Latest news with #Gutekunst
NBC Sports
20-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Brian Gutekunst has concerns about NFL players getting injured in Olympic flag football
The NFL is expected to vote today to allow active players to participate in Olympic flag football, but not everyone is on board. Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst said he's a supporter of using the Olympics to promote American football around the world. But he doesn't think it's a good idea to risk NFL players getting hurt doing it. 'I think overall, [flag football in the Olympics is] a great thing,' Gutekunst told ESPN. 'I'd love it if we kept the NFL players out of it.' Gutekunst cited 'the risk' of injury as the reason he's not enthusiastic about NFL players in the Olympics. Although the injury rate in flag football isn't as high as in tackle football, injuries do happen in flag games. And if an NFL star gets a serious injury in an Olympic flag football game, that star's team is not going to be happy that it lost a key player in a game that might draw international attention to football but means nothing to his team. Still, NFL owners appear willing to risk it, and many NFL players appear eager to become Olympians. It looks like NFL players will be in the Olympics in the summer of 2028, with their teams crossing their fingers and hoping that they'll show up to training camp healthy.
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How closely did Packers stick to draft principles in 2025? What we learned from 8 picks
How closely did Packers stick to draft principles in 2025? What we learned from 8 picks With the Green Bay Packers' scouting philosophy remaining very much the same going all the way back to the days of Ron Wolf, a fairly strong grasp has been established on what the team looks for in terms of athleticism and other traits at various positions during the draft. Every year though, exceptions are made and the boundaries are bent. These departures from the norm can be small or significant, and there were plenty of them this year. In the 2025 draft, Green Bay deviated from their usual standards on seven of their eight picks, but also stuck to their core principles. Here is how the Packers bent their general guidelines this year: WR Matthew Golden Golden had the most limited athletic profile the Packers have drafted in the first round since 2001, only running a 40 and skipping the vert and broad jumps, as well as the agility testing. It seemed more players than ever opted out of some, if not all of the pre-draft testing this year, which likely prompted this exception being made. Many people thought Green Bay would have to care less about athletic testing in general this year due to the widespread lack of testing, with the idea being: 'If you remove all the players who did not test from your board, there will be barely anyone left." That did not really turn out to be the case. Every player the Packers drafted did at least some athletic testing, and although they did take some players with incomplete profiles, they did not draft anyone who skipped the 40-yard dash. Gutekunst talked pre-draft about how skipping testing hurts players more than it helps them, and made it clear it clouds or even changes evaluation of prospects if they do not test. He was true to his word, and athletic testing will continue to be a vital part of Green Bay's draft philosophy. Along those lines, they did not bend on their penchant for taking players with truly elite speed in round one. Since Brian Gutekunst took over as general manager, he has spent nine of his ten first-round picks on players with an "elite" speed grade according to the Relative Athletic Score (RAS) system. Jordan Love is the only exception. Golden also stretched the limits of how small they are willing to go, at least in terms of non-slot receivers. At 5-11 and 191 pounds, he has the smallest height/weight combination of any boundary receiver drafted by Gutekunst, and going back to the Ted Thompson era, he is even smaller than Greg Jennings was coming out of college. Jennings was just over 5-11, and 197 pounds, and was previously the floor for a receiver the Packers have spent premium capital on in the last two decades. Anthony Belton Tipping the scales at 336 pounds, Belton is the heaviest offensive lineman the Packers have drafted by 15 pounds, even going back to the Thompson era. He actually played even heavier in college, and whether Belton actually keeps dropping weight to get closer to Green Bay's usual range in the low 320s remains to be seen. Speaking to the media at rookie minicamp, he mentioned wanting to drop another 10 pounds, but his weight as of now is unknown. The 336-pound listing is from the combine, so whether he has put weight on since then and wants to lose it again, or is still around that weight but wants to get even lighter, is something of a mystery. Rather than the Packers making an exception or changing their preferences though, the lesson from the Belton pick might be that they actually do not care about players being "too heavy." There have been rumors Green Bay would have selected offensive tackle Darnell Wright instead of Lukas Van Ness if he had been there in 2023. Wright, who was drafted by the Bears before the Packers could have a chance at him, is also a big man at 333 pounds. The assumption that has long been made is that Green Bay stays clear of the comically sized offensive tackles, from both a height and weight standpoint, because there is a limit to how big you can be and still be able to bend, play with leverage and potentially kick inside to play guard. This assumption is likely true, but it seems the key factor is height, rather than weight. Belton is 6-6 even, which is tied for the tallest offensive lineman drafted in the Gutekunst/Thompson era, while Wright was just under 6-5 ⅓. As long as they are not too tall, and are good athletes, like Wright was and Belton is, it appears the Packers do not care how heavy they are to an extent. Gutekunst even joked after the draft that he would often be teased in his days as a scout for over-grading guys who had size. For how well those on the outside have nailed down the types of players the Packers like, there will still always be things that are unknown. It seems this is one of those instances, and something to keep in mind in the future, rather than something the team has changed. Savion Williams Contrary to popular belief, the Packers do care about production, especially at the skill positions. Savion Williams is the least productive wide receiver, in terms of production as a true receiver, that Green Bay has drafted in the Gutekunst/Thompson era. He had just 611 receiving yards in his best season. The previous low in a best season was Christian Watson, who had 801 in his final year at North Dakota State. Williams did have some impressive rushing production to make up for it though, having put up 322 yards on the ground, bringing his yards from scrimmage total up to 933 yards, and he also put up 12 total touchdowns in 2024, six through the air and six on the ground. The Swiss army knife role Williams had within the TCU offense, and the supplemental stats that came from it likely eased concerns over his lack of true receiver production. Barryn Sorrell Sorrell has shorter arms than any edge rusher Gutekunst has drafted at 32.5", although they are longer than Clay Matthews' whom Thompson drafted in round one. Collin Oliver If Oliver is viewed as an EDGE, he is a huge outlier for the Packers in terms of size at just under 6-1 ⅔ and 240 pounds. He is 10 pounds lighter than any edge rusher Gutekunst has drafted (although he is the same weight as Matthews) and a full inch shorter, even including the Thompson era, with Nick Perry the previous low. If he is viewed as a linebacker body type however, Oliver does not break any rules, which is possibly what made Green Bay feel comfortable taking him, knowing there is at least the potential for him to play some off-ball linebacker and not just be a designated pass rusher. Warren Brinson Brinson is marginally slower in terms of 40 time and 10-yard split than any defensive tackle Gutekunst has drafted, behind Karl Brooks by 0.01 seconds in the 40 and 0.02 seconds in terms of 10-yard split, both completely negligible differences. Micah Robinson At 183 pounds, Robinson is lighter than any cornerback the Packers have drafted since at least 2011. He is one pound lighter than Shemar Jean-Charles, whom Gutekunst admitted was a big outlier for them. John Williams If Belton had not become the heaviest offensive lineman drafted by Green Bay in the Gutekunst/Thompson era a day earlier, the award would have gone to John Williams, although not by much, as he is just one pound heavier than Sean Rhyan and Derek Sherrod.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst Praises New Draftee
The Green Bay Packers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since 2002. However, on Thursday evening, during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, which is hosted in Green Bay, general manager Brian Gutekunst and the organization changed that. Wide Receiver Matthew Golden of Texas poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and President/CEO of the Green Bay Packers Mark Murphy© Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images With the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Green Bay selected Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden. Advertisement Golden spent two seasons at the University of Houston before transferring to Texas. In his only season with the Longhorns, he led the team with 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. His two biggest games of the season came when the lights were brightest, putting up 162 yards on eight catches in the SEC Championship game against Georgia, as well as 149 yards and a touchdown on seven catches against Arizona State in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. When asked what traits stood out in Golden when the team evaluated him, Gutekunst did not hesitate in his answer. "Authentic and genuine. This guy's been through some things now in his young life and come out the other side of it," Gutekunst said on Thursday night. "He knows who he is, he loves football, and I think he's going to be a great teammate around here." Advertisement Related: The Packers Should Strongly Consider Drafting This Wide Receiver Prospect Green Bay ultimately valued Golden's ability to stretch the field vertically and become a reliable target for his quarterback above all else. The 21-year-old posted a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine this year -- ranking as the fastest receiver time in the class and second-fastest overall prospect behind former Kentucky and newly drafted Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who ran a 4.28. 'Obviously he (Golden) has elite speed. His ability to stretch the field outside the numbers is really, really important. And when you watch him, we thought he arguably had some of the best hands in the draft,' Gutekunst emphasized. This was a much-needed acquisition after a season in which the team lacked consistent and reliable wide receiver play. Advertisement In the past, head coach Matt LaFleur has pointed out how much he loves to build up offensive momentum, eventually opening up the deep ball for Jordan Love. Golden will play a big part in both of those offensive elements. While he has shown that he can win and thrive while playing in the slot, Golden's true ceiling will come on the outside. 'We certainly felt that he can play outside, and that was important to us,' Gutekunst added. The question of who gets left out of this receiving group now comes up. With Golden's skillset and capability of stretching the field, wide receiver Christian Watson may be the odd one out, considering that it has been his role in the offense as well, thus far. Advertisement Related: Packers Make Move on Ultra-Athletic Potential Body Guard for Jordan Love
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers draft pick profile: Micah Robinson a worthwhile day 3 dart throw with plus traits
Packers draft pick profile: Micah Robinson a worthwhile day 3 dart throw with plus traits Cornerback was viewed as one of Green Bay's top long-term needs entering the draft, but the Packers waited until round seven to address the position for the third straight draft, taking Tulane's Micah Robinson with their penultimate pick. The 23-year-old spent four years at Furman before transferring to Tulane for his final college season. An unheralded prospect, Robinson was not even ranked on the consensus big board, which has over 700 prospects. At just over 5-10 ⅔' and 183 pounds, he is not a traditional Packers cornerback. Robinson is the lightest cornerback Brian Gutekunst has drafted in his tenure, one pound lighter than Shemar Jean-Charles, whom he admitted after the draft was a significant outlier for them based on how they usually operate. Robinson scored a 6.77 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) out of a possible 10, highlighted by an '"elite" speed grade. He ran a blazing 4.38 40-yard dash at his pro day. He also earned a "good" explosion grade via the vert and broad jumps but had a "poor" grade for size and agility, including a short shuttle time which ranked in just the eighth percentile. After drafting Robinson, Gutekunst spoke about why he made an exception for Robinson, telling the media: 'He doesn't have elite size but his speed and his ability as an athlete to stay with guys, particularly from playing off coverage, which is so hard, and he's got great ball skills'. He continued: 'The foot quickness, the hips and the speed kind of overrode that and made us want to take a shot on him." The jump in competition from Furman to Tulane was a great decision by Robinson, who enjoyed his best college season with the Green Wave in 2024. He had an 80.7 PFF coverage grade and a 90 run defense grade, both career highs. As Gutekunst mentioned, Robinson displayed excellent ball skills in college, with seven interceptions in his final three seasons. On his play at Tulane, Gutekunst said: 'He took a step up from Furman to Tulane and played really, really well in his first season there. As he gets more reps against better competition I think he's going to continue to improve." It is easy to see the physical tools which attracted the Packers to Robinson on his tape. The 4.38 speed is real and allows him to easily run with receivers deep downfield, as well as recover if he is behind. Robinson's athleticism gets him out of compromised positions, makes up for him taking a false step or turning the wrong way and also allows him to take more risks; he can guess on a route and be ready to jump it, knowing if he is wrong, he can still turn and get back in position in time. He shows the ability to trust his speed and not open up too early anticipating a receiver running deep. Robinson has the benefit of letting the route play out for an extra tick before having to make his decision. More than just the speed, Robinson has enough twitch to stop and start with receivers and can also fire downhill towards the ball on routes broken off underneath. He looks smooth and comfortable in his backpedal and turns or flips his hips easily enough when required. For a smaller corner, he does not play small in coverage. Robinson uses physicality to his advantage in coverage, putting his hands on receivers and not letting them get going, or squeezing them towards the sideline on go routes. As Gutekunst put it, Robinson has 'great feet," and is able to mirror receivers off the line, as well as jam them effectively with a firm punch. He showed he can be sticky in coverage, plastering in tight areas like the red zone, and plays with attitude, often giving opponents a shove at the end of plays. He plays with focus and is clearly mentally engaged on every play, which helps him stay with corners late in the play on scramble drills or trail routes effectively even when he has to fight through traffic to get them picked up. In the run game, Robinson plays with urgency, ready to come down in run support and refusing to accept being blocked by receivers. He is a willing tackler but also comes to balance, staying under control, especially in the open field when he knows missing the tackle could be catastrophic. Robinson has 226 box safety snaps on his college resume, showing how he was trusted in run defense and also some potential versatility at the next level. There are plenty of tools to work with in coverage, but Robinson is not consistent enough in using them at the moment. He needs to have more trust in his athleticism, as at times he looks jumpy or on edge when in coverage. He is too reactive to the eye candy receivers present, biting on head fakes or generally buying whatever they sell. Receivers in the NFL are smarter than the ones he faced, and it will be all too easy for them to manipulate him and get him to do whatever they want. Robinson turns the wrong way too often and ends up having to do a full 360 spin to get back in phase. His speed and athleticism have allowed him to make up for this so far, but whether that will be the case as a professional is a different question. Double moves can make him bite very hard and ultimately get beat deep, and he can also open up his hips too early, which he does not need to do with his speed, leaving him vulnerable to routes being broken off underneath. Robinson plays a bit too far off at times and allows easy short completions. While he is a reliable presence in the run game, his lack of size does show up at times, and he lacks some stopping power in his tackling. The transfer to Tulane helped Robinson get exposure against better competition, but it is still not an especially high level. He also has essentially no slot experience, which is not ideal for an undersized corner. Overall, Robinson has consistently played well against every level of competition he has faced, still improved in 2024 while making a step up in class, has nice natural attributes, including elite speed, and plays with intensity, including against the run. He may hit a ceiling quickly at the NFL level, but equally is a worthwhile dart throw in round seven and could continue to increase his level of performance as he gets acclimated to the ultimate step up, as he has shown the ability to do so far.
Miami Herald
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Report: CB Jaire Alexander might stick with Packers
After it appeared for months that the Green Bay Packers would trade or release cornerback Jaire Alexander, ESPN reported on Tuesday that while those options still remain, the team might also keep the two-time All-Pro. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said after last weekend's draft, which saw the team select Tulane cornerback Micah Robinson in the seventh round, that Alexander's status remains fluid. "We'll work through that as we go," Gutekunst said. "But no updates there, and he is on our roster right now and that's how we'll proceed. But we'll figure that out as we go along." Gutekunst was non-committal over whether Alexander will be in a Packers uniform this fall. "No, I'm just saying nothing's changed," Gutekunst said. "No updates. We'll proceed as we go for right now, and we'll see how it goes." Alexander has two years left on the four-year extension he signed in 2022. His base salary for 2025 is $16.15 million, and in 2026 it's $18.15 million. If Green Bay cuts or trades Alexander with a post-June 1 designation it would cost more than $7.5 million in dead money but with around $17.1 million in cap savings, according to Over The Cap. A pre-June 1 cut or trade would mean more than $17 million in dead money and roughly $7.6 million in savings. Alexander was a second-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl in both 2020 and 2022 but injuries have forced him to miss most of three of the previous four seasons. He appeared in only four games in 2021 and seven in both 2023 and '24. The 18th overall pick by the Packers in 2018, Alexander has 12 career interceptions with a high of five in 2022. He also has three picks in seven playoff appearances. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
