Bears
Bears HC Matt Eberflus said that the team is looking forward to the physical presence second-round CB Tyrique Stevenson can provide on defense.
“We love where he is in terms of his length, his competitiveness and we know he tackles,” Eberflus said, via BearsWire.com. “We know he likes to hit. That’s why he’s here. Corners need to tackle. They need to really be a physical force out there and he’s gonna do that. And we’re excited about that, getting the pads on. So I think he’ll take even a step up more when we get the pads on. We get to see him used to those pads.”
Lions
Lions G Jonah Jackson, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, said he would love to retire in Detroit.
“I’d love to retire a Lion. I love this city,” Jackson said, via Benjamin Raven of MLive. “I have a great time here, enjoy everything about it from the sports, to the people, to the cuisine. There’s nothing like it. It’s not too much different from (Jackson’s native state) Philly, either.”
Jackson said he is focused on developing and thinks a contract will work itself out if he performs well next season.
“Shoot, the same I have the past three years. Just put my head down, going to work, showing up each day, training and just putting my best foot forward,” Jackson said. “If I do what I do, then everything else will fall in its place.”
Jackson wants the team to improve in some areas of the running and passing game in 2023.
“We know what we’re doing, we’ve just got to execute it now,” Jackson said. “Just keeping building off what we did last year, you know, staying consistent with that. We took a little dip at some points, just not being able to capitalize on certain things in the run game, some things in the passing game, so continuing to run the ball, continuing to pass effectively, put up points, dominate.”
Vikings
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison is ready to make the best of his new starting role in Minnesota after the release of RB Dalvin Cook and admitted he wasn’t sure if he would be back with the team this year.
“It definitely changes things,” Mattison said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I like to go into every season preparing like I’m the starting back. That’s kind of where my mindset has always been. That’s where we, as a running back group, held ourselves to that standard. I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful for having Dalvin in that running back room and challenging me to challenge him every single day, so that kind of helped me out with my preparation. Yeah, with that understanding of knowing kind of where my role is going to be and maximize it. I’ve been a lot more prepared in the way of understanding where I’m going to be in the playbook, where I’m going to have to be physically, my stamina. It’s just a whole bunch that I have to now take into account but without applying too much pressure, of course because this is a game of ball that we have grown to love and grown to adapt to at all different levels. I’m definitely comfortable as a professional athlete and understand what I have to do to get the job done. Now just cranking that thing up and getting ready for this opportunity in front of me.”
“There wasn’t much anticipation,” Mattison said of Cook’s release. “I actually didn’t think that I’d be back in Minnesota, so it’s a blessing to be back, to be in a place where I spent the first four years of my career and loved it there. To be there, be a part of this team, this locker room, the ownership, the staff. It’s a great place to be, so I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, and while I’m with this opportunity in front of me, I just see so much upside. Just coming back into year two of this offense under coach K.O. (Kevin O’Connell) and (offensive coordinator) Wes Phillips. They just, they know what they’re doing, and we’ve gone back to the drawing board, and we’ve seen a lot of where we can improve from last year, especially in the run game, so it’s pretty exciting.”
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