If history repeats itself as people say and let’s face it we have similar management at the helm, then h*ll yes, it will be historically good.

Actually, it would be lightning striking 3 times. Wolf also took a very big gamble trading a number 1 pick for a gunslinger named Favre.

"Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it", who's this guy Ted Thompson everybody talks about?

Rodgers may have 4 years left on his contract... but he may not have 4 years left in his body.
Regardless of what he says/wants - Rodgers playing well at age 40+ is a stretch.

People are making the drafting of Love too complicated.
I don't believe there's any vitriol, drama, or secret plan involved.
It think it's as simple as... Gute and MLF saw a qb they think can be great. That player was within their reach. QB is the most important position in sports. So they picked him.

Passing on a potential franchise quarterback (even with the odds stacked against it happening - 3 in a row would be bonkers) to draft a #3wr, #2ilb, or #3ot would be silly.

Losing the 4th hurt - probably prevented them from being able to move up in r2 for a wr they liked. But they knew that was a possibility when they made the trade. They, simply, decided that they didn't want to risk missing on a player they really really really liked.

If Rodgers is upset about the team not getting him "more weapons", he better keep that $#!+ to himself. He should remember that anyone brought in would be there to take the job away from a current teammate. I would love for him to do the opposite... publicly state how confident he is in the guys he has. Tell the world (whether he believes it or not) that he feels his team has all the weapons it needs.

I've read "pundits" proclaiming "If I was a veteran on the Packers, I'd be upset. The front office didn't do anything to help the team win NOW".

Pffff.

Maybe the message from the front office is... "We really like the team we have right now! Here are some pieces to augment... as opposed to replace".

"MM never had a knack for team building", 125 wins and 18 playoff games in 13 yrs, what a loser. I would/might become another Faustus for that.

Well said Turophile. I think your depiction of this draft being a statement of "how we want to play ball" as the message is accurate. While it is not a line-in-the-sand position, it does set in motion a transition to LaFleur's offense. The question becomes - is Rodgers willing to move in this direction? I hope so.

Your right it’s hard to say if there is friction between Aaron and MLF and from the outside looking in and knowing Aaron’s desires to throw down field that would be the logical assumption. That said, maybeRodgers likes the idea of building a more physical, run oriented with a lot of movement type of O? That type of O will probably allow for a higher percentage of open receivers with easier throws via play action. I have no idea how Rodgers feels just being a devils advocate and hoping that is how he feels.

One of the players that Rodgers really pushed for and wanted in FA was Jimmy Graham. How did that work out? Draft your players for your coaches to develop that fit into your system.

Gute's draft is once again athletic players. I don't expect most of them to come in and contribute day 1. Fans are impatient and think a WR drafted will instantly transform the offense. Gute thinks they take awhile to develop and is expecting a jump from MVS/ESB who are more athletic than quite a few of the WRs drafted Round 1 and 2.

What we're consistantly seeing from Gute is he gambles on athleticism and development. I think on DL they think Adams will take a step forward he had a great training camp. Davante Adams would blow it up in camp and disappoint in season for years. Kinsley could also give them hope on the DL.

I don't think the Packers, Gute, and Pettine value ILB the way fans do. The hope seems to be that Burks is healthy for the 1st time? Otherwise it comes down to the safety/ilb hybrid UDFAs panning out. We'll see which prior draft picks take a step forward and surprise us.

Note to GBP fans, not a direct indictment of you, Turophile.

STOP with all the Rodgers opinion matters crap.

There are literally dozens of GBP employees whose collective jobs it is to develop philosophy, prepare scheme, evaluate the correct talent for the strategies and then acquire and coach/train those players to fit the plan and succeed.

Aaron freakin Rodgers does NOT dictate that process.

He is NOT the GM or Head Coach.

He is an EMPLOYEE.

YES, the financial commitment to this EMPLOYEE is significant and dictates some of the flexibility within the organizational structure I have outlined. That does NOT mean that Aaron calls the shots. PERIOD.

Ploease take these FACTS into consideration before writing fantasy scenarios where every GBP employee walks around on eggshells whenever Prince Aaron expresses himself.

Not like this. Gute is swinging for the fences with the way he's GMing. We've been screaming for that under TT. I admire the nuts it takes to do this. But the specific risks he's taking... wow. Not high odds.

He'd better be right. Nervous/angry/sad emotions... I'm a Packer fan through and through and although I knew the ARod era would be ending soon, to see it this year... wowww

Completely agree, and hopefully a decent receiver, Devin scares nobody, god I hope there’s a cut we can grab..

CLEARLY, the Packers GM, Brian Gutekunst thinks otherwise. I'll stick with him. But, thanks for that!

Mellow out man.

Bearmeat - we agree as usual. However, I’m beginning to think that we won’t have much of a season since the medical profession is expecting a “resurgence” of Covid 19 in the Fall/Winter. Since the virus is still spreading across the country I don’t see a resurgence but more like a continuation.

My son, who is a doctor tells me that they are having a very difficult time trying to determine why the virus affects so many different parts of the body and yet in other patients the effects are much less complicated. I don’t see how we go forward without testing and tracking and without a treatment for the infected and a vaccine for prevention.

My point is that if there is no football in 2020 our picks should get their full mini-camp and TC experiences prior to the 2021 season. Besides, if we have a shortened season in 2020 how sloppy will the play be without mini-camps and/or TC. Sloppy play will cause an injury epidemic along with the current pandemic. That makes about as much sense as the logic of some of our draft picks. Stay well. Thanks, Since ‘61

I have brought it up as well but I wonder if they are more concerned about his right shoulder injury? Last year Rodgers missed a number of throws that just was not him. Was it his shoulder injury causing that? What was the reason some of them were that far off. Now he did make a lot of his normal throws but every game we came out of the games asking what is wrong with him? What is going on?
Mix that with his age, being a year older, injuries can happen more and it takes longer to recover.

I think Gutekunst did want to cover his behind and make sure he had a direction to go in the future.

We will find out in about 4-5 years if this was the right decision.

The fact that Aaron Rodgers cannot be traded nor cut for the next 3 years removes all the mystery, and completely BLOWS THE MEDIA HOOPLA ABOUT LOVE TAKING OVER FOR RODGERS TO OBLIVION. Shows what idiots and complete assholes they are.

I see what happened. Love was dropping, no one was taking him, he fits every measure of what they look for at QB, the most difficult position in all of football, heard IND wanted to trade back up for him, realized uh... yeah, Rodgers is 36 and would give a perfect amount of time to groom his successor, traded up and stole him, for an R4. A LATE R4!!!

That was F'ing smart, and took some serious stones. Great pick to secure our future. They felt that was what they were getting with Jordan Love, and I'm not going to argue. If he does develop as expected, we could realize nearly 50 years of legendary play from 3 players... FAVRE-RODGERS-LOVE. Awesome.

Thank god you're not a stockbroker, Dr Victor Von DOOM.

I fully support Rodgers, he’s kept this team afloat for years of bad drafting.. Not getting him weapons is asinine, he and the team needed more talent in the Wr group..

You forgot "The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling" !!!

Gary is probably going to see more 5 tech to address the lack of starting quality DL. Narrative that it takes 2-3 years to develop a WR likely the case in this draft. I won't sway that Amendola could have done wonders for us as a 1-2yr "win now" slot stopgap, but they opted for a younger, cheaper Funchess; Gute better hope his drops are still not an issue for a quarterback that emphasizes dependability. If his ankle is behind him, EQ has the opp to secure the #2, be it inside or outside. I have little faith in MVS but hope he proves me otherwise.

But I couldn't agree more, outside of hitting on a few few agents with a large purse at his disposal last year, I'd run out of four-letter words to describe Gute's draft execution and draft capital utilization.

yup...they have a built in scapegoat...Aaron Rodgers...if the Packers suck next year and they may well do that, it will be "Rodgers" fault...I think good old boy Favre has it right when he says he doubts Rodgers will end his career in GB...just doesn't seem likely anymore...here come the "gory years" again...

The difference between Schrodinger and drafts is investment. Do you expect that cat to be dead or alive? Do you anticipate this being a dead or live cat draft? Nobody is invested in the welfare of the cat or the outcome of the quantum mechanical thought experiment. We're emotionally invested in the Packers.

No, I think you're all bird lovers, cuckoo. Hahahaha

Come on, RC.

Look, I know you are really optimistic. But tell me how in the hell this draft makes any sense with Rodgers contract? It does not. They need a vet WR with some speed and a vet DT who can help Clark plug the run. This was a 13-3 team last year that played more like a 10-6 team, but caught a lot of lucky breaks.

I would not be surprised to see 8-8 or worse and out of the playoffs this upcoming year. (Assuming there is a year)

"They weren't available so they brought in a guy who is completely different then what they have."

I disagree: Dillon was a unique commodity in this draft. There was literally no other back who played high level D-I ball who profiled like him. I think it's pretty clear that this was their guy all along and he was going to be their pick...which will lead to the debate we've been having about whether (or how much) the Packers overdrafted him.

IMO, we're seeing what might be BG's draft flaw, and that's that he seems to lock in on guys (Gary, Burks, Dillon, Deguara) in a very myopic way. That said, I don't think they were locked in in Love. I think he became a pick of opportunity. Based on what we've observed with guys like Savage and Alexander, BG will sling draft resources around to go get guys he really likes. I can't believe he would've sat and waited past New England and other trade up candidates if he was really locked in on Love. I think once he made it to the early 20s, it caught BG's eye and he waited to the point where he was willing to pay to make the move.

I like your assessment RCPackerFan.

Felt much the same way. I don't think for a second that Gutekunst is finished adding to DL, and I would put money on it he adds another FA or waits until roster cuts to add a proper backup NT for Kenny Clark, who I felt took too many snaps over the past two seasons. Gerald Willis was a GREAT signing for him, as was Jamal Davis. Talk about adding VALUE! We will have to wait and see, but, I like what he did there.

Another aspect to our DL few are considering is 2019 R4 pick Kingsley Keke. I think he will come into TC, whenever that might be, a much more physically developed player. He has great skills for the position, and reminds me of a young Santana Dotson. I've known Santana personally, and he agrees. I think he will be the starter next to Clark, and would be shocked if he is not.

Totally agree on the OL additions, and, the games are indeed won in the trenches. Gutekunst just ramped up the bottom of the roster there. Another player few might be thinking of, one I've been trumpeting since his signing last year as a UDFA is Yosh Nijman. He, like many young drafted players, especially on the line, needed development. They must have seen something in him during his time with the team to protect him twice. Once bringing him onto the 53 man roster, then again by popping him onto IR. His pedigree, not to mention his size at 6-7 324, is remarkable. In his entire career at VT, starting as a Freshman, both LT and RT, he held ALL of Ferrel, Allen, Burns, Wilkins and Lawrence to ZERO sacks. Those EDGE/DL players were all taken R1 picks 1-17... the guy knows how to play OT. Just needed work on his hands and feet. PLUS, he is highly athletic, having an ELITE rating in RAS and just short of ELITE in SPARQ.

I LOVE the RB pick of Dillon, a true battering ram. Ask him to get a yard and he'll get two. Pure power runner who weighs the same as Derrick Henry at 247, and shows a very similar running style. 2" shorter than Henry, provides a lower center of gravity, making him harder to tackle. Proven pedigree and reliable as F.

I'm excited for this season, and I do think we will be in a great position to win the whole thing & bring that Lombardi Trophy back home.

If they somehow pull that off, while spending their R1 & R4 on a QB who eventually gives us that same, legendary high level of play as Favre & Rodgers for another decade or more? wow...! This could go down as one hell of a great draft. And, I didn't even hit on the players taken late...

Well said Lphill. Question marks all over the draft. The biggest truth however is your statement that a Super Bowl ain't happening in Green Bay any time soon. Maybe Rodgers can evolve his game to play in this new offense and generate some success but will he. Unfortunately, his contract has us tied up for another 2 years, at least, before the cap hit starts to become digestable.

The Ravens had the exact draft we needed to have

They also drafted Malik Harrison who a lot liked and Duvernay. Most people love the Ravens draft.

Our draft didn't turn out the way most envisioned. Though it doesn't mean we didn't get good players that can help.

We added a RB unlike any we have on the roster. He brings a Henry type of RB to the offense. For this year he will likely be a change of pace from Jones. But when it comes to December football wouldn't it be great to have a huge power runner with speed trucking guys?
Look at how the running game really got the Titans to where they did. Henry was a beast.

Deguara gives them a player that fits the offense perfectly. It gives LaFleur the player he needs to make the offense versatile and to make it look the same down in and down out. Unlike Graham who didn't fit what LaFleur wanted Deguara does. When LaFleur was in Washington he had Chris Cooley. I posted in another article Cooley's and Deguara's college stats and they were almost identical.

While we didn't add a receiver, lets not forget that RB's can be used in the passing game as well. Jones is a great receiver. Williams is really good in that role. Dillon supposedly has very good hands. But then throw in an x factor in our offense that most people forget. That is Tyler Ervin. He can be a special weapon for us.
Sternberger is another guy to really watch out. He was playing more and more late in the year. He was getting open a lot. 2nd year could be a huge year for him.

And lets not completely rule out MVS and Lazard and EQ as legit WR's. Lazard essentially was like a rookie who didn't start playing until week 6. EQ was out all year, but as a rookie showed what he could do.
MVS got hurt and never was the same after that. He had 26 receptions for 452 yards and 2 TD's last year. After week 7 he only had 5 receptions for 36 yards and no TD's. That means in the first 7 games he had 21 receptions for 416 yards and 2 TD's. An average of 19.8 per catch. While not monstrous numbers if those numbers continued for the whole year he likely would have been around 950 yards on the year. Those are good numbers. He can be a productive WR for us.
Allison is gone and he offered next to nothing for us. EQ and/or Funchess should be upgrades over what he provided for us.

While we didn't draft a WR we did add players that can help the offense this offseason.

I hate to say I agree, I am a big Rodgers fan and would love to see they guy get at least one more SB win. That is obviously not going to happen with the current Defense of the Packers. As good as the Smiths are at rushing the passer... they are not good against the Outside Zone attack the 49rs use and in turn is why they didn't even bother passing the ball.

Venues aren’t known for insight but if you follow the talking heads blindly you will probably match them.

Deguara is a classic idea, many pundits still discussing as if he is a classic TE. He wasn’t drafted to be that and until one appreciates that drafting a TE there at all makes little sense and him being the choice even less. It also means the talking heads has no clue about what the Packers were trying to achieve, so the output is drivel. Only when looked at for what it actually is does the analysis bear consideration.

We have no idea if they are "home runs" as they have not stepped on a. NFL field, not to mention Dobbins faced a stacked box on like 11% of his carries, Gillon faced a stacked box on nearly half of his carries. How is Dobbins automatically a home run? Cause he played at Ohio St.???

I can’t agree with the statement he will have wasted Rodgers final years if Love doesn’t turn out. It’s not like a late first and fourth round pick will make that much difference. There are many ways to build a roster.

"My problem is that we went from a team that was one game away from the Superbowl to a team that is building for the future."

It's not a true rebuild. Virtually all the front-line starters from 2019 return (save for Martinez and Bulaga). They didn't clean house. They're reshaping the roster at a layer below the starters. What we're really seeing is a GM/HC who are buying into 13-3 from a year ago.

Lot of good points. The DLine improvement via FA has merit, particularly since, outside of Clark, we haven't done much with drafting talent over the last decade.

I also agree that we probably drafted for scheme rather than BPA. Surely, our board couldn't have been so messed up. The Ravens draft may be the most impressive I've seen over the last decade. They will be a AFC power to be contended with.

There was a lot of talk that the Colts were going to trade up for Love as well.

I also figured they would draft a RB. I just wasn't expecting round 2 to be honest. I thought Round 3-5 they probably would have.
But they added a guy unlike anyone else in the draft. And a guy who could really add something different.

I also wonder if they looked at the Chiefs who brought in Pennel during the year and figured they could find that type of guy to help if they need it. A rookie 6th round DL likeliy isn't make a huge difference this year. Also Keke could be a guy that really steps up this year.

I agree that they picked players that fit their offense, but i wouldn't necessarily say that they didn't take the BPA. We don't know how their board stacked. And before the draft it was put out that the media's players and how they ranked them were farther off then any year before.
Also, if a certain player fits into what they are wanting to do more, then it likely has that player rated differently compared to other teams.

Love Jersey Al's columns. This way I can throw a lot words out there. :)

"Last issue with this draft...is that it seems that they picked players for their scheme and not BPA. "

If a player is a poor fit for the schemes you run, is he really the BPA?

A lotta people have been crowing about "conversion projects" and "square pegs-round holes" for years.

NO never got a chance at Love. MN had pick 25, traded it to SF which unsurprisingly passed on Love for Aiyuk. GB didn't move up until Miami was on the clock. If they moved up not knowing which player they wanted, Gute is an idiot.

GB doesn't have any #2 WRs. They have #3s and no one in the class of a James Jones.

If GB wants to grind it out, Dillon was their guy from the get go. In any event, he was unique and after Helaire, Swift, Taylor, Akers and Dobbins went off the board, Gute probably couldn't afford to wait for the 3rd round to take Dillon. Probably other players equally or more talented still on the board at 62, but Gute liked the fit and the player.