Packers GM claims trades don’t send bad message to locker room

The Green Bay Packers opted to move Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Ty Montgomery at the trade deadline on Tuesday, even with the team right in the thick of the NFC North race.

Some believe it means the Packers are giving up on 2018 and sending a message to the locker room that their eye is on 2019. That couldn’t be further from the truth, at least in the eyes of general manager Brian Gutekunst.

“I don’t necessarily think there’s a message it sends to the locker room,” Gutekunst said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “I think the decisions that we make are always in the best interest of our team, not only in the short term but the long term, as well. But I think our locker room knows where we’re headed and, like I said, I think we’re humming at the right time and I think there’s a lot of positive things going forward.”

Considering the reaction to Montgomery’s recent blunder, that trade might actually help the locker room atmosphere. Green Bay sits at 3-3-1, and Aaron Rodgers will certainly believe he can still make things work with this group.