The Packers media panopticon turned its attention to Brian Gutekunst on Tuesday as the Packers’ general manager weighed in on his team’s fate and fortunes from the NFL Combine.
Most of what Gutekunst says needs to be taken with a grain of salt. He’s not going to get up there and call his own players bums — especially when the guy who hired them is the one answering the questions. Nor is he going to give you any kind of major indication what his draft or player-acquisition strategies really are.
But even if he’s going to stand up there and spew total nonsense, it’s important to make him do it, because he could inadvertently reveal something, like the tacit admission that the Packers are probably switching to a 3-4 defense this year. And if you ask him interesting questions, as our Tyler Brooke did, you might get an interesting response. It’s not often that you see Gutekunst giving a straight “yes, this is what I was trying to do” style answer, but you’ll never know if you don’t ask.
That’s the real value in these press conferences. You can’t ever expect that Gutekunst is going to reveal anything, but you’ve got to try. Maybe you’ll find out something you didn’t know before.
This is probably the biggest revelation from Gutekunst’s presser: Rich Bisaccia’s departure was entirely unexpected.
Gutekunst’s takes on Rashan Gary were interesting. Did he really have a good second half of the season?
I offer up this link not in the hopes that you’ll actually learn anything, but for contrast in how people cover the Packers. The take from the Packers themselves is always interesting.
This probably goes without saying.
There is a lot for NFL rookies to learn, and a good amount of it is off the field.
This is a bold move from someone who can be turned into bacon at a moment’s notice.