NFC Notes: Caleb Williams, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bears, Packers, Vikings

Bears

When asked about the Bears moving on from QB Justin Fields, WR D.J. Moore responded he saw it coming and they are focused on giving Caleb Williams all he needs to succeed. 

“Business is business. I seen it coming,” Moore said, via BearsWire. “So, at the end of the day, (Fields) was the quarterback last year, now we got Caleb. We’re gonna ride through H-E-L-L and back with him, so I’m just looking forward to seeing what he put out.”

Moore said Williams has “natural leadership” and an ability to quickly learn from his mistakes. 

“You can see that the natural leadership is there,” Moore said. “The natural arm talent is there. Everything about him, it’s just always a positive thing. Even when he has a bad play, he’s looking to learn real fast right after. That’s all you can ask of him, for him to quickly forget but also learn at the same time.”

Packers

Rookie WRs Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks bolstered the Packers’ passing attack in 2023. Heading into year two, Reed and Wicks are working off each other to bring the best out in one another. 

“We talk about how he’s really good with his in-steps, his releases, and stuff like that. I kind of wanted to get better at that,” Reed said, via Bill Huber of Packers Central. “And he just wanted to get better at running out of routes, being fast and stuff like that. We just coached each other up on those tips. Kind of dug in each other’s toolbox and helped each other out.”

Vikings

In the early parts of offseason workouts, the biggest question marks on the Vikings’ roster were the quarterback, left guard, and third wide receiver. Minnesota OC Wes Phillips implied OL Blake Brandel will get a shot to start at left guard and he is very pleased with what Brandel’s shown.

“I’m really excited about Blake [Brandel],” Phillips said, via the team’s social media. “I feel like he gets bigger every time I see him, he’s just a massive man on the inside. He’s in great shape, he’s always been very coachable. You talk about technique, fundamentals, footwork, hand placement, all the things that are critical for the O-line. One false step from an o-lineman could be a catastrophe.”

“It’s been very encouraging so far with him stepping into that starting spot on the left there and I think it’ll only grow from there. The more experience and the more reps he gets, he’s been a guy that any time he gets put in a game at several positions has come through for us. We haven’t forgotten that and I think he’s earned this opportunity.”