Is Brian Gutekunst’s Youth Movement Backfiring?
Constant errors from his supporting cast is making the evaluation of Jordan Love a challenge.
By markoldacres
Back in August, general manager Brian Gutekunst was asked about the fact Green Bay’s offense had gotten drastically younger during the 2023 off-season.
Gutekunst said the goal was not to get younger, but to be “athletic and fast.”
While that goal may have been achieved, the reality is that the Packers offense is incredibly young and inexperienced. That is showing itself on the field each week, and never more than in the latest loss to the Vikings.
Gone from the roster are Marcedes Lewis, Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Robert Tonyan, and Allen Lazard, leaving Jordan Love with only first and second year receivers as pass catchers.
The logic behind this was perfectly clear and acceptable. After moving on from Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are trying to open their next Super Bowl window, and therefore need young talent which will hopefully develop alongside Love.
Gutting through the growing pains this inexperienced offense is having, and letting young players develop is a more worthwhile exercise than giving snaps to middling veterans. Last year’s vets are not exactly lighting up the league since leaving Green Bay.
Watkins is without a team, while Lewis, Cobb, Tonyan, and Lazard have 346 receiving yards between them. Cobb was a healthy scratch this week for the Jets. However, the decision to go so young on offense is bearing predictably erratic and frustrating results.
Love has certainly made his share of mistakes this season, and there are concerning elements of his game which he needs to iron out quickly if the Packers are to trust him as their long-term QB, but his supporting cast gave him no chance to win versus Minnesota.
Green Bay’s pass catchers had plenty of chances to make a play for their quarterback on Sunday and consistently failed him. The number of drops was scarcely believable, with even seasoned veteran Aaron Jones letting Love down.
The offensive line has not been the same without David Bakhtiari and it feels like a different player is whiffing on a block every play.
This is not only making Love’s life difficult, it is making Matt LaFleur’s job of calling plays a nightmare. What do you call when your offensive line cannot block with any consistency and receivers cannot be trusted to run the correct route and catch the ball?
These issues are all combining to confuse the picture around Love’s evaluation in a crucial season in that regard. That was a logical risk to take, but it is backfiring right now.
Love is going to make plenty of mistakes during his first season as a starter. This team does not have the bandwidth to also have everyone else making constant errors and still win games.
There is plenty of season left to see improvement from Green Bay’s offense, which has the potential to be exciting in future seasons, but through seven games, the downside of Gutekunst’s offensive youth movement has been glaring.
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Mark Oldacres is a sports writer from Birmingham, England and a Green Bay Packers fan. You can follow him on twitter at @MarkOldacres
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Comments (58)
SoCalJim
October 30, 2023 at 07:23 pm
I think the biggest risk to this plan of letting the young players develop alongside J Love is that it assumes a highly competent coaching staff. A staff that can effectively teach players and also put them in good positions to succeed. That assumption seems in retrospect to be quite a reach.
DePack
October 30, 2023 at 09:23 pm
Players are more impactful than plays. See packers, see the patriots …. Best plays will fail if players aren’t able to execute. Consistently ignoring the skilled position higher in the draft is what we’re witnessing. And whiffing on higher picks…takes years to recoup.
Tundraboy
October 30, 2023 at 10:24 pm
Holmgren he's not.
gordon gekko
October 31, 2023 at 12:43 am
I think the obvious is that A Rod and his crew made LeFleur look a hell of a lot better than he really is. BG is also way out of his element. Typical Packers though may force J Barry out at seasons end, but expect the dynamic duo back at the helm at next draft day to acquire some more Kmart Special players. This is like the 70ś and 80ś all over again. Maybe since its Halloween they can summon the ghost of Judge Parrins for spiritual guidance from the great beyond.
jaxpackfan
October 31, 2023 at 10:37 am
I think this is a bit too early to assume a 70s/80s type scenario. Having said that, the front office and the coaches definitely have to step it up.
murf7777
October 31, 2023 at 11:06 am
Gordon, regarding Arod making Mlf coaching look good. Take a look at most every great long term winning HC what do you think each have in common? They all have a HOF type QB. I’m stating this without looking up this information, just from memory and common sense that a HOF QB will make a team and coach look better.
Packers2020
October 31, 2023 at 08:58 am
My issue is not with this team losing. My issue is the mental and fundamental mistakes.
11 Penalties
Turnovers
Missed blocks
Bad Tackling
Dropped Passes
I realize we have no depth and talent is void (which is another discussion about Gutey and Murphy) but these mistakes are coaching issues and they continue to happen week to week with no improvement.
This is why I am concerned with ML and his staff. Maybe I am wrong but these are big concerns for me.
KenEllis
October 30, 2023 at 08:12 pm
"Is Brian Gutekunst’s Youth Movement Backfiring?"
Is this a serous question?
How has such blasphemy been permitted to appear on this site?
Surely, everyone who follows Cheesehead TV knows that St. Gutey the Great has planned everything that has transpired this season and that his genius plan is bound to come to fruition.
How dare a mere Packer fan question the greatest GM in the NFL.
In Gutey we must trust.
Bitternotsour
October 30, 2023 at 11:01 pm
I am sure the nuances of finance are beyond you, perhaps you've never even held a job. You can't spend money on veterans that you don't have. Mark Murphy made the call to go all in with AR. but for that piece of stupidity, that grasp at the brass ring, we'd still be following the Thompson model of draft and develop.
This mess all lands at Murphy's door.
KenEllis
October 30, 2023 at 11:09 pm
Poor, poor St. Gutey.
Done in by coach LaFleur. Done in by his boss Mark Murphy. Done in by Aaron Rodgers. Done in by 4th year QB Jordan Love.
Why must everyone conspire to thwart all the talent he has amassed for this roster? Why pray tell?
And the ungrateful Packer-backers who question St. Gutey' are the worst of them all.
How dare these knaves question his greatness, which is plain to see for those with eyes.
Coldworld
October 31, 2023 at 12:42 am
You can question Gute, but if you don’t question Murphy or the coaching then you are going to seem more lost than astute in your patronizing. Gute hired them both, made them both report to him and famously stated that “we are not idiots” before handing Rodgers a new contract and all of our cap. 40 million for a QB this year when he’s not here and last year when we had no roster around him. Too much to wade through with the coaching mess and the cap famine to evaluate this roster fairly. You are missing the mark very smugly.
T7Steve
October 31, 2023 at 06:59 am
You mean Murphy hired them both and extended Rodgers, not Gute.
You taught me well, CW.
Packers2020
October 31, 2023 at 09:03 am
You are correct on Murphy; however, this is also on Gute as well.
Ken Ingalls- Packers Cap
"Packers are struggling because their 3rd & 4th year players are underwhelming, not as much because of the youth of their 1st & 2nd year players."
"Only half of their 2020 & 2021 classes remain on the roster - Love, Dillon, Deguara, Runyan, Stokes, Myers, Newman, Slaton, McDuffie."
And look at those that remain. Would losing any of these players be a major loss for this roster? Love may be the only possible keeper and that is yet to be seen the rest of the year.
That is horrible drafting by Gute. Just horrible.
jannesbjornson
October 31, 2023 at 11:26 am
The guy was a fraud from day one. Just a Zombie. The draft record looks like the guidebook for the House of Horrors.
WestCoastPackerBacker
October 31, 2023 at 12:37 pm
If you look at the following teams, you can absolutely see why we went "all in"
Colts without Manning (briefly relevant with Luck)
Saints without Brees
Pats without Brady
Steelers without Big Ben
Giants without their Manning
If you have got a Hall of Fame QB, I think you are not wrong to go all in. It's very, very difficult to get to the Title game without that level of talent and it's very very difficult to replace.
The Packers were relevant though the entire careers of Starr, Favre and Rodgers. Not-so-much the rest of the time. We're back to irrelevancy unless and until they can find a true franchise QB. All the teams I've listed haven't been able to find one and/or even get back to being a playoff team.
I wouldn't be so hard on the front office for going "all in." Except they also drafted Love just at the time they could have used that first round talent on a skill position that might have helped on a title run.
gordon gekko
October 31, 2023 at 12:45 am
Please God Kenny, tell me this is sarcastic...if not seek help immediately.
White92
October 31, 2023 at 06:51 am
Nailed it.
ko40489
October 31, 2023 at 07:52 am
All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth. Well, I'd take 2 pink slips for some of the staff. Of course, that's not enough, but none of us gets everything on our wish list.
splitpea1
October 30, 2023 at 08:21 pm
Yes, for the most part. The culpability for this offensive dysfunction includes management, players, and coaches. The in-house coaching promotions that occurred early last year seems to have particularly backfired this season; the young veterans have regressed and they're not making much hay with the rookies, either. I read somewhere else that MLF doesn't like to be challenged, so maybe he has a bunch of yes men under him, I don't know. But what is apparent is that there is an unattractive stubborn and inflexible streak running through this organization, and it's reflected in both the development of the young players and the scoreboard.
"Athletic and fast"....yeah, great. You would think that despite the rookie miscues a couple of these offensive skill players would dazzle with all their talent at least a few more times than they have. I'm watching Puka Nacua (61 receptions and 38 first downs already!) and Sam La Porta tear it up, and sigh, then there's our guys.
Somewhere along the line Gute is going to have to counter his usual philosophy with "physical and ready to contribute" in order to clean the detritus from the offensive line and rebuild it the right way. He can't screw this up if the offense and Love are to be properly evaluated.
jannesbjornson
October 31, 2023 at 11:31 am
He can't screw up anything if he's shown the door. Six years and this team is looking like a gutter ball. McVay runs a fast-paced offense Apparently, LaFluer never took notes, but his brother did.
packerbackerjim
October 30, 2023 at 08:24 pm
Somewhat ironic is the most experienced position group has been the most erratic—the OL. Doubly worrisome is the defense which should be stout and the identity of the team, does not appear to be of concern to opposing teams.
Coldworld
October 31, 2023 at 12:43 am
Listening to Stenovich, it’s not hard to see why.
mnbadger
October 31, 2023 at 12:26 pm
First, I am no fan of and would like to see jb gone, but . . .
I heard an analyst report that in his opinion, which I'm starting to agree with, is that opposing OC's aren't afraid of our defense because they know in three plays and 1:27 of clock time he'll get another bite at the apple!
18 to 23 points is likely enough to win vs our Packers.
Iowa's OC is going to get fired for that type of output.
Our opponents are going to get promoted with all the wins they pile up.
GPG!
Bure9620
October 30, 2023 at 08:41 pm
Maybe Gute deserves a bit of criticism, sure, particularly for 2019 and 2020 drafts. But more of this is on MLF....I can honestly say I have never seen all the WRs blocking downfield on an RPO....Ever....Unbelievable. RPOs are quite simple, not a nuanced complex play. College offenses run them all the time. Just how is that possible? You can see Jordan Love with the big Holy Shit! eyes, he actually got a throw off and completed it after having to run backwards 15 yards. Didn't matter there was a hold to on Walker. The level of mistakes by multiple players on most plays is coaching. Even if this team sucked and had no talent they could avoid 11 penalties and so many mistakes. Coaching failure.
baldski
October 30, 2023 at 08:43 pm
I wonder what MLF hears when he asks the OC and Line coach what is wrong with the OL? Is it what he wants to hear or what is actually wrong? Watching the OL progress, I would bet on the former.
DocHoliday
October 30, 2023 at 09:29 pm
Listened to Tauscher today. Ridiculous when the very first drive Tom is yelling at two lineman for not knowing the blocking scheme on the play.
These are plays they practiced all week long for the scripted calls to start the game. They finally replaced Walker with Nijman (until he was hurt). Runyan doesn’t belong back next year.
Gutey failed this line by not drafting all this year. They became lazy because they had no competition pushing them.
2024 need to take at least 2 OL with early picks. If you can’t compete in the trenches, you have lost in the NFL. This is the black and blue division get some lineman who are physical.
EricTorkelson
October 31, 2023 at 06:58 am
Hey Doc, the only problem with replacing Walker with Nijman is that Nijman stinks.....
Packers2020
October 31, 2023 at 09:23 am
Did you watch the game after Nijman came in?
Nijman is not a pro bowler but he is serviceable at LT and way better than Walker. How does it take 7 games to figure this out as a HC and an OL coach?
He also has more experience and played very well two years ago at LT when Bak was hurt but then was screwed over by ML in the playoffs when he was taken out for high IQ boy.
I think you need to relook at your statement.
pantz_bURp
October 30, 2023 at 09:02 pm
I am willing to let this season play out (mainly because I have no say in the short game or long game).
What concerns me the most is the regression and not the improvement I was hoping to see from the beginning of the season to now.
This offense is, offensive. I don't put most of the blame on #10 like many have. I understand your frustration and your opinions but simply feel it is over Coach LaF's ability to be HC and leader of this team with a younger QB. It worked well initially with a talented and veteran QB, but not so much now.
The band-aid has been ripped off and we will see how things play out. Give it time to heal. Man, I miss Ask Vic and his inbox. He was really fantastic at helping me understand the Packers...and life, for that matter.
None of us really know what is going on behind 1265 Lombardi Ave with any certainty. I wish there was more transparency but can only gleem so much. Our eyes and gut tell us various things. We have been lacking true leadership longer than this season in my eyes.
I will be cheering this team on but reminding myself that the Packers aren't responsible for me having a good or bad day in my life. I remind myself the Packers are a form of entertainment. Some players may be doing it strictly for the income and not as a passion. It is just hard to do that sometimes when you care or want their success as much as we all do.
This will all sort itself out. Hang in there and I appreciate the passion we all have.
Pantz
gordon gekko
October 31, 2023 at 12:59 am
Pantz....great analysis. Its mainly management failure....1st you have the MIA CEO Mark Murphy, Gutey Girl and LeFleur failing rapidly. All things considered, Love has more balls than anyone on that field and never quits. He may not have a rocket arm, but heś smart and agile. On the other hand he has zero protection from a front line that looks like a D3 washout team. Rookie wide receivers, a running game that has potential but gone iceberg cold. No these failures are all on management top down....more concerned with spending time and money on more tobbogan hills and entertainment centers for the ¨Titletown Experience¨. Perhaps the best ¨Titletown Experience¨ would be a team that wins championships consistently.
TXCHEESE
October 31, 2023 at 08:54 am
All very good points. I wonder if Rich B. wouldn't be a better choice as HC. He has cred in the league and probably a much larger rolodex of coaches to bring in for REAL coaching. I think MLF, Steno, Barry, and Butkus are in over their heads with their current titles. All four need to take a rung lower on the ladder. The only way these guys are going to get better is to have someone coach them to be better. If both the offense and defense stink , then there is no real opportunity to get better in the offseason.
DocHoliday
October 30, 2023 at 09:20 pm
These WRs keep dropping passes, running wrong routes, clearly don’t have the heart to do the work. Youth needs vets to show them the right way to do things. This is why Rodgers was so frustrated with Gutey.
Loyalty must be earned and Barry clearly has never earned it. MLF sticks by Stenavich as OC, but he is not good. Demote him to OL coach. Fire the OL coach because they keep getting worse and there is no excuse for Walker starting over Nijman.
BruceC1960
October 30, 2023 at 09:45 pm
Are we to assume that DuBose, Bo Melton and Malik Heath run wrong routes and drop balls too. Or would they be getting a look?
DocHoliday
October 30, 2023 at 11:31 pm
Good point.
It is worth giving them some playing time to find out.
Need to stop rewarding failure with playing time.
In preseason, Heath understood where to sit against zone coverage. That is more than can be said about Watson.
Packers2020
October 31, 2023 at 09:27 am
Agree Doc.
The first thing about being a good HC is making sure you have a good staff behind you. And if they are not getting it done, you cut ties and move on.
Has ML done this? Nope. He has kept Barry when he should have let him go last year, kept the ST's Coordinator a year too long, and now has kept Stenavich at OL. He has not learned that you are only as good as your staff.
jannesbjornson
October 31, 2023 at 11:35 am
One needs talent on the O line, if you want to see improvement. His guys.
Starrbrite
October 30, 2023 at 09:28 pm
I don’t know Mark, to date, I’m not much confused by Love’s play.
Go Packers!!!
stockholder
October 30, 2023 at 09:31 pm
There is a mental illness on this Team.
"The Fun is gone". Most blamed Rodgers for it.
But the reality is Love can't be fixed.
And all the big mouths that pointed at #12.
Now have to suffer through the painful truth.
That losers never get better, they Quit.
The zeros tell me they not only quit on themselves
but their teammates.
!. Protection
2. Drops
3. Penalties
Rodgers would have taken it to the press.
Love keeps it inside and keeps regressing.
So yes; the youth movement failed.
Not because of Rodgers.
But because of Love.
It said where theres a will there is a way.
Unfortunately it requires change.
And that change has to be the QB.
lkcsmith
October 31, 2023 at 07:06 am
I remember in one game last season when AR12 was chewing out MLF on the side line during the game, and many were calling AR12 Diva and worse names for doing that. Imagine veterans like AR and Adams who could see all these incompetence day in and day out and they had to hold their tongues. That's why both wanted to be traded. Now many of the "experts" are finding out what they knew then, only a few yrs too late.
SweetPotatoGB
October 30, 2023 at 10:00 pm
The only way forward is forward. Carry the G, folks!
PASSdaRELISH
October 30, 2023 at 10:30 pm
We are seeing the results of Gute’s 3 consecutive pisspoor drafts from 2018-19-20. The Jury’s still out on 2021 & 2022.
White92
October 31, 2023 at 07:44 am
Perhaps drafting a punter and a long snapper in the same draft wasn't such a good idea
Guam
October 30, 2023 at 10:48 pm
"Is Brian Gutekunst's Youth Movement Backfiring?"
What choice did he have but to go young? He had no cap to work with due to the huge contracts signed by Rodgers and Bahk as well as the dead cap numbers from other vets no longer on the team. You can critique Gute on his drafting, but the cap is negotiated by Ball (and Rodgers big contract by Murphy) and he had financial no room to bring in vets. This year is about getting the cap fixed as much as it is about anything else.
The youth movement may not be working out, but after two "Last Dances" there was simply no other alternative given the cap problems.
Eeeen
October 30, 2023 at 11:15 pm
Ummm, draft competently? For every Jaire Alexander there's a Josh Jackson and Oren Burks backing it up.
Pretending like other teams aren't paying players is kinda hilarious though. BuT hE KiCkED MoNeY InTo FuTuRe YeArS!!!! Just like every single other team does competing for SBs. There wasn't a lot of dead cap from vets that weren't on the team either. If you're talking about Zadarius....Gutekunst signed that contract at the same time he signed Preston Smith and drafted another OLB he didn't plan on playing right away (No, not Van Ness, Rashan Gary).
Some of yall are hilarious in defending that man.
Guam
October 31, 2023 at 08:12 am
"Ummm, draft competently?"
I never defended Gute's drafting and actually said "You can critique Gute for his drafting...".
"But he kicked the money into future years!!!"
Ball and Murphy kicked the money into the future therefore tying Gute's hands in terms of seeking veteran help for the team. Which is why I took exception to the title of the article about Gute's youth movement. Gute had no choice, it was a youth movement forced by Ball and Murphy.
You might want to actually read a comment before responding to it.
Cheezehead72
October 31, 2023 at 05:43 am
I agree the young team is not working but what caused the youth movement? The youth movement is because 25% of the salary cap is dead money and then another 25% is tied up with about 4 players. Any veterans that the Packers could afford would take up a roster spot and not be of any value.
Gute's plan that failed was signing an aging unhappy QB that believed he owned the Packers to a big contract extension that was not Packer friendly because many fans believed he could take us to the SB because of his past. Gute should have traded him. Ok lets say Gute could not find a buyer. They should have let him play out his contract.
Boneman
October 31, 2023 at 06:16 am
It may not be that they're young. It may be that they're just not that good. Regardless, this season is set and we just need to play it out. At the end of the season will be time for true assessment and evaluation.
White92
October 31, 2023 at 06:58 am
Oh please. Let's stop pretending. A team doesn't go this young on purpose. It's a result of bad drafting, bad developing, and bad cap management. All are directly or indirectly the responsibility of the GM. Blame Murphy for the Rodgers deal if you like, but it was still the GM that refused to draft any meaningful help on offense and continued to use first round capital on projects. Had the GM shown any ability to draft a decent receiver or tight end, perhaps Rodgers would have taken a home town discount like he has with the Jets.
The entire front office and coaching staff should be, in the words of the great Ronald Reagan, gone "the day before yesterday ".
Guam
October 31, 2023 at 08:24 am
Actually "bad developing" and "bad cap management" are not the responsibility of the GM of the Green Bay Packers. Development is the responsibility of the coaching staff which reports to Murphy. Cap management is the responsibility of Russ Ball who reports to Murphy. Gute carries the title of GM, but is really the Director of Player Personnel.
Blame Gute for drafting errors, but the rest is on Murphy.
Rudedawg67
October 31, 2023 at 09:15 am
I say get rid of Gute and let him go work for the Bears.
Doug_In_Sandpoint
October 31, 2023 at 09:17 am
We do seem to have gotten faster at WR. They are noticeably quicker at running to the wrong spots.
Via.Lombardi
October 31, 2023 at 10:14 am
No. The youth movement is right on course. It's a REBUILD YEAR. Fans should have embraced that fact during training camp and should have kept their expectations to a minimum. Youth needs time to develop. Accept the following:
1. Lions will win the division (especially now that Cousins is out for the year on IR)
2. Packers will not make the playoffs
3. Packers have a shot at a Top 10 draft pick in April
Fubared
October 31, 2023 at 10:22 am
Its a forced youth movement. He gave the farm to Bahk, Rodgers, and now Gary. When the cookie jar is empty you have no chance for top free agents, top first round picks (bundling and moving up).
I mean he has created an fn dumpster fire that cant be put out for several years of pain and agony.
I would be very worried as a die hard packer fan if they get a 4 or 5 pick. I would not be shocked if Gutt traded back to late first round passing up a QB and took an extra 4 or five pick just to save money. His excuse, Love is out guy he is serviceable and were going with him.
All hell would break lose if that happens. Fans will be going to the stadium with pitch forks and lighted torches. LOL
Ryan3468
October 31, 2023 at 12:05 pm
To have this article say nothing about the salary cap is incomplete with out talking about it.. I’m sure if Lazard wanted to stay and help some kids grow he would have had the opportunity because not only would he help get a couple first downs he can actually block and help the tight end group. Gute has done nothing wrong other than not getting rid of Rodgers sooner for more draft capital. We are on a course to rebuild. If people can’t accept that perhaps try watching another team. I suggest the Lions. Just watch some football and hope we get growth and reload for years to come. It isn’t over. This isn’t the last year of the sport. At least not yet.
Fubared
October 31, 2023 at 10:32 pm
The Packers for at least the past ten years have been letting developed players leave because they didnt want to pay them what they were worth. Bak and Gary are two exceptions. Anyone of us can name a slew of players who were contributors but left for mo money.
This team calls it draft and development but I have a name for it and its stupidity cheap ball.
White92
November 01, 2023 at 07:51 pm
You really think his drafting has been good?
jboss
October 31, 2023 at 02:30 pm
Stop with the constant whining. RELAX, this is a three year experiment. Trust the process! Find a way to enjoy the games, and be happy with some top 10 picks.
Fubared
October 31, 2023 at 10:28 pm
Often we lose context in out discussions. We look at won lost records and think playoffs when we really take our eye off the real prize that must be won, the NFC North. Like the old joke about the tiger chasing two guys and the one guy says, I don't have to be faster then the Tiger just faster then you. Winning the NFC North is the goal.
The Vikes understand all you need to do is beat the Lions, Bears and Packers and take the NFC North.
The Packers Org is competiting against the brain trust of those teams in the NFC North.
The Vikes made a brilliant move today. When your nemesis makes brilliant moves they beat you off the field besides on the field. They got a QB who had 4.3 GPA in college in the sciences and is a brainiac. Thus someone who can learn the play book in two weeks (they have a bye) and be up to speed to help the team now, this season, not next year.
The Vikes are not throwing in the towel but expect to win the NFC North. No player development, no looking to winning in the future, but winning now and in the future. There coach went on to say they will be doing a rebuild in 2024 but one that will be strategic and keep the team very competitive at the same time. No player development crap, no players who come from fcs schools and arent very talented or bright.
The Packers Org, isn't even in the same league right now. If they think they can wait til Love develops then your dealing with some pretty foolish people at the top.