Bears
- ESPN’s Matt Miller has heard that Georgia DT Jalen Carter won’t get past the Bears if he’s still on the board when they pick at No. 9.
Packers
Packers RB Aaron Jones said that he agreed to take a pay cut this season due to his desire to stay in Green Bay and be a team player at a time when the franchise is in transition.
“This is home for me,” Jones said, via Cody Krupp of FOX 11. “Those guys in the locker room, those are my brothers. The people upstairs, they believe in me, and they believed in me since I’ve gotten here. It just made sense, deal-wise. The market for running backs, there was a huge gap between $16 million and Christian McCaffrey, who’s at $12 (million). I wouldn’t say pay cut because I never made $11 million in my career, so this is still the most I’ve ever made, and it still has me as the second-highest paid for the backs, so it matched up with the market.”
“I didn’t want to be greedy,” Jones added. “I’m a team player. I want to help the team and help them get as many guys in here as we can. So, if that means freeing up a little money, then I will.”
- Baylor TE Ben Sims visited the Packers. (Billy Marshall)
- According to Tom Pelissero, the Packers brought in UCLA OL Atonio Mafi for a pre-draft visit on Thursday.
Vikings
Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell has spent a lot of time evaluating the incoming quarterback class this offseason. Minnesota currently doesn’t have a quarterback on the roster under contract beyond this season and it’s not uncommon to see mock drafts projecting them to take a passer as early as the first round. However, O’Connell said he plans to scour the incoming class annually whether the team has an obvious need for a quarterback or not.
“It’s something where I take a lot of pride,” O’Connell said via the Athletic’s Jeff Howe. “No matter your current quarterback situation, around the whole league, I think you always have to be evaluating these guys coming in the draft, whether it’s the early-round guys, potential late-round guys, priority free agents. You never know when you’re going to be coaching one of these guys. You never know when you’re going to bring one in.
“The value in knowing these players, getting to know their games, their makeup, how they handle adversity, how they project to do all the things that we ask that position to do at this level. It’s the hardest position in sports. I don’t think you can ever just not go all in on your evaluations to know who these players are, know what they mean to potentially adding to your team now or in the future.”
- ESPN’s Kevin Seifert notes the Vikings have been very careful to limit all their public comments about QB Kirk Cousins to just the 2023 season, as he’s not under contract beyond this year.
- Seifert adds it’s possible Minnesota could bring back Cousins if he has a good season but there is absolutely a question about who the long-term starter for the team will be.
- If the Vikings don’t draft a quarterback this year, Seifert writes they absolutely will have to draft one in 2024.
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