Cutdown day is always a stressful time around the NFL. However, it’s intriguing because we see which players the Green Bay Packers will take into battle on their quest for a fifth Super Bowl. For players on the fringe of the roster, it marks either the start of another regular season — or the end of their road as a Green Bay Packer.
Unless you’re a Brian Gutekunst draft pick, that is. After all, this is the Packers. They don’t move on from draft picks that quickly, especially during their first year, right?
Well, let’s check in with 2024 seventh-round pick quarterback Michael Pratt down in… Tampa?!
The Packers released the 2024 draft pick during final roster cuts, along with fellow 2024 draft pick Kalen King. Not only did they release Pratt, but in a move that shocked this writer, the team was also unwilling to bring him back onto the practice squad. Instead, they opted for Sean Clifford.
That seems like a significant shift in philosophy for a team and a general manager who has expressed a desire to get back to drafting and developing quarterbacks every year. Keeping a healthy pipeline at that position ensures you don’t find yourself trotting out a Scott Tolzien or Joe Callahan in games that matter.
Even with an uneven first summer in Green Bay, it’s fair to say most people expected the Packers to retain Pratt in some form. They had just drafted him in April, and most general managers, including Brian Gutekunst, like to keep their draft picks and give them every chance to stick.
Drafting and developing players is the lifeblood of an organization, especially for the Packers. That’s particularly true at quarterback, the game’s most important position. Green Bay has usually been patient with rookies, especially at quarterback. We all know that Rodgers and Love sat for three years. However, they often were also patient with lower-round picks.
In 2015, they spent a fifth-round pick on Brett Hundley, who hung around for three seasons as Rodgers’ backup. 2008 seventh-rounder Matt Flynn made it through his entire rookie contract before he donned another team’s uniform and even had a second stint in Green Bay. Even Louisville Cardinals legend Brian Brohm got more than a season with the organization before they finally cut ties with him.
Historically, the Packers haven’t been in the practice of cutting draft picks, especially quarterback draft picks. Could this be just a one-off decision to cut ties with a player who doesn’t fit? Or will it be the start of a trend for Gutekunst?
To get a better picture, look at other recent draft picks, besides quarterbacks, whom the Packers quickly gave pink slips. In this most recent draft, Green Bay released another seventh-round pick, Kalen King, during final cutdowns. The Packers were able to bring him back onto the practice squad, but they risked exposing him to waivers.
It’s surprising to see Gutekunst subject a talented draft pick to waivers after only one summer’s worth of evaluation. In the 2023 draft, they waived running back Lew Nichols. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad after less than a full summer due to his injury in camp.
While teams know that many late and seventh-round picks won’t pan out more often than not, Gutekunst tends to find late-round picks who can produce – just look at this year’s starting left tackle. That makes it all the more surprising that he wouldn’t find a way to keep these players and give them more time to develop.
During Gutekunst’s first five drafts, he kept all 48 of his draft picks in some fashion for at least 15 months. This draft alone won’t see that happen due to the loss of Michael Pratt. He’s even cut draft picks who have stuck around for a year on the 53-man roster sooner than most would have expected, much to the joy of many fans. 2023 sixth-round pick Anders Carlson lost the kicker battle this summer, and they released him.
Green Bay released 2023 draft picks Sean Clifford (fifth-rounder), Anthony Johnson Jr. (seventh round), and Grant DuBose (seventh round) along with Pratt. Although they retained Clifford on the practice squad, his prospects aren’t bright after they traded for Malik Willis. Going back a year further, 2022 seventh-round pick Tariq Carpenter only lasted a year on the active roster before Green Bay sent him packing.
So, what’s the big deal with cutting some late or seventh-round draft picks? In most cases, not much. However, it shows the current regime’s willingness to challenge the status quo. If a player doesn’t fit into Green Bay’s system or playstyle, there’s no reason to keep him just because he was a draft pick.
Ted Thompson arguably held on to his draft picks too long. Sometimes, it worked out for the better, like with Mason Crosby. Green Bay’s former kicker struggled at the start of his career but righted the ship to become the franchise’s all-time leader in points scored and was part of several memorable moments in franchise history. Other times, it hurt the team by keeping a player who didn’t belong.
Gutekunst’s recent trend of shedding draft picks that don’t work out shows his willingness to admit a mistake and not prolong the inevitable, a sign of a good general manager. The 2024 Packers are on a quest for a championship, and they need solid contributors to achieve that goal, whether they’re draft picks or not.
