Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst met the media for about an hour to give them a head start for the 2020 season.
The Packers fell one game short of the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season and lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game. Both LaFleur and Gutekunst discussed the loss and the future in Green Bay.
Here are ten things to know about the Packers season press conferences:
1 Aaron Rodgers is the Packers QB in 2021, and maybe after?
AP Photo / Jeffrey Phelps
There is no more uncertainty about who the Packers full-back will be in 2021. This is Aaron Rodgers, as LaFleur and Gutekunst emphatically said on Monday. LaFleur said Rodgers would ‘absolutely’ be his quarterback for a long time, while Gutekunst has been repeatedly committed to Rodgers for both 2021 and the future, saying there is no scenario in which he would trade him off this offseason.
Read the full story here.
Gutekunst said he has no regrets about setting up Jordan Love, which he called a talented prospect. The Packers are still committed to using resources to acquire and develop players in the quarterback position.
2 LaFleur takes the blame
LaFleur said a breakdown of communication between him and defense coordinator Mike Pettine was to blame during the Buccaneers’ attack before the end of the first half in the NFC title game. changing score.
“In short, all calls go through me,” LaFleur said. I do not care who makes the call, it’s all my fault. Bottom line. I am responsible for every playcall, offense, defense, special teams. Every call goes through me. If I’m ever dissatisfied with a call, I can do something about it. That’s all I’m really going to say about it. ”
The inexplicable onslaught put the Buccaneers ahead 21-10 at halftime, and the Packers eventually lost by five points.
Read the full story here.
3 Maurice Drayton confirmed as special team coordinator
MARK HOFFMAN / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
LaFleur has confirmed Maurice Drayton, Shawn Mennenga’s assistant for the past two years, will take over the Packers’ special teams in 2021.
“He’s an excellent teacher, an excellent communicator,” LaFleur said. ‘So much energy and enthusiasm. I really think he can raise our game level in that area. Guy who’s been here a while now. Had the opportunity to interview him for the first time, was very impressed with him, I just did not know much about him. After being with him for two years now, I think it was only a matter of time before he would get one of these other opportunities offered to him outside this building. Did not want to lose a man like Mo Drayton. ‘
Drayton has five seasons of experience as an assistant coach for special teams, including the past three seasons at Green Bay.
Read more about Drayton here.
4 Clear vision on the next defense coordinator
LaFleur said the Packers have a ‘clear vision’ of what the team is looking for in the next defensive coordinator. Although he did not disclose exactly what he was looking for, he spoke to several head coaches and defense coordinators about potential candidates. Part of the process is finding the right “mentality”.
“You want people to earn every inch on the grass,” LaFleur said. “There’s a certain mentality you have to have, and you have to bring it in daily.”
LaFleur said he would interview at least one internal candidate for the post.
We have highlighted 15 candidates for defense coordinators here.
5 LaFleur does not regret the late field goal
AP Photo / Jeffrey Phelps
Asked if he would kick the field goal again late in the fourth quarter, LaFleur defended his controversial decision, explaining the thought process of the three-pointers from the eight-yard line with eight points.
LaFleur said he spoke to the team’s analysis director before the play and decided that the two options did not differ much in terms of the overall chance of winning. He knew the defense had to stop in both scenarios. By kicking the field goal, the Packers opened up a chance to win the game in regulation.
“No matter how you cut, you had to stop defensively,” LaFleur said.
However, LaFleur said no meter is found on the three previous plays, but that is very important in the decision.
“If I had to do it again, if it’s a 4th-and-goal from the 8-yard line, we’d kick the field goal,” LaFleur said. ‘If this is the fourth goal of the five, I think we have another discussion. You have to play the percentages. ”
He said he probably had to communicate the thought process to Aaron Rodgers in the third and fourth ways beforehand, but he appreciates his quarterback’s desire to practice it on the fourth.
6 Assistant coaches leave
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LaFleur has confirmed that offensive quality control assistant Kevin Koger is going to the Los Angeles Chargers to be the team’s new coach, while senior analyst Butch Barry is going to San Francisco to be the 49ers’ assistant attacking coach. Both are promotions.
“Wish we could have had something here for them,” LaFleur said. ‘But every time you see guys who are able to improve themselves, both professionally but also to improve the lives of their families, it’s important to us. Definitely do not want to deprive people of the opportunities. We will miss them, but we wish them well. ”
Despite scoring points in the league, the Packers lost only two low-level assistant coaches to LaFleur’s staff.
7 Packers GM ready for unique year
Adam Wesley / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Gutekunst said he believes he will be able to go through a challenging off-season without “destroying” his team. The Packers have some key free agents to deal with to start the new league year and a difficult financial situation with a shrinking salary cap due to the loss of revenue from the pandemic.
“It’s a unique year, it’s very challenging. Of course, we are not the only team facing these challenges. I feel really comfortable, we have been working on this all year and getting ready for what will happen over the next three or four months, ‘said Gutekunst.
He acknowledged that ‘difficult decisions’ would come, and the team would have to let players go and probably restructure transactions for others again, but he worked with Russ Ball all year to prepare for a plan.
Gutekunst said he expects the cap to fall. The floor amounts to $ 175 million, although the team has not yet received an exact number for 2021.
When asked about the restructuring of Aaron Rodgers’ contract, Gutekunst answered.
8 Patient with Bakhtiari
AP Photo / Jeffrey Phelps, file
Gutekunst will not return David Bakhtiari’s “left tackle” after an ACL injury, but the Packers will be patient during his recovery.
‘It’s obviously a serious injury, and he’s such a big part of our franchise going forward in the long run, that we will not rush with that one, because he’s just too important to us. But I do not pass anything by him, that’s for sure, ‘said Gutekunst.
Bakhtiari was injured during week 17 during practice. He will be challenged to be in play mode again for the first time next week.
9 Loan of future years
AP Photo / Mike Roemer
Gutekunst said the Packers are prepared – and probably needed – to restructure transactions and push money to future years to keep its list together in 2021.
“We will surely have to do it this year,” Gutekunst said.
He confirmed that the Packers are willing to risk winning now, even if it means hitting future limits. Several veteran players, including Aaron Rodgers, could be candidates for revised deals. Converting salaries to signing bonuses spread over many years is one easy way to create instant ceiling space.
“With the situation this year, I think most teams are going to kick money to keep their teams together, and we will definitely not be any different,” Gutekunst said.
10 Other nuggets
LaFleur has said he will be willing to give up playing calls if it improves the team in general, and he is confident in coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to call plays, but he does not intend to give up the call not.
LaFleur praised receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling for pushing through the adversity of his season and gaining confidence as a player. He said MVS can run through any defense in the league, and the team now has more confidence in his ability.
Gutekunst rejects a report stating that the Rams are trying to trade for Aaron Rodgers. “No truth to that.”
Gutekunst has said it would like to withdraw Aaron Jones, but acknowledges that there will be problems in getting any of its unlimited free agents back in 2021.
Gutekunst is not worried about the schematic style of the next defense coordinator. He believes he has flexible, versatile players who can fit into any scheme.
Gutekunst said he would like more production from the inside of the lineout player, but he is excited about the potential of some young players in the position.