NFC Notes: Bears, Packers, Vikings

Bears

Rams HC Sean McVay said the team is preparing for both Bears QB Andy Dalton and QB Justin Fields.

“I think it would be naive for us not to prepare for them to be able to utilize him in some form or fashion,” McVay said, via Pro Football Talk. “But Andy is a winning quarterback in this league, does a great job. I really have seen a lot of film of Andy, even going back to when Jay Gruden was his coordinator at Cincinnati. So, very familiar with what a really good quarterback he is. He does a great job, accurate, anticipation, recognizes the looks defensively, can straighten up protections. So Andy Dalton’s a really good quarterback and it’ll be a great challenge. And then you see the ways that Justin made a lot of plays going back to his career at Ohio State, what he showed in the preseason. So, I think you got to be ready for either.”

Packers

At 6-4, 206 pounds and with a 4.37-second 40 time, Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling has always looked the part of a dominant player. But various inconsistencies, whether it was with his hands or the finer details of the position, have held him back to being primarily just a deep threat for Green Bay. As he enters his contract year, though, Valdes-Scantling has been showing signs in training camp that he could be on the verge of putting it all together. 

“I’ve seen a guy do a total 180,” Packers HC Matt LaFleur said via the Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. “I don’t want to make it sound like he wasn’t a good practice player before because that certainly isn’t the case. But I would tell you from the moment he steps on that field, whether it’s in pre-practice in our stretching routine, I think he’s got a different mindset about it and I think it’s translated to his play, his ability to produce consistently in practice.

“We’ve all seen the great flashes that he’s been able to show because there’s some big-time moments that he’s had. I just think that they’re happening much more consistently now. … That’s what we’ve been able to see from Marquez, and just really happy for him and know that he’s going to be a big part of what we do moving forward.”

Vikings

• Vikings RT Brian O’Neill‘s new five-year, $92.5 million deal includes $22.576 million fully guaranteed at signing. (Brad Spielberger)
• O’Neill will also earn $53.376 million in total guarantees, including $27 million by 2022 and $41.476M by 2023. (Brad Spielberger)
• O’Neill said he’s excited to receive his extension and wanted to remain in Minnesota long-term: “I knew that I wanted to be here for a long time. I’m just excited.” (Chad Graff)