Morning Buzz: Packers can turn it around quickly

Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers and the NFL from around the web and here at PackersNews.com. Grab a strong cup of coffee, (or brew some tea, if that’s your thing) and get caught up on everything you need to know about the Packers.

We’ll start with Tom Silverstein’s look at the roster Brian Gutekunst is inheriting from Ted Thompson and how this Packers team shouldn’t be far from contention.

From Tom:

As Thompson’s successor, Brian Gutekunst inherits a much better team than Wolf or Thompson did when they became general manager. The 7-9 record the Packers managed in 2017 came with quarterback Aaron Rodgers sidelined seven starts with a broken collarbone.

As bad as the Packers were with floundering backup Brett Hundley and Dom Capers’ broken defense, it’s not that hard picturing them a much better team next season.

Yes, it would help if Gutekunst could have the kind of draft New Orleans Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland had last season, plucking the likely offensive and defensive rookies of the year (Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore), a starting right tackle (Ryan Ramczyk) and a starting safety (Marcus Williams) with his first four picks (all in the top 67).

The Packers will have three picks in the first 76 and possibly four in the top 100 depending on how compensatory picks shake out. Gutekunst can push the Packers into Super Bowl contention with a draft like that.

But what really should determine the Packers’ season – and their near future – are Thompson’s last two draft classes.

Pete Dougherty looks at possible reasoning for Mark Murphy’s decision making after the Packers' disappointing season:

Murphy conceded that the injury to Aaron Rodgers may have pushed him to make more changes than he may have had Rodgers stayed healthy all year:

The Packers are delaying their push to host the NFL draft:

Tom joined Michael Cohen for the latest Packers podcast:

Mike Jones looks at the coaching shakeup to many of the usual NFC contenders:

Elsewhere, Larry McCarren looks at the upheaval at 1265 Lombardi:

Michael joined the crew at NBC26 to do the same:

The Packers Wire highlights how the Packers mostly swung and missed in free agency last year:

Packers Talk gives three reason to expect the Packers to be back in the mix nest season:

Andy Herman graded every single play of the Packers' season for Cheesehead TV:

ACME Packing Company looks at a possible contract extension for Clay Matthews:

David Bakhtiari took in a different kind of football Sunday:

Packers fans undoubtedly saw it, but this is an incredible view of the Vikings’ dramatic game-winning play Sunday:

Sunday was a significant milestone in Packers history: