Packers Morning Buzz: Would Brian Gutekunst pay the price for Khalil Mack?
Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com.
The Packers wrap up their preseason training-camp schedule with their exhibition finale Thursday night at Kansas City.
We’ll start with Pete Dougherty's in-depth one-on-one with Brian Gutekunst, in which the Packers general manager doesn't mention Khalil Mack by name (that would be tampering) but reveals that he'd be willing to add a high-salaried defensive star even with all the money that Aaron Rodgers is due to get:
From Pete's interview:
The Packers could benefit as much as anyone from acquiring a pass rusher of Mack’s caliber, and have the draft capital, including New Orleans’ first-round pick next year, to possibly pull off a deal. But any trade would be costly not just in compensation to acquire him, but also the money to sign Mack to a new contract.
Considering the Packers are working on a contract extension that will make Aaron Rodgers the highest-paid player in the NFL – whether it’s this year or next – then working out a new deal with Mack on top of that would tie up an enormous amount of money in two players. Among other risks, if either sustained serious injury it could be a disaster financially and on the field.
But those are risks Gutekunst appears willing to live with, at least as a general philosophy regarding elite players. He can’t talk publicly about Mack, because that would violate NFL rules on tampering with another team’s player. But when asked if the Packers can afford to have the highest-paid quarterback in the league as well as one of if not the highest-paid defensive player in the league, Gutekunst suggested they could.
“When you’re talking about unique players, there’s only so many of them out there,” he said. “At the same time, the financial challenges may be difficult, but without players you can’t win. It’s like any significant player, they’re not inexpensive, but you have to have them to win.”
Be sure to read the entire Gutekunst interview here:
And you can ask Pete questions about his conversation with Gutekunst during his live chat starting at 1 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
Packers safeties are showing they can play with the NFL's new helmet rule, writes Jim Owczarski:
Our Packers notebook features items on rookies J'Mon Moore, Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson:
Tom Silverstein and Jim Owczarski teamed up for the first of what will be multiple podcasts each week this season:
Things got a little damp at Lambeau Field during Tuesday afternoon's deluge:
Lambeau Field will be rocking the evening before the Packers' opener against the Bears:
New food awaits Packers fans attending games at Lambeau Field:
Elsewhere, columnist Tom Oates is sold on Jaire Alexander, as he writes in the Wisconsin State Journal:
There's seemingly no end in sight for the Khalil Mack holdout:
The Power Sweep weighed in with thoughts on the trade for inside linebacker Antonio Morrison:
Cheesehead TV endorses Brett Hundley as Aaron Rodgers' backup: