Front Office changes:

• Ted Thompson - steps down as GM, re-assigned to head scout (whoopee-doo)
• Brian Gutekunst elevated to GM (44 years old, 19 year scout within the Packer organization)
• Russ Ball promoted to something else - sounds like window dressing
• New Reporting structure: Gutekunst, MM & Ball all report to Mark Murphy

  • NOT A FAN AT ALL of this structure - makes no sense...have very bad feeling that Murphy is going to mess this up

Coaching changes:

• McCarthy given token “1 year prove it” extension to his contract. This is just window dressing as no coach or GM goes into the last year of a contract as a lame duck
• Dom Capers - out as Defensive Coordinator - 5 years too late IMO

  • Mike Trgovac (Dline) & Scott McCurley (LBs) fired from Capers’ staff

    • didn't understand the Trgovac firing - his unit did pretty well this past season
• Edgar Bennett not retained as OC, Alex Van Pelt contract not renewed (QB coach)

  • Aaron Rodgers was not happy that Van Pelt was let go for whatever reason
• Mike Pettine hired as new DC

  • Really like this move - Pettine is young, an outsider and innovative. Has a history of top 10 defenses.  Appears much more willing to adapt his scheme unlike Dom Capers.
  • What I don’t like is the fact that MM forced him to keep so many of Capers’ left over staff on this new defensive staff...doesn’t make sense

Looming Items for Gutekunst

• Aaron Rodgers contract extension - this is going to be an interesting negotiation as the recent Jimmy Garoppolo extension with the 49ers was HUGE, and he only as 7 starts in his career.

  • Right now Aaron Rodgers is due to make a MINIMUM of $30 Million annually with his next contract. Goodness.
  • The packers simply cannot afford to pay this sort of ungodly sum, even to the league’s best player, and still put quality players around him
  • Rodgers, if he really cares at all about winning, should take a somewhat team friendly deal ($28MM?) with the same guaranteed $ as Garoppolo.  This will give the Packers a chance to sign some other quality players around him.
• Jordy Nelson & Randall Cobb

  • Both are going into the last year of their respective deals and both players are on the decline.
  • Jordy has lost at least a step, but still has value with Rodgers in the red zone
  • Randall Cobb is a dead man walking - if he doesn’t agree to a massive pay cut, he should be (and probably will be)  cut.
  • If Gutekunst is serious about remaking this roster and injecting  it with youth and speed he should cut both Jordy and Cobb IMO.
• Clay Matthews

  • An aging veteran that should have been traded a few years ago if Ted were smart, but here we sit with Clay due to make $15 Million and he isn't worth half that amount right now.
  • CM3 still has value on this team, but it would be at a reduced salary and he should move full-time to ILB
  • I really don’t believe that CM3 will take a pay cut - if he doesn't agree to that he should be cut outright.
• Morgan Burnett

  • Another aging vet that has proven valuable to the defense and very versatile, but his body is breaking down quick
  • He may command $10MM salary to be extended - Is Burnett worth that much $ on a 3rd contact?