Wednesday Cheese Curds: Brian Gutekunst addresses Rodgers situation and more

The Packers GM is hopefully we will all know Rodgers’ plans in the next two weeks

While the Green Bay Packers and their fans eagerly await Aaron Rodgers’ final decision about the 2022 season, the job of building the team for the upcoming season continues.

The first part of that process is underway in Indianapolis as the NFL Scouting Combine is under way for this year’s draft class where teams can poke, prod, and talk to many of this year’s prospects. It also gives those incoming rookies a chance to put their athleticism on tape as teams begin to build their draft boards for April’s draft.

The other part of the combine is it gets all 32 teams in one spot and a chance for general managers and coaches to mingle and perhaps even place some feelers out about the availability of certain players via a trade or release as the league approaches the start of the new year.

Green Bay of course has the two biggest names of potentially available players in Rodgers and wide receiver Davante Adams. While Rodgers contemplates his decision, the Packers are weighing whether or not to place the franchise tag on Adams or risk losing him in free agency. Those two pending matters made Packers GM Brian Gutekunst a hot commodity Tuesday at the combine and will do the same for head coach Matt LaFleur today.

Many of the questions surrounded both Rodgers and Adams but Gutekunst also addressed the team’s cap situation and said he feels Green Bay can run it back with a good chunk of the players they had last season but more work financially remains to be done.

That is welcome news in that the 2021 team was one of the best the Packers have fielded in a long time despite how the season ended. The 2022 draft class will also be crucial part of the team’s short and long-term fortunes and the combine this week is just the first big step in charting that course.

There’s more from Gutey in today’s curds plus who Green Bay could target at receiver if Rodgers indeed returns.

‘Not a single one,’ Packers GM Brian Gutekunst says of trade inquiries for Aaron Rodgers—PackersNews.com

With all due respect to Gutekunst, this cannot be and is almost certainly not true. Then again, if the Packers aren’t even answering the phone when another team shows up on the caller ID, is it an actual lie? Regardless, a trade of Rodgers seems like the least likely outcome at this point.

Packers excited to get back to work in Indianapolis—Packers.com

The return of an in-person combine after off-site and virtual sessions last year is a welcome development for everyone but especially Gutekunst who is still a scout at heart. This should make the evaluation process easier though the Packers definitely nailed their first round pick in Eric Stokes a year ago.

Packers want breakout CB Rasul Douglas back in 2022—Packers Wire

Rasul Douglas was a revelation at cornerback after he was plucked off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad and the Packers have every intent of an encore performance with Douglas in 2022. It is just a matter of how he fits with their cap restraints.

Four wide receiver targets if Aaron Rodgers stays in 2022–Lombardi Ave

Green Bay could have to restock the receiver room depending on how free agency plays out so here are some options the Packers could look to add via the draft.

Oblivious winner dodged lottery’s phone calls for days—UPI

Spam calls are usually just spam calls but imagine a spam warning showing up on your phone and it’s actually legitimate that you won a lottery jackpot. At least the winner was able to finally connect and collect their prize.