NFC North Notes: Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

Lions CB Teez Tabor admitted that he is not playing well right now in the offseason program and there are “a lot of things” he needs to correct. 

“I ain’t doing too good right now,” said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “There’s a lot of things I need to work on still. I’m glad that the offense is giving me a great look out here so that I can just work on a lot of things.”

Tabor added that he has not taken any leadership role in the locker room because he has not accomplished much in the NFL. 

“No,” said Tabor. “I really just want to stay low because I haven’t really did anything yet. So I really don’t have no business talking about anything right now. I really don’t know nothing, I haven’t made no plays. So I don’t need to be talking.”

Packers

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers mentioned that he would like to throw to Davante Adams even more than he has been, given that Adams gets open so frequently. 

“I’d like to throw to Davante more,” Rodgers said, via ESPN.com. “He’s that open. We’ve got to keep finding ways to get him the ball.”

Rodgers also highlighted second-year WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling as someone who stood has stood out this offseason. 

“I think Marquez has had a fantastic spring and really stepped up as a guy who can be an every-down player, and then I expect a big bounce-back year from Jimmy [Graham],” Rodgers said. “He’s healthy, he’s feeling good. This offense I think fits him and his body type, but I’m not going to shy away from throwing the ball to Davante.”

Vikings

Vikings GM Rick Spielman explained that they’re trying to get QB Kirk Cousins “to go to that next level to do the things he does best.”

“A lot of the things we’re doing now [are] . . . to get Kirk Cousins to go to that next level to do the things he does best,” Spielman said, via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.

According to Spielman, their offensive approach will include more play-action, which happens to be something Cousins has been good at. 

“We know what our identity is,” Spielman added. “We got away from that last year. Our identity with Coach [Mike] Zimmer and how we win games with the Minnesota Vikings is we’re going to be tough, we’re going to be physical, we’re going to play great defense, we’re going to run the ball, we’re going to set up big plays by being able to run the ball and use play action. One of the things Kirk Cousins is best at is play action, and we didn’t do that enough last year.”