Keisean Nixon - Pro Bowler!!
****
I don't see why Gary isn't in the Pro Bowl again this year.
He mirrored his production from 2024 (Pro Bowl) to his production in 2025.
He must have got robbed, what gives?
Both seasons he had 7.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble., almost identical solo tackles
If THAT doesn't get you in the Pro Bowl, i don't know what does.

Speaking of Pro Bowl, don't forget to tune in Feb. 3rd
Featuring your favorite NFL players playing flag football, badminton, and lawn darts.

That was a depressing wake up call, Al. I know. It's not your fault.

"If Gutey called for "urgency" last offseason, what does this year require?"

4-allarm emergency? Followed by CPR life support the season after?

If this skipping record continues the way it has, are we looking at the best players on the team with bad attitudes, and MLF losing the locker room?

Versatility seems to be overvalued in Packer circles to the detriment of player development. I thought Hendrickson was the OL guru but if so he may need to sharpen his observations. The OL is the key to 2026, and most seasons actually, IMHO.

You’ve hit the nail on the bull’s eye, Al!

This could be the most interesting off-season in years:
Definite roster wholes: czech!
Limited cap space: czech!
Small a mound of draft picks: czech!

Time two watch Gutey cook!

To me Stenavich Is not an OC but he is a great o-line coach. Our o-line Is in the top5 every year with Stenavich even with an average personnel. he had no more bakhtiari, he had average to bad C, he had to move Jenkins, he greatly developed Walker as a legitimate LT starter coming in as an undrafted.
We have Jonh Schneider and Eliot Wolf as GM in the SB. This Is the end for gutekunst, he was the wrong choice by Murphy, history has given its verdict. Wolf drafted maye, SB and MVP candidate, Gutey traded up for love making a big mess with Rodgers that costed the packers a lot and in result we have the new cutler or cousins.
unfortunately I think Policy will extend him making the same wrong choice of his predecessor.

An argument could be made the Packers will have some of the most sought after free agents in this year's crop. Combined with the cap constraints they have, they should net at least two, maybe three Day 2 picks in 2027.

They'll begin producing about 2029, when the Love-Parsons Reconciliation hits, so expect pretty much the same as we've seen in the past.

I'm not sure even a magic wand is going to be enough.

You might say the Packers have a two year window to win the SB. I will go on record and say they have 1.5 years. I do not see Parsons playing at 100% until at least week 8 next season. He may not play at all until week 8. Yes I know he has said he will be ready by week 3 but I have my doubts.

I like the Gannon hiring. Yes I like Leonhard. I loved watching his defenses for Wisconsin. I wanted him to be the HC when they decided to hire Fickle. I believe he will be a good DC in the NFL someday. I am glad to see MLF make the move right away. Gannon was going to get a job somewhere and we do not know if Leonhard would have accepted the DC position. One thing I like about Gannon is he stated he does not have a scheme. In the NFL both the defense and offense have to adapt to the opponent but more so the defense. I hope he keeps it simple and lets the guys play.

The greatest irony of this season relates to both Gute and Stenavich---For decades, the bears trotted out multiple quarterbacks behind crappy o-lines, selecting or trading for a DE, WR or RB flash over substance, and couldn't figure why they sucked. This year, they put together a top o-line and their questionable QB looks like a pro-bowler. The arrow on our O-line has been sideways or down (this year), and our very good QB and RB look pedestrian at times because of it. As much as special teams has killed the packers in specific games, our o-line problems are pushing us to becoming the bears. Love will get hurt, our RBs will be hit in the backfield, and we will get dominated in the second half. Steno, butkus, and gute need to focus on fixing it, because what they did this year did not work.

I find the whole seasonal coaching carousel kind of disturbing. I get that people want to be the boss but jumping from team to team even if it is a bad organization seems insanely disruptive for a career and one's family. NFL coaches seem like fashion, something new and bold over top of flawed rosters. Which brings me to Gannon.

I hope our new DC can organize our ponies to pull as a group. Other than Parsons he has a lot of average talent and some chronic gaps to address. Getting the group to top 12 might be over achieving. All I want to see is a defence that is assignment sure and organized. If we get beat or pushed back at the line of scrimmage because our undersized 7th rounder can't make the play I'll look beyond Gannon to the guy who is having trouble building a better roster.

Finally, someone with an objective perspective on the Leonhard situation. Not only is he over-hyped because he’s from WI but it’s obvious the Packers anre interested, they’ve now passed on him twice. I was born in WI and am a UW alumni but give it a rest Badger fans. If he was that great he’d be a DC already.

I’m also glad that Al is questioning that OL versatility fixation. I remember hearing a former GM on television saying maybe the Packers should focus on getting players who can play one position really well rather than 3 positions fairly competently.

While most here see a "up or out" scenario.
The Packers will be in another "transition year".
Gute wrecked a OL that went from 6th to 24.
And he should never have drafted Morgan!
If you look at the rankings of are free Agents.
Surviving the loses, isn't on MLF or staff.
Gute doesn't have money because he blew it.
Making a hole while filling another is a shell game.
Diverting the pressure to the coaches.
Insanity is doing the same things over and over.

And while most here wanted Leonard.
MLF got experience in Gannon, to counter
the Lions hiring Mike Kafka and Johnson.
It would appear MLF knows what he's doing.
While Gute keeps us in transition.

I liked Leonhard. Yes, in part it's a familiarity bias. Yes, it's also because he has been successful in most stages of his career. I also like Gannon--he's likely what the Packers really need: not a schematic reset, but someone with an NFL track record who can build on what Hafley was doing. A reset at this point probably puts the defense back a year, and the "window" is limited. I think Gannon is a good get...now they just need to fill a couple spots behind him. Hopefully they can find a couple Anthony Campanile types.

It's one thing to point the finger at Milt Hendrickson as a supposed OL guru, and I tend to agree that they've taken shots at players (Nijman, Jones, Telfort) who were PS talents that have lingered on the 53 longer than they probably should have and as a result eroded OL depth. Very few of those projects have gone on to do much elsewhere. We also were lulled into this sense of, "we've found a few gems on day 3 of the draft over the years, so we can plan on that for the future," which is also problematic. Talent wins games, and the best talent goes high in the draft.

We point to Stenavich and Butkus and this notion of OL versatility which has been with the Packers for awhile now. That idea of get the best 5 OL on the field. My take: in the eyes of the coaches, Morgan was not a clear 1a over Walker's 1b (and Walker looked "disengaged" for long stretches this season). They decided Morgan was a better "player" than Rhyan, so they tried to jam him in at G...which didn't work. I thought once Tom got hurt, Morgan was better at RT than he was in that earlier stint. He'll get first shot at LT in the summer, but I wouldn't be surprised if they open with Tom at LT in September. I think Belton on the other hand looks like an NFL player and was serviceable at RT and has gotten somewhat better as he's gotten used to the RG position he was thrown into.

Bottom line is that one bad body on the OL drags down the others around him and it all starts with your C. If your C isn't making the right calls, your OL is going to essentially like what the Packers' OL looked like down the stretch. I'm no OL scout, but I'm not terribly impressed with Rhyan, and I wouldn't be disappointed if the Packers just let him walk. He's not going to get a fat contract elsewhere, but he'll likely be bid out of the Packers' budget. Maybe Rhyan spends a whole off-season honing his C chops and comes in next summer as a revelation...or maybe not. James Campen is consulting on OL scouting this off-season, and the Packers need to find a C either in the draft or as a value FA.

I agree with you Al. Stenovich's personality and his communication style rubs me the wrong way too.

For me it is the Fickell syndrome. When Fickell first arrived in Madison, I was alarmed how he communicated. It is scatter shot with little cohesiveness and leaves you wondering "what is his point?" It is not at all inspiring, strategic or even tactical. But I held out hope he was better communicating Team Mission and Strategy to his coaches and players. So far, I'd say he's also a ball of confusion with his team.

Stenovich gives me the same vibes. Not as confusing as Fickell, but like similarly, I don't learn or understand Steno's priorities, problem solving, how he coaches up guys and gets them following. Lots of cliches and bromides.

Regarding Gannon, the more I find out about him the more positive I feel. Unfortunate Leonhard did not get an interview, but it seemed Gannon was a first choice for both Harbaughs and a third team(?) made an undisclosed offer.

If LaFleur would have waited to decide until after talking with Jim, he may have lost both.. It may also be Sean Payton told Leonhard the DC job would be his if Lance Joseph gets a HC job, which many expect.

Bird in the hand.

BTW, Peter Butowski over at "Locked on Packers" talked with many in the NFL who personally know Gannon. Butowski said to a person they all had a very high regard for him...which surprised him. Good to hear.

I had thought I saw that Stenovich is leaving the Packers. Anyone else see that? I also did not care for his wanting versatility on the OL. Let the players play their natural positions. Morgan might never be a solid LT, now. We saw what Rasheed Walker did to us in the playoffs. Penalty after penalty, being a sieve at LT, which allowed Love to get pressured and hit. We don't need that.

Al, I totally agree with you on OL Morgan status. Give me a break, Nixon, all pro, WTF!!! How bad are the CB’s in the league that led to picking Nixon.

"But what about Jim Leonhard, I hear you screaming over there. Well, what about him? I kind of feel he has been totally over-hyped because of his Wisconsin roots"

Its funny to me when someone from outside of Wisconsin talks about us from Wisconsin wanting Leonhard to be the DC. Every time its 'you're a homer fan' or 'you only like him because he is from Wisconsin' or 'if he was from Iowa you wouldn't feel this way. I have seen all those plus many more.

Yes I'm from Wisconsin, and watched him play at UW, and watched him go undrafted and have a 10 year career. And then watched him go back to UW and become a coach and become a DC. Its a really cool story. But the thing of it is that I'm not Wilde. I'm not a story guy.

I watched what he did at UW. What kind of defense he created. I watched how in the 4 of his 5 years there he had a top 10 defense. the number 1 defense in one of those years. This was before NIL blew up college. This was when UW was taking 0-3 star players and developing them into NFL players. I watched Leonhard's passion and energy and what he brought to the team. There is a reason why I wanted him to be the coach. He is a tremendous one.

And for the record me wanting Leonhard and thinking he was the best candidate for the job, does not mean that I won't support Gannon. I like that he is a former HC and that he will have a new perspective on calling defenses. A lot of former HC's going back to DC's do well. I do think he will be good.

If we jump into the time machine and go a little ways back we can view the end of the 2021 season where Stenavich, Getsy and Hackett have just teamed with MLF and Rodgers to go 13-3. Hackett is off to become HC of the Broncos. MLF must choose between passing game coordinator Luke Getsy and OL coach Steno for OC. He promotes Steno and Luke is off to be OC with the Bears. Getsy and Hackett fizzle in grand fashion in their new roles.

Now, Steno, Getsy, Hackett and MLF are together again, as they were last season, with Getsy as Senior Offensive Asst, and Hackett as Consultant/Analyst for the D. The band has been put back together, but they can't play the hits or have lost the music. Maybe 12 took it with him when he left. Who knows?

If I go into cliche mode, it's rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic or seeing every problem as a nail when you only have a hammer. If nothing changes, nothing changes? It is what it is? Pick one or more, but as always, please no wagering.

Who was the last OL player we saw develop significantly while still with us? At best they have been as good or bad as they came in and sometimes regressed.

As far as I’m concerned, that’s all I need to know to believe that, whatever else happens, Butkus should be gone and Stenavich with him. That Stenavich was a good technical coach at the OL level makes the failure worse not better, because it speaks even more clearly to his leadership decisions and focus.

It’s hard to see this roster getting a lot better this year if health is ignored. Golden may step up, but physically his doing what Doubs does is no slam dunk. If not, where does he fit and who makes up for Doubs’ departure?

It’s hard to see this OL being markedly better, even if we put Tom at LT and Morgan is real at RT. Perhaps Banks is a little healthier. Perhaps Belton improves now he’s not being forced to play T. Some improvement, largely due to not having to fight the coaches, but I don’t see a rookie savior as likely and this assumes we end up with an adequate C.

So this window is entirely based on the health of Kraft, Parsons, Tom and Watson being good all year? Meanwhile we seem set to change little in offense. Sorry, I think this team is in La La land and Policy conclusively proved it.

We have backed ourselves into a cap corner partly due to overestimating our roster, but mostly due to greatly overestimating our coaching prowess. We have been a draft and fail to develop team who have had several years not developing anyone. On top of that we have missed on too many early rounders. Faced with that we appear to have stuck our heads in the ground and just doubled down.

Gannon’s hiring is the least of our problems. We are a team that perennially produces defenses that attempt to keep opposing offenses on the field. That’s bend bit not break in a nut shell. We avoid big negative plays, but at the cost of putting ourselves in position to make them and too often at the cost of essentially conceding a lot of easy shorter ones. That’s been increasingly true of all DCs the longer they are here.

In the meantime we have an offense that seems to operate on a “just enough” basis. Partly that’s a result of being out of rhythm due to the D being out there too long, but it’s also an O design that arguably is better with the more limited Willis. One that can’t find a way to get Golden appropriately engaged, can’t figure out how to run block to an even close to an acceptable standard and hasn’t been able to for over half a decade.

That’s what we were re-enlisted for by Policy. It makes no sense. Gannon is walking into an organization that’s completely adrift from competitive reality and stretching the limits of physics with how far it over rates its achievements. That’s why so many things they are doing seem contrived or illogical. They are based upon the thin air of collective organizational delusion.

As far as comp picks go, we have alot of attractive players leaving that other teams will want. I don't completely understand how teams qualify for higher comp pick, but we have multiple guys who will get big paydays. It looks like we could be in line for 4 extra picks. It would be over the top great to see an extra 3rd rounder. More likely a 4th is the most we can hope for, but an extra 4th, 5th, 6th, and a 7th would make this draft very interesting for the Packers on draft weekend.

Even though it is a small sample size, I am surprised no one has thrown out the crazy possibility of resigning Willis and potentially trading Love. Frankly speaking, Willis has looked like the better QB albeit in limited games. He has been way more accurate in his passing, and his running and scrambling for extra time really adds something that Love just doesn't have. I am just throwing this out there for discussion, not to get 100 downvotes. Love has been good but not great. A would not label him a "Difference Maker."

What would we save by trading Love?
Is It even feasible with his contract?
What would we get offered back to trade him? It would seem to be alot.
How would it affect the salary cap and is it even a benefit?
I would think Willis will see $20 million per year from someone after the last 2 years.

Is trading Gary an option or will we just bite the bullet and release him? If so would we get anything for him?

We are going to have multiple new faces starting in GB next year. Are these even options?

Adam Stenovich -

I have no clue if he is a good coach or a bad one. I think he is probably a good OL coach. But i have no proof of that either. For the offensive coordinator, he doesn't call plays. So what does he do during games? Is he helping figuring out what the defense is doing to make adjustments? The Bears game as mentioned is a great one to ask. If he is there to help make adjustments, he isn't doing a good enough job.

"Primary is his stubborn adherence to maximum versatility on the offensive line. There is little doubt he has stunted Jordan Morgan's development with bouncing him around multiple positions. This was your first round draft pick selected to be your left tackle of the future, yet for two years, you play him anywhere but that position. Anthony Belton is another case, although to a lesser extent. I still believe in prioritizing continuity on the offensive line."

This also bothers me. We clearly could see that Morgan is an OT only. Yet they kept playing him at Guard. He played at 4 positions this year. Most people early on thought that Belton would be better at G. Yet they didn't move him there until about a week before he started playing there. I don't want to blame Adam for all of that, but he plays a role in those decisions.

"while I wouldn't judge his coaching ability based on this, I really dislike his personality, which admittedly, I only get to see in his interactions with the media. He's often a bit smug and patronizing, and you can see he very much dislikes having to ask any questions, nevermind difficult questions. He has that "how dare you question me, you know nothing" vibe about him (i.e., the anti-Jeff Hafley). "

I think part of the reason why he hasn't been hired elsewhere is how it interacts with the media. When you see Hafley talk and then Adam gets up and speaks, its night and day. One thing that still rubs me the wrong way is how he talked about Golden at the end. I can't remember exactly how he said it, but it was kind of messed up what he said.

What bothers me about the LaFleur/Stenovich partnership is that I've seen too many scenes during football games where MLF abandons the sideline to sit on a bench reviewing plays on his tablet while trying to figure out how to move the ball against a defense (at least that's what I think he's doing). Every time I see this, I ask myself what the hell is Stenovich doing during this time? Isn't the the OC's job? The head coach needs to be on the sideline and in tune with the game and his players. WTF?

I'm not too concerned about not having the first round pick in the next two drafts. Heck, we haven't had a whole lot of impact out of our first rounders under Gute's tenure anyway. I think Gute and Ball can manipulate the salary cap well enough to add talent where it's needed. But, what do I know?

There should be little or no expectation of any meaningful changes from the Murphy-Gutekunst-LaFleur triumvirate- to - the Policy-Gutekunst-LaFleur one. That being so, the O-line, once again, becomes just a game of musical chairs. Moreover - what is more realistic to expect is the following end-of-season performance(s):
2025 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs
2024 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs
2023 1-1 - Lost Divisional Playoffs
2022 0-0 - no playoffs -
2021 0-1 - Lost Divisional Playoffs

Spot on, Add some new coaches,start playing the new guys and season long health for a change! GPG

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If Jim Leonhard was that great, he'd already be a DC somewhere. Gannon was the better pick. Stenovich does not impress. Nobody is knocking on the door asking to interview him as their playcaller. There were 10+ openings, and he didn't receive a single interview.

It's not his fault we drafted Jordan Morgan, who is looking like a bust. He can't even beat Anthony Belton for the backup position. Gutey drafted a backup guard instead of an All-Pro safety in DeJean. You would think he would have remembered when the Packers drafted tackle Tony Mandarich instead of Barry Sanders, which was probably the worst drafting blunder. Mike Sherman trading up to draft a punter is up there, too. Morgan's college tape didn't look that good, and he played at Arizona.

The Packers are stuck with a cap problem and no RD1 picks for two years. They don't have a lot of options, so a magic wand may be their best bet.