Cheese Curds, 4/27: Gutekunst discusses free agency, previews 2021 Draft approach

With just two more days until the 2021 NFL Draft gets underway, the waiting truly is the hardest part. Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst surely would like to get the annual selection meeting underway to finish assembling his roster for the upcoming season, and on Monday afternoon he gave the media a look at some of his thought processes over the course of a tumultuous offseason.

There were plenty of questions about Aaron Rodgers’ status, and Gutekunst tried to calm those down by reiterating that the front office believes in Rodgers as the Packers’ quarterback for the foreseeable future. He also noted that the Packers will probably work out some sort of contract adjustment with Rodgers in the coming months, a necessary step given the team’s tenuous cap situation this year and next.

But while Rodgers was a major topic of discussion, he was hardly the only one. In today’s curds, let’s take a look at the wide range of topics that Gutekunst addressed in his half-hour media availability yesterday.

5 things learned from Packers GM Brian Gutekunst heading into the 2021 NFL Draft | Packers.com
Gutekunst spoke about David Bakhtiari's excellent progress from a torn ACL, a strange 2021 draft process which will result in the team drafting players he hasn't seen live, and of course Aaron Rodgers' contract.

Green Bay Packers pleased with free-agency efforts | Packersnews.com
Gutekunst also noted that while the team did not make any outside acquisitions in free agency, he feels that the team's re-signings of Bakhtiari, Aaron Jones, and Kenny Clark should be considered: "We were able to sign the number 1 running back ... the number 1 left tackle ... and the number 1 defensive tackle on the market. They just all happened to play for us, which is great."

Talent-rich Packers feeling free to trade up or pick best player available | Packers Wire
Meanwhile, the upcoming draft has Gutekunst feeling excited, and it sounds like he's seriously considering moving up in the first round for the fourth straight season if the right deal and player are there.

'Aaron (Rodgers) is our guy': Takeaways from Packers GM Brian Gutekunst's pre-draft presser – The Athletic (subscription)
Gutey also answered questions about why he brought Kevin King back, which seemingly had to do with his market being cooler than expected in free agency.

No, Packers Aren’t Going to Draft Rondale Moore (or Other Short Players) - SI.com
Finally, Gutekunst hearkened back to Ron Wolf's old approach to players' height, suggesting that a prospect has to be all but perfect otherwise to overcome a short measurement if he is to be a Packer. Don't expect Moore to make the cut, though Elijah Moore has a better chance being two-and-a-half inches taller.

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IT'S. NOT. THAT. DIFFICULT.