The Packers are promoting their director of player personnel, Brian Gutekunst, to general manager, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that it will be a five-year deal for Gutekunst.
Gutekunst is highly respected in scouting circles, and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes that Gutekunst is the most well-rounded scout in Green Bay’s personnel department. Demovsky adds that Gutekunst dazzled Packers’ brass in his recent interview with the club.
Green Bay elected to hire Gutekunst, who has a strong personnel background, as opposed to fellow internal candidate Russ Ball, who is more of a salary cap guru (despite the fact that Ball was seen as the frontrunner throughout much of this process). In addition to Ball, the team also interviewed director of football operations Eliot Wolf, who for years was seen as the heir apparent to longtime GM Ted Thompson. Thompson, of course, stepped down to a different role within the organization at the beginning of the month, thereby triggering the team’s search for a replacement. It will be interesting to see what will become of Wolf and Ball now.
The Packers also expressed interest in Vikings assistant GM George Paton — though Minnesota denied Green Bay’s request to interview Paton — Seahawks GM John Schneider, and Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta. But in Gutekunst, they get an executive who was been with the club for 19 years — he started his Packers tenure as a collegiate scout — and who appears ready for his chance to run a franchise. Indeed, he had an excellent interview with the 49ers last offseason and nearly became San Francisco’s GM.
As Ed Werder tweets, an internal hiring like this one may be good news for Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, whose long-term future with the team could be bolstered with Gutekunst’s promotion.
Gutekunst was scheduled to interview with the Texans for Houston’s GM job today. Per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), Gutekunst did travel to Houston yesterday and had dinner with Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, but Green Bay never gave him the chance to interview with with the Texans.
The Texans, meanwhile, are likely to hire Bills VP of player personnel Brian Gaine as their next GM, according to multiple sources.
Hmm, I’m happy it’s not Ted anymore and it’s not Ball either. So let’s see….
Bye to wolf
Not sure, rumors say that either would stay if the other got the GM spot but maybe
Wouldn’t be too surprised if Wolf leaves. Might not be this offseason but I’m sure a big part of him staying was the chance to be the GM for Green Bay. With that likely out of the equation for at least the short term, he might be more open to the next GM opening.
Very happy they went Gutekunst over Ball here. Here nothing but good things about him, excited to see what he can do.
Relieved it’s not Ball. Nothing against the guy and maybe he would have been fantastic, but on paper he was lacking what I would consider some prerequisites (i.e. scouting).
Hopefully this spells the end of the FA coodies.
It’s never been the Packer way to sign free agents to big contracts (outside of Reggie White, of course)
A board is directors are more likely to hire from within with both management and players. This will never change because they don’t have 1 owner calling the shots, the have 10 people sitting at a table.
now we might sign a FA
Packers aren’t much for purchasing high priced talent.
When TT was GM.
surprised the Packers didn’t deny the packers the right to talk to him.
Ha. Yeah, right?
That’s a smart business move.
Why would a free agent want to sign with Green Bay right now? Ain’t a damn thing to do there. Not a healthy meal for miles. And you get to freeze your butt off en route to not winning a Super Bowl.
Uhhh because they have arguably the best quarterback in the league, good pieces on both sides of the ball and are quite possibly the most historic team in the NFL.
Best quarter back without a doubt. Gods pieces on both sides of the ball?? Not really, that offensive line is made of glass, bulaga can’t stay healthy ever. Packers legit don’t have a running game and haven’t for years as the running back position has been a issue for years there but is masked by a great qb. Jordy and Cobb r over the hill, your tight end blows. Your defense is trash. So not sure about good pieces on both sides your team all depends on Rodgers staying healthy. Green Bay is nothing without him. A few teams more historic would be cowboys, Steelers, 49ers just to make a few
I said pieces. The running game was not bad with Aaron Jones and Williams. Even tho Jordy is declining, he still has good chemistry with Rodgers. Plus, Adams is probably a top 10 WR at this point. TE is a rough spot for sure. The O line has work to do, but Bakhtiari is one of the best LTs in the league and Linsley is a good player. On the defense they have Blake Martinez who just tied for league lead in tackles, Clinton-Dix has shown he can be a good player (had a down year this year tho), Morgan Burnett, Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark on the D line, and Damarious Randall was a bright spot after the first Chicago game as well. That’s what I mean by pieces. I’m not saying it’s a total product. There’s parts that can play at a high level. Sorry that was too difficult to comprehend for you.
There is no team with more history than the Packers. There’s a reason the Super Bowl trophy is called the Lombardi Trophy son. Know your history.
I don’t know. Ask Charles Woodson, Reggie White, and Julius Peppers not to mention Brett Favre why the decided to play in GB.
By the way you have to a troll, a moron, 13 years old or all of the above to post such a dumb comment
4 SB Championships in their history… know your history son
Great tradition. Talented team. Terrific fan base and town support. Thats why moron
TitleTownUSA.
The guy who oversaw the worst roster in football gets the job. Sports don’t make sense when it comes to front office. The packers missed the playoffs because ted Thompsonpur nothing around Rodgers. So now the guy he taught takes over? Nothing will change.
The worst roster in football is in Northern Ohio, bud.
Damn I had no idea that Packers fans were such Negative Nancys. Yeah the Rodgers injury showed a lot of the warts of the team but there a lot of positives to look at. The emergence of Williams and Jones as legit running threats for one. And the biggest reason for optimism is the return of Philbin who has the utmost respect from Rodgers.
I kind of agree with that thinking. @xscalabr is right that Cleveland has the worst roster, but the Packers haven’t done enough to put enough talent around Rodgers (on both sides of the ball) to consistently be good without some Rodgers-led heroics. Maybe Gutekunst has a different philosophy when it comes to free agency and drafting a little bit better but its impossible to tell at this time.