NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers Vikings

Bears

• Other front-office personnel from around the NFL were perplexed at what the Bears gave up for WR Chase Claypool, per Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post. One GM thought Chicago could have kept the pick, which could be in the top 40, and got a receiver: “You can get a Claypool-level player, and probably better, with that pick.”

Lions

When speaking to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, an anonymous AFC scout thinks that the Lions trading TE T.J. Hockenson means the organization is further away from contending than what HC Dan Campbell has insisted. 

“Dan Campbell stands up there every week and says, ‘We’re close,’ but this tells you that they realize internally that they are further away from contending,” an AFC pro scout said. “He’s a good young player. If they don’t view a 25-year-old as part of their core of talent for the future, then yeah, their timeline has been pushed back.”

• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe surveyed other NFL decision-makers about the trade deadline and the word most used for the Hockenson deal was “unique.”
• Interestingly, evaluators were split on who won the trade: “The Lions had an asset the Vikings wanted, gave up three players and only got two in return, if you look at it that way. But to get a (second-rounder) for a low-priority position, considering his contractual status, is a win to a certain extent.”

Packers

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano says Packers HC Matt LaFleur held a meeting with the team captains that he called a “solution-finding session” where he and the players exchanged thoughts about why they struggled. It didn’t lead to a win over the Bills to break the losing streak but everyone left the meeting pleased with the tenor of things and there were some things from the loss to build on. 
• Rodgers says he has faith in GM Brian Gutekunst and acknowledges the compensation other teams wanted didn’t line up for the players they were after: “Obviously the compensation for whatever players we were going after, it just didn’t make sense. So I trust Brian and we had some good conversations and I know we were in on some things and it obviously just didn’t pan out.” (Matt Schneidman)
• Rodgers declined to say whether the team needed to make a trade at the deadline and added they needed to win with the guys they have in the locker room: “That’s not my area of focus. Brian didn’t think whatever was out there was worth whatever was required of what was given up. That just sends a message to us that we’ve got to play with the guys we’ve got and win with the guys we’ve got.” (Ryan Wood)
• Rodgers said he nicknamed seventh-round WR Samori Toure “Captain Casual” in camp to practice harder: “I don’t think he really appreciated that nickname…But it’s gone from a nickname that was legitimate to more of a joke now because his practice habits have really picked up.” (Schneidman)

Vikings

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson had a good idea that he would be traded, but was pleasantly surprised that it was to Minnesota.

“I kinda knew. I had a little idea. I didn’t expect here, but obviously super, super excited to be here,” Hockenson said, via PFT. “When I got here last night I was like, This is pretty sweet. Just excited to be here, for real.”

Hockenson is already at work trying to learn the his new team’s terminology.

“I’m grinding. I got in last night and they gave me my iPad,” Hockenson said. “I’m trying to learn this offense as much as I can. There’s a lot of ins and outs to it, but football is football. This will be my fourth offense now that I’ve been in throughout my career, so just learning new terminology.”

• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe surveyed other NFL decision-makers about the trade deadline and the word most used for the Hockenson deal was “unique.”
• Interestingly, evaluators were split on who won the trade: “It’s a deep tight end draft. That seemed a little rich (for Hockenson’s) film.”