Brian Gutekunst gets another opening to fill on Packers' scouting staff
GREEN BAY - Already in need of replacements for two personnel executives who defected to Cleveland earlier this year, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst must find another scout as well.
Alonzo Dotson, a college scout for the Packers, is leaving the organization for a job with the New York Jets, a source confirmed. Dotson’s exact title with the Jets is unclear, though the franchise is in need of both a national scout and a director of college scouting, according to Neil Stratton of Inside The League.
Dotson joined the Packers in 2013 after two seasons with the Houston Cougars, where he worked with defensive quality control. His responsibilities with the Cougars included working with the defensive line and linebackers, coordinating the offensive scout team, identifying the personnel packages of opponents and various administrative duties.
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The loss of Dotson follows the departures of executives Alonzo Highsmith and Eliot Wolf, both of whom joined the Cleveland Browns to work with general manager John Dorsey. They were two of the higher-ranking personnel men for general manager Ted Thompson, and Gutekunst said in January that he would need to hire reinforcements later this year.
“I think there will be some additions I’m sure at some point, probably after the draft when most of that movement happens,” Gutekunst said at the Senior Bowl. “We’ve got plenty of hands on deck right now, so I’m not worried about it right now. But at some point I’m sure we’ll have some movement, you know?”
While some of Gutekunst’s new hires will come from outside the organization, there is also the potential for internal promotion. Director of college scouting Jon-Eric Sullivan and director of pro personnel John Wojciechowski have taken on added responsibilities since the front office shakeup. Both men could be elevated to new titles if Gutekunst was pleased with their work during the pre-draft process.
Another candidate for promotion could be scouting assistant Brandian Ross, a former safety who spent portions of two seasons with the Packers in 2011-12. Ross came through the Packers’ scouting internship program last year and was hired full time by Gutekunst in January, this after Thompson had already extended Ross’ internship to cover the entirety of last season. Elevating Ross to college scout, where he would replace Dotson, could be the logical next step in his development.
