NFC Notes: Caleb Williams, Dalton Risner, Bears, Packers, Vikings

Bears

USC QB Caleb Williams is likely to be selected first overall by the Bears this week and was asked what his thoughts were when he learned the team traded QB Justin Fields to the Steelers.

“My phone explodes,” Williams said, via BearsWire.com. “I ended up calling a couple of people and was just like, ‘Well, we know where their mind and heart is at this instance.’ Let’s prepare and get ready and handle things accordingly and still do our due diligence on the situation.”

Packers

New Packers DC Jeff Hafley spoke about the team’s switch from 3-4 to a 4-3 base and their mindset of prioritizing attacking defense and creating turnovers.

“We’re going to attack,” Hafley told Larry McCarren. “I told the players that I want to lead the NFL in effort, and I want to lead the NFL in how hard we play, and I want to lead the NFL in taking the ball away. I want people to see the confidence that our players are playing with within themselves and their teammates. And showing how much they care about each other and this team by how hard they play and how hard they run to the ball and the effort that they give.”

“We prioritize it,” Hafley added on creating turnovers. “And it’s not just talk, it’s every day in meetings, showing them how we are going to do it and teaching them how we are going to do it. And then it has to show up in practice and then it has to show up in the game. That is priority No. 1, we have to take the ball away.”

• Yale OT Kiran Amegadjie took an official visit with the Packers. (Tom Silverstein)
• Missouri S Jaylin Carlies took an official 30 visit with the Packers. (Silverstein)

Vikings

Former Vikings G Dalton Risner is upset that the team still has not re-signed him to a new deal after he beat out G Ezra Cleveland for the starting job in 2023 which led to Cleveland’s trade to the Jaguars. Risner waited a long time to sign last year, too, not landing in Minnesota until just before the season.

“I showed up there (Minnesota), and their four-year starter, within three weeks, I beat him out for the job, ended up trading him away, and I played 11 games,” he said via Vikings Fan Page. “I thought things would change this offseason, here I am, in April, about to be May and I don’t have a job and it’s unfortunate.”