Silverstein: Critics Go After Packers New Structure

[Joemailman]

If LaFleur is a good head coach, the new structure will work just fine. If he isn't, it won't.

[red]

If LaFleur is a good head coach, the new structure will work just fine. If he isn't, it won't.

if he isn't a good head coach will murphy have the stones to make an immediate move, or will he wait a few years too long like he did with TT, fat mike and capers?

cause we know out GM and head of football operations or whatever the hell ball and gute are, don't have the ability to make the move

[RashanGary]

Guess I’m one of the few who like it, in concept. Both Murphy and Ball seem to be sharp, qualified, driven men who are talented in communication and administration. Who better to be involved in directing football operations.

Gutekunst has complete control over the roster. He’s qualified for that position and will have so much extra time to focus on winning football games if he’s not dealing with vacation requests from the field crew or medical staff among other tedious behind the scenes bullshit. Ball already did all of that for TT anyway. It’s just not Gutes worry. That’s a good thing if you ask me.

McCarthy seemed to have such a choke hold on the Packers with his dominating personality. I think Murphy set out to put a stop to that. So he had the coach answer to him. Whether Lafleur answers to Gute or Murphy, it’s not much of a thing.


Murphy is a little more hands on in football operations than Harlan. But Murphy at one point was aspiring to be a GM so that’s not surprising. It’s not like he’s picking Gutes players. That would be a huge concern. But since Gute still has complete control over the roster and Lafleur complete control over coaching, I don’t see how this does anything other than allow our guys to do what they do best and leave administration in the hands of accomplished administrators.

[RashanGary]

This draft had a great feel, honestly. Gutey seemed so much better prepared than Ted did. He seemed to really know every player he picked. Just seemed like not being bogged down with field crew bull shit allowed him to be dialed the fuck in on the draft. I like that. And he seemed dialed in on FA too. He picked good, young, ascending players. 4 of them. Gute seemed dialed in on building the roster. I liked TT a lot. Gutey seems cockier so I don’t like that, but I think Gute has a chance at being a HOF GM some day. He’s just dialed in. And Murphy said one day, at the end of the day it’s Gutekunts intuition that makes the final pick. Sounds like he has a reputation for having a reliable instinct so they just ride with his gut.

Alexander is proof of that being solid.

Let’s see how this shakes out. I’m not overly impressed with Lafleur. McCarthy really controlled a room. But MM was getting so cocky and overbearing. I hated the Clay Matthews pick and dude ended up with 85 sacks. Sometimes I just don’t know shit. Maybe Lafleur is alright. AR is gonna love having new ideas to play with.

[RashanGary]

Gute also seems more willing to take these weirdo big glasses millennial types. TT never drafted them. But most millennials are dip shit looking, weirdo ass, drew carey looking mother fuckers. So we might as well open our minds to having them on our team. Not everyone is a jordy Nelson farm boy or Kenny Clark, raises his brothers and sisters serious kid.

Put me in the camp that sees Gute as a star GM and the Packers being on the verge of another SB because of it. Building the roster is the most important aspect to winning football games IMO and we have a structure that promotes roster building. So we’re OK!

[pbmax]

Guess I’m one of the few who like it, in concept. Both Murphy and Ball seem to be sharp, qualified, driven men who are talented in communication and administration.

What has given you an indication that Ball is talented at communication?

[red]

Guess I’m one of the few who like it, in concept. Both Murphy and Ball seem to be sharp, qualified, driven men who are talented in communication and administration. Who better to be involved in directing football operations.

Gutekunst has complete control over the roster. He’s qualified for that position and will have so much extra time to focus on winning football games if he’s not dealing with vacation requests from the field crew or medical staff among other tedious behind the scenes bullshit. Ball already did all of that for TT anyway. It’s just not Gutes worry. That’s a good thing if you ask me.

McCarthy seemed to have such a choke hold on the Packers with his dominating personality. I think Murphy set out to put a stop to that. So he had the coach answer to him. Whether Lafleur answers to Gute or Murphy, it’s not much of a thing.


Murphy is a little more hands on in football operations than Harlan. But Murphy at one point was aspiring to be a GM so that’s not surprising. It’s not like he’s picking Gutes players. That would be a huge concern. But since Gute still has complete control over the roster and Lafleur complete control over coaching, I don’t see how this does anything other than allow our guys to do what they do best and leave administration in the hands of accomplished administrators.

Is murphy letting the kid have his own staff?

They told him that Pettine would be his DC, and they didn’t get the guy he wanted for ST, or the second guy he wanted

Sure seems like he doesn’t have total control over his staff

In fact I think that’s exactly why they picked a guy so young, with so little experience that no one else wanted. They could tell him how things would be

[RashanGary]

Is murphy letting the kid have his own staff?

They told him that Pettine would be his DCe

I don’t know if this is true. I think lafleur was open to it tho.

[RashanGary]

I think Gutey has the best job in football, honestly. He gets paid a lot of money. He has complete autonomy on the Packers draft and roster. He doesn’t have to deal with the behind the scenes operation so he can still be a dad and husband for big parts of the year.

Lafleur wanted Pettine was my underarnding. That probably is a part of the reason he was hired. I think the packers had open minded interviews and didn’t force anything, but lafleaur wanting to keep pettine gave Lafleur an edge because then we don’t have to start over on defense.

[Joemailman]

I think Gutey has the best job in football, honestly. He gets paid a lot of money. He has complete autonomy on the Packers draft and roster. He doesn’t have to deal with the behind the scenes operation so he can still be a dad and husband for big parts of the year.

Lafleur wanted Pettine was my underarnding. That probably is a part of the reason he was hired. I think the packers had open minded interviews and didn’t force anything, but lafleaur wanting to keep pettine gave Lafleur an edge because then we don’t have to start over on defense.

I agree. Gutey gets to focus on what he knows best - player personnel. He had input on the head coach hire, but it's Murphy's problem of it doesn't work. The "Sky Is Falling Because The Structure Changed" crowd sees problems everywhere, but it may well be that Murphy had the foresight and guts to change a structure that wasn't working as well as it once had. Sticking with the status quo because "We've always done it that way" can be death for an organization.

[pbmax]

I agree. Gutey gets to focus on what he knows best - player personnel. He had input on the head coach hire, but it's Murphy's problem of it doesn't work. The "Sky Is Falling Because The Structure Changed" crowd sees problems everywhere, but it may well be that Murphy had the foresight and guts to change a structure that wasn't working as well as it once had. Sticking with the status quo because "We've always done it that way" can be death for an organization.

If I had to bet who knows how to run the superstructure (football and business) of a professional football operation, I would take Ball first, then Murphy.

But I really don't want either with much influence on the football side.

The disappointment is that with the new structure (Murphy) or not (Gute) they still failed to land a first choice position coach. Or the second choice. This doesn't look to me like improvement.

[RashanGary]

I think Ball and Murphy are both excellent in the business side of the Packers. It frees Gutey up to scout endlessly and train the new scouts. Frees Lafleur up to coach. And having pettine, that frees Lafleur up even more to focus on offense.

Honestly, the more I look at it the more I think the Packers have an excellent situation for football guys to focus on football. Gutey doesn’t need to worry about the field or the equipment or the game day staff and medical staff. Ball can handle the non football side of football operations while Gutey spends all of his time on knowing every player in the NFL and college football so when time comes he can get the right players.

[pbmax]

There is a problem here with terms, and I will have to go back to the article and maybe the 2 part Ball article from a year or two ago to see if it reveals any details. But business operations are different and distinct from football operations.

Ball came up on the football only side. He did run some football operations for Ted, and these did increase as time passed, but we are talking booking hotel rooms, meetings, scheduling, transportation and facilities. I don't think he is running the real estate side of the operation.

Gute doesn't have a background in any of this. Nor on the business side.

But I do think Ball had gotten the stamp of approval from Murphy and Ted and he had some projects on the business operations side. I think this was covered in that two parter.

Murphy has never run or really overseen the pro football side of the operation.

[Bretsky]

I hav no idea if ball is an effective communicator because he never says a thing. Based on how Murphy f’cked up the special teams situation, went about the hc hiring as well as the gm job switch there are captain obvious reasons for plenty of concern

[texaspackerbacker]

I think Ball and Murphy are both excellent in the business side of the Packers. It frees Gutey up to scout endlessly and train the new scouts. Frees Lafleur up to coach. And having pettine, that frees Lafleur up even more to focus on offense.

Honestly, the more I look at it the more I think the Packers have an excellent situation for football guys to focus on football. Gutey doesn’t need to worry about the field or the equipment or the game day staff and medical staff. Ball can handle the non football side of football operations while Gutey spends all of his time on knowing every player in the NFL and college football so when time comes he can get the right players.

I like your positive outlook on things. Airing potentially dirty laundry and stirring up trouble - as media assholes in sports and out are prone to do - is a shitty way to spend the off-season.