NFC Notes: Giants, Packers, Aaron Rodgers, Vikings

Giants

New Giants HC Brian Daboll‘s biggest feature on his resume is his developmental work with Bills QB Josh Allen. That’s led to optimism about QB Daniel Jones‘ future but Daboll pumped the brakes on any direct comparisons. 

“I think it’s unfair right now,” Daboll said on NFL Media’s Good Morning Football. “Josh and I were together for four years. It took a village to help Josh — credit first goes to Josh Allen and his abilities and his desires and his competitiveness…“We got a long way to go.”

Still, the Giants remain high on Jones’ potential. 

“There’s not a person who’s said a bad word about his work ethic, passion (or) desire to win,” Giants GM Joe Schoen said. “You got to have those traits as a quarterback. The kid has physical abilities. Arm strength, he’s athletic, he can run. So I’m really excited to work with Daniel. When the new staff gets in here, we’ll build an offense around Daniel to accentuate what he does best.”

Packers

• Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the Packers’ brass including HC Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst has been adamant both publicly and privately that they want QB Aaron Rodgers back in Green Bay.
• Fowler says that talks between the Packers and Rodgers have been limited to the past season and the future direction of the team for the most part.
• Fowler’s sense is that the Packers plan to give Rodgers space this offseason to allow him to come to a decision about what he wants to do.
• According to Walter Cherepinsky, the Falcons are very high on Florida RB Dameon Pierce, with the Lions, Bills, and Packers also showing a lot of interest in him.

Vikings

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson is excited about the impact Rams OC Kevin O’Connell can bring as the presumptive next head coach of the Vikings. 

“I’ve been watching the Rams offense for a minute now,” Jefferson told NFL Network from the Pro Bowl, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “They get their playmakers the ball. They have some tremendous plays, Cooper Kupp wide open all the time. So I’m excited about it. This is my first head coach that’s going to be on the offensive side instead of the defensive side, so I’m happy.”

O’Connell was the quarterback coach for Vikings QB Kirk Cousins in Washington and he had good reviews for his teammates. 

“Kirk has been kind of telling me, ‘Great guy to be around. Full of energy. Going to bring the energy,’” Vikings RB Dalvin Cook said. “So I’m just looking forward to it. It’s a new opportunity, new era, new energy, so we got to take advantage of it. . . . We got a new head man, we got a new G.M., so we just got to put the right people around us and we just got to go get it.”