NFC Notes: Jordan Addison, Romeo Doubs, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

Lions LB James Houston made a big impact on the team last season and is readying himself to do so again in 2023.

“For me, I’ve got to get on the field,” Houston said, via the Detroit Free Press. “I don’t know what that looks like, but I got to figure something out. Just like last year, it was just like they didn’t really know where to put me. I feel like it’s kind of similar, the same way. They don’t really know where to put me, and so I’m kind of that guy, hopefully I can be a chess piece and not too much of a liability, I guess, where I really can only play one position, where you can move me in different ways and put me on the field. So that’s really my goal, to get the team to be able to trust me enough to get to that point.”

“I know I did some pretty spectacular things (last season), but it was really just a confidence boost for me knowing that I can do it at this level because I knew I could do it, it was just, I never knew if I was going to get the opportunity, one, and I never knew if the timing was right,” Houston continued. “If the cards were going to play out for me. But things ended up being what they were and by the grace of God, he blessed me to be able to do what I did and I just got to continue to build upon that. He gave me these blessings, I need to fulfill it.”

Packers

Packers HC Matt LaFleur had high praise of WR Romeo Doubs and thinks he’s “done some unbelievable things” in their offseason program thus far. 

“I think last year, I know I talked about just his process and his routine that he has,” LaFleur said, via the team’s Youtube. “There’s sometimes where you almost have to pull him back because he’s so invested into it and puts so much time into it that I think sometimes you can almost wear yourself out. So, I think that’s one thing with him — you never have to worry about whether or not he’s working. And I know from when we get out of here and the time that he spends away from here, he will be very deliberate with what he does. So, I expect him to be able to pick up right where he left off. He’s done some unbelievable things throughout the course of these OTAs, just whether it’s with the route running, the catches, and just continues to build on that rapport he has with Jordan.”

LaFleur reiterated Doubs is taking “that next step” with his development and is building a solid rapport with QB Jordan Love.

“I think that ‘Rome’ has done a nice job of really making that next step,” LaFleur said. “Now, he’s got to go out and do it in games. But, I think what we’ve seen from him in practice — just how deliberate he is with what he’s trying to work on, he’s doing a great job of really getting his feet to the ground, running violent routes, violent cuts, being aggressive with his hands. So, I think he’s shown a lot of progress. And the rapport that those two guys have shown throughout eight practices now has been pretty solid.”

Vikings

Vikings’ first-round WR Jordan Addison said he’s been spending time learning from Justin Jefferson this offseason. 

“Oh, man, it’s just been all learning for me, not too much talking,” Addison said, via NFL.com. “Just out there on the field watching what he do and just trying to pick his brain to see why he wants to run his routes the way he do.”

Addison is confident he can fill Adam Thielen‘s former role. 

“I ain’t going to get into it too much, comparing. I just know what I can do. I’m confident, and I am going to fill his shoes,” Addison said.