Bears

Bears HC Ben Johnson said OT Jedrick Wills has displayed considerable traits but also added that he needs to continue to master the scheme.

“Jed was a guy that’s supremely talented coming out of Alabama,” Johnson said, via Bears Wire. “[He] started off really well in Cleveland, and then obviously the injuries slowed him down. But to me, it’s the case of a player who is still gaining his confidence and strength levels back up.  I think he’s starting to understand: ‘Man, I still can play at a really, really high level. And I keep going back: How well can he pass protect one-on-one? Well, he’s got the traits, long arms.  He’s able to mirror pass rushers, and so it’s all there. It’s just a matter of consistency right now, and familiarity with what we’re doing. He’s a little bit behind the other guys just because he hasn’t been in the system for a year.”

Lions

Lions QB Jared Goff said Detroit’s offense is beginning to come together under new OC Drew Petzing, particularly with how the unit can disguise concepts and stress defenses.

“I think the last four or five practices, it’s really started to come together nicely where we’re running stuff that looks the same but is different and able to mess with the defense in certain looks and do a little bit more than just call the play on the paper,” Goff said, via the team’s website. “So, it’s been great.”

Goff said his relationship with Petzing has been built on constant communication as they work toward an offense both are comfortable with.

“Telling him what I like (and) what I don’t like, him telling me what he wants to do and what he doesn’t want and constantly talking, constantly giving him suggestions, some of them are good, some of them aren’t,” Goff said of his working relationship with Petzing. “And that blend, it eventually blends into this thing that we both love and we’re working towards that and we’re doing a good job.”

Goff said WR Jameson Williams continues to make strides in the finer points of route running and understanding coverage.

“He just continues to get better. And the stuff that he’s doing now that’s nuanced, that you can’t really teach, you can feel coverage and he can change his stem of his route, that little stuff has been so cool to see him start to adopt that and understand coverage and understand space. And that’s the next level for him and he’s done a great job of it.”

Goff said Detroit’s defense has also impressed him during camp by creating difficult looks and generating competition across both the front and secondary.

“Yeah, it’s been good. (Monday) they got after us a little bit. I think they do a good job of creating chaos and creating hard looks. And obviously the front seven gets the notoriety right now with all the big-time players, but the back end’s doing a good job too with the veteran guys. I thought Chuck (Clark) made a great play on me (Monday) and almost had another one on me. Avonte (Maddox)’s doing a great job, D.J. (Reed), when he’s out there is doing a great job. They’re competing, it’s fun and it’s competitive.”

Packers 

Packers HC Matt LaFleur is entering his eighth year at the helm, while QB Jordan Love goes into Year 7 of his career. Love said LaFleur is always asking him what he’s comfortable with and has evolved as a playcaller.

“I think he’s done a great job of evolving. I think for him, he just wants me to be comfortable,” Love said, via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. “He’s always asking, ‘Tell me what you’re comfortable with? Tell me what you’re not comfortable with?’ Because at the end of the day, (he says) ‘You’re the one running the plays. I can call it, but if you don’t feel comfortable running it, it’s not going to be a good play.’”

Love mentioned that LaFleur isn’t always managing their offensive meetings in training camp.

“I think for Matt, as a head coach, you’ve got so much on your plate,” Love said. “Matt is the type, as the play caller, where he wants to be in control of what’s going on and put us in the best situations. There are some times where you have got to just sit back and say, ‘Hey, I’ve coached the guys as much as I can.’”

LaFleur praised Love for being a highly intelligent quarterback and still being a “level-headed dude.”

“He’s so cool. He’s so f—ing cool,” LaFleur said. “In fact, I like it when he bites back on me sometimes. But it doesn’t happen often. … He’s a pretty level-headed dude. (And) what’s cool about him is to see the success he’s had, he hasn’t changed. … His knowledge is off the charts, he’s got great recall. I can’t tell you how many times I can call something (bad) and he’ll fix it. He’s just on that level now.”