Gutekunst finds diamonds in rough
Three undrafted free agents are paying off
GREEN BAY - There is a reason general manager Brian Gutekunst has stayed true to the ways of the Green Bay Packers’ team-building philosophy.
Since Ron Wolf instituted his scouting system in 1992, the Packers have won 14 division titles and qualified for the playoffs 21 times.
Each of Wolf ’s successors has added his own touch, and Gutekunst more than any other has blended the right amount of free-agent risk-taking with the draft-and-develop commitment that is the foundation of the whole thing.
A constant that runs through the Wolf-Mike Sherman-Ted Thompson-Gutekunst eras is the spare-noexpense commitment to scouring the planet for talent. There is no college small enough for the Packers to forgo sending a scout to put eyes on a prospect.
Some of the most vital machinery that produced a 13-3 record this year were undrafted or street free agents, small-school prospects or underscouted prospects.
From tight end Robert Tonyan to receiver Allen Lazard to cornerback Chandon Sullivan to guard Lucas Patrick to defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster to safeties Raven Greene and Will Redmond to running back/ receiver Tyler Ervin, the Packers have gotten a big boost without having to expend a single draft pick.
“You have to commit to it and developing players, not only by our scouting staff but our coaching staff,” Gutekunst said. “You have to continue to give those guys opportunities when they earn it and not be afraid to play those guys, you know?”
This year, that talent pool has grown.
H-back John Lovett was claimed
off waivers in training camp and filled in for third-round pick Josiah Deguara when Degaura was lost for the season with a knee injury. Lovett started on the practice squad before joining the 53man roster and playing 45 snaps on offense and 112 on special teams.
Outside linebacker Randy Ramsey parlayed a year on the practice squad in ’19 to a spot on the 53-man roster and while his pass-rush ability was a key reason he was kept, he has blossomed into a top special teams member, ranking third in tackles with nine.
The 2020 class features inside linebacker Krys Barnes, tight end Dominique Dafney and safety Henry Black.
All three are undrafted free agents whom the Packers saw as more than just camp fodder when they signed them. Gutekunst took time out Tuesday to explain why they appealed to him and are succeeding.
Krys Barnes, ILB
Barnes started 10 games this season, missing three because of COVID-19, and in the last three weeks he has blossomed into their top inside linebacker. He ranks fourth on the team in tackles and tied for second in tackles for loss, but most importantly he has stabilized the ‘Mike’ position in the middle.
His assignment-sureness and sharp instincts have been a major reason the defense has improved from 13th best in yards allowed to ninth over the final five games.
He was deemed as an ordinary athlete because of a lack of speed and wasn’t drafted despite starting 31 games in four years and being the defensive leader at UCLA.
“He had a great career there,” Gutekunst said. “This was a tough March because we didn’t have the ability to get to these campuses and test them like we normally would. So, his (40-yard dash) time was more of an estimated time than it was true.
“We got our clock on him (in Green Bay) and I think he makes up for whatever speed limitations, if he has any, because he diagnoses things so quickly. He’s a reactive player, instinctive player.
“I think he is one of those guys that when he gets moving, he can move.”
Barnes wasn’t invited to the combine and his pro day was canceled due to COVID-19, but Packers scouts Sam Seale and Luke Benuska wrote positive reports on him, so Gutekunst had scout Joe Hueber talk to him at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
“He’s got a quiet confidence about him,” Gutekunst said. “Whenever guys come as an undrafted guy, a rookie specifically at that position where you’re in the middle and there’s so much on your plate . ... He just kind of keeps at it day after day, earning it and proving it to you. It’s been a really good story and I’m really happy for him.”
Dominique Dafney, TE-FB
The 6-2, 243-pound rookie started out at Iowa Western Community College, transferred to Iowa and played his final season at Indiana State.
He played mostly special teams at Iowa, but at Indiana State — the same school Tonyan attended — he played tight end and running back, finishing second on the team with 439 yards.
The Packers had lost Deguara and were looking for anybody who might be able to help them both in practice and on the field.
“Our college scouts followed him from Iowa to Indiana State, and when he was at Indiana State, he did a lot of
Wildcat kind of stuff,” Gutekunst said. “He wasn’t particularly high on our radar at that point, but our pro scouts targeted him as a guy to work out, which we did in September.
“He came through here in late September. I mean, it was a really nice workout. I was really impressed. We thought it would be a guy we would like to, at some point, to try to add to our practice squad. But we didn’t have a spot for him.”
Gutekunst tries to attend every workout because he wants to see the player live and not rely on tape. The Packers put Dafney through a skills workout similar to the route-running and blocking drills they do at the combine and Dafney was put on the emergency list.
Two weeks later, they had a spot on the practice squad and Dafney was signed.
“His measurables, (6-11⁄2, 206), didn’t jump out at you, but when we actually got him in the building and you see him, he’s a much bigger man than his measurables,” Gutekunst said. “For me, as a scout, seeing a guy live, putting your eyes on him is such an important part of it.
“We thought size and athleticism. You had those through the workout. You have to give him credit for all the work he’s put into it, to mentally get to the point where he could go out there and perform like he has.”
Dafney caught his first touchdown pass Sunday against Chicago and his playtime has increased with Jace Sternberger sidelined with a concussion. He plays multiple positions and has become a valued member of the offense.
Henry Black, S
After starting 24 games at Baylor, the 6-foot, 204-pound Black wasn’t high on anyone’s radar and was going to have to make it into the NFL the hard way.
“(Scout) Dimitri Goodson had scouted there — he’s from down there (Baylor) — and was very high on him,” Gutekunst said. “Through the process, he was a guy we thought might get drafted late. He didn’t and we signed him right after the draft.
“He really was a starter for one year. He played a lot, but he was only a fulltime starter really in 2019. But he had played on special teams the entire time there. So, we knew he was kind of wired (for that). He’s tough, physical and has a good head on his shoulders.”
Gutekunst said then-Baylor coach Matt Rhule, who now coaches the Carolina Panthers, had developed a rating system for players based on work ethic, toughness and other intangibles. If you had a top-10 rating, it meant you had it all.
“He was a single-digit player, No. 8 actually for them,” Gutekunst said. “And when you get a single digit for Matt Rhule, in that program, that means something. It means, in their eyes, you have done all the things that they’ve asked you to do from a leadership, toughness, commitment to the program aspect.”
Black had a solid training camp but didn’t make the 53-man roster. He was signed to the practice squad immediately. He was elevated to the game-day roster against Houston, Minnesota, San Francisco and Jacksonville and then signed to the 53-man roster Dec. 8.
His play on special teams was what first caught the coaches’ eye and now he’s a regular, playing about 70% of those snaps. He ranks fourth with six tackles.
“I think he’s probably more than just a special teams player,” Gutekunst said. “I think he’s got a bright future and it’s because he’s got like really good work habits. I think in his limited opportunities he’s had he’s come up with some big plays.”