NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

The Athletic’s Mike Sando polled other NFL executives and most generally liked the Bears’ pick of QB Justin Fields, who slipped to No. 11 but has just as much potential as the players taken in the top three according to some. 

“I had Fields ahead of Zach Wilson and Trey Lance,” an exec said. “The body of work was certainly better. Trey Lance requires a lot of development. The key for Fields will be putting some weapons around him and featuring his mobility. The guy is a running back with the skillset to play quarterback. You get the run game going, with his ability to execute play-action and hit the deep ball, and he is very intriguing.”

However, there were also doubts about whether Chicago would be the best environment for Fields to find success. 

“Chicago just lost their first-round pick from next year, they are not in a great cap situation, their offense kind of stinks, their run game stinks. I don’t know if they have a Greg Roman-type coach to maximize the skills of their quarterback,” an exec said. 

The Bears’ decision to cut veteran LT Charles Leno and convert second-round OT Teven Jenkins from the right side he played in college to the left was also met with skepticism. 

“I don’t feel great about them cutting their starting left tackle after drafting a quarterback,” another exec said. “I’ll applaud any team for trading up to get a quarterback, even if I don’t love the quarterback, but don’t do it and then immediately start breaking up what little foundation you have around him.”

Lions

Lions’ QB Jared Goff says that he is doing well when it comes to learning Detroit’s playbook.

“It’s coming together,” Goff said Thursday, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I think the to describe it, is the way he described it to us, is multiple with spread principles, and I think it’s going to have a little bit of what they did with [Justin] Herbert and the Chargers and a little bit of what he did in Buffalo. it’s a nice little mixture of it so far, and it’s been good. I’ve been trying to give him what I’ve learned and what I know in my five or six years, going into my sixth year now in the league, and he’s been very receptive. It’s been awesome working with him so far and him wanting to listen and wanting to hear from me and at the same time, being open to that dialogue. It’s really nice, and it’s been cool.”

Packers

• The Athletic conducted an exercise with its beat reporters playing the role of GMs for the Broncos, Raiders, Washington, and Packers and conducting mock trade discussions for QB Aaron Rodgers. In the exercise, the Packers turned down all three trade offers for Rodgers. 
• The Broncos offered WR Jerry Jeudy, TE Noah Fant, a 2022 first-round pick, and 2023 first and third-round picks. Denver was also willing to throw in a quarterback like Drew Lock or presumably Teddy Bridgewater. 
• The Raiders offered QB Derek Carr, LB Nick Kwiatkoski and 2022 and 2023 first-round picks. 
• Washington offered QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, DT Daron Payne, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, a 2022 first-round pick and 2023 first and second-round picks. 
• Rodgers hasn’t received his $6.8 million roster bonus yet, but if he is traded the team will still be obligated to issue it to him and it will count against their 2021 salary cap. (Joel Corry)