The Packers today named Dir of Player Personnel Brian Gutekunst their new GM. The development was first reported by the HOUSTON CHRONICLE's John McClain, who noted Gutekunst accepted the team's offer while in Houston to interview for the Texans' vacant GM position. Gutekunst "came to Houston on Saturday and had dinner" with Texans coach Bill O'Brien before taking the Packers' opening (HOUSTONCHRONICLE.com, 1/7). In Madison, Jason Wilde reports the Packers promoted Gutekunst "over fellow in-house candidates" VP/Football Administration & Player Finance Russ Ball and Dir of Football Operations Eliot Wolf. A source said that Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy was "blown away" by Gutekunst's interview on Friday. In addition to their three internal candidates, the Packers "sought to interview" Seahawks Exec VP & GM John Schneider, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and Ravens Assistant GM Eric DeCosta but were "turned down or denied." Gutekunst interviewed for the 49ers' GM job last year and was a finalist before "withdrawing from consideration." Gutekunst "also interviewed" for the Bills' GM job after Doug Whaley was dismissed (WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 1/8). Gutekunst will be "tasked with overseeing personnel and the draft," while Ball will "likely handle the salary cap and contract negotiations." Wolf is a "candidate to be promoted ... to Gutekunst's top lieutenant in personnel" (NFL.com, 1/7). In Green Bay, Pete Dougherty writes "many signs over the past week pointed to" Murphy choosing Ball as the next GM. Instead, Murphy yesterday "surprised" by hiring Gutekunst. Dougherty: "That's playing the odds" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 1/8).
BEST CASE SCENARIO? ESPN.com's Rob Demovksy wrote short of luring Schneider away from the Seahawks, the hiring of Gutekunst "might have been the best-case scenario to both keep continuity and rebuild the Packers." Among the internal candidates, Gutekunst "offered the best combination of scouting experience -- both on the pro and college side -- and people skills." The hiring "should offer coach Mike McCarthy the kind of pairing he's looking for: a partner in roster building and the front-facing parts of the job" (ESPN.com, 1/7). In Milwaukee, Tom Silverstein notes there is a question of "how much McCarthy's pointed remarks Thursday about the new man being a 'good fit'" caused Murphy to "choose a personnel man over an administrator" as Ted Thompson's successor. McCarthy now "gets to work for a guy whose first impression in the personnel business was courtesy" of former Packers GM Ron Wolf, the guy who "rebuilt a failing franchise through the draft, free agency, trades and any other mode available to him" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 1/8).
