NFC Notes: Aaron Rodgers, Bears, Lions, Vikings

Aaron Rodgers

• According to the Athletic’s Bob McGinn, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has mocked GM Brian Gutekunst in group chats with teammates, calling him Jerry Krause in a reference to the former GM of the Bulls whose contentious relationship with Michael Jordan was brought to prominence again last summer following The Last Dance.
• McGinn reports the Packers have offered to make Rodgers the league’s highest-paid quarterback but he has rejected those so far. A longtime friend of Rodgers told McGinn he thinks there’s just a two percent chance he’s back in Green Bay this season. 
• ESPN’s Rob Demovsky thinks you can read between the lines of Packers president Mark Murphy making no mention of the relationship between Rodgers and Gutekunst in his monthly column on the team website and confirm there’s a problem there. 
• According to Demovsky, the Packers are upset because they think teams like the 49ers and Broncos may have tampered with Rodgers by contacting him to see if he’d be interested in playing for them. However, those charges are difficult to prove and Demovsky says the Packers haven’t filed them with the league. 
• Demovsky notes Rodgers has already jeopardized a $500,000 workout bonus for not attending the start of voluntary OTAs. If he misses minicamp, he could be fined a total of $93,085. Holding out from training camp would result in fines of $50,000 per day and retiring could cause Green Bay to go after $30 million in signing bonus while also renouncing a $14.7 million base salary and up to $850,000 in incentives.
• As for what the Packers could get in a trade, Demovsky asked a high-ranking NFC executive who pegged the compensation at two first-round picks and a second. 

Bears

Bears’ HC Matt Nagy was with the Chiefs when they drafted QB Patrick Mahomes with Alex Smith already on the roster. This leads him to believe he has “some type of blueprint to at least work off” with rookie QB Justin Fields. 

Nagy adds that the team will know when Fields is ready to be an NFL starter.

“There are some observations from all of us as coaches every single day, and just like we would tell any quarterback when you come in here, you do everything you can to be the best quarterback that you could be,” Nagy said, via NBCSportsChicago.com. “Whether it’s in the meeting room or whether it’s in practice, and everything else will take care of itself. All of those guys are going to do it. And then we just got to decide then when we get to that point, how is he developing and how is everybody doing, and really keeping it as honest as possible with all of those guys. Then when the time is right, I promise you every single person will know including Justin when it’s the right time, and that’s naturally how it happens.”

Lions

• Per USA Today’s Jeff Risdon, Lions DC Dan Campbell mentioned in a radio interview that Detroit would run a 3-4 base defense under the new coaching staff.  
• Campbell specifically called out how second-round DT Levi Onwuzurike would fit in that scheme: “You can see Onwuzurike playing in a 4i or reduced down to a 3-technique and being able to two-gap at times, control defenders, hit the blocks but also take a side and get up the field as a pass rusher.”
• Campbell views third-round DT Alim McNeill as more than a “two-down” nose tackle and can play on the edge: “This is not just a two-down nose, but (we) know he’s got the quickness or explosion to hit an edge on an offensive linemen or a center and put pressure on the quarterback.” (Chris Burke)
• Campbell loves how long third-round CB Ifeatu Melifonwu is and how he projects as a press corner: “He’s got long arms … he can clearly get up there and press.” (Burke)
• Cambell added that fourth-round WR Amon-Ra St. Brown will compete at the slot receiver position but could be an outside option: “I think this kid’s got some outside flex to him, too. Is he gonna run a 4.3? No, he’s not a 4.3 guy. But he plays fast, man.” (Burke)
• As for fourth-round LB Derrick Barnes, Campbell feels he has raw talent but can shed blocks and can become a “special” player: “He’s got so much room to grow. He can run, he’s tough, he’s smart, 34-inch arms so he comes downhill and he can shed blocks. We all think he can grow into something special. His character reeks of success.” (Burke)

Vikings

When speaking about Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, Vikings GM Rick Spielman said they are observing his situation in Green Bay but he is focused on Minnesota going forward. 

“You always read things and stuff like that,” Spielman, via ProFootballTalk. “Aaron Rodgers is maybe the best quarterback who has ever played this game, and I’m never going to talk about anyone else’s players. One, I’m not allowed to. It’s illegal. But you just always look at different situations. The most important thing is evaluating us and our decisions and if we do make mistakes how do we correct them or what will we do differently. If something works out, great. . . . My main focus here is on the Minnesota Vikings.”