Bears

The Bears added a pair of return specialists this offseason, including WR Kalif Raymond as a free agent and third-round WR Zavion Thomas. Chicago ST coordinator Richard Hightower praised GM Ryan Poles for bringing in both players and wants Thomas to learn from Raymond. 

“I mean, just our ability to add to the roster, I think Poles and his group have done a phenomenal job with that,” Hightower said, via Larry Mayer of the team’s site. “[Raymond is an] outstanding talent, All-Pro returner … Been really excited to see him work in the building. Watching him from afar and then seeing him up close, you can see why he’s had the success that he’s had. And just to piggyback that with Zavion, that’s what Zavion needs to watch. As a young kid, watch what Kalif does because Kalif, he works his tail off and is a consummate pro.”

Hightower is impressed by Raymond’s ability to avoid the first defender. 

“His ability to make the first man miss, it jumps off the tape,” Hightower said. “When we would play him twice a year, those weren’t weeks that we slept well. We knew we had a good challenge every week we had to play them. That first step quickness that he has is unbelievable and … he’s an aggressive returner. He wants to return the ball. He wants the ball in his hand. The other thing is just how well he gets along with his teammates and gets those guys to believe in blocking for him. That has jumped out to me in meetings.”

Hightower also likes Thomas’ speed, instincts, and ability to catch the ball in traffic. 

“I like his speed on tape,” Hightower said. “I like his natural instincts. I like his ability to catch the ball in traffic and his fearlessness … He’s still young, it’s still early. I mean, we’ll see. But you’ve got a dynamic player that we like on special teams and we like on offense. This is a player that catches the ball, looks natural and he’s been doing it his whole life and he’s eager to be great. One of his first questions he asked me was, ‘Why, coach, do most rookies not succeed in the NFL; what holds people back?’ That told me right there about his mindset.”

Lions

Lions players such as QB Jared Goff and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown have shared their impressions of OC Drew Petzing since he took over for now-Bears HC Ben Johnson.

“He’s got a great feel for what it’s like to run an offense and to run a room and how to balance volume with intentionally attacking a defense and trying to find yourself in the right plays. It’s hard,” Goff said, via Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “It’s a lot more to it than just drawing up plays and I think he’s got that extra part to it as well as the play stuff. But the part that is outside of the X’s and O’s, I think he does a hell of job with and it’s been a lot of fun.”

“It’s knowing when to balance simple, easy concepts with complexities that we can all handle and then knowing how to install and how to keep it fun and then keep the energy up,” Goff added. “And then how to hold guys accountable, lead and be able to be in front of a room. He’s great at it. He’s awesome and it’s a lot of fun working with him.”

“I think it’s been great. Meetings have been great. Out here at practice has been amazing,” St. Brown noted last week. “It’s still early, it’s only been three practices but just being able to sit in the meeting rooms, being out there with him, talking with him, I think it’s going to be great for us.”

“When you listen to him and you sit down with him, and you listen to him talk, he understands quarterback play. He understands tight end. He understands O-line. He understands receivers. He’s coached all of those,” HC Dan Campbell weighed in. “He can coach it from the ground up — all of it. That gives the staff good direction, ‘Here is what I want to do. How I want to do it. And what I want it to look like.’ He’s that point person, man. And what I would tell you, he’s the same guy every day. It’s unbelievable.”

Packers

Packers WR Christian Watson spoke to reporters at his locker about the new deal he agreed to with the team, saying he plans to continue proving himself.

“I’m gonna go out there every day with the mindset to continue to earn that contract … Obviously, I’m sure everyone will have known by now that within the contract there’s even more for me to earn and continue to find ways to continue to prove myself,” Watson said, via Matt Scheneidman.