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GREEN BAY – Now we have seen everything.
The deadline for trading in the NFL was Tuesday and the Green Bay Packers, rivals for nearly three decades, were sellers. Making moves that usually indicate that one team has decided to play for next year, the Packers ensured the starting safety Ha Ha Clinton-Ten and the running back Ty Montgomery before the deadline, getting only the draft pick .
But, even though the Packers seem to have thrown in the towel, the trades did not mean that they were in free fall this season. General Manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Mike McCarthy made it clear Wednesday that the trades were more focused on what they thought of Clinton-Dix and Montgomery, both on the field and especially in the locker room, than attempting to build for the future.
Gutekunst expressed his deep disagreement when asked if such trading deadline changes could be interpreted as tanking.
"First of all, it does not really happen in the NFL," he said. "I know in other leagues you've seen some, but it's certainly not the case here, we feel really good with our team, football is the ultimate team game and removing individual pieces does not make it any less, it's a team issue and I feel really good with our team. "
Obviously, the Packers are not lagging behind. Not intentionally, anyway. Instead, they did what they always did, cleaning their cloakroom of unwanted personalities. Add Clinton-Dix and Montgomery to a list that includes Josh Sitton and Damarious Randall, players whose perceived effect on locker room culture outweighs their contribution on the field.
In addition, the Packers have no reason to tank. They are 3-3-1 in a division where the leader is 4-3. They get an encouraging performance, a two-point loss to the Los Angeles Rams 8-0 that countered Montgomery's recent squad error. And they play in New England on Sunday, this is not the perfect time to get rid of a security team that has played almost every shot since 2014.
Montgomery's blunder in the Rams' game and his aggressive reaction with reporters a day later sealed his fate in Green Bay, deterring his teammates and coaches. That the Packers are getting something – even a seventh round pick in 2020 – is a miracle for him.
Dealing with Clinton-Dix, on the other hand, was a much bigger bet for the Packers. The former first-round pick made the Pro Bowl in 2016, but has been average at best since then, either because he was not talented or not motivated. Clinton-Dix was unhappy with the Packers for not extending his contract before this season and was seen by his teammates as having a foot in the door.
"I think everyone understands the business aspect," McCarthy said. "But most importantly, the culture and operation of a cloakroom are always part of those conversations."
The Packers' security situation has been mediocre all season, but Clinton-Dix remains their most experienced player. Regardless of how Packers occupy this position, secondary school is unlikely to improve without him. However, it is quite possible that the situation does not worsen significantly either.
Gutekunst bets on this last scenario, which could be a winning bet. Clinton-Dix's missed occasional tackles and cover errors made it irreplaceable and Gutekunst made the right decision – trading the last nine games of the Clinton-Ten Packers' career for a fourth-round pick – and is left.
If Gutekunst and McCarthy are accused of losing another year of career as a quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. But if defensive coordinator Mike Pettine can maintain the status quo or even improve the game of security, Gutekunst will look good to get rid of a problem, get something back and of keep the team competitive.
"Obviously, Ha Ha is a very good player," said Gutekunst. "But we have a lot of bodies that want to go out, a lot of guys who have not had their chance yet. And I think they are very excited, like me, to see what they can do. "
The Packers have multiple options for opening, especially since the lines between the cornerback and security have become blurred. Kentrell Brice and Jermaine Whitehead share the same safety time all season. Pettine could probably find a bigger role for Josh Jones, a second-round pick of 2017 that did not find a place in the defense.
Finally, Pettine could put a veteran like cornerback Tramon Williams to safety, a position that Williams has held under Pettine's orders in Cleveland in 2014. Williams' move to the interior could free up room for cornerback of promising rookie Josh Jackson, who only played two defensive shots against the Ram.
"Like everything we do here, you make decisions, you go ahead and it's always what we think is in the interest of the Green Bay Packers," McCarthy said. "It's not a personal fault or an attempt to create an angle of negativity here. It's part of the business, but more importantly, when opportunities arise, we focus more on the culture and the people of that culture taking advantage of this opportunity. "
Bottom line: The Packers are still invested in victory, they just did not think Clinton-Dix and Montgomery helped them do it.
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