NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Bears

Lions

• MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke writes that if the Lions are still winless going into the team’s bye in two weeks, HC Matt Patricia‘s job is absolutely on the chopping block, though he very well could still finish out the season. 
• Meinke notes new Lions acting owner Sheila Ford Hamp has a much more proactive style than her predecessors. While the situation with COVID-19 is a mitigating factor, the mandate from ownership to Patricia last year was to see improvement and contend for a playoff berth, and so far that hasn’t happened. 
• Meinke highlights Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy and 49ers DC Robert Saleh as two of the top potential replacements for Patricia, noting Bieniemy represents the type of opposite approach teams take when hiring a new coach while Saleh has strong roots to the Detroit area. 

Packers

Entering the final year of his deal, Packers LT David Bakhtiari is set for a massive payday given the movement of the tackle market and his continued elite level of play as he turns 29 next week. Whether he gets that from Green Bay remains in some doubt, as the Packers do have a long list of players who need new deals even after extending DT Kenny Clark. But Bakhtiari points out that even if it’s expensive, if the Packers want to keep him they’ll make something happen. 

“The Kansas City Chiefs had what, $100,000 in cap space?” Bakhtiari said on 1057FM The Fan via Daniel Plocher. “And they restructured one and signed three guys to big-year deals that are all over $15 million, $20 million, $45 million. A lot of excuses can be thrown around and misinformation. The points is, at the end of the day, if you want to sign a guy and you want to keep him, you can do it.

“People use the cap as an excuse that they can hide behind. They can get it done. You can go and restructure with whoever and get money pulled from wherever and push back the potential cap hit to later years. You can get it done if you want to get it done. That’s what I know, the longer I’ve been around and kinda understanding how, you know, cap situations work. How healthy is that? Certain teams have different philosophies on that. Look, at the end of the day, if they want to get it done they can get it done.”

• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says the Packers are indeed balking at paying Bakhtiari the $22 million per year the Texans gave LT Laremy Tunsil to reset the market. He adds the franchise tag is a strong possibility for Bakhtiari. 
• Packers HC Matt LaFleur noted WR Davante Adams (hamstring) wouldn’t practice Wednesday but he’s in line to play in Week 3 if he’s healthy on game day. The same for C Corey Linsley (hand). (Ryan Wood)
• LaFleur said moving OL Billy Turner back to guard was a consideration. He started there for 18 games last season. (Silverstein)
• The Packers worked out K Ramiz Ahmed, P Lac Edwards and P Colby Wadman on Wednesday. (Rob Demovsky)

Vikings

• The Athletic’s Chad Graff writes that if the Vikings end up with the No. 1 pick, Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence has to be the selection even with QB Kirk Cousins on the roster. 
• Graff adds defensive tackle has to be one of their draft priorities as the early returns on Shamar Stephen, Jaleel Johnson and Armon Watts haven’t been good. 
• If the Vikings end up winning four games or fewer, it could be enough to get ownership to turn on HC Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman despite signing them to extensions before the season, per Graff. 
• Graff expects the Vikings to approach LB Anthony Barr about restructuring his deal at the least this offseason.