NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Panthers, Saints

Bears

• Bears WR Markus Wheaton said he will return from an appendectomy in two weeks. (Stacy Dales)
• Bears WRs coach Zach Azzanni said he wanted to show WR Kevin White his college highlight film to reinforce positives. (Brad Biggs)
• White explained that he watched game film with WRs Kendall Wright and Victor Cruz: “As far as the college film, that was amongst players: me, Kendall Wright and Victor Cruz. It was actually Kendall’s idea to watch each other’s college film since we had a little time off. Watched mine, then watched Kendall’s, then watched Victor Cruz, when he was with the Giants. As far as that goes, that’s all I know.”

Lions

Lions RBs coach David Walker said RB Ameer Abdullah is the team’s feature back with Theo Riddick as his primary backup, while competition will be held for the third role.

“Ameer’s our guy,” Walker said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Press. “Theo has his role, and then the other guys, they got to kind of fit where they fit and that’s how we’ll go.”

Lions GM Bob Quinn said there is no “time frame or timetable” for an extension with QB Matthew Stafford to get done and that there has been “great conversation” between the two parties.

“We’re working toward it,” Quinn said, via Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. “We’re not putting any time frame or timetable on it. These are complicated deals to get done, but we’ve had great conversations going back and forth and my goal is to get it done as soon as possible, but we’re not putting a finish line on that just yet.”

Panthers

Interim Panthers GM Marty Hurney mentioned during an interview with Pro Football Talk that he isn’t worried about getting the full-time job after this season and is instead taking things day by day.

“One day at a time, that’s how this business is,” Hurney said. “Right now that’s the job and anybody who has done this job knows you have to have a very short memory, and while you have to have a long-term view, I think you still have to take it day-to-day.”

Saints

• Saints HC Sean Payton said veteran G Orlando Franklin was released after just five days because he was still experiencing soreness in his knee and could have missed Wednesday’s practice. (Mike Triplett)
• Payton added that it is possible for the team to re-sign Franklin later on, but their intention in signing him was to add “healthy bodies” to their training camp roster.
• Triplett writes that backup OL Senio Kelemete practiced for the first time in training camp on Wednesday.