WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst addressed members of the Green Bay media corps on Monday morning at the NFL Annual Meeting at the Breakers Palm Beach.
Here are 10 things we learned from the Packers' GM:
- Elgton Jenkins will move to center next season.
Gutekunst confirmed the Packers' plan is for two-time Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins to move to center after Josh Myers signed with the New York Jets earlier this month.
Jenkins played center for two seasons at the Mississippi State and has made four spot starts there during his pro career, including a three-game stint when Corey Linsley suffered a sprained MCL in 2020.
Jenkins served as the de facto backup to Myers last year, starting at center against Detroit on Nov. 3 after a wrist injury sidelined Myers.
"We feel he's got a chance to be an All-Pro center," said Gutekunst of Jenkins. "We've talked about it a lot, how versatility plays into our offensive line and having guys that can move to different spots, and Elgton's one of those guys who can play all five spots. So, he's a luxury, but I'm excited to see what he can do at center, as well."
- Aaron Banks' athleticism separates him as a left guard.
Green Bay quickly identified a suitable replacement for Jenkins in 6-foot-5, 327-pound Aaron Banks, a fifth-year veteran who started 43 games at left guard for the San Francisco 49ers.
What appealed to the Packers about Banks was his quickness and ability to get off the ball at his size, two valuable traits in the offensive scheme Head Coach Matt LaFleur employs.
"Again, this isn't a 295-pound man. This is a 330-pound man," Gutekunst said. "His ability to play physical in the run game and anchor down in the pass pro is something where he's played at a high level for a few years now, and to get a guy like that really in the prime of his career is something I thought would really benefit us."
- The Packers had their eye on Nate Hobbs for a while.
More specifically, it was Packers director of pro personnel Richmond Williams who took a liking to Hobbs during his four seasons in Las Vegas.
Hobbs played mostly nickel cornerback for the Raiders, but Green Bay feels he has the size (6-0, 195) and speed (4.48 40) to work on the perimeter depending on how the secondary settles.
"Richmond Williams on our pro staff does a great job and has been pushing (for him)," Gutekunst said. "We just really thought he's a really versatile all-around corner, can do everything. We really like his ability to play on the outside, which he hasn't done a ton of, but the ability to move him inside and match different receivers, and his play style I think is one of the things that really stood out to all of us."
- Packers' proposal to ban the "tush-push" is rooted in player safety.
Gutekunst wasn't part of drafting Green Bay's proposal to prohibit the "tush push" but said he's "very much in support of" the organization.
The proposal, which aims to not allow offensive players from pushing a teammate immediately after the snap, has reportedly been gaining traction in discussions at the league meetings.
"I think certainly the medical professionals at the league have high concerns about putting players in positions that could lead to catastrophic injuries," Gutekunst said. "I think this is something that needs to be discussed and we need to be proactive with it rather than be reactive on that."
Over the years, the Packers have had a fair amount of success in stopping Jalen Hurts on the Eagles' sneak. They also invented their own short-yardage play with a direct snap to tight end Tucker Kraft, who converted all five of his attempts into first downs.
"Yeah but I think we owe it to our players," said Gutekunst when asked about Kraft's success on the sneak. "It's not about success. It's about safety here."
- Mecole Hardman is "absolutely" in the conversation to return kickoffs and punts this season.
If Green Bay wants to lessen the special-teams workload of receiver/punt returner Jayden Reed and cornerback/kickoff returner Keisean Nixon, it has an intriguing alternative in Hardman.
The seventh-year veteran earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors during his rookie season in 2019 after returning 27 kickoffs for 704 yards (26.1 yards per return) and a touchdown.
In six seasons, Hardman has returned 45 kickoffs for 1,073 yards (23.8 ypr) and 89 punts for 819 yards (9.2 ypr), including a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown in 2020.
"Absolutely, both as a punt returner and a kick returner," said Gutekunst when asked if Hardman could help take some of the strain off Nixon on kickoffs.
"He's a little bit more experience in the punt return game than the kick return game but he can do both. He's obviously going to add some speed to our football team. He's been in big games and played well in big games."
- Getting Brandon McManus back was essential for Green Bay.
The Packers checked a major box when it signed McManus to a long-term deal days before the start of free agency.
McManus made 20 of his 21 field-goal attempts in the regular season (95.2 %) and all 30 extra points. He was a valuable pickup for Green Bay, which cycled through kickers until landing the 33-year-old veteran last October.
"There's a veteran presence there," Gutekunst said. "I think was something you could tell from Day 1, his ability to kind of not blink at whatever conditions. … His ability to handle those on a day-in and day-out basis really gave us a lot of comfort."
- Jordan Morgan will continue to work at guard and tackle.
The 2024 first-round pick had his rookie season derailed due to a recurring shoulder injury, but the Packers expect Morgan to factor into the competition at both tackle and guard this summer.
Morgan, a former left tackle at Arizona, rotated with Sean Rhyan at right guard before his shoulder flare-up.
"We've got guys like Jordan Morgan, who I think is going to really emerge," Gutekunst said. "It will be good to see that competition and we'll be better for it.".
- Green Bay met its urgency goal in free agency.
After talking about urgency and expectations in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 season, Gutekunst feels the team hit the target in free agency.
To date, Green Bay is 10th in free agency spending after signing four unrestricted free agents and bringing back two of their own veterans (McManus and linebacker Isaiah McDuffie).
"I thought we were pretty aggressive and were able to acquire guys pretty early," Gutekunst said.
"Obviously we went after a couple top targets; we were able to acquire them, and I think that really is going to help our football team. The urgency comment is across the board. I think it's for our players, it's for our organization in how we're going to approach things."
- With or without the draft, the Packers feel they have the pass rushers they need to take a step forward in 2025.
One of Green Bay's big-ticket items for the offseason has been to generate more pressure with four rushers during the defense's second season under coordinator Jeff Hafley.
The Packers haven't signed a defensive lineman in free agency, feeling they have the talent onboard to improve regardless of whether additional prospects are added in the NFL Draft.
"I think we can do everything we need to do with the players we have on our roster right now," Gutekunst said. "I think there's a significant amount of improvement for those guys, not only in Year 2 of a scheme but just individually as well. We've invested in that quite a bit already and I'm excited to see the growth that those guys will have."
- Packers aren't "counting out" Christian Watson.
The fourth-year receiver undoubtedly will miss some time this season after tearing his ACL in the regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears.
However, Gutekunst is keeping an optimistic mind about how Watson may impact the 2025 Packers. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound receiver needed just 29 catches to register 620 receiving yards last season (21.4 yards per reception).
"I wouldn't count him out just because I know his work ethic and how he approaches things," Gutekunst said. "Certainly, it won't shock me at all if he's a big factor for us this season, but at the same time, we have to make sure we're protecting him in case that doesn't happen."
