Gutekunst Goes All-In on Building Future on Offense

“Learning and growing” is at the forefront of every decision general manager Brian Gutekunst is making about the Packers’ young offense.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Aug 5, 2023 9:36 AM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In 2015, the Milwaukee Bucks’ slogan was “Build the Future.”

That might as well be the Green Bay Packers’ slogan on offense entering the 2023 NFL season.

The Packers could have re-signed receiver Randall Cobb to help lead the youngest receiver corps in the league. Instead, he joined Aaron Rodgers with the New York Jets. They could have re-signed tight end Marcedes Lewis to help lead the youngest tight end corps in the NFL. Instead, he signed with the rival Chicago Bears on Friday.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is going all-in on building a future revolving around first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love and a kiddie corps of potential playmakers.

“You can’t get those young guys to that speed unless they get to play,” Gutekunst said on Friday, a day before Family Night and a week before the preseason opener at the Cincinnati Bengals.

Lewis wanted to remain with the Packers and would have been a valuable resource to second-round pick Luke Musgrave and third-round pick Tucker Kraft. Cobb, obviously, would have been a positive influence in a receiver room in which only three players have caught a pass in a regular-season game.

Instead, Gutekunst let the veterans go so the young guys could grow. He opted for his young pass-catchers to learn through experience rather than learn through an experienced mentor.

“It’s always good to have those guys,” he said in response to a question about Lewis. “But, at the same time, if they’re out there, those other guys aren’t. That’s just part of it. With all players that leave here, especially the guys who have done things in the league and are veteran players, they’re more experienced and they’re going to be better players than some of the young guys.”

So, while the passing game might take a few steps backward to start the season, Gutekunst is betting it will take baby steps forward week by week by week as Love builds a future without a veteran security blanket to serve as a bridge.

“It’s hard. It’s the National Football League,” Gutekunst said of what that means for Love. “We brought veterans in here before – we did last year – and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. …

“There would be particular players that I think would make a ton of sense to bring in here and help the offense, defense, special teams. Some guys would come in and, because of their veteran status and where they are in their progression, would take a lot of snaps that maybe these guys need.”

It’s something we called “The Great Reset” back in March. Yes, there will be growing pains. But so long as there’s growth, there will be gain from those pains.

“I think as we go into this, the important thing for us as a group is to not put any ceilings on anything and go out and let these guys play and let them learn and grow,” Gutekunst said. “Whether it’s practice, joint practice, Family Night, preseason games, early-season regular-season game, the learning and growing part has to be on the forefront. It has to be more about, OK, as we go through this, we’ve got to get better each week. We might be winning a lot but we’ve got to get better each week.”

The “Build the Future” Bucks eventually became the “Own the Future” Bucks when they won an NBA championship. Of course, the Bucks had Giannis Antetokounmpo as a centerpiece of that future. Maybe the Bucks’ version of Giannis will be Love. Or maybe it’s Christian Watson. Or perhaps it’s Luke Musgrave.

Whoever it is – or isn’t – we’re going to find out over the next five-plus months for an offense that will be, to borrow a really old Bucks slogan, green and growing.

“I think that’s really important for this group because so many of them have so much room to grow,” Gutekunst continued. “We’re really excited about this group and, like every NFL season, it’s going to be hard, and we’re going to have some downs, but we like the resilience they’re showing so far.”