Brian Gutekunst was named general manager of the Green Bay Packers on January 8, 2018. He’s made over 100 personnel moves since that time – some good and some not so good. I listed his 12 best moves earlier this month, and now I’ll spend the next couple of weeks counting down his worst moves. Here’s No. 7:
After releasing longtime starter Jordy Nelson and failing to sign free agent Allen Robinson, Gutekunst went into the 2018 draft needing wide receivers. He wound up selecting three – the first being J’Mon Moore in the fourth round. The former Missouri star’s size (6’3, 208), speed (4.49 at pro day), and big-play ability was enticing, but his propensity to drop passes scared the heck out of scouts. Gutekunst decided to roll the dice, and he got snake eyes.
Moore was third on the depth chart throughout the spring, but he left training camp barely holding on to a roster spot. Missed assignments and inconsistent hands dropped him behind fellow rookies Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown, former undrafted free agents Geronimo Allison and Jake Kumerow and returner Trevor Davis. Truth be told, he only survived because he was a fairly high draft pick.
Wide receivers selected in the fourth round aren’t expected to become stars or even above average starters, but they are expected to be able to catch the ball. Moore failed to do that in either of his two training camps with the Packers, and he was released last September. And while a GM missing on the 133rd player taken in a draft isn’t that big of a deal, missing so badly is why this particular move is on the list.
As I recall Ted Thompson also missed on a 4th round WR that never made it out of his rookie training camp. It happens to the best of them. As for Jordy, I saw him first hand in Oakland. He was done. A shadow of his former self. Much like Clay when he was finally let go.
I was way off on him. Watching his footwork and route running I thought he had a chance to be a contributor quickly. He seemed to be open regularly, just couldn’t hang on to passes.
I watched Moore very closely in camp as a rookie, and he did everything better than Valdes-Scantling and St. Brown – except catching the ball.