NFC Notes: Eagles, Lions, Packers

Eagles

Eagles C Jason Kelce is highly optimistic about G Brandon Brooks recovery from an Achilles injury. 

“I fully expect Brandon Brooks to be back,” Kelce said via NBC Sports’ Reuben Frank. “I’m not a medical staff person, but I think if you look at Achilles injuries in general over the past five years, they’ve been a pretty easy recovery. I shouldn’t be saying this, something can always go wrong in a rehab, there can always be setbacks, some guys heal faster than others. But those Achilles injuries have been pretty routine at this point. The only thing is that once you tear one, you have the other one. That’s the only thing I’m even remotely hesitant about.”

“I think he’ll be back,” Kelce continued. “Maybe not for training camp or any of the preseason games, but I think he’ll be back, if not for Game 1 then very early on. His rehab looks like it’s going really well, too, for whatever that’s worth.” 

• Eagles second-round RB Miles Sanders has missed time in OTA’s with a hamstring strain but is expected to return to action as soon as today. (Adam Schefter)

Lions

The Lions have been trying to repair their relationship with former WR Calvin Johnson.

However, Johnson made it clear that unless they’re willing to pay him the money they recouped from his signing bonus, this isn’t going to happen.

“They already know what they got to do,” Johnson told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “The only way they’re going to get me back is they put that money back in my pocket. Nah, you don’t do that. I don’t care what they say. They can put it back, then they can have me back. That’s the bottom line.”

According to Mike Florio, the specific amount the Lions recouped is unknown, but the belief is that he paid back at least $1 million of his $3.2 million signing bonus.

Packers

Packers president Mark Murphy responded to a recent report that he prevented HC Matt LaFleur from having full control over the hiring of assistant coaches. 

“The report was incorrect, Bill. Coach LaFleur had complete control over the hiring of his coaching staff,” Murphy writes, via Packers.com. “The report was the result of an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel based on interviews with 20 anonymous sources. I told the author that Coach LaFleur had complete control to hire his assistants, but he included comments to the contrary from an anonymous source. The editors said they wanted to present a “balanced” view of the hiring process. Interestingly, they never asked Coach LaFleur if he was able to hire his assistants, something he would have confirmed. The article was obviously very disappointing, and I find the increasing use of anonymous sources very problematic. I served as an athletic director for over 16 years and directly supervised hundreds of coaches, and never once told a coach who he or she should or should not hire. Hiring assistant coaches is one of the most important factors in the success of a head coach, and I’ve always felt it is foolish to restrict them in any way.”