Gute's Job Performance Review

[Fritz]

How is he doing so far? Drafting, signing free agents, keeping the best players under contract, knowing when to cut ties?

It seems obvious signing the Smiths was a big plus, but I do think we need to see what those contracts and performances look like in year three before we can say it was great. And we'll need to see if those contracts make it impossible to sign a 29-year-old All Pro left tackle to an extension.

I was looking at his drafts, and outside of Jaire Alexander, Gute's first draft - ugh. JK Scott in the fifth round; well, he's turning out okay but he doesn't seem to be all that special, and now it's year three. The others aren't much good. He used a third rounder to draft a special teams ace in Oren Burks. Not good. Pretty crummy draft class. His second draft class looks a bit better, though I still do think Rashan Gary is going to be mostly invisible. Some of the others are still promising, and Jenkins and Savage seem to be the real deal. Probably Jenkins is the shining star of that draft. Not sure what to make of the most recent class. Jon Runyan looks like he can start in the NFL, but it largely rests on what becomes of Jordan "Thanks for your" Love. And if Aaron Jones is allowed to go, if AJ Dillon can step in. Unless Gute can sign Jones and then Dillon becomes Williams's replacement.

And if you look at who the Packers' best players are, guess who drafted them? Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Davante Adams, Jamaal Williams, David Bahktieri, Corey Linsley, Kevin King, Kenny Clark.

[hoosier]

I'm more concerned about player development than some magical ability to find diamonds in haystacks. What I'm saying is, I suspect that with a few notable exceptions, the talent evaluation skills of professional scouts and GMs is pretty equal across the league. No doubt organizational structure plays a role in shaping how successful drafts will be. Wouldn't want to be Cowboys, Bungles or Redskins. The variables that make a real difference in determining the success of a draft are player development, ability to find fit between skill set and system, and the player's own work ethic. I guess maybe the best GMs are the best because they know how to find good fits (and work in organizations that have the continuity you need to make the fit actually work) and because they look for personality traits that equate with continued growth. But if the Packers have been deficient in any area, I think it's in player development. How much draft capital have they invested in the secondary since CW and Nick Collins left, and what has it brought them?

[Joemailman]

Too early to tell. We don't know yet how good guys like Rashan Gary, Darnell Savage, Jace Sternberger, Kingsley Keke, Ty Summers, and the 2020 draft class are going to be. We also don't know whether he'll make the right decisions on which FA's to keep and which to let go following this season. He does seem to have done okay so far. Bulaga has been ably replaced by guys he brought in. Letting go guys like Clay Matthews and Jordy Nelson has not brought great regrets. Time will tell, but I think this team is better right now than the one he inherited from Ted Thompson.

One thing that doesn't get mentioned much is his role in the hiring of Lafleur. There were reports that Lafleur was added to the list of coaching candidates at Gute's insistence. There were a lot of coaching retreads on that list. Without Gute's insistence that Lafleur be interviewed, we might be looking at a very different situation right now.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Well, if the Packers go 13-3 every year primarily because of the coaching hire, then it's hard to give him a bad grade--no matter the draft results.

[call_me_ishmael]

Early returns are quite promising. Some GMs are fired after 3-4 years, so that end he was done better than many other have. Will he get a super bowl in year 6? Remains to be seen but I am optimistic.

Man, that Packers Super Bowl team was so freaking good. They had, what, like 10 guys on IR? Many of whom were regular contributors. Absolutely unbelievable they did what they did with a #4 CB starting, etc.

[GB-Brandon]

What do you do after you make a mistake? Was the Jordan Love pick a mistake? Is Jordan Love even good? Was this whole thing even handled correctly?

What direction do you go now?

This whole situation alone is going to require much attention and detail and decision making going forward.

He wants to win so badly with his own players but it isn’t working out for him is the other part of this. Extend Jones? Extend King? 3rd contract to Bak? 3rd contract to Adams? 3rd Contract to Lindlsley?

He isn’t replacing star players fast enough. It’s been three years and he has developed one borderline star player “Jaire Alexander”

[Upnorth]

One thing i appreciate is his use of free agents and being okay with using players he hasn't drafted. I do wish more of his drafts were stars. So far he has Jenkins and Alexander as stars and everyone else are just players.

[GB-Brandon]

He has been active and productive in free agency. We kinda need a Thompson/Gute combo. Maybe they bring back Dorsey. But it’s too late. Rodgers is 36 and we’re stuck with Gute. They won’t get rid of Gute unless we have a couple of losing seasons and with the talent on the roster that won’t formulate for a bit. By then it will be too late.

[SudsMcBucky]

He has been active and productive in free agency. We kinda need a Thompson/Gute combo. Maybe they bring back Dorsey. But it’s too late. Rodgers is 36 and we’re stuck with Gute. They won’t get rid of Gute unless we have a couple of losing seasons and with the talent on the roster that won’t formulate for a bit. By then it will be too late.

I completely agree with this.

[bobblehead]

Free Agency: He signed the Smiths to shore up a major hole on the defense. His use of FA to fill voids seems pretty solid. I am still blaming the Jimmy Graham signing on fat mike. Grade B (anyone can spend a ton of money, but at least he got them basically correct.)

2018 Draft Traded for bonus first round pick at a loss of Derwin James, but drafted stud Jaire Alexander and contributor MVS. Seems like a solid D grade. Again, fat mike was still the coach so possibly had an influence, but its the GM who ultimately makes the picks.

2019 Draft Stud Jenkins, contributor (potential to be +contributors) Savage and Gary. Marginal but potential contributors Sternberger, Keke, Summers. B-/C+

2020 Draft Virtually ungradable with no pre season and 3 games in.

Coaching move: Fired boring fat mike and his predictable offense and brought in brilliant young Flower. Grade A

Immediate impact: 16-3 under his hand picked coach and an NFCC birth. Grade A

Long term impact: Lets see who we re sign and who we lose. If we manage to bring back Bakh and King its a success. Lindsey and Jones are benefits we likely can't afford, but can be replaced. I am thinking tag Jones for another year, but if someone comes knocking with a 1st then deal him. Promise him you won't tag him twice if he plays otherwise. Not many teams build a sustainable winner giving big contracts to centers and RBs. Grade B/B+

Legacy: He will look great for the immediate because he inherited Rodgers and a franchise LT. His legacy will live or die with many things, the Love pick being high on the list. However if someone else seamlessly takes the reigns from Rodgers after his contract expires and we keep winning Jordan love will become an asterisk in the books.

[texaspackerbacker]

Winning, as some guy named Lombardi once said, is the Only thing. The 13-3 record and 3-0 and all signs for it to continue this season says volumes. However, as some have pointed out, not much of that is Gutekunst. And, Harvey, while I like LaFleur and give him some credit, not very much of it is him either - except in subordinating his ego and letting Aaron Rodgers do his thing.

Player development, Hoosier? First of all, that's not much about the GM and not even all about the head coach. It's mainly position coaches. It's important in some cases, but most players either are or are not quality NFL material when you get them. Development is only a minor factor.

I hated Ted Thompson mainly for his failure to use free agency and over-caution with the salary cap. I much preferred Mike Sherman in that respect. The fact that Gutekunst has shown some signs of using that venue of improvement more is good. I tend to agree with some others who say it is too soon to say about his drafting. The day(s) of the draft, I hated it and was ready to explode, same as a lot of others. That is mitigated, though, by the team record and the performance of some, make that quite a few players who some fans have disrespected - WRs mainly, but others too. I very very seldom yield to the idea that whoever has a better opinion or judgment than I do, but I tend to lean that way when it comes to draft picks and personnel decisions - as long as the team is winning anyway.

The MOST IMPORTANT THING going forward is gonna be how Gutekunst handles the Aaron Rodgers situation. This season has shown that Rodgers is still better than anybody in the league, and that even includes Mahomes. It would be a colossal blunder to let him go/force him out/whatever. He should be retained at least into his 40s. What they do with Love is basically irrelevant. Even if he is damn good, he's not as good as Rodgers. If Gutekunst stupidly lets Rodgers go, then I'm right there as a convert to Brandon, and I doubt I will be alone. I don't think that is gonna happen, though. I give the Packer decision makers credit for not being that stupid.

The second major factor is also named Aaron. It would be a lesser but still colossal blunder to let Aaron Jones go. I don't care if Dillon is damn good, and it looks like he might be. I have said forever, we need a speed back as our primary RB, not a power runner - although it's good to have somebody like Jamal or Dillon backing them up. In addition, I've observed that most superstar RBs over the decades have a large degree of attitude or character problems. Aaron Jones, by all evidence so far, does not. He is MUCH more important to keep than Bakhtiari, Jamal Williams, Kevin King, or anybody it has been speculated might necessitate losing Jones.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Thumbs up to the German Shepherd for signing Emmitt Smith’s sons. Ditto, Heather Graham’s little bro, Jimmy. The Shepherd tried to pluck CB Fuller away from the Bears but alas, was shot down.

Wagner, Patrick and Runyan were thrown into the fray for a couple of games and none of them handicapped the offense in any shape, form, matter or anti-matter. In other words, you don’t draft fat guys with premium picks.

Thumps down for drafting the Fucking Center over DK Metcalf. Packers would be averaging 72 points a game this season with Metcalf. They woulda won the SB last season with Metcalf - Shepherd cost the Packers the Balding Eagle game and therefore homefield throughout the playoffs. The rest is 69ers pounding the rock up and down the Pack’s rear ends history.

Prima Donna WRs are more difficult to find than Fucking Centers. And the Fresno Fraud can’t be counted on to play 16+ games in a season. What’s better, DK Metcalf or a Fucking Center that Jon Fucking Runyan could replace without handicapping the offense?

Thumbs down for overpaying the “overrated, show-up-once-in-a-blue-moon-to-inflate-stats-against-cupcakes” Clark. The cap can always be cooked, but Clark’s new, fat contract could be the final straw for Bak and Aaron Jones in cold, dark and dull Green Bay.

The Packers haven’t had to bona fide ILB since
Sherman draft pick Nick Barnett. German Shepherd hasn’t done a fucking thing about the lack of Kung Fu at the position.

Grade so far: C

[HarveyWallbangers]

2019 Draft Stud Jenkins, contributor (potential to be +contributors) Savage and Gary. Marginal but potential contributors Sternberger, Keke, Summers. B-/C+

I really like the potential of this class.

[GB-Brandon]

I really like the potential of this class.

Not one “Game Changer” in it!!

[GB-Brandon]

Between all the resources used to draft Gary, Savage, Love and Burks we could have the most explosive offense in the history of the NFL and set records that would never be broken. Ultimately stack hardware and complete a dynasty.

“F”

#Loser!!!!

[Tony Oday]

A+, Signed AR for Life, Signed Clark, next he will get Jones and Bahk signed. Lazard is a legit #2, MVS stretches the field and we have a fun crop of TEs.

Savage, Smiths, Gary and going to lock up our secondary LETS GO!

Super Bowl

[GB-Brandon]

The guy is living off of Ted Thompson. Tried to Back Door AR12 and literally hanged him out to dry. I don’t even know he walks around with a straight face.

He should be so ashamed of himself he should just resign.

[GB-Brandon]

“Dirty PooL”

This shit has a way of catching up!!!

[CaptainKickass]

How is he doing so far?

He hasn't been spectacular.
He hasn't been horrible.
I think he's Gute.

[hoosier]

Not one “Game Changer” in it!!

1. We don't know that and won't know for another year or two.
2. This is Gute's third draft. How often should a GM be expected to draft a "game changer" (whatever that is)?
2. "Game changers" cannot be the only measure of a good draft. You also need to evaluate how the GM has restocked supporting casts and account for the unpredictability of projecting future growth.