Bears
- ESPN’s Courtney Cronin projects the Bears keeping six receivers on their final 53-man roster, with her best guess currently Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle, third-round rookie Velus Jones, Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis and Tajae Sharpe.
- She adds this is obviously a position Chicago could try to sign additional free agents at.
- During the spring the Bears mixed and matched a lot on the offensive line, but Cronin points out LG Cody Whitehair, C Lucas Patrick and RT Larry Borom seemed relatively entrenched.
- Fifth-round OT Braxton Jones and 2021 second-round OT Teven Jenkins are options at left tackle, though Jenkins worked more with the second-string on the right side toward the end of the spring. Sam Mustipher is the incumbent at right guard.
- Cronin mentions Bears CB Thomas Graham Jr. was working ahead of free-agent signing Tavon Young at nickel corner this spring, which is worth monitoring.
Packers
Packers TE Marcedes Lewis is entering his 17th season, tying a record for most seasons played by a tight end with Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez. He is currently planning to play in 2023 in order to break that record.
“This year, I’ll tie the record,” Lewis said, via Packers.com. “It would be great to break it and then I would consider, ‘OK, I’ve done that.’ Eighteen is kind of bizarre, especially at the tight end position. When you’re in Year 17, sometimes I wake up like, ‘Damn, I’m still doing this. Obviously, a little longer in the tooth, but I love what I do.”
Vikings
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook said he will play any role he’s required in HC Kevin O’Connell‘s system.
“Wherever they want me to fit in,” Cook, via FOX 9 Minneapolis-St.Paul. “We got to run the football. That’s a must. So, we’ve got to do a good job at that. However many touches I get, I’m going to take advantage of it. I’m just ready to win games. Wherever I fit in at, if it’s an opportunity to help us win a game, ‘Put me in there, coach.’ That’s my mindset.”
Cook said he’s eager to be a “bell-cow” type running back and views himself as an old-school running back like former Buccaneers and Falcons RB Warrick Dunn.
“I could get the ball 30 times, and you could give it to me 30 more times the next game,” Cook said. “And then I could go out there and catch five or 10 passes. … Being a bell-cow running back is what I pride myself on being. One of those old school, Warrick Dunn, you know, just being one of those guys.”
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