NFC Notes: Justin Fields, Jahmyr Gibbs, Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

Bears QB Justin Fields feels confident that he will have good chemistry with wide receivers Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney who have both been dealing with injuries this offseason.

“Chase has been out, what, the past two weeks?” Fields said, via BearsWire.com. “So, I feel like when Chase was practicing with us, we did get that down a little bit. I think he grew tremendously from last year until now. So, I think we got a base in. With Mooney, I feel like I’m already connected with Mooney, so that’s fine. But it’s just going to be great having those guys back on the field and having them healthy for training camp instead of having them come out for three or four practices, risking further injury. The biggest thing with that was just health.”

Lions

Lions RB coach Scottie Montgomery said he wants first-round RB Jahmyr Gibbs to show his physicality throughout training camp.

“Be physical. Just show physicality in every sense,” Montgomery said, via Sports Illustrated. “I know this guy’s skill set from a speed, quickness, mental. I want him to be physical. If you’re a tough team, you don’t get toughness from the big guys. The big guys are going to be tough. If you’re a tough team, your small guys are tough.”

Montgomery added that he knows Gibbs has the physicality in his repertoire. 

“He has it,” Montgomery said. “He’s got a little bit of an edge that people don’t know because he’s quiet at times. But once we get in the building and we get behind closed doors, he does have a different level of that. And then, you can’t play at the University of Alabama if you don’t have a level of physicality to you.”

Detroit holds Alabama HC Nick Saban in high regard and knows that his players enter the NFL ready to go.

“I’ll just be honest. I think they practice as hard and physical with multiple fields going on at one time. Coach (Saban) does a good job of keeping the drill going and coaching different drills, but also making guys understand that part of the competitive process is just not this, you know, pajamas and running around. It’s actually putting pads on one another. So, you go down there and you play at a high level and you get great marks from Coach Saban, that’s a good start for physicality.” 

Packers

Packers DT Kenny Clark said first-round OLB Lukas Van Ness is a versatile player who can line up in multiple spots in their defense. 

“He’s going to be great for us. He’s going to be versatile, play a lot of different spots. He’s big and strong, so I think he can play inside, playing the 5 (tech), playing the 3 (tech) inside, and pass rush. He’s still agile enough to go out and play on the edge. Versatile guy, big and strong, he’s fast on the ball, and he has a good long-arm from what I’ve seen training with him,” said Clark, via PackersWire. 

Packers DC Joe Barry said Van Ness can line up on the edge and also move inside. 

“He has some versatility. Athletic enough that we can stand him up and play him on the edge, but then also, big and physical enough that we can move him up and down the line,” Barry said.