If the day before the opening of training camp is any indication, it's going to be a summer of surprises around Lambeau Field.
Veteran defensive tackle Mike Daniels was released by General Manager Brian Gutekunst about 24 hours before the Green Bay Packers will hit Ray NItschke Field to open the 2019 training camp.
Daniels has been a fixture on the Pack's defensive line for seven seasons, becoming one of the more outspoken voices in the locker room. He played in 102 games as a Packer, starting 72 of them. The fourth round pick out of the University of Iowa in 2012 peaked after the 2017 season, earning an alternate spot and eventually playing in the Pro Bowl.
Last year was cut short by a foot injury and Daniels was eventually placed on injured reserve after the 10th game of the season. He was in the final year of a contract extension signed after the 2015 season, due to make more than 8 million dollars this year.
So why was the move made now?
Gutekunst didn't address Daniels' release during his state of the team address before the shareholders in Lambeau Field Wednesday morning, just as the news was breaking.
He did meet with the media later Wednesday afternoon and laid out a host of factor's that led to the end of a popular player's tenure in Titletown.
(Audio: Brian Gutekunst)
During the NFL draft in April and during the off-season program later this past spring, Gutekunst often talked of being forward thinking in building a football team. Decisions are often made based on where the powers that be (Personel Department-Coaching Staff) believe what the team will look like two and even three years down the road.
There's no question Daniels is still an effective NFL player, he's 6 feet and 300 pounds with the strength to disrupt an inside run game and collapse a pocket up the middle. That's what got him his Pro Bowl recognition.
But that was also under a former Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator.
It has become pretty apparent Gutekunst along with Mike Pettine more so than Matt LaFleur, are looking for different types of players for the front seven. Taller, leaner, more athletic and probably most important, more versatile.
Daniels is almost an exclusive, guard to guard interior lineman. That's going to become Kenny Clark's primary responsiblity now and he's seven years younger than Daniels with arguably, even more potential after his breakout season a year ago.
Za'Darius Smith in free agency and Rashan Gary in the draft will more than likely be pass rushers attacking from both the edge and inside.
Dean Lowry was just given a three year extension worth 20 million dollars so you know what the Packers think of his upside. Clark will be due a major investment in the near future.
Daniels appeared to be a round peg in a square hole for what Pettine wants from his front seven pass rushers, despite his talent.
Releasing him now clears immediate cap space, allows the team to position themselves to reward Clark, and as Gutekunst explained, let others, like Gary develop in the defensive system.
There's an old adage about cutting a player a year too soon rather than a year too late. Ted Thompson did that with Josh Sitton a couple of years ago which created quite a stir just as camp was getting underway. Sitton went to the Bears and finished with the Dolphins in a career that dwindled rapidly because of injury. I'm not saying Daniels will prove to be brittle and decline, on the contrary, he'll probably help any team that signs him but the Packers are prioritizing their money elsewhere, rather than extend Daniels again in 2020.
It's a tough business and Gutekunst just made a tough decision.