"Nate Hobbs" is going to surprise us. Look how Gute poached Rasual Douglas off a practice squad. He couldn't even make a team's 53. He's been a starter in the NFL ever since.

I didn't know DK Metcalf ended back in Seattle. Didn't his trade formalize with the Steelers?

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Here's another unpredictable: Jaire Alexander(as of Friday 3-14) is still on the team. Could it be that the Packers will retain him? The folks covering the Packers have been drumming about Jaire's release yet nothing happened. They don't have to wait until June 1 to make the post-June 1 designation.

Could it be they were all wrong and he sticks?

"The Packers always have a plan. And Gutekunst is hellbent on sticking with that plan rather than overpay for someone else’s veteran. What that exact plan is, fans are never privy to. All we can do is wait. And trust."

SO...Gutey is hellbent on sticking with a plan and NEVER overpays?

Ummm... Sorry bud, that's EXACTLY what he did with Banks and Hobbs. Time will tell, maybe the two of them become All-Pros with the Packers, but I'm NOT holding my breath.

Sorry, I hate being negative and people who know me here know I'm a bit of a homer. But after 8 seasons with Gute, that "Trust" you spoke of is getting harder and harder. Downvote all you want but there's a REAL possibility this Packers team finishes 4th in the NFC North this season.

after 7yrs we can say:
1. he is not good at picking in the 1st round
2. he often needs mutliple picks on the same position to find a good answer
3. he is a very bad communicator inside (Rodgers debacle in 2020, the time he released a player on his birthday..)
4. he often panics (Rodgers contract was a panic move)
5. he is fine if not good at picking good but not great players, typically middle late rounds players
6. he is fine if not good at picking underrated players (Rasul Nixon, Campbell)
But the big question is: how much come from his own strategy and how much he is a yes-man?
Love pick...was on him or he was told to pick a QB in 2020 and he just said yes?
My opinion is he is not an NFL caliber GM, he has too many issues, the main one being a bad communicator.
He can be a very good scout both for draft and for selecting underrated players off of practice squads or FA or low snaps players, se he may be productive in NFL organizations but he needs a real visionary GM on top

Gute's OL FA's have been head scratchers for sure. He seems much better at drafting them (but not in premium rounds?). Remember Byron Bell? Billy Turner? Both players got career paydays from Pack and were among the worst players at their position in NFL. Yet we doggedly stuck with them until forced to get rid of them. I hope Banks doesn't turn out like them but all indicators point to it. In certain area's the Packers have an arrogance with player evaluations that goes against most industry consensus. Very interesting and very well recognized by commentators throughout the country. Overall it seems to work for us but man it can be frustrating. Think Kevin King over TJ Watt and Meyers over Creed Humphrey, Both head scratching moves at the time and colossal misses over time. Still, we always seem to field competitive teams, year after year, so something is working. Let's cross our fingers and hope Banks works out. It's only money.

What wasn't stated in the article was important context for this Packers FA season: The Team only needed to replace 7 players. By comparison the bares, lions and Ugly Purple all need replacing 17 to 20 players leaving in free agency.

Packers need to be diligent and urgent to find those replacements, but need not be panicked, frantic, or frenzied. They can afford to be prudent and strategic. Hobbs and Banks fit that description.

May have another quality depth FA or two added before the draft. Don't expect any cannonballs into the deep end of the pool, however.

I was hoping Gutekunst would somehow make a splash in free agency, but options were limited. I thought Khalil Mack might be worthwhile, but I was probably in the minority on that one, and he re-signed with the Chargers anyway. Maybe Josh Sweat. He's good but not great. None of the wide receivers seemed like they would be a big help.

Most of the complaining about what didn't happen has been about players who were not even free agents. We got a couple players who should be solid starters, and now I'm looking forward to the draft.

I don’t focus on the acquisitions as much as the departures. Free agency is a good time to clear out the dead wood of Gute’s failed draft choices. This year was pretty successful; busts like Myers, Stokes and Dillon are finally gone. I was hoping that McDuffie would also leave town, but you can’t get everything.

Over and over again desperate teams do desperate things, the Packers do not. Also, keep Jaire and let him play out his contract. If, which in terms is a BIG word, if he stays healthy we know he’s one of the best in the league. I like the two signings on Monday, Go Pack Go!!!

The Packers had four needs going into free agency/draft this year - CB, DL, OL and WR. Last year free agency aligned perfectly with the Packers needs and they were able to fill their vacancies at safety and running back with premium players. This year free agency wasn't so kind and there were fewer ideal matches to the Packers needs.

The Packers historically want young, ascending free agent players who match up with their physical specifications for the position. Too many players didn't match up well to the Packer requirements - Khalil Mack was too old, DJ Reed was too short (5'9"), etc. etc. Other players like Metcalf or Hendrickson were too expensive due the combination of draft choices and cap space needed to acquire them.

I think Gute did a decent job of patching two of the four Packer needs while still conserving some cap room for later free agent acquisitions. And he still has the draft to work on the two remaining needs. Not as exciting an offseason as last year, but an acceptable one so far.

As I read our posts, mine included, and we talk about a guy being a bargain for $15 million dollars to play a game all of played, loved as a kid and still love, it blows my mind.

I'm going to ruin my day Monday when I meet with my CPA to finalize my federal and California state income taxes. Imagine how happy I would be if I only got to the one million mark. Oh woe is me, but I must be such a bargain.

The last thing I want a GM to do is get desperate. They feel the pressure to win, to DO SOMETHING, and therefore start making expensive mistakes that hamper a team for years. Falling into the trap of signing "name players", or giving big paydays to guys who suddenly blossom in their "contract year" is always a bad idea. Just like signing a guy who is a headache to have around, no matter how talented they are.
I prefer the Gutekunst approach. Don't overpay, ignore the pressure, and find players who fit the scheme and seem like they could also fit into the Packers culture. If you can make a "splash signing" or two, like last year at a reasonable cost, go for it. Otherwise, as noted, draft several players at the same position in the draft and hope you strike gold with one, like Cooper last year.

WTF? Metcalf is a Steeler now. Twice you referenced him back with the Seahawks in this article. I know it's the offseason, but thanks for mailing it in instead of getting your facts straight. Not bothering to correct this?

Being a GM and managing the salary cap while drafting players - is very much like an Investment Manager building a portfolio of the best growth stocks - with a finite amount of funds. It's also about Asset Management (AM)

AM involves "the balancing of (salary cap) costs, opportunities (FA and Draft) and risks (injury and under performance) against the desired performance of assets (players) to achieve an organisation's objectives (Championships)." AM is also a systematic approach that requires intelligence, patience and discipline.

The record shows that the GBP have long been good at AM - both on and off the field. However, because we live now, more than ever, in The Age of Instant Gratification - successful, long-term AM is often being challenged by the clamor for immediate results. Fortunately, in Gutekunst, the Packers have a GM who has successfully balanced both the short and long-term. How he does this job is well beyond my experience and qualifications - as well as (probably) anyone in this forum. So, in the meantime, let's continue to pleasantly chat among ourselves.

The key to building a better football team is to stock the team with competitors. It's a team sport but everybody on the team has an individual responsibility. Find the guys who hate to lose, even in practice, because winners want to win every rep!

All athletes are competitive but we're looking for the cream that rises to the top!

Eric Wilson signed with the Vikings. I'm a little sad, as he did a nice job for us. If the McDuffie signing suggested a lack of confidence in Ty'Ron Hopper, letting Wilson go suggests that the team sees a role for Hopper after all. He now moves up to #4 in the pecking order for linebackers--at least for now. They will quite possibly draft a linebacker, but no sooner that the 4th round, and probably 5th or later.

I would give Gutes a C minus on this free agency window. So many other teams have picked up what they need, but we get 2 fairly overpriced guys. No pass rushers, no LBs, no WRs. It's almost like Gutes got 2, said he was tired and has gone to sleep since? Where's all the SB urgency he talked about? This feels like another TT season where a SB is just a fantasy dream. Very disappointing so far!

With the supposed depth of this year's class at DT, they sure are getting snapped up in free agency. If the class is really that good, why are free agents going like hotcakes for top dollar.
Maybe scouting departments around the nfl aren't as enamored with the available choices as the Mel Kipers of the world.

Packers kicker's name is Brandon McManus, not Brad.