NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Vikings

Bears

Jeremy Fowler said Saturday that the Bears could look to trade QB Nick Foles this offseason and the Eagles are at least worth keeping an eye on as a potential landing spot. 

“I wouldn’t take a Nick Foles-Philadelphia reunion off the table right now,” Fowler said, via Radio.com. “Because a few weeks ago, when Chicago was looking to get Carson Wentz, they included Nick Foles in a potential package to Philadelphia. Now, Wentz ultimately went to Indianapolis, but those talks had been ongoing, they’re in place — all they would have to do this week is revive them.

“Philadelphia is looking for a high-level backup, somebody to come in and support Jalen Hurts. Meanwhile, Chicago is just looking to dump some salary right now. They’re in some cap problems, Nick Foles carries a $6.6 [million] cap hit that they could get off their books, and I eventually think he’ll be traded. Philadelphia is an option for him.”

• TCU S Trevon Moehrig has a virtual meeting scheduled with the Bears among other teams. (Doug Farrar)

Lions

New Lions QB Jared Goff admitted that being traded has left a chip on his shoulder. 

“I think at first, absolutely. I think it builds that chip on your shoulder a little bit,” Goff said, via ESPN.com. “I won’t lie about that. There is that little extra motivation and chip that you do feel, and again, I am so thankful for all my time there, but yeah, you do feel that. You do feel a little bit of, ‘Hey, let’s see what we can do now.'”

Even so, Goff referred to the trade and playing outside of California as “good change” and “something I never knew I needed until now.”

“It is a good change,” Goff said. “It’s something I never knew I needed until now, and you kind of come out here and you experience it. … I went downtown for dinner twice this week, and I didn’t know much about Detroit until recently, and being down there [I saw] the stadiums are all on the same block and everything is really close.

“It is a sports town, and being able to play in a sports town is special. It’s something that I’m excited about. I know football is king here, and I plan to make it a winner.”

Goff fully expects the team to compete right away and doesn’t view this situation as a rebuild. 

“The pieces are there,” Goff said. “I know you guys may want to say rebuild, but to me it’s not a rebuild. I think the pieces are there and I think I’m a big part of that. You mentioned Jamaal [Williams], some of the pieces we’ve added, some of the guys that are already here, the offensive line is obviously a strength.

“It’s all there. There’s still a lot of hard work to be done, and that’s the challenge that I think is the most exciting. … The hard work and how good it does feel to put that work in and come out the other side as a winner, and to win games with a team that hasn’t done it in the past.”

• Lions DT Michael Brockers‘ new three-year, $24 million deal includes a $5.925 million signing bonus and base salaries of $1.075 million, $7 million and $10 million. In 2022, $4 million of Brockers’ base salary is guaranteed. (Dave Birkett)

Vikings

Vikings GM Rick Spielman issued the following statement regarding the news that they’ve been docked a 2021 seventh-round pick as a result of a salary cap violation involving a practice squad player in 2019.

“A mistake was made, we take responsibility and we respect the league’s decision and will move forward,” Spielman said, per Ben Goessling. 

• Ben Goessling reports that the following Vikings’ players had base salary guarantees kick in Friday: RB Dalvin Cook ($1.5M base), DE Danielle Hunter ($3.3M of $12.15M base), FB C.J. Ham ($1.1M of $2.15M base), LB Anthony Barr and WR Adam Thielen had third day of the league year guarantees, but restructured their deals.
• Arif Hassan of The Athletic takes a look at some remaining free agents who could be worth watching for the Vikings in the coming weeks.
• Hassan’s list includes Rams WR Josh Reynolds, Broncos S Kareem Jackson, Titans OT Dennis Kelly, Colts EDGE Justin Houston, Falcons CB Darqueze Dennard and Bengals CB Mackensie Alexander among others.
• Chris Tomasson reports that the Vikings are one of the teams that free agent G Forrest Lamp is considering at this time.
• Vikings’ CB Patrick Peterson‘s one-year, $8 million guaranteed contract includes a $5.9 million signing bonus, a $2.1 million salary guaranteed, a $2 million team performance, playoffs, and All-Pro incentive. (Aaron Wilson)
• Vikings’ QB Kirk Cousins’ 2022 base salary of $35 million is now fully guaranteed. (Pro Football Talk)
• Iowa DL Chauncey Golston has met virtually with the Vikings. (Justin Melo)