NFC Notes: Bears, Giants, Redskins

Bears

According to Bears G Kyle Long, the team’s new coaching staff has “taken the training wheels off” of QB Mitch Trubisky.

“My little boy is becoming a man,” Long said Thursday, via Madeline Kenney of NBC Chicago. “. . . They’ve taken the training wheels off of Mitch’s little bike, so he’s going to be able to do some things creatively and get to showcase his skills. We’re excited to see him. He’s a tremendous leader and somebody the guys look up to in the locker room.”

Giants 

Former Giants HC Ben McAdoo mentioned in an interview with the New York Post that he believes New York is going to win the division.

“I think they’re gonna win the division,” McAdoo said.

McAdoo says he likes the moves the Giants have made regarding their offensive line and while he doesn’t think Nate Solder is very good, he believes moving Jason Pierre-Paul‘s contract was the right move.

“Getting a left tackle in there will help them in a lot of ways,” McAdoo said. “I don’t think he’s a very good player, but I think it will help them in a lot of ways where they needed help in that room in the past and they haven’t had anyone to do that.

“It was good they could get rid of [defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul’s] salary. I guess you kind of just flipped JPP for Solder, and I think that’s a good move, really.”

McAdoo explained that Ereck Flowers “can’t bend” but at least playing him on the right side should help out Eli Manning some.

“He can’t bend, you got to be able to bend,” McAdoo said. “You can run around him on that side just like you can on the other side, Eli just gets to see it, which may help Eli. It’s not the blind side, it’s in his vision, so if he’s comfortable with what’s going on over on the left side, it can help him move in the pocket a little bit better.”

Redskins

New Redskins CB Adonis Alexander said Thursday that he has used his off-the-field issues including academic ineligibility and two suspensions as a learning tool moving forward.

“I have definitely used it as a learning tool,” Alexander said. “I definitely made some mistakes at Virginia Tech, but I’m using those — just learning from them, using them to help form a better character, form myself as a man. I’m trying to benefit from the things I did in the past in a good way.”

Alexander added that he views this as a “golden opportunity” for him.

“This was a golden opportunity,” Alexander said, per JP Finlay. “Getting to play with coach Gray, former teammates, I feel like it was the best opportunity I could have got.”