NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

• The Bears announced the hiring of former NFL RB Eddie George and Randy Shannon as part of the Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship. 

Lions

The Lions love to play the chip-on-the-shoulder card and will surely be looking for extra motivation given the early indications are they’ll be the preseason NFC North favorites. So in that regard, first-round RB Jahmyr Gibbs will fit right in as he answers doubters who think he was picked too high. 

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, I really don’t care,” Gibbs said via Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News. “It feels great to be a part of something special. Going up, moving forward, it’ll be fun to watch.”

Packers

• The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman points out cutting Packers LT David Bakhtiari in 2024 would save Green Bay $21.5 million in cap space. That’s a hefty sum that might be hard to pass up even if Bakhtiari stays healthy for the majority of the 2023 season. 
• Despite Packers GM Brian Gutekunst saying they’ve been in contact with S Adrian Amos and haven’t ruled out bringing him back, Schneidman expects Green Bay to roll with the players they have. 
• He also expects the team to stick with sixth-round K Anders Carlson unless he has a disastrous camp and preseason, at which point re-signing veteran K Mason Crosby would be on the table. 
• The Packers announced the hiring of 14 new coaches through the Bill Walsh Fellowship including Lindsey Lamar (Howard), Arthur Ray (Howard), Mike Brown (Wisconsin), Juan Soto (Wagner College), Daryl Agpalsa (Northern Illinois), Winston DeLattiboudere (Minnesota), Myles White (Miami of Ohio), Akeem Davis (UNLV), Siriki Diabate (Connecticut), Michael Hunter (Tulsa), Bryant Harper (Texas A&M), A.J. Blue (North Carolina), Ike Brown (LSU), and Rendrick Taylor (Colorado).
• Packers DC Joe Barry on expectations for second-year DL Devonte Wyatt: “Disruption. The sacks are what gets talked about all the time, but just to be an all-around disruptive player. He’s got that quickness, he’s got that athleticism.” (Ryan Wood)
• Barry on first-round pick Lukas Van Ness: “Have you seen him in person? When he walks into the room, he’s a big, big man. And he’s young. It’s scary when you get a young player like that and close your eyes and think about what they’re going to be.” (Wood)
• Barry was also asked if he knows who the Packers’ other starting safety will be next to S Darnell Savage: “No, but that’s the great thing about the offseason.” (Matt Schneidman)
• As for the rest of the defensive backs, Barry feels confident in cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas with Keisean Nixon playing the slot. He also commented on the injury recovery by CB Eric Stokes: “Eric had a pretty substantial injury, and he’s on the road to recovery. He’s in the building every day. It’s great to see him walking around.” (Wood)
• Packers OC Adam Stenovich on how Zach Tom fits into the offensive line: “We’ve got a lot of competition on the right side, whether it’s right tackle, right guard, or even center. I know right now Zach is going to get a lot at right guard and right tackle, and even possibly at center.” (Wood)
• Packers ST coordinator Rich Bisaccia on rookie K Anders Carlson: “A lot of people look at stats and 71 percent coming out, but I look at the mental makeup of the person.” (Wood)
• Bisaccia on the team possibly bringing back K Mason Crosby: “We’re still in conversation … He’s not on anybody’s team yet.” (Schneidman)