Packers Morning Buzz: Aaron Rodgers' deal still leaves spending money

Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com.

The Packers concluded their preseason schedule with 33-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in their exhibition finale Thursday.

We'll start with Pete Dougherty's column on how the Aaron Rodgers contract extension still leaves Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst enough money to pursue a premier defensive player such as Khalil Mack.

Pete writes:

Now that Aaron Rodgers has a record contract, the big question is whether the Green Bay Packers can afford a trade for you-know-who.

Yes, Khalil Mack is still holding out, and recent reports increasingly suggest the Oakland Raiders might be willing to trade him.

But to deal for Mack, the Packers would have to be willing to make him probably the highest-paid defensive player in the game. Can they afford to do that now?

The short answer is, yes, the Packers have the means to sign Mack if they want him and the Raiders are willing to deal.

In fact, finishing Rodgers’ contract provides certainty for general manager Brian Gutekunst and team vice president Russ Ball’s future costs.

Be sure to read Pete's entire column here:

Rodgers talked about how his contract extension creates a lasting bond with the Packers:

Rodgers and the Packers both fared well with the deal, Tom Silverstein writes:

With Brett Hundley gone, it was an up-and-down night for backup quarterbacks DeShone Kizer and Tim Boyle in the preseason finale:

Trevor Davis came up short in his effort to secure a roster spot as a return man, Dougherty writes in our final Packers Camp Insider for 2018:

On the positive side for the Packers, right tackle Bryan Bulaga started and got his first snaps of the preseason. That and more in Silverstein's notebook:

We have lots of photos from Thursday night:

Elsewhere, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes on whether Rodgers will finish his career in Green Bay:

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network weighs in on Rodgers' deal:

The "Good Morning Football" gang discuss where Rodgers fits in the GOAT conversation:

Joel Corry at CBSSports.com envisions Seattle's Russell Wilson possibly being the next QB to get a record extension:

Andy Herman provided an interesting Brett Hundley nugget:

The MMQB projects the Packers among the NFL teams that could win the Super Bowl this season after missing the playoffs the previous season (a feat the Eagles accomplished in 2017):

Cheesehead TV looks at who on the Packers might be next in line for a contract extension:

The Power Sweep writes about what we'll learn about Gutekunst this weekend as he molds his first 53-man roster: