The Packers tabbed director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst as their new general manager, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported Sunday. Gutekunst takes over for Ted Thompson, who was reassigned to a senior advisor role last week.
Gutekunst, who has been with the Packers in a scouting or personnel role for the past 19 seasons, was slated to interview for the Texans' GM vacancy Sunday and made the trip to Houston before accepting his new role with Green Bay.
The Packers are believed to have interviewed fellow in-house candidates, Eliot Wolf (director of football operations) and Russ Ball (president of football administration/finance), last week prior to the decision to promote Gutekunst. Reports indicate the Packers also reached out to John Schneider about their opening but were rebuffed by the Seahawks, and fellow former Packers exec Reggie McKenzie, who reportedly opted to remain in Oakland with new coach Jon Gruden.
With Wolf and Ball being passed over, it wouldn't be stunning to see either or both leave to pursue other opportunities. Along with Gutekunst, they're highly respected in league circles and have been sought after for outside vacancies in recent seasons.
The Packers, who finished a 7-9 campaign — their first losing season and playoff miss since 2008 — have undergone an organizational shift since the season ended. In addition to stripping Thompson of his duties, the club is searching for new coordinators to replace Dom Capers and Edgar Bennett and several new assistants, including quarterbacks, defensive line and assistant linebackers.
But how much are the Packers really changing? In addition to Gutekunst's promotion, another familiar face, Joe Philbin, is reportedly returning for a second stint under coach Mike McCarthy after serving as offensive coordinator from 2007-2011. And McCarthy was very involved in the search to replace Thompson.
It's possible Green Bay will still make philosophical changes to its coaching and scouting methods, and it seems likely Gutekunst's promotion will coincide with a more active approach in free agency and on the trade market — two avenues Thompson was infamously loathe to travel down.
But it's clear, despite the turnover, that the Packers still dearly value continuity and familiarity, and some of these changes seem cosmetic in nature. And perhaps that's all the Packers truly need. The proof will be in their ability (or lack thereof) to return to just a second Super Bowl appearance with Aaron Rodgers, approaching his age-35 campaign, still in his prime.
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