NFC Notes: Aaron Rodgers, Packers, Saints, Seahawks

Packers

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that no one truly knows whether or not Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers plans on reporting for training camp immediately, or even at all.

“Asking around the league and some people who talked to coaches and people in the Green Bay building, there’s no uniform feeling as to whether Rodgers will report,” Fowler said. “Some are hopeful that he’ll show up and others believe that it’s just going to bleed well into August and maybe even Week 1. And so, nobody truly knows what’s going to happen right now except Aaron Rodgers. The only clearcut answer we have is that the Packers have made clear, publicly and privately, that they’re not dealing Aaron Rodgers. I’ve talked to multiple teams that are monitoring the situation — would maybe place a call if Rodgers was available, and I’m told simply that he is not. And so, the Packers are going to wait this out and the ball is in Rodgers’ court right now.”

Fowler also spoke to another league source who believes it would be hard for a competitor like Rodgers to walk away at this point in his career.

“Now, I talked to a league source who said, ‘Look, Rodgers is the utmost competitor at the end of the day. So it would be really hard for him to walk away right now, and this would all but kill his trade value in the short term but it’s the ultimate trump card for the Packers as well because it would limit all of their options,'” said Fowler.

Saints

• Bucky Brooks of NFL.com thinks the Saints could end up being strong a trade candidate for Patriots WR N’Keal Harry, who has requested a trade out of New England.

Seahawks

Seahawks’ HC Pete Carroll said that they added an “extraordinary competitor” in new assistant defensive backs coach DeShawn Shead.

“We brought into this program just an extraordinary competitor, a guy with character and integrity and toughness and smarts and all that, and you can’t get enough guys like that around the program,” Carroll said, via John Boyle of Seahawks.com. “Interestingly, he’s carried over our football and he has retained it and maintains a really good command of what we did, and the techniques of the cornerback position in particular, as well as the safety spot — he played all over for us, big-time special teams player for us. So he just has a lot to offer. A lot of guys can play and they don’t take that stuff with them; he did. And he’s very sharp. So I expect really big things from him, and I think he’s going to do a great job immediately, but down the road, we’re going to see DeShawn Shead do some great stuff. He’s really talented.”