and called an old coach of his to inquire about him last Oct.
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Reading your post it sounds like the receiver core is fine as is, and the problems more lie with Rodgers diminishing talent. I’m going to take notes so i don’t get confused and forget. He better wake up or the next franchise QB we got is going to come in and snatch his job away. Maybe everyone across the Nation is wrong when they say the Packers have a receiver problem, Clearly you disagree.
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Did the Packers ever figure out who the #2 receiver is? You’re correct….it’s a running back. I’d have to agree with you on Funchess, he can play. He can only catch 51% of his targets, but when he’s not injured, he can play. We’re lucky to get him, the Packers had to fight off the stampede of other teams going after him.
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“They were rumoured to be obsessed with taking a QB. You don’t do that unless you think your QB is toward the end of the road.”
That would explain why they just gave him a new contract with 98 million guaranteed.
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No charge
I don’t know that he is a franchise QB either. They obviously think he can be. I have watched limited film on him. He does make some impressive throws and has a lot of athleticism and arm talent. But I think he is far from a sure thing based on some of the decision making I saw. He is going to have to improve his game, a lot, to be be a franchise QB. Personally, my opinion only, I just don’t see it. I hope I am wrong. I am not a professional scout though. Also, please keep in mind this wasn’t a unilateral decision by Gute. This was signed off on by LaFleur as well. LaFleur was all in on this decision based on his reaction after the selection.
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Keep in mind one of the rookies that showed promise in 2018 missed the entire year. Also keep in mind that MVS was learning a second offensive system in two years. That may have been partly to explain for his struggles year two. Of course it would help if he would catch the damn ball. I remember Adams struggling year two as well. You also have to keep in mind Funchess played with Cam Newton, who for his career has completed less than 60% of his passes.
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They gave him that contract prior to the 2018 season. When shit started going downhill. After the collarbone injury to his throwing shoulder.
Strong OT and Wide out class next year?
At least I can eliminate those positions from my mock draft. I’m also eliminating my 4th round pick
Has better chance of winning a Superbowl than the Packers any time soon (In no particular order):
-Dan Marino
-Dan Fauts
-Philip Rivers
-Tont Gonzalez
-Larry Fotzgerald
-Jim Kelly
-Barry Sanders
-Calvin Johnson
-2016 Falcons
-2014 Seahawks
-JJ Watt
-Randy Moss
-Ray Finkle
Don’t forget Uncle Rico and Seneca Wallace. Unless they really are the same person.
Let’s look at the bright side, Jay Cutler getting divorced….
lol…that makes me sad.
I can’t believe I am agreeing more with P4FL than with Howard at this point…
I acknowledge Rodgers’ regression and the whole “trust” issue. I can also accept from Gute that last year was a bet on whether the WR corps could turn it around from the year prior. They are not a bad bunch, except for Allison. Lazard showed some growth. Kumerow could be a fine WR 3 or a good WR4. At this point, Rodgers needs more than “just OK” guys. Especially one more WR able to create consistent separation on shorter (quick development) routes. A number of those guys, with proven college track record and combine measurables was available. On top of that, WRs tend to transition well to the pros (RBs being the most “plug and play” position). Therefore, the fact that we did not pick up ONE WR in the first or second rds beffudles me. Rodgers is still a good-to-very-good QB. You can definitely win with him, and they did give him a huge extension (i.e., commitment). So? Why not supply him with better than average talent, to (i) benefit from Adams commanding double teams and (ii) help Rodgers be a bit more trusting with his receivers?
My approach is more like “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”, regarding this. I gave Gute a pass last season for betting on “his guys”. He counted on second year jumps that never materialized. But has now had two full seasons to gauge the issues, he now KNEW we needed help and simply chose not to address it. And as a special FU to Rodgers he did not pick ONE WR, even a “token” 5th or 6th rdr.
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The Rodgers issue being aside, he completely ignored our porous run defense. No run-stopping DT whatsoever. What about the ILB position? Queen was there. A good run and pass defender for countering modern pass-happy offenses where RBs are routinely flexed to exploit slow downhill traditional LBs, and receiving TEs feast on those very same guys. Nevermind, we got Kamal in the fifth. Heck, I am even conceding that in complement with the Browns LB we got, they may form a decent duo. But how many more plays would have a guy like Queen blown up? Which brings us to…
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Opportunity cost! The whole idea that by making a given choice, you resign something else. There were many guys we could have had, that we passed on, to pick our QB, the RB, the TE/FB hybrid, and that traded 4th rounder. I will pay close attention to how the Ravens and 49ers draftees do this year, because those are the guys we should have had. That will be a fair benchmark of Gute’s 2020 class.
As in finances, you are not very happy with a portfolio that netted you a 3% return, if there is another one you could have had with a return of 8%.
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And finally… I’m glad for Jason, as there is a lot of new traffic to the site. Most of the newcomers seem to defend the Packers quite galantly. One in fact used a lot second person plural when referring to the front office actions.
How did they find this site, precisely after the draft? Or, if they had already been going though the site and were familiar with the content, what prompted them to start typing such involved responses to either Rob or some of us posters?
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Other teams got better. We got backups.
i’m not doing well in here lately, i got MJ sort of taking a shot at me, disguised as a compliment, and i’m in JP’s doghouse.
No one is my dog house 👍 We’re all family now
Sure, tell me now, after i can’t sleep all night long. That’s just great.
It all came to me as I was driving home from the bar……Tom Brady has a two year deal with the Bucs, After 2021 Packers plan to trade ARod to TB and take the $17M dead money hit. He will be Brady’s heir apparent, with offensive weapons, maybe a reinvigorated Gronk at his disposal, and no state income tax. Only question is what do we get in compensation?
Mark the tape.
Trade now. Rodgers for TB12, Mike Evans and Gronk straight up. They would have a better SB shot this year.
Two comments – Drafting Love makes me think that the Packer brass do believe Rodgers is on the decline and maybe the LaFleur/Rodgers pairing is not going as well as hoped. 2nd, I think the draft is an indication that LaFleur desires to be a run centric offense and does not think he has the personnel currently on the roster to accomplish this (O-line and a big back).
Love had 17 interceptions and 13 fumbles in 11 games. Couldn’t we just have signed Jameis Winston to a veteran minimum?
That could have also saved Green Bay’s Red Lobster restaurant
Definitely my biggest concern. Either you are Jameis Winston and never learn, or you are Steve Young and improve your decision making that much. One thing to keep in mind is, in the theoretical starting year of 2022, he will be the same age as Joe Burrow is this year. Still a very young dude.
The other thing to keep in mind, is that Gutenkunst has virtually signaled an end to Rodgers chances of success in Green Bay.
I like to compare the DRAFT to a 12 yr old @ Christmas. You wait for it and it finally arrives, then you get to even get up earlier than expected (move to 26th pick) So you open your present—WOW–A CAR!!! But what do I DO WITH IT, I can’t drive it for at least 3-4 years? Then I’m told there are major problems with it, but I’m sure we can correct them? Then they tell me if not, we’ll just have to trade it in, or just get rid of it !!!!! SO NOW WHAT DO I DO, I guess just hope I get a present next year that I can actually use and enjoy!!
Normally…i detest the silly season of mock drafts, and talking heads grading drafts, days after. But i think Gutenkunst opened that door so i’m going to walk through it. I don’t do this for vengeance, but to show a consensus.
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Green Bay Packers:
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Pete Prisco = D
Rotoworld = F
Wash. Post = D
SBNation = D
PFF……… = D
Sporting News = D
NFL.com = C+
The Draftwire = D
USA Today = D
Mel Kiper Jr = C
TDWire…. = D-
FantasyPros = F
Sportsillustrated = B-…”What’s clear is Packers GM Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur felt that this draft would be best spent investing in the future.”
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So what does this mean?
This mean, the consensus of National NFL pundits rate the Packers draft the worst of all 32 teams and there was no close runner up.
Personally…Overall…i would grade Gute a D since he became GM. It would be an F if not for the Smith Bros.
What I suspected, yahoos like us can be dismissed, but when the consensus of pundits, former players/execs, and scouts ALL give this draft a thumbs down, the choices and decision making are suspect. Gutey and MLF have not proven yet that they are the smartest guys in the room.
Thanks for doing the research.
No problem….I work for free…that’s the only reason my IP hasn’t been banned yet.
Watched some video of AJ Dillon, and came away very impressed, probably the best film of any of the Packers that were drafted. Calling him a fullback is utterly absurd. Guy has enormous legs. He is a lot faster than you would think at 250lbs, he consistently outran linebackers to the edge and turned the corner. Has decent hands as well. The one thing that really stood out to me was his balance. He isn’t some plodding farm animal, the guy is incredibly nimble for his size. There was one play that reminded me of when Cobb returned that kick against the Saints in the 2011 opener when he did the mid air barrel roll. The guy is going to be a very good running back in Green Bay for a long time. Good luck tackling him when it’s cold out.
Decent hands? He’s a good receiver out of the backfield? Am i reading that right?
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Let me guess…you watched a Dillon “highlight” video?
I think it’s very clear the Packers quit on Rodgers. Not entirely because they drafted a QB. More because a lack of support that all the pundits across the Country seem to agree upon.
If the Packers are going to quit on Rodgers, i think Rodgers has every right and reason to request a trade. Unlike Favre…Rodgers didn’t draw first blood.
Tony Pauline – Pro Football Network
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“Dillon was incredibly productive the three years he played at Boston College and he can handle the load with ease. He’s a throwback runner who would’ve been a very high draft pick 15 years ago, but the one-dimensionality of his game pushes Dillon into the third day of the draft. He’s a terrific short-yardage ball carrier who would fit a power-gap system for an NFL team.”
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In 2020 considering that Jones and Williams are still in Green Bay, Dillon’s role will likely be small but I anticipate LaFleur giving him a few specific duties early on, and as the season progresses, we may see his playing time begin to increase.
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Translation: Can’t help Rodgers and the Packers much this year. Obviously this 2nd round pick will be starting…on the bench next to Love and Gary, where most of Gutes draft picks start.
Doesn’t Aaron Jones have a lengthy injury history? Asking for a friend
Not last season he didn’t, when he had 103 more touches, and a 33 more targets than in 2018.
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I didn’t have that info on the top of my head, so i called a friend.
But if your insinuating that 2nd round pick Dillon can come off the bench in case Jones gets injured, i think you’d be correct. You’ll find him on the bench right next to Gary, Love, and Spriggs.
This Coach and GM are IDIOTS!! It is like they are playing drunken backyard Corn hole while other coaches and GM’s are doing Astrophysics!! I burned all my Packer stuff good luck with that so called long game bullshit NIMRODS!!
https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/95097823_3618065444878938_8775768326430261248_o.jpg?_nc_cat=1&_nc_sid=2d5d41&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&_nc_ohc=K_5wOD4HnRkAX9EomcB&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&_nc_tp=14&oh=3c454068fa036dd7516ab3d5e2be6bc1&oe=5ECF3EDB
This is a over reaction … the roster as it stands will not be the same at season beginning .. One trade for a proven WR will fix that issue ..also many cuts coming .. Picking the OL’s was a great move .. adding to the protection of AR .. we needed a pound it RB back for short 3rd downs and goal lines plays… If you believe one 4th round pick will make a difference ..I disagree .. WR came off the board as fast as they appeared.. can’t help our position in the draft .. we had to bottom feed .. Two TE that can stretch the field will be great for AR ..Lewis is just a running play TE .. we have 3 WR that we drafted Lazard, Shepherd ( 2nd season) and Stanting 3rd.. are you discounting them? because they made the team last year?? most WR make a leap in the 2nd year ..stop the panic ..the grades are meaningless
How about 3 4th round picks?\\
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When did we draft Lazard?
When did the Packers draft Sheppard?
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I’m not discounting Shepard to progress in his 2nd season. there is a good chance if he ever…. see’s the field again, we’ll see a 2nd year leap from his 2019 stats of 1 catch, for 1 yard.
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That was fun…can we do it again?.
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That there is funny, i don’t care who ya are!
I have to disagree with everything you say in this article. There’s a reason why Gutey is the GM of Packers and you are the couch GM.
Well….you certainly made some strong points.