NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Bears

As expected, Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky opened training camp as the starting quarterback for Chicago. On day two of padded practices, though, his challenger for the starting job, QB Nick Foles, took the first snaps to open practice. Bears HC Matt Nagy said alternating days as the starter was part of the plan and that Trubisky has responded well to the competition so far. 

“Whatever he’s doing, there’s just a great intention for him right now to play quarterback the best that he can and not worry about anything else,” Nagy said via Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Mitch right now is in a place mentally that I really just feel like is really good. I like where he’s at.”

Lions

• Per MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke, Lions third-round G Jonah Jackson was the only rookie to work with the first team in practice. Lions DT Danny Shelton said he looks the part: “He’s definitely got the look. Looks like he’s a fit lineman. He’s an aggressive kid. But like we all do, we still got a lot of time, we still need to keep working those fundamentals and techniques and just prepare for the season.”
• Lions seventh-round DL Jashon Cornell had to be carted off from practice with what looked like a severe lower left leg injury suffered during one-on-one drills. (Dave Birkett)

Packers

Packers second-year edge rusher Rashan Gary is ready to step up and be an impact player, after spending most of last season watching linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith from the sidelines.

“That’s not even a question,” Gary said of his drive this upcoming season, via Mike Spofford of Packers.com. “Everything I did in the offseason to this point is about being the best me, coming back and being an impact player. You know that’s what I want to be, and that’s what I will be. So that’s just been my whole mindset, and I’m just down and grinding. My mindset is to be great. I’ve got a lot of examples in front of me last year watching ‘P,’ watching ‘Z’ and I know what it takes. My body is right, mind right, and just ready to go.”

• With starting C Corey Linsley out of practice, the Packers rotated C Lucas Patrick and starting G Elgton Jenkins in his place. (Wes Hodkiewicz)
• Packers DL Montravius Adams came up limping and had to be carted back to the team facility with an injury. (Hodkiewicz)
• Adams’ injury is a sprained toe that fortunately doesn’t sound too serious. (Ian Rapoport)
• Packers LT David Bakhtiari also suffered what appeared to be a left foot injury. (Matt Schneidman)
• When the team split off for team drills with the first and second team separate, Tim Williams and seventh-round rookie Jonathan Garvin stayed with the first team at outside linebacker while Randy Ramsey went with the second. (Ryan Wood)
• Packers HC Matt LaFleur said TE Robert Tonyan is “absolutely” in play to be the team’s No. 1 tight end. (Schneidman)
• Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling said his issues last year were physical and not mental after suffering an injury about halfway through the year: “I never really lost my confidence.” (Schneidman)
• Valdes-Scantling said he had a knee issue that lasted a couple of weeks and an ankle injury that bothered him a lot longer: “The ankle kind of lingered, especially with my position, doing a lot of cutting.” (Wood)

Vikings

• NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero says the Vikings have scaled back RB Dalvin Cook during practices so far as they continue work on a contract extension. 
• Pelissero says the two sides will either finalize a deal soon or reintegrate Cook back into practice as he prepares to play out the final year of his rookie deal. 
• The Athletic’s Arif Hasan notes Vikings third-round CB Cameron Dantzler has been the talk of camp so far and appears to be the favorite to come in as the starting outside corner in nickel packages and bump Mike Hughes inside. Holton Hill is the other projected starting outside corner. 
• Vikings DC Andre Patterson said the team talked with DL Jalyn Holmes last year about moving him to defensive end, but they still plan to give him reps at the three-technique defensive tackle because of his “unique skillset.” (Chris Tomasson)