NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Bears

• The Athletic’s Adam Jahns looks at potential scenarios for the Bears to trade back with one of their two second-round picks — No. 43 and No. 50 overall — and accumulate more picks. 
• Jahns says Chicago should be able to add a third and potentially a fourth-round pick as teams could look to trade up to secure targets at wide receiver. 

Lions

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer points out the Lions were one of the teams the Giants thought might take QB Daniel Jones before they had a chance to. Detroit interviewed some of the top quarterbacks last year just like this year. 
• Breer says if the Lions’ interviews with quarterbacks aren’t indicative of genuine interest, it could cause another player to fall to them or drum up a trade market for the No. 3 pick. 

Packers

For the first time since his rookie season, Packers DT Kenny Clark put in a full 16-game season last year. He had a career-best year in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss, resulting in getting to attend his first Pro Bowl. However, that doesn’t mean Clark was completely healthy. He battled a medley of maladies in 2019, playing through a series of lower body and back injuries.

“Yeah, earlier in the year, especially earlier in the year, it was tough,” Clark said via the Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. “I had my calf, then right after my calf was getting better I got hit in the knee in kind of like my shin area, and my shin got messed up. Then, out of nowhere, my back started getting messed up, like right before the playoff game. Just out of nowhere. It was crazy. I don’t even understand how that happened.

“I was going through a lot of stuff earlier in the season, most of it earlier in the season. Then that bye week helped me out a lot, I got back healthy. It definitely was a struggle, though, I will say. I’ve never been one to be hurt and stuff like that. It was different adjusting to that because just playing games hurt how I was, it was just a different way of playing than I was used to.”

Clark is scheduled to play out the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2020, but Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has acknowledged an extension for Clark is one of the team’s top priorities, though he didn’t offer a specific timetable. Clark himself isn’t worried about negotiations. 

“I mean, with me personally, I truly feel like it’s going to happen. That’s why I’m not too worried about it,” he said. “I feel like the Packers want me there. I feel like I’m a great teammate, a great player on the team and all that kind of stuff. With Gutey and all that, I’ve got a good relationship with everybody. I feel like everything’s good. As far as when it’s going to happen and all that kind of stuff, I really don’t know, but I got confidence it’ll happen though.”

Vikings

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins spoke about his new three-year, $66 million extension that keeps him with the Vikings through the 2022 season. He called the deal a win for both sides, as it helped Minnesota’s cap flexibility, gives him another chance at a deal and provides more long-term security as he and the team chase the Vikings’ first Super Bowl win. 

“I think the Vikings did a great job of finding a way to make it a win-win and it’s great to be able to create some cap space for this year and to be able to solidify that I and my family can be back in Minnesota for another couple of seasons and hopefully beyond that,” Cousins said via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “I want to play well enough to where I get to be here beyond that, too. We’re grateful for that and just feel so good about being a part of the Minnesota community even more going forward.We know how much this team means to the fan base, to the people of Minnesota and we’re goingto do all we can to deliver a championship. I do know that whoever the quarterback is that delivers a world championship to the Minnesota Vikings is going to be welcome in the state of Minnesota for the rest of their lives. I certainly want to be that quarterback and we’re working really hard to do that.”

Cousins added the new CBA played a role in why he decided to do a shorter deal. 

“We felt like with the CBA and the shifting landscape that it was going to be difficult to know where this was going to go from here, so the timing was not going to be easy,” Cousins said via Cronin. “And I think that was a big point of communication through the process to make sure that a long contract would have been difficult because of the changing landscape of the CBA, and I think that’s true for both sides … It was a win-win to get that contract structured the way it was.”

• Regarding the trade of WR Stefon Diggs, Cousins said it was smart of Minnesota to go ahead and trade him so the team could move on, even if Diggs was talented: “It’s a unique dynamic. It became apparent that he wanted to play elsewhere, and I think it was smart of the Vikings to grant him that opportunity. I think it wasn’t a mystery, and that’s OK. I wish him really well. I just so enjoyed playing with him. He’s a special player, and we now have to find a way to move forward and replace that, if you will, with a variety of players.” (Cronin)
• Cousins was happy about the Vikings hiring Gary Kubiak as offensive coordinator: “I think it will be more similar than different.” (Chris Tomasson)
• The Vikings had a virtual meeting with Temple LB Shaun Bradley. (Darren Wolfson)