Morning Buzz: All quiet on free-agent front
Welcome to your St. Patrick's Day 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 and get caught up on everything you need to know about the Packers.
We start with Ryan Wood on former Packers tight end Jared Cook joining the Oakland Raiders.
The end of Cook's free agency was unexpected. Cook was one of the Packers' two priorities this spring, along with outside linebacker Nick Perry. The Packers reached a five-year, $60 million contract with Perry on the opening day of free agency. They were in talks with Cook deep into that night and were close to a deal, but those conversations ended by the next morning after both sides reached a point of no compromise.
Meanwhile, the Raiders patiently waited. They expressed interest in Cook early, but had to wait for him to visit the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings. He now will join a team that finished 12-4 last season and was considered a Super Bowl contender until Carr's season ended with a broken right leg.
Ryan also held a reader chat Thursday. You can read the whole thing here.
T.J. Lang spoke to Jason Wilde and Mark Tauscher on the radio about his decision to leave Green Bay and about his conversations with his former teammates after the decision was made, including Aaron Rodgers.
I chatted all things Packers with readers over on our Facebook page late Thursday afternoon:
Elsewhere, ACME Packing Company looks at the Packers' depth chart one week into the new league year:
Cheesehead TV is touting its annual draft guide.
Speaking of the draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Packers going corner in the first round:
The Power Sweep makes the case for Jamaal Charles:
Speaking of the Power Sweep, they had some good advice for Packers fans and pundits who feel the Packers are “wasting Aaron Rodgers’ prime”
Interesting note on Rodgers and Cook from NFL Research:
The Packers are in the mix of contenders with the latest Super Bowl odds:
Former Packers personnel executive and current Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie reportedly is thinking outside the box: