Gutekunst interviews with Bills.
GM post open in Buffalo
GREEN BAY - Four months into the off-season, the Green Bay Packers’ personnel department continues to attract attention for general-manager openings.
The Buffalo Bills announced Monday they interviewed Packers director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst in the search for their next general manager. Gutekunst has been with the Packers for 18 seasons, the past two as their director of player personnel.
Gutekunst was one of four personnel executives the Bills announced they interviewed. He joined Philadelphia Eagles director of college scouting Trey Brown, Houston Texans director of player personnel Brian Gaine and Carolina Panthers assistant general manager Brandon Beane.
Gutekunst interviewed for the San Francisco 49ers’ vacancy earlier this off-season, a job for which Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf also interviewed. The 49ers ultimately hired former NFL safety John Lynch.
Long snapper Pepper released: The Packers released long snapper Taybor Pepper and wide receiver Antwan Goodley to make room for five rookies who were tryout participants in the team’s rookie orientation camp.
Pepper, who was signed after the season, was competing with Derek Hart for the longsnapper job. Goodley was signed to the practice squad Dec. 27 and then to the 90-man offseason roster.
The five who were signed were linebacker Josh Letuligasenoa of Cal Poly, cornerback Raysean Pringle of Southern Utah, running back William Stanback of Virginia Union, linebacker David Talley of Grand Valley State and safety Aaron Taylor of Ball State.
The 6-foot-1, 252pound Letuligasenoa played outside linebacker, starting his final 24 games. He was thirdteam all-Big Sky Conference.
The 5-11, 191-pound Pringle split time as a running back and wide receiver. He rushed for 1,130 yards and 14 touchdowns on 228 carries and caught 36 passes for 329 yards and one touchdown.
The 6-foot, 233-pound Stanback transferred in 2015 from Central Florida, where he played in 25 games and rushed for 1,157 yards and 16 touchdowns on 306 carries. In 2016, he started six games at Virginia Union and rushed for 1,299 yards and 15 touchdowns on 207 carries.
The 6-1, 236-pound Talley, an outside linebacker, started 34 games and totaled 285 tackles, 301⁄2 tackles for loss, 14 passes defensed and 11 sacks.
The 5-11½, 206-pound Taylor started 29 games and totaled 208 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 31⁄2 sacks, four passes defensed and two fumble recoveries.