Packers news: Preston Smith deal fallout, Brian Gutekunst backs Jordan Love

Packers fans may still be fixated on their team's Week 9 defeat at the hand of the Lions, but no one inside the organization took time to lick their wounds. Instead, GM Brian Gutekunst and his front office made a key move just ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline.

That was not the only worthwhile news coming out of Green Bay this week. Fans who like to spend their Sundays at Lambeau Field should read on to learn what were the most improtant things to happen around the Packers over the past week.

Packers news No. 1: Preston Smith got traded. So now what?

The reality that Preston Smith got moved just ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline should not caught any Packer fan by surprise. The team have been linked with offloading the veteran edge-rusher for well over a month. In the end, Green Bay was only able to get a seventh-round pick for his services.

That light return has plenty of NFL observers calling the transaction a mistake by Green Bay's front office. The idea of a legitimate playoff contender offloading a defensive starter for such a small return does not win press conferences. Evaluating the move without examining the financial benefit to the Packers entirely misses the point of the move.

The Packers will save over $7 million in cap space next year by moving Smith to Pittsburgh. More importantly, offloading his salary will clear over $18 million in cap space the following season. The Packers had a chance to restructure Smith but that would have been a poor decision for a defender on the wrong side of 30 years of age.

Trading Smith was a calculated gamble by the Packers front office but it's a transaction that should age well for years to come. Credit Gutekunst and his staff for taking the long view.

Packers news No. 2: Who takes over for Preston Smith?

The obvious question for Packers fans to ask in the wake of the Smith trade is who will take his spot in the starting lineup. There are two viable options available to defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and his staff. They can turn to former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness or former fifth-round pick Kingsley Enagbare.

Van Ness is the player the Packers hope will step up and seize the job. He came into the NFL with a reputation as a relentless pass-rusher. He experienced an up-and-down rookie campaign but this, his sophomore season, has largely been a disaster. Expect for Green Bay to give him every chance to succeed on obvious passing downs where he can concentrate solely on harassing opposing quarterbacks.

Enagbare has been the more productive defensive lineman this year but he lacks the upside that Van Ness possesses. He should log most of his snaps on more conventional run downs in the coming weeks. He is capable of rushing the passer in a pinch but that's not where his bread is buttered. The pressure is on Van Ness to up his game after Smith's departure.

Packers news No. 3: Brian Gutekunst backs Jordan Love

File this under "statements that should not surprise anyone." Gutekunst seized upon a convenient opportunity to give his quarterback some public plaudits this week. He admitted that injuries have hampered his star quarterback this year but also said that Love has played "very well" on the whole.

That's a bit of an exaggeration for a quarterback with 15 touchdown passes and ten interceptions on the year. Even so, it was a wise political move by Gutekunst. He has nothing to gain and everything to lose by throwing Love any negativity in public. The GM correctly understands that his quarterback's play is the biggest variable for his team down the stretch. If Love gets hot it could vault his team into Super Bowl contention. Boosting his confidence in the media was the right play for Gutekunst.

Packers news No. 4: The GM has love for Javon Bullard too

Gutekunst didn't limit his rays of public sunshine to the quarterback position. He also made special mention of rookie defensive back Javon Bullard's play. The former Georgia standout struggled in the early season but has really boosted the defense with his versatility in recent weeks.

Bullard was specifically praised for how he's performed at both nickel cornerback and safety. The idea for him coming into the season was to compete for a starting spot at safety. Surprisingly, there's been more playing time available for him at cornerback through the first nine games of the campaign.

It's unclear how much playing time Bullard might get when the full defensive back corps is healthy. It's also unclear when that might actually occur. Both Jaire Alexander and Evan Williams are curently struggling with injury. The bye week should give them extra time to recover for the second half of the season but there's no guarantee when they'll be back.

At the very least, Bullard gets Hafley and his staff an interesting chess piece to deploy on obvious passing downs. He has the quick-twitch athleticism required to hold up in man coverage at the line of scrimmage. Bullard also possesses the physicality required to knife into the opposing backfield and wreak havoc.

Packers fans should no be surprised to see him emerge as more of a defensive playmaker down the stretch. He's the kind of athletic defender that causes opposing offensive coordinators nightmares. Bullard could turn a game in Green Bay's favor down the stretch by forcing a key turnover.