Takeaways from Brian Gutekunst's pre-training camp press conference

Brian Gutekunst had some interesting things to say on Wednesday morning ahead of Day 1 of Packers training camp.

Football is back, my friends.

How many times do we get to say that before football is truly back on Sept. 11 when the Packers play in the actual season-opener at Minnesota?

I think I'll say it quite a few times.

Training camp starts? Fooball is back. The Hall-of-Fame game? Football is back. Packers first pre-season game? Football is back.

In all seriousness, I'm so excited to follow along with Packers training camp from afar. And if you're like me, you already tuned into Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst's press conference on Wednesday morning.

For the most part always open and honest, Gutekunst fielded questions for nearly 18 minutes from the press. We did learn a few things.

Here are three key takeaways from this morning's press conference:

1. The wide receiver room is set (for now).

If you thought the Packers were done adding players to the wide receiver room, then you were correct.

At least, for now.

Gutekunst says what they've got is what they've got, and the front office thinks that it's pretty solid.

"I don't think right now we're really looking to add anything," Gutekunst said.

"I've really liked the group that we have," Gutekunst continued. "I want to give those guys the opportunity to see what they can do. If we feel we need to do anything, then we'll adjust. But right now, it's like any year at this time of the year. There's not a lot out there."

With Christian Watson and Sammy Watkins both sidelined for the start of training camp, it will be interesting to follow along with a wide receiver room that has many question marks ahead of the 2022 season.

2. David Bakhtiari status update

When I wrote about being worried about David Bakhtiari in June, I was still generally optimistic he'd be ready to roll by training camp.

However, after tearing his ACL nearly 19 months ago, Bakhtiari was placed on the physically unable to perform list to start camp.

According to Gutekunst, Bakhtiari had another procedure on his knee this offseason, but the Packers remain "cautiously optimistic" about Bakhtiari's status come Week 1.

"We're not ready to put a timetable on it," Gutekunst added.

Although Gutekunst called Bakhtiari's injury "a very significant injury, much more than an ACL," he apparently doesn't have any long-term concern that Bakhtiari might never see the field again.

While it's never good that a star player can't play at the beginning of camp, the fact that Bakhtiari should be back soon (hopefully) is a good thing.

3. Elgton Jenkins is ahead of schedule

Speaking of ACL injuries to standout offensive lineman, it was reassuring to hear some positive news about Elgton Jenkins.

Jenkins tore his ACL in Week 11 against the Minnesota Vikings in 2021.

"Elgton is doing great," Gutekunst said. "We're excited to get him back out there. Hopefully that will be soon. He's certainly ahead of schedule."

One of the most versatile and skilled offensive lineman in the league, Jenkins played his rookie season primarily at guard before filling in at left tackle last season in Bakhtiari's absence.

While I'm not holding out hope that Jenkins will be ready to roll right away, to have Jenkins back in the lineup sooner rather than later would be a huge confident boost to the Packers offense.

Other takeaways

  • Sammy Watkins injury is very short-term according to Gutekunst.
  • Christian Watson's is also short-term, but a little longer than Watkins.
  • "The sky is the limit" for seemingly WR1 Allen Lazard.
  • Dean Lowry, Patrick Taylor, Caliph Bryce and Caleb Jones will practice on Day 1.

__________________________

Gunnar Davis is a lifelong Packers fan and a recent graduate of Simpson College, where he was a 3-year letterwinner on the offensive line and graduated with a degree in multimedia communications. You can follow him on Twitter at @Gunnar57Davis.

__________________________

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.

__________________________

NFL Categories: 
2 points
 

Comments (20)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Leatherhead's picture

July 27, 2022 at 12:13 pm

1. The WR unit is Lazard, Watkins, Watson, Rodgers, Doubs, and Cobb. If they're all healthy, one will be inactive on gameday. The rookies will play more as the season progresses.

I predict every single one of these guys will catch more passes from Aaron Rodgers this year than they did last year. (actually, that's a pretty safe prediction).

2. Bakhtiari. "Cautiously optimistic" about the opener. That is good news. But Nijman is my starting LT at this point. If Bakhtiari can practice and play and be available, that would change things at some point, but right now, even if you're cautiously optimistic, you have to be preparing to play without him.

3. Jenkins ahead of schedule. Very good news. But I'm not going to count on him until he's activated.

4. The minor injuries and PUP stuff is much ado about nothing. dobber suggested that much of that might just be cautionary and he was right.

7 points
7
0
NJ-RICK's picture

July 27, 2022 at 12:16 pm

The jury is still out on this guy - GUTE, he has made some bone headed trade/draft moves. I'm not giving him any accolades at this point. But Murphy has given him another 3 years to prove his worth... Time will tell. GPG. Two of the best QB's ( Farve & Rodgers) in the NFL for for the past 25 years and all the Packers have to show for it is two super bowls. Not enough in my opinion.

-13 points
1
14
TarynsEyes's picture

July 27, 2022 at 12:30 pm

"Two of the best QB's ( Farve & Rodgers) in the NFL for the past 25 years and all the Packers have to show for it is two super bowls."

Apparently, either you haven't gotten the memo or you simply haven't read it. It's all about the ride, the journey, and winning the Championship is not the priority of many anymore. It's the reverse success bar of the Bears and Vikings only wanting to beat the Packers. The Packer fans are now content with beating the Bears and Vikings and winning the Division. The fact that Brady has played near half his career in the SB is of no merit to Packer fans since Rodgers owns the Bears,

-4 points
5
9
Rarescope's picture

July 27, 2022 at 12:42 pm

"It's all about the ride, the journey"

Reading your posts for 2 years now I know you're being sarcastic, but YES, that is what it's all about. Am I disappointed that ARod hasn't won more super bowls for us, and was I soul-crushed after the last playoff loss to the extent that I couldn't even sleep that night after the game? Yes. Do I enjoy the ups and downs every year during the regular season ? Yes, I most certainly do. The two aren't mutually exclusive. So maybe just sit back and enjoy the ride with the rest of us for a minute or two.

0 points
4
4
TarynsEyes's picture

July 27, 2022 at 01:43 pm

The ride and journey aren't only what it is all about because the ride is a perpetual yearly one, and you can miss one or more years, and there it is as if you never stopped. The only thing that makes it worth the time is the ending because it is something that isn't perpetually the same every year, and why it needs to conclude with the ultimate ending as often as possible while you have the main ingredient. Anything less is simply trying to enjoy a ride that is embedded in monotony like the fans you call out for supporting losers, Bears, Viking, and Lion fans. Without the Championship at the end, the Packer season is no better than theirs. It's like not getting the picture at the end of the Waterlog ride to capture the big splash on you, or if there was no water to create the splash, the ride just doesn't feel the same without the confetti of water coming down at the end because that's what the ride was/is all about, to begin with.

-2 points
3
5
Rarescope's picture

July 27, 2022 at 04:08 pm

I literally could not care less about the picture after the waterlog ride. Enjoy your perpetual seasons of disappointment while the rest of us actually (not just trying to) enjoy football.

-2 points
0
2
TarynsEyes's picture

July 27, 2022 at 04:48 pm

If you don't care about the ending, then don't worry or attack those that do. I enjoy the season as much as anyone, but I care about how it ends. I don't suffer perpetual seasons of disappointment, I simply won't coddle those with your thinking.

Allow me to really piss you off, today on The Herd, ' If a good or really good movie has a bad ending the movie failed.' It doesn't mean I won't watch another movie from that director, but it means I don't want to yearly see the same bad ending with every movie from the director. We've seen these endings with MM, and now we're seeing them with MLF. I'll keep watching and hoping, but don't expect me to simply like it, and not remind all that a great ending is expected and when the cast is assumed to be the best, it better well close out the best, period.

The endings of the last 11 year of the Packers movie hasn't been award nomination good, but the Razz award because of the level of play in each ending. Be happy with that if you want, but let those who aren't have theirs.

0 points
1
1
PearlyBakerBest's picture

July 27, 2022 at 05:11 pm

Your hypocrisy is unparalleled.

0 points
3
3
Rarescope's picture

July 27, 2022 at 07:48 pm

I come for the content, and I stay to egg on the negative commenters ;)

-1 points
1
2
Rarescope's picture

July 27, 2022 at 07:47 pm

Sorry, it's going to take more than yet another poorly formed analogy to piss me off.

-1 points
1
2
WestCoastPackerBacker's picture

July 28, 2022 at 10:41 am

Brady has failed to win the Super Bowl 15 times in his career. It just doesn't seem like it's really a priority for him. Rodgers hasn't even played 15 full seasons.

0 points
0
0
Rarescope's picture

July 27, 2022 at 12:33 pm

"GUTE, he has made some bone headed trade/draft moves."

Such as...?

3 points
4
1
T7Steve's picture

July 27, 2022 at 12:41 pm

I'm glad you're not satisfied. No one should be, especially at this time of year. Any year without a championship is a losing season for for the Packers. I like Gute but let's face it, everyone from the front office on down look better when they're gifted those two quarterbacks. Don't know if I could have had a 13 win season though.

3 points
3
0
ImaPayne's picture

July 27, 2022 at 01:54 pm

I am not a Gute guy. Still think the Gary pick was horrid. He hasnt litten it up at for a 12 pick on defense. Oh you can bet he will, like Perry before him, have an excellant year and then like Perry you can say adios he will not be a packer next year. He wants da moooney.

-11 points
0
11
WestCoastPackerBacker's picture

July 28, 2022 at 10:57 am

Agreed. Well, not with your comment, but with your name. It is painful to see a failure to recognize such talent when it is on display. He is absolutely affecting games. He's affecting games more than any other defensive draft pick in 2019 not named Bosa. Last season he was 5th in the league for total QB pressures. That's the entire league, not his draft class. Only 4 players pressured the QB more than Rashan Gary. That's lighting it up pretty well, particularly when you add 28 hits and 9.5 sacks. You can bet that is affecting opposing offenses.

0 points
0
0
Packers0808's picture

July 27, 2022 at 01:23 pm

Funny gut feeling Bakh has played already his last season. He should retire while he still has his health and can walk!

1 points
4
3
ImaPayne's picture

July 27, 2022 at 01:52 pm

Crip the injury list is already long and training camp just started. Maybe there will be no one to play in the pre season? LOL Has anyone checked the water in GB lately?

-9 points
0
9
10ve 💚's picture

July 27, 2022 at 03:11 pm

"Elgton is doing great," Gutekunst said. "We're excited to get him back out there. Hopefully that will be soon. He's certainly ahead of schedule."

I may be wrong, but I thought that last year something along those lines (being ahead of schedule) was also said about Bakt.

4 points
4
0
Rarescope's picture

July 27, 2022 at 04:17 pm

I may be wrong as well, but I don't remember hearing that (and I read a lot of Packers BS lol!). If memory serves (and it usually doesn't) I remember thinking he got hurt during some BS practice injury right before the post season, and, given a 1 year standard recovery period from an ACL injury, not really expecting him to be back last season. The worst possible timing for an ACL injury, and a much less than ahead of the curve recovery, and here we are. At least with him having an offseason procedure performed on his knee tells us that there was something still wrong with it, it was identified, and hopefully fixed.

1 points
1
0
stockholder's picture

July 27, 2022 at 06:40 pm

Bahk had another procedure!! Jenkins is ahead of schedule. Reality check! The younger the player. The faster the recovery. Speaking of age. If you think we won't see Watkins, Cobb, and Lazard nursing something. Think Again. And how about some news on Tonyan? But I just can't stop there. I like the fact that Lowrey, and Reed are starting. Let the younger guys get use to the game. And what better way to test the OL.
But the most Beautiful words coming out of Gutey's mouth; is he wants to give the Wrs every opportunity.

1 points
2
1