Bears
The Bears are pretty clearly hitting the reset button this offseason, subtracting a number of key pieces and not adding much in return. Most teams with young quarterbacks like Justin Fields try to build around them but the Bears are taking a longer view.
“They like Fields,” an exec said via the Athletic’s Mike Sando. “They are just getting out of their cap problems. Trading Khalil Mack helps. They are just trying to sign as many cheap players as they can, and then try to build with younger players through the draft.”
- Jordan Schultz reports that Pittsburgh CB Damarri Mathis had a Top 30 visit with the Bears and Raiders.
- According to Justin Melo, SMU WR Danny Gray has had Top 30 visits with the Bears, Colts, Raiders, and Vikings, He has also met with the Buccaneers and Cowboys.
Lions
The Lions tore things down last season with plans of a multi-year rebuild. So far, GM Brad Holmes has continued the plan this offseason, taking a series of relatively low-cost gambles with the real headliner the draft at the end of April.
“They’ve got all those picks and are going to go with young players right now,” an exec said via the Athletic’s Mike Sando. “When you are not really sure about the quarterback, why not? Not a lot of urgency there.”
One win for the Lions this offseason did come when the Falcons ended up trading QB Matt Ryan for just a third-round pick, making what Detroit got for Matthew Stafford look much better.
“Detroit started over while Atlanta won seven games and created this mirage of being competitive, but now they are tearing it back down,” another exec said. “Detroit could have won seven games last season with Stafford, but what’s the point? And then they would have had to make the decision this year, do they push, do they trade him or do they give him an extension when they are still far away from contending?”
Packers
Other execs around the league weighed in on the Packers’ decision to trade away WR Davante Adams.
“Most of these deals to sell off your best players have come from rebuilding teams like Houston, Jacksonville, Detroit,” an exec said via the Athletic’s Mike Sando. “Both Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill were a product of, ‘Hey, we are just not going to pay that amount and we’d rather collect capital to go rebuild on a good team than pay a fortune.’”
- Packers QB Aaron Rodgers reportedly was a big internal proponent of the team’s move to sign WR Sammy Watkins, per Jordan Schultz.
- He adds the team is expected to add help at receiver in the draft and mentions some names he’s heard including Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore, Kentucky’s Wan’Dale Robinson, Boise State’s Khalil Shakir, and Cincinnati’s Alec Pierce.
- According to Justin Melo, the Bengals, Browns, and Packers have all met with Northern Iowa WR Isaiah Weston.
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