NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Bears

• Bears GM Ryan Poles was asked about RB Tarik Cohen‘s status and said the team was taking it one day at a time, via Sean Hammond of Shaw Local News: “I really don’t want to get into the medical piece of individual players, but we’ll just take it a day at a time.”
• Poles commented on the offensive line, saying there are many improvements to be made: “We’ve gotta get lighter. We’ve gotta get quicker.” (Kevin Fishbain)
• Poles revealed that he has had a chance to evaluate WR Darnell Mooney and was “blown away” by him: “He’s got a quiet confidence about him. He’s hungry to be special. I’m always looking for guys that, they just raising their own bar in terms of where they want to go. He wants to be special. You can feel that in him.” (Fishbain)
• Poles was also asked if he was willing to repair the relationship between the team and WR Allen Robinson going forward: “It’s communication, it’s establishing that things are going to be a little bit different. That’s a tough one to answer specifically. I think it’s more of a fresh start for everyone. I think through our moves and the staff we’ve put together, I think it shows that.” (Courtney Cronin)
• When asked about QB Justin Fields, Poles said the following: “There’s something about the guy, this stoic kind of feel you get from him. Serious and locked in. He’s ready to go. There’s a high ceiling with him. It’s just putting him in a position to succeed and seeing how high that ceiling is.” (Dan Wiederer)

Lions

• Per the Athletic’s Chris Burke, Lions GM Brad Holmes says the team “haven’t gotten to any of those discussions” about potentially using the franchise tag this offseason. 
• The Lions are moving Kelvin Sheppard from OLB coach to ILB coach and offensive QC coach Tanner Engstrand will replace Ben Johnson as TE coach. Lions DL coach Todd Wash and director of football research David Corrao will take over Sheppard’s former role. (Kyle Meinke)
• Lions HC Dan Campbell says the team will be tweaking its defensive scheme, moving to more of a 4-3 base rather than a 3-4: “We’re altering kind of what we do defensively. We’ll be a little more of a four-down (linemen) type, if you will.” (Meinke)
• Holmes didn’t offer any confirmation about the status of DE Trey Flowers, who has been speculated as a potential cap cut this offseason: “We’ll keep an open dialogue with Trey and his camp.” (Meinke)
• Campbell mentioned Lions CB Jeff Okudah and DE Romeo Okwara, both coming off Achilles tears, are on track in their rehab to be back for camp. (Burke)

Packers

• Packers GM Brian Gutekunst revealed that no other general managers have contacted him about a potential trade for QB Aaron Rodgers. (Rob Demovsky)
• Gutekunst said that there is no new update on Rodgers but the hope is he will make a decision before the start of free agency: “I would hope so. A lot of decisions have to be made before that. The financials are a part of that process. Once we get the situation with Aaron figured out, everything else will follow.” (Demovsky)
• Gutekunst also wants the team to bring back LB De’Vondre Campbell next year: “We’d certainly like to have him back.” (Matt Verderame)

Vikings

• Per the Athletic’s Chad Graff, new Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talked about QB Kirk Cousins at the Combine on Tuesday: “When the odds are shifted in his favor, he gets the most out of it.”
• Adofo-Mensah added “everything is in play” regarding Cousins but also said he expects him to “play well for us.” (Andrew Krammer)
• Adofo-Mensah said Vikings DE Danielle Hunter is one of the first players he talked to after being hired: “He’s a really good football player, and to win a championship you need really good football players. He’s somebody that we want to work with going forward and we’re excited to talk through all our possibilities with that.” (Twitter)