NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Bears

• Regarding Bears LB Roquan Smith requesting a trade, DE Robert Quinn believes that Smith is deserving of a new contract: “You don’t get a lot of opportunities to sign new contracts. I’m sure he wants to get as much as possible. Respectfully, I think he deserves it too. But it’s a business. One side doesn’t want to pay him and he wants to get paid.” (Kevin Fishbain)

Lions

Lions WR DJ Chark will see his role increase in Detroit’s offense and is hoping to be more consistent than he was in Jacksonville.

“Just different concepts that they’re asking me to do that I just haven’t really done since like maybe like my second year in the league, I might have done a few of the things but just consistently throughout the years I haven’t been,” Chark said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “So there’s a lot of nuances in the playbook that’s allowing me to move around.”

• Lions GM Brad Holmes didn’t disclose a timetable for the return of first-round WR Jameson Williams other than to say it wouldn’t be Week 1, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
• Holmes added Williams is viewed as more of a long-term piece than an immediate starter: “[Coach] Dan [Campbell] and I felt we were in a position to acquire a player like this and don’t need him for Day 1. It’s a long-term thing.”

Packers

• Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said QB Jordan Love is proving to be more consistent with his decision-making: “You always saw the flashes. I think you’re seeing more consistent day-to-day decision-making.” (Matt Schneidman)
• Gutekunst said that G Elgton Jenkins (ACL) and OT David Bakhtiari (ACL) “both have a shot to play” in the early portion of the regular season but there is no timeline for their return. (Bill Huber)
• Gutekunst continued that they are eager to get both Jenkins and Bakhtiari back on their offensive line: “Certainly getting those two All-Pro guys back changes things.” (Matt Schneidman)
• Gutekunst indicated Packers first-round DL Devonte Wyatt is being evaluated for a concussion, WR Randall Cobb did not practice on Wednesday due to a foot injury, and TE Dominique Dafney is out after suffering a knee injury.  (Ryan Wood)

Vikings

• The Athletic’s Arif Hasan says Vikings QB Kellen Mond has played terribly throughout training camp, and at this point it seems like Minnesota’s best bet at backup quarterback is to stick with veteran Sean Mannion even though he hasn’t played particularly well himself. 
• At wide receiver, Ihmir Smith-Marsette seems to have locked down the No. 4 job and seventh-round rookie Jalen Nailor has made a hard charge at the No. 5 spot, per Hasan. 
• Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell has said the team is concerned about C Garrett Bradbury‘s pass protection and is looking internally for competition. Hasan highlights veteran Chris Reed and the younger Austin Schlottmann as potential options. However, Hasan points out Reed has had issues snapping the ball. 
• Vikings second-round G Ed Ingram was expected to challenge veteran free agent signing G Jesse Davis to start on the right side, but Hasan says so far Davis has maintained an edge on the rookie. 
• At edge rusher, Hasan writes D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones have set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. Wonnum seems to have taken a legit step forward, Jones just has been better than the other options. 
• Hasan adds former UDFA OLB Andre Mintze has made the best on-field case to stick as a fifth pass rusher, with 2021 fourth-round OLB Janarius Robinson his main competition.
• Both rookie cornerbacks — second-rounder Andrew Booth and fourth-rounder Akayleb Evans — have been predictably up and down, per Hasan. He says CB Cameron Dantzler is actually having a great camp and might have locked down the No. 2 job.