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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…]

Packers trade up, select QB Jordan Love

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Jordan Love – Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

Nobody really expected the Green Bay Packers to pick Aaron Rodgers back in 2005, but when he fell to them at #24, Ted Thompson made the move that would shape the team’s future for years to come.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is hoping to find lightning in a bottle again after trading up from number 30 to number 26 in a trade with Miami to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.  The Packers traded their fourth-round pick to Miami to move up to select Love.

Love is 6’4, 224 lbs and has the ability to be the Packers quarterback of the future.  But he’ll have some time to watch and learn under Aaron Rodgers.

Love left Utah State a year early.  He threw for 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns with just six interceptions in 2018.  Last year, his numbers dropped to 3,402 yards, 20 TD’s and 17 interceptions as Utah State struggled.

Gutekunst repeatedly said before the draft that if the right quarterback was available when they picked, he wouldn’t hesitate to make the move.  Obviously, it wasn’t lip service.

With the trade, the Packers now have eight picks left, including single picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds on Friday night.

NFL Draft kicks off tonight

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Packers GM Brian Gutekunst

The 2020 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night, virtually.  The event starts at 7 p.m. CT.

The Green Bay Packers head into the draft with 10 selections for the second straight year.  The Packers have a pick in all seven rounds, plus two extra in the sixth and one extra in the seventh.

If the Packers draft 10 players, it will mark the third draft in the last four years that Green Bay selected 10-plus players (11 in 2018 and 10 in 2017).

Brian Gutekunst will be overseeing his third draft as the general manager of the Packers and 22nd overall in Green Bay.

Barring a trade, the Packers will have the 30th overall pick in Thursday nights opening round.  The last time the Packers had the 30th pick was last year, a pick acquired in a trade with Seattle.  The Packers used [Read more…]

Packers secure deals with two free agents on Monday

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

Bryan Bulaga’s long run with the Packers in Green Bay would appear to be over.

The Packers agreed to a two-year deal with former Badger tackle Ricky Wagner on Monday morning.  Wagner was a fifth round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2013 and signed a five-year free agent deal with the Detroit Lions in 2017.  Detroit decided not to pay the $9 million due in 2020, releasing him March 13th in a cost cutting move.

The Packers were able to sign the West Allis, Wisconsin native right away because of his release in Detroit.  While with the Ravens and Lions, Wagner started 87 of 102 career games.

Bulaga started all 16 games for the Packers last season but is expected to get a considerable bump in pay elsewhere. [Read more…]

Pettine retained as Packers Defensive Coordinator

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Mike Pettine

Despite a complete defensive meltdown in Sunday’s NFC Championship game, a 37-20 loss at San Francisco, the Green Bay Packers have decided to retain Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine for his third season in Titletown.

The Packers ranked ninth in scoring defense (19.6 points allowed per game) this past season, but dropped from 15th to 18th in yards (352.6).

The Packers struggled at times to stop the run this season, but nothing like Sunday, when the 49ers ripped off 285 rushing yards, only having to throw it eight times against Pettine’s defense.  Niners running back Raheem Mostert did most of the damage himself, rushing for 220 yards on 29 carries with four touchdowns.

At his season ending press conference on Wednesday, LaFleur said, “They definitely out-coached us.  I [Read more…]

Packers add 10 players to practice squad on Sunday

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Brian Gutekunst

The Green Bay Packers signed 10 players to their practice squad on Sunday, all 10 were with the Packers during the 2019 preseason.

Added to the teams practice squad are:  TE Evan Baylis, RB Tra Carson, CB Kabion Ento, WR Allen Lazard, DL James Looney, T Yosh Nijman, LB Randy Ramsey, LB Brady Sheldon, WR Malik Taylor and QB Manny Wilkins.

The transactions were announced Sunday by Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst.

 

Burks may not need season ending surgery

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Oren Burks (Photo Mike Clemens)

When second year linebacker Oren Burks suffered a pectoral injury in last Thursday’s win over Houston, he thought he was headed for surgery, effectively ending his season.

Burks however, received a second opinion this week and was told surgery wouldn’t be necessary, allowing him to return at some point this season.  It likely means the Packers won’t have to put Burks on injured reserve.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst indicated on Tuesday that Burks might not be out that long.  Gutekunst said he wasn’t thinking about adding an inside linebacker because he didn’t think it was necessary.

“We’ll get him back here quicker than I think, but right now, I’d just kind of like to get through this next game and kind of see where we’re at, see where Oren’s at,” said Gutekunst.

Curtis Bolton has been filling in at Burks’ weakside linebacker position with the number one defense.  Rookie Ty Summers is working behind starter Blake Martinez at the other starting linebacker spot.