Lions
The Lions’ selection of QB Hendon Hooker in the third round is fascinating given the first-round buzz around Hooker and Detroit’s situation with incumbent veteran QB Jared Goff, who’s under contract for two more years. However, Lions GM Brad Holmes says Hooker will be under zero pressure to contribute right away and can focus on rehabbing his torn ACL and learning as much as he can behind Goff and veteran QB Nate Sudfeld.
“That’s a great thing about Hendon and him falling into the situation he’s in now,” Holmes said in a radio interview, via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. “There’s no pressure. He can get healthy. When he’s ready to go out there, he’ll be out there. We’ll make sure that we’re smart with how we kind of manage his rehab and his return to play, but again, it’s just a guy who is really talented, has a lot of upside, and fits all the intangibles we’re looking for in a Detroit Lion.”
Packers
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said the team liked the makeup of fifth-round QB Sean Clifford and had a good visit with the team which prompted them to spend a fifth-round pick on him.
“We really liked what he brings to the table,” Gutekunst said, via Packers Wire. “Started a lot of games in the Big Ten. Has a lot of experience. Really good athlete. Liked his arm talent. We brought him in for a pre-draft visit and we really liked the makeup of the person.”
Packers HC Matt LaFleur echoed Gutekunst’s statements, calling Clifford an intelligent player with great football acumen.
“Sean is a guy who is really intelligent,” LaFleur said. “He’s played a lot of games. He’s got some athleticism. He’s a natural thrower. All the things we look for in quarterbacks, he possesses. We had him up here on a 30 visit and went through the meetings with him and were impressed by his football acumen and overall intelligence. Looking forward to working with him coming rookie minicamp.”
Vikings
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins is entering a contract year with Minnesota but publicly stated that he wants to remain with the team.
“I want to be in Minnesota,” Cousins said, via ESPN. “That’s kind of a no-brainer. Hopefully, we can earn the right to do that.”
Cousins believes that he still has a lot of good football left in the tank.
“In this league, there should never be entitlement,” Cousins said. “You’ve always got to go play, and teams can do whatever they want to do. That’s their prerogative. You just go to work. You do the best you can. I’m encouraged and excited because I do feel like I’ve got a lot of good football ahead of me.”
Cousins addressed the uncertainty of his future and said that someone in his position playing out the final year of their contract is commonplace in the NFL. He did add that he feels as if he’s one of the core members of the team and hopes to continue building in Minnesota.
“This is more the norm than the exception,” he said. “The exception is that you have something penciled in for future years. Most of our locker room has no idea what is coming in three or four months, let alone three or four years or next year. I feel like I’m one of the guys, if you will. We’re all in this together. That’s the way this league works. I think it’s part of what makes this league great. Everybody has an edge. Everybody’s working. Everybody has something to prove. Nobody can operate with entitlement and comfort and put in less than their best.“
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