NFC Notes: Bears, Jordan Love, Packers, Vikings

Packers

Packers CEO Mark Murphy is looking for QB Jordan Love to take the next step and put on good tape in the upcoming preseason.

“We think he can be a good player, but we haven’t seen enough,”  Murphy said, via NFL.com. “So I think this preseason will be good for him.”

Murphy said the team isn’t ready to give up on Love, and said that people questioned the team’s decision to draft QB Aaron Rodgers, much like how they are currently questioning the decision to select Love.

“I know that the decision to draft him has been questioned by a number of people, but that’s such an important position in our league,” Murphy said. “They said the same thing when we drafted Aaron.”

• Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will not attend voluntary OTAs this spring, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal. 
• Rodgers has a $50,000 workout bonus but all he has to do to collect is attend three days of OTAs, likely the mandatory minicamp at the end of the program. (Joel Corry)
• The Packers hosted Oklahoma DT Perrion Winfrey for a top 30 visit. (Josh Norris)
• Georgia Tech S/LB Tariq Carpenter has a top 30 visit scheduled with the Packers. (Ryan Fowler)

Vikings

Vikings S Harrison Smith is happy that his team has added some weapons on defense this offseason such as linebackers Jordan Hicks and Za’Darius Smith.

“That’s big, selfishly, for secondary players. If you can get to the quarterback, disrupt the quarterback, make it a little harder on him, it’s important,” Smith said, via Vikings.com. “We all know it’s a quarterback-driven league, so you’ve got to make them uncomfortable back there. I think we’ve done quite a good job of getting guys in here that can do that.”

• Vikings WR Adam Thielen commented on his new contract and also hopes to retire in Minnesota: “I’d hate to not be here with all the changes and all the excitement. I’m excited to be here, and hopefully I can retire a Viking.” (Ben Goessling)