Packers Morning Buzz: Difficult day for Green Bay as two fan favorites depart

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

We'll start with a tough day for Packers fans as longtime favorites Clay Matthews and Randall Cobb signed free-agent deals elsewhere.

Here's how Matthews announced he would be returning to his West Coast roots and joining the Los Angeles Rams:

Ryan Wood has the story on the departure of the Packers' all-time sacks leader:

Matthews battled injuries but was tough to keep off the field:

Matthews goes from chasing after the Rams to playing for them:

Cobb's career in Green Bay also comes to an end as the veteran slot receiver gets a reported one-year, $5 million deal. Jim Owczarski has the story:

Here's how Cobb confirmed the move on Twitter:

Aaron Rodgers bid farewell to his friend with a quote from "The Shawshank Redemption":

Cobb has been working out diligently, it would seem:

Cobb leaves Packers fans with some special memories. Here are seven of them, via JR Radcliffe:

Ian Rapoport talks about what Cobb does for the Cowboys:

Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari posted several tweets bemoaning the news about his former teammates. This one summed it up:

Tom Oates, as usual, telling it like it is:

Packers cornerback Kevin King is trying to make sense of it all:

The number keeps dwindling:

Pete Dougherty looks at how a flurry of free-agency signings could affect the balance of power in the NFC North:

Former Packers inside linebacker Jake Ryan tells the Jaguars' website that he's looking forward to being reunited with former Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers and that it was "a big part" of his decision to sign with Jacksonville:

Capers was hired this offseason to be a Jaguars defensive assistant. Here's the full Ryan interview:

We'll never know how good Ryan might've been in Green Bay:

Former Packers punt Justin Vogel is headed for San Francisco:

Another day, another mock draft. This one, from Bucky Brooks of NFL.com, sees the Packers taking tight end Noah Fant at No. 12 (with fellow former Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson already gone) and Mississippi wide receiver A.J. Brown at No. 30.

Brooks says of Fant:

Aaron Rodgers needs more weapons around him to return the Packers' offense to the ranks of the elite. Fant is an athletic freak with the speed and quickness to create mismatches all over the field as a flex tight end.

And here's Brooks on Brown:

Route runners with size, speed and hands are always coveted at a premium. Brown is a rock-solid WR2 with outstanding potential as a big slot receiver.

Interestingly, in Brooks' previous mock draft, Fant was slotted at No. 23 to the Texans and Brown wasn't listed in the first round at all. You can check out the entire piece here:

Za'Darius Smith talks about joining the Packers on Rapoport's podcast:

And finally: The Packers are encouraging Brown County residents to sign up for their ticket lottery:

Contact Stu Courtney at (920) 431-8377 or scourtney@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stucourt