REPORT: Packers’ general manager Brian Gutekunst discusses approaching free agency amidst having the NFL’s youngest roster despite high expectations….

No decision has been made on David Bakhtiari

Left tackle David Bakhtiari, who played just one game in 2023 and 13 of the last 57 after suffering a devastating knee injury late in the 2020 season, will almost certainly be released before the new league year begins on March 13.

Bakhtiari carries a salary of $39.99 million in 2024, but has a dead cap hit of $19.06 million. So if the Packers cut Bakhtiari, they’ll pick $20.93 million of salary cap space.

Gutekunst said he’s going to take his time, though, before coming to a final decision on Bakhtiari’s future.

“I think it’s just, it’s part of my training from (former G.M.) Ted Thompson,” Gutekunst said of being deliberate. “It’s just, different things can happen in the world, so don’t make decisions before you have to. So, we’ll kind of get through, I think we have a few weeks here before free agency starts, another league year starts, and we’ll get through that and go from there.”

The Packers could be active in free agency

The NFL salary cap for 2024 was a higher-than-expected $255.4 million.

“That was a bit of a surprise – but a welcome one, that’s for sure,” Gutekunst said.

Green Bay is roughly $17.235 million below the cap, according to Spotrac.com. The Packers will also pick up roughly $21 million if they cut left tackle David Bakhtiari and $2.7 million if they release linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. So the Packers should have plenty of cap space to be buyers when free agency begins on March 13.

“It gives us some more flexibility,” Gutekunst said of the higher salary cap. “But I think it’s really about the decisions we make from here on our and trying to stay flexible as we move forward over the next few years I think. But it certainly gives us a little bit more breathing room. Like I said before going into it, there wasn’t going to be anything that prevented us from going after players or doing what we wanted to do, and this kind of cements that.”

Kicker Anders Carlson is on the hot seat

Anders Carlson missed more extra points (six) and overall kicks (13) than anyone in football last year, including a brutal 41-yard, late-game field goal in the Packers’ eventual 24-21 loss to San Francisco in the NFL Divisional playoffs. Since the season ended, the Packers signed former Georgia standout Jack Podlesny and more competition could follow.

“He’s got to improve. That’s important,” Gutekunst said of Carlson. “I thought he did some really good things this year and he improved as the year went on, but that’s going to be important, and competition is going to be part of that.

“I think he had a good rookie year. You look at rookie years in the past around here, it’s tough to kick in this weather as everyone knows. I think he had a pretty solid year, but there’s going to need to be a curve of getting better if that’s going to continue.”

Rasheed Walker could be the left tackle in 2024

Many expect the Packers to select a left tackle early in April’s draft.

If that doesn’t happen, Gutekunst believes in 2022 seventh round draft pick Rasheed Walker.

Walker became the starter after Week 1 when a knee injury ended David Bahktiari’s year. Walker allowed six sacks and had nine penalties in 851 snaps, but he also grew into the position and didn’t allow a sack in either of Green Bay’s playoff games.

“I certainly think he’s already shown that he’s done a great job,” Gutekunst said of Walker. “I want competition at all five spots, but Rasheed again, another guy that the improvement in the work that he put in, it’s exactly what we want, and expect him to continue to get better. But he had pretty good year last year, he’s got a ton upside. Great person. And I’m excited to see where he’ll go.”

Moving into the top-10 of the draft is unlikely

The Packers have the 25^th pick in the first round of April’s draft and five selections in the first three rounds. But don’t look for Green Bay to trade into the top-10.

Gutekunst has moved around the board with great regularity during his first six drafts. But he said the cost of doing business to move up and into the top-10 is often too great.

“I think it’s very expensive to do that,” Gutekunst said. “From what you have to give up to go that far up, you’re giving up a lot.

“You guys know the numbers what it takes to get from back in the 20s up into the top 10, you’re giving up quite a bit, and you may think at the time that it’s the right thing to do, and if it’s a quarterback, there’s some justification behind that because of how important the position is. But to give up the kind of picks you’re going to have to do, which are probably going to be future picks and you don’t know what’s going to transpire down the road and what you might need, it’s never really made a ton of sense for me.”

Quarterbacks are king

Former Green Bay general manager Ron Wolf loved drafting quarterbacks, even though he had an all-time great in Brett Favre under center.

Despite having the Hall of Famer Favre, Wolf drafted quarterbacks such as Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck, Ty Detmer and Aaron Brooks who all went on to start for other teams.

Gutekunst likes his current duo of starter Jordan Love and back-up Sean Clifford, but don’t be surprised to see him add another player to that room.

“The exciting thing about Sean is he played a lot of football in college, had a lot of experience, and then coming in early with us his play style, his aggressiveness, you guys saw in preseason his ability to play in the fire and overcome anything that’s going on in the game was pretty unique for a young guy,” Gutekunst said. “So we’re very excited about Sean and where he’s headed. But again like I was talking earlier, I’d love to continue to bring in quarterbacks, not only for the competition but for the development of them. Because I do think it takes time.”