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Can Packers make a splash in free agency? Aaron Jones?

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Brian Gutekunst

The Green Bay Packers still have to cut more than $12.5 million just to get under the adjusted $180 million salary cap before the start of the new NFL year, they’ll need to go beyond that if they hope to make any moves in free agency, including bringing back any of their own, such as Aaron Jones and/or Corey Linsley to name two.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst spoke with reporters via zoom on Tuesday.  Certainly a long term deal with Jones would be considerably better for the salary cap, but he didn’t rule out using a tag on Jones.

The last time the Packers used the franchise tag was in 2010, on nose tackle Ryan Pickett.  Losing Jones, without exploring every opportunity to keep him, would be a mistake.

Jones is tied for second in the league the last two years with 30 total touchdowns.  His 5.17 yards per carry career average [Read more…]

Packers part company with Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine

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Mike Pettine

Just days after head coach Matt LaFleur publicly criticized a defensive play call from Sunday’s NFC Championship game loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Packers decided not to bring Pettine back in 2021.

The Bucs scored on a 39-yard touchdown pass on the play in question and it drew the ire of the coach after the game.

“It was man coverage…definitely not the right call for the situation and you can’t do stuff like that against a good football team and expect to win,” LaFleur said.  “You just can’t do that stuff.  I blame us as coaches for putting our guys in that situation.  That’s inexcusable.  That should not have happened.  So we’ve got to take a look at it, do some self-reflection and try to figure out ways on how that can’t happen again.”

ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky first reported that Pettine never signed a contract extension that was offered to him after last [Read more…]

Ted Thompson passed away at age 68 (AUDIO)

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Ted Thompson at 2019 Hall of Fame Ceremony – WRN Photo

One of the great architects in Green Bay Packers history, Ted Thompson passed away on Wednesday night, just days after his 68th birthday.

With Thompson as the teams general manager, the Packers compiled an overall regular season record of 125-82-1.  The Packers also made the playoffs nine times during his 13-year tenure, posting a 10-8 postseason record.  It included four NFC Championship games (2007, 2010, 2014 and 2016) and a 2010 Super Bowl victory.

When Thompson took over, his very first draft pick in 2005 was Aaron Rodgers (24th overall).  That pick put the Packers in the competitive drivers seat for years to come.

“I’ll never forget your loyalty,” said Aaron Rodgers during a prerecorded video at Thompson’s 2019 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.  “I’m going to always be thankful for the time I had to spend with you, and the fact that you took a chance on a [Read more…]

Packers lock up Bakhtiari for four years with record deal (AUDIO)

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#69 David Bakhtiari blocking during Sunday’s win over Jacksonville

It was a goal for David Bakhtiari to be the highest paid left tackle in the National Football League.  When the ink dried on the contract extension that he signed late Saturday night, the Green Bay Packers offensive lineman had just become the highest paid offensive lineman in league history.

Bakhtiari’s new deal, as reported by ESPN, is for four years and worth up to $105.5 million.  It includes $2 million in incentives and a $30 million signing bonus, all payable by the end of the current 2020 season.  The deal averages $23 million over the four years, surpassing the deal Laremy Tunsil signed with the Houston Texans in May ($22 million per year).  ProFootballTalk.com first reported the news of Bakhtiari’s extension during Sunday’s 24-20 win over Jacksonville.

“That was something that I’ve been chasing for a while,” said Bakhtiari after the game.  “In having the talks with my family, to have that monetary validation for all the hard work that I’ve put in really meant a lot and that was something that I can hold on to and have that title for the rest of my life.  That is something special that I’ve been chasing really ever since I got in the league.  I have goals, very lofty ones, and I always wanted to say that I was the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL [Read more…]

Packers wrap up training camp, head into regular season mode

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The Green Bay Packers wrapped up Training Camp with a practice inside Lambeau Field on Sunday.  Packers coach Matt LaFleur used the 2 hour, 14 minute practice to get his team ready for the Sept. 13th season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Of the 100 or so plays run from scrimmage, the starters got 51 of them.  It would have been more, but a couple of players got nicked up late in the practice and the coach decided to pull the plug.

“They’ve got to realize that two weeks from today we’re going to be playing our first game,” LaFleur said.  “So, they’ve got to stack consistent practices on top of each other.”

The Packers begin regular season planning and practice this week.  Players get a workout on Monday, an off day on Tuesday and won’t practice again until Wednesday.  They’ll spend the rest of this week giving GM Brian Gutekunst as much [Read more…]

Packers to hold final Lambeau workout Sunday (AUDIO)

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Matt LaFleur

Sunday’s Lambeau Field practice will be the last big chance for players trying to make the Packers 53-man roster to show what they have.  Next week, the Packers will start to focus on the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Sunday’s practice will be as close to game-like conditions that the Packers can get.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said the players will wear their uniforms, coaches will be in the press box working with tablets and communicating through headsets.  the NFL is coming in to help with game-day procedures and the practice will include officials for the first time.

The Packers need to trim their roster to 53 players by the end of the week, so Sunday’s practice will be an opportunity for LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst to see how the young players react to game conditions.

AUDIO: Matt LaFleur on final Lambeau Field practice on Sunday :22

AUDIO: Matt LaFleur on what he’s looking to do on Sunday :22

AUDIO: Matt LaFleur said he’s looking forward to seeing WR group on Sunday :22

There’s nothing normal about this Packers training camp

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Rookie AJ Dillon’s locker

The Green Bay Packers opened training camp last week, but the first several days were devoted to coronavirus testing.  Rookies were in over the weekend and held their first walk through.  The teams veterans finally arrive today (Monday), the sixth day of training camp.

With veterans arriving, there’s another walk through scheduled for today, along with weight lifting and conditioning.  It’ll be two weeks before the team gets its first padded practice.

There’ll be no preseason games ahead of the September 13th opener at Minnesota, which means coach Matt LaFleur will have to get creative in the way he prepares his team.

LaFleur told reporters in a zoom call on Sunday that he anticipates more live-scrimmage scenarios, trying to replicate situations that players could encounter during games.  LaFleur said some of those scrimmage situations will come inside Lambeau Field.

The Packers will start with a splitsquad format, meaning rookies and injured players working in one group and veterans in another.  That scenario allows the Packers to have as many as 90 players in camp before having to cut down to 80 on August 16.  The Packers roster currently stands at 83 players, not including four that are on the COVID-19 list. [Read more…]

Packers announce the signing of a third draft pick

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Packers GM Brian Gutekunst at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Three down and six more to go for the Green Bay Packers.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced the signing of sixth round draft pick, guard Simon Stepaniak out of Indiana.  Stepaniak was the third of three sixth round draft picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

 

Packers agree to terms with 15 rookie free agents

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The Green Bay Packers agreed to terms with 15 rookie free agents, announced on Wednesday by general manager Brian Gutekunst.

The list includes:

Krys Barnes                    –   LB   –   UCLA
Henry Black                   –   S     –   Baylor
Travis Bruffy                   –   T     –   Texas Tech
Marc-Antoine Dequoy  –   CB   –   Montreal (Canada)
Tipa Galeai                    –   LB   –   Utah State
Frankie Griffin               –    S    –   Texas State
Zach Johnson               –    G    –   North Dakota State
Jordan Jones                –   FB    –   Prairie View A & M
Jalen Morton               –   QB    –   Prairie View A & M
Willington Previlon      –   DT    –   Rutgers
Stanford Samuels        –    CB   –   Florida State
Delontae Scott            –    LB    –   SMU
Darrell Stewart            –   WR   –   Michigan State
Will Sunderland          –   CB    –   Troy
Patrick Taylor              –   RB    –   Memphis

Packers 2020 draft class ranks among the NFL’s worst

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Packers GM Brian Gutekunst

After the dust has settled, the Green Bay Packers 2020 NFL Draft class ranks among the worst in the league and still has Packers Nation shaking their heads at what transpired over the weekend.

A record 37 receivers were selected in a receiver rich draft, but none of those 36 went to the Packers, who entered the draft needing to add help on the outside to improve the arsenal with which Aaron Rodgers has to work with.

The Packers traded a 4th round pick to move up from 30th to 26th in the first round and selected Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.  General Manager Brian Gutekunst had given us some clues over the previous three weeks that he would at least consider such a move.  We all shook it off as a smoke screen, because the Packers have Aaron Rodgers under contract for the next four years.

The scenario was similar when the Packers used the 24th pick in the first round on Aaron Rodgers back in 2005, when Brett Favre was still going strong.  But that move turned out alright, so we move on. [Read more…]