NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Bears

• Bears TE Trey Burton did not practice on Sunday and his status for Thursday’s season opener against the Packers is in question, per Pro Football Talk.
• Burton is recovering from an offseason hernia surgery that has limited him through training camp. However, he’s currently sidelined with a mild groin strain that’s “unrelated” to his previous injury, per GM Ryan Pace. (Brad Biggs)
• Pace says the injury popped up last week and Burton is day-to-day: “He’s frustrated. He wants to be out there with his teammates.” (Biggs)

Lions

• The Browns were one of three teams to put in a claim for Jaguars RB Devine Ozigbo when he was waived by the Saints. (Field Yates)
• Lions re-signed TE Logan Thomas. (NFLTR)
• Lions placed DT Austin Bryant on injured reserve. 
• Lions released WR Andy Jones with an injury settlement.
• Lions signed LB Jason Cabinda to their practice squad.
• Lions released TE Austin Traylor from their practice squad.

Packers

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers worked to temper expectations for the new-look Green Bay offense in Thursday’s season opener against the Bears. The Packers will be debuting a new scheme with a new head coach on the road against a division rival featuring last year’s No. 1 defense. 

“I think everybody needs to understand this is going to be the first iteration of our offense, and because it’s a new scheme and there are new pieces, this is going to grow from this point,” Rodgers said via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “I’m excited about the stuff we have in and the stuff we’ve been working on in camp. There’s going to be even more. I think that’s the exciting part. I like the foundational start for this offense. I think it could be tough to stop because of the stress it puts on defense with their eye control and pattern-reading and reading the alignments. But we have a lot of room to grow from what we put on the field on Thursday.”

• Packers HC Matt LaFleur said he has given Rodgers a green light to change things at the line of scrimmage if he sees things he doesn’t like. (Tom Silverstein)
• The Packers expect LB Oren Burks (pectoral) to be out about four weeks, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Packers seventh-round LB Ty Summers will likely start against the Bears ahead of James Crawford. The team is still getting recent trade acquisition LB B.J. Goodson up to speed to play. 

Vikings

The Vikings swapped out punters this weekend, signing former Browns P Britton Colquitt to replace former punter Matt Wile. The switch was as much about solidifying the holder position on field goals as it was either specialist’s punting ability.  

“I feel like holding is second nature to me and I take pride in it,” Colquitt said via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “I know how important it is to win games. I feel with my experience, it’s going to give Dan (Bailey) confidence and he doesn’t have to worry about anything.”

• Vikings HC Mike Zimmer wished former WR Laquon Treadwell the best after Minnesota moved on from the former first-round pick: “He never developed into the player we thought he’d be. He’s a good kid, I wish the best for him.” (Andrew Krammer)