@Pikes Peak posted:Long time listener, first time caller
Hopefully, last time caller
I move on from AJ Dillon, keep Aaron Jones on a team-friendly, heavily incentive-laden deal that still demonstrates our appreciation and respect for the man, and draft his eventual replacement. Also, it cannot be understated how important a veteran presence of Jones’ caliber is in the locker room. With so many young guys, his influence goes well beyond the stat sheet. He plays the game hard, he’s always positive, and he is loyal. The example he sets will continue paying dividends long after his locker has been cleared out. And when he’s ready to call it a career, bring the man back on the coaching staff. You can’t teach the tools that he’s got, but he can damn sure help young backs maximize their potential. I am a big fan of #33 the man, and as far as I’m concerned, he never needs to leave Green Bay. He is Packer people like Bart Starr and Donald Driver. You go the extra mile for him. He has fucking earned it.
The offensive line went from being a major concern early in the season, especially when Bakh got shut down for the year, to a strength in the last third of the season. I thought they did an excellent job in pass protection, and Aaron Jones had some nice holes to run through.
I’m getting all tingly thinking about next year’s offense. We got a good taste of what LaFleur has wanted to do since he arrived in Green Bay. Next year, it’s on, bitches.
agree with LS, one additonal thing, less RAS more eyeball test...and proof - bring in the best players, less RAS weighting.
@lambeausouth posted:I’m getting all tingly thinking about next year’s offense.
TMI
Dillon is also Packer People. He has invested himself heavily in GB, Door County and the surrounding area. I'd hate to cut him. I'd definitely draft an RB, though. Maybe we could hit on a kid like Pacheco.
this may be the year the team needs to find a Charles Woodson type leader to help the defense. Who that is I don't know but maybe someone like a Budda Baker if he is available.
Jones has a cap hit of 17 million and a dead cap hit of 12 million for 2024. There is no way he comes back for 17 million. He has 12 million of new cash for 2024 he hasn't seen yet.
I love the guy, but he's going to turn 30 before next year's playoffs and was dinged up for roughly half the year (missed 6 games and was limited in several others). You can't play anywhere near close to 10 million a year for a guy that is more than likely going to going to miss significant numbers of games.
Dillon is a Jamaal Williams type. Jamaal got 2 years and 6 million from Detroit when he left. That's probably what Dillon is looking at somewhere else.
If you can get Jones back for something in the 6-7 million annual range for the next two years (maybe guaranteeing at least 8-10 million) and Dillon back for 2-3 million, you bring them back. Otherwise, they are gone.
Jones will return because of his willingness to accept the Packer discount.
@michiganjoe posted:Jones will return because of his willingness to accept the Packer discount.
That's part of it, but also because only 9 NFL RBs make more than 10 million a year right now and only 13 make more than 6 million a year (David Montgomery is at 6 million, for example).
He's not going to get more money anywhere else than he will in Green Bay (unless the Jets acting GM demands he gets the Lazard treatment).
Provided FYI
Brian Gutekunst will hold his season ending press conference Thursday at noon CST.
From Gute’s presser today:
@TomSilverstein: Gutekunst said he's expecting 11 total draft picks this year (including compensatory) and said it gives him flexibility to move around the draft and also to dangle picks for veteran players if that comes up. Said it also helps the cap to have the option to keep adding rookies.
Gutekunst said he feels he can do whatever he wants in free agency this off-season. "I don't think we'll shy away from adding impact players," he said.
#Packers GM said he thoughts there were moments that the defense was good but that there was a lot more out there for them. Said he thought they need to shore up the back end of the defense. "Consistency is what I always look for," he said.
Gutekunst said free agency and the draft should provide good options to better the safety position. He said they will need to address it because their numbers aren't great there and it's an important position.
@RobDemovsky: Packers GM Brian Gutekunst sounds open to signing Jordan Love to a contract extension this offseason, saying it’s “something we’ll start working on in the next few months.”
Gutekunst also said he expects Aaron Jones back next season and has no plans to trade Jaire Alexander.
Gutekunst said new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley's scheme has a lot of flexibility so whether or not the base is 3-4 or 4-3 might not matter as much.
"This is a 4-2-5 league," Gutekunst said referring how much nickel teams play.
@ByRyanWood: Brian Gutekunst says Super Bowl is the expectation in 2024, but also makes clear that's nothing new: "I think it always has been. I don't think it's ever left. Five minutes to go in that game, I think that's where we thought we were squarely headed."
In other words, were not committing to him and are probably open to trade offers *cough Jets! cough*
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst on David Bakhtiari's future in Green Bay:
— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) February 1, 2024
"We're still at the beginning stages of looking at how we're going to move forward with all that. ... We're monitoring (his recovery). I know he's working his tail off."
@packerboi posted:In other words, were not committing to him and are probably open to trade offers *cough Jets! cough*
Perhaps some public negotiations from Gute ? 
It don't think it'll be the Jets unless they change their playing surface. Bak has been rather outspoken in his criticism of that style of turf and when AR clipped his Achilles, Bak tweeted about the crappy surface being to blame. Not sure which other teams will take the chance on him if the Packers demur.
Bak wants to continue his career and he wants it to happen in GB because those MDs and trainers have proven themselves worthy in his eyes. They know how to manage it and he doesn't want to start all over with a new set of medical professionals.
Bak also knows this Packers team has a realistic chance to win a Superb Owl in the next few seasons and that's a major reason why he wants to continue playing. Chasing a ring
His contract was set up to have 2024 as an inflection point - An adjustment will have to be made in March because Gute needs some of that $19M salary to work with in FA
IF David wants to play on a very low salary with incentives ( the prorated bonus is a sunk cost either way) then I think Gute would seriously consider it.
https://overthecap.com/player/david-bakhtiari/2377
He's shown he's still elite when he plays and he's a better LT than Rasheed Walker by a fair amount. GB will know in Spring OTAs whether his knee is fully recovered or not. That assessment will be completed before the draft. But a contract adjustment will have to happen sooner IF Bak is in the 2024 plans.
Of course, some fans will bemoan all the money Bak pocketed previously (despite not playing) - but now they'll have another chapter for their book :
Serious hurts done to me
Just read between the lines on how he talked about Bakh vs Walker. Or how he talked about Jones or Jaire (both with a lot of missed time due to injury and questions on if they’d return).
Zero hesitation in Walker, Jones and Jaire and lots of hemming and hawing on Bakh.
Bakh is not going to be on this team next year.
He's shown he's still elite when he plays and he's a better LT than Rasheed Walker by a fair amount.
Walker also can play RT, so they could move Tom to Center. Best 5.
Gute mentioned being active in free agency.
Did not know that soon to be Giant free agent Xavier McKinney is only 24.
Maybe this year's rookie class needs its own thread but here are more gebins for Gute's 2023 heist.
ESPN has put together a re-draft of last year's opening two rounds, which is a fun exercise to see where each player would be selected if the 2023 rookie class were drafted today.
Of the 63 selections, six of them are Green Bay Packers. Yes—six. That's almost 10 percent of the entire re-draft. In other words, six of the Packers' draft class is now considered good enough to go in the opening two rounds.
.
Every year in January, teams begin signing young players to futures contracts, snagging their rights for 2024 and then bringing them in for S&C training plus OTAs and mini-camps
Gute signed 5 linebackers to futures contracts in Mid-January, but the official hiring of Hafley didn't get announced until January 31st.
Some of these guys are definitely 4 - 3 types.
One of em played in Miami under Campanile
Depth Chart
( scroll down to reserves)
https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/GB
Transactions page
NFL teams get 7 picks / draft - but Gute & Co have made a total of 33 picks in the last 3 drafts ( instead of the allotted 21)
Packers have gotten the equivalent of an extra entire draft class and 5/7 of another added on to their draft haul from '21-'23. That's a LOT of young talent added in a short period of time. Couple of UDFAs too
GB got extra premium picks for Rodgers & Adams and those really boosted the haul . Packers also took advantage of the added players coming out post-covid, leading to some very deep draft classes
Just look at Round 7 from 2022: You'd be lucky to find 1 decent player
Gute got Rasheed Walker, Jonathan Ford, Samori Toure in that round and then snapped up Bo Melton too. That's phenomenal value.
https://www.drafthistory.com/index.php/teams/packers
Now, with the NIL money kicking in, fewer of the 5th -7th round players will make the leap to NFL this year, preferring to get paid and chase college tail for another season. Can't blame em.
Eventually that will level out, but the 2024 class had the bottom fall out of it per reports from the Senior Bowl.
Perhaps Gute might trade some late rounders to move his middle round picks up earlier.
Manipulate the Board GUTE
Cooper DeJean from Heaven, Erick All, Logan Lee and the Punter from Heaven Tory Taylor . Like that Midget Blake Corum and the Sconnie Dumdum Allen. Jaylon Carlies from Mizzou amongst others. All will be gold jacket.
Cooper VaJean from Heaven.....I'm all in... on (in?) VaJean....so to speak.
RAS score For The Win!
Packers picked as best fit for free agent safety Xavier McKinney https://t.co/g0kRlbdQf1 pic.twitter.com/59gv6HKY1a
— The Packers Wire (@ThePackersWire) February 22, 2024
@Boris posted:Packers picked as best fit for free agent safety Xavier McKinney
GB is a good fit for at least 1 FA Safety, I doubt Gute goes into the draft with zero Safeties added to the roster. Sounds like Winfield is getting tagged, so that's one less available.
Rise and shine in Indianapolis. Brian Gutekunst meets with local reporters at 8:45 ET and then takes the podium for everyone at 10 a.m. local time.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) February 27, 2024
@mattschneidman: Brian Gutekunst just sat down with local writers for 45 minutes. Plenty coming later, but a couple tidbits:
“Around here, we’ve never hung banners for division championships. It’s not about that.”
Does the Packers GM think they can win the Super Bowl next season?
“I do. I do.”
Gutekunst on Anders Carlson: “There’s gonna need to be a curve of getting better if that’s gonna continue.”
Jordan Love’s extension: “I’m sure I’ll see David and Andrew (Love’s agents) while we’re here.”
Can Rasheed Walker be LT1?
“I certainly think he’s already shown that.”
@RobDemovsky:
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said he hasn’t made a move w/LT David Bakhtiari cuz he doesn’t like to make decisions before he has to.
He certainly doesn’t want to carry his cap number once the league starts.
“Like to have a decision before that,” BG said just now at the combine.
@AaronNagler: Most interesting thing Gutey said this morning was that he wants to "get back to drafting multiple quarterbacks" due to the importance of the position. I'd expect competition for Clifford this summer.
@ilcuqui posted:I'd expect competition for Clifford this summer.
I've seen him listed as Sean Clipboard...LOL.
Packers have both Tom Clements and now Sean Mannion + MLF to work with young QBs, makes sense to add a couple of pupils you can stash on PS and then trade to the lesser teams after some development. I also think its a function of this 2024 draft, where the quality runs out towards the end of the 4th.
Might as well grab a developmental QB instead of another position that won't make the squad
I think what he's really saying is that it's a tool to use, but it's not going to make decisions one way or another. But, once they have him on-site, they can see where he might be lacking in knowledge and concentrate on those areas. The highest cognitive test score before the draft last year was Bryce Young's, I believe, and look how that turned out. While he has a lousy team, Stroud, Richardson, and Levis all looked better than Young right from the start.
One of the things Gute specifically mentioned in his interview was the idea of trading picks for vet players. Gute mentioned it in his Indy presser and again in his interview above with Larry at the 1:11 mark
I'm always surprised at how little draft capital changes hands for some of these vets. One example:
"The Minnesota Vikings have traded three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Za'Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns.
Along with Smith, the Browns received a 2025 sixth and seventh-round pick.
The Vikings received 2024 and 2025 fifth-round picks."
Browns only gave up (2) 5ths and they get back a 6th and a 7th ?
That's not much - and Z had 2 cheep years left on his deal.
I think the Packers defense needs either a vet MLB or a vet Safety to be the QB's of Hafley's defense - because that's a lot to put on a rookie's plate. It can be done, but maybe there's a vet or 2 you can snag in a trade to help accelerate the roll out. The other upside to the trade option is that the contract is already in place - which might be better than battling other teams in FA.