Bears

Madden cover athlete QB Caleb Williams commented on how he and HC Ben Johnson plan to develop their offense ahead of the new season.

“Plays get more detailed,” Williams said this week, via Larry Mayer of the team’s website. “[Johnson is] adding more on my plate of figuring out the coverage before and having an idea of where I can go with the ball faster and sooner. I haven’t thrown a lot of picks in my career because I can see the coverage and feel the coverage. It’s a little more detailed from play-to-play and specifics within the play towards the coverage that we are attacking. Then adding more plays in there so that we can kill, alert, and check to these different man checks, Cover 2 checks, one high, or whatever the case may be. We are excited about that. I’m excited. The challenge that he’s giving me to be able to take the next step and progress is what I’m most excited about. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be tough like it is every year. That’s what you embrace, that’s what you enjoy. Because when it shows up on game days and Sundays or whatever day we play on, it’s really rewarding.”

“I know we have a real common goal and it’s to find a way to make the Chicago Bears champions,” Williams added. “So, everything he says to me, I’ll do it at 200 percent and won’t look back. That’s kind of how it is now. If he yells and curses at me or anything like that, I know it’s for the greater good of the team.”

• Bears HC Ben Johnson said RB Kyle Monangai is day-to-day with a soft tissue injury, but it doesn’t seem to be long-term, per Brad Biggs.

Lions

Lions HC Dan Campbell is proud of the way DL Tyleik Williams has gotten his weight down to 325 pounds to begin training camp.

“I’m really proud of him, really proud of him,” Campbell said of Williams, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s a man of his word. Before we drafted him, we sat up there, Brad [Holmes] and I did, and said, ‘Is there going to be an issue with your weight, ever?’ ‘No.’ He came in, he noticed that he was a little bit heavy in the spring. He came in two weeks before our program even started and was pretty heavy and said, ‘I want to get this right.’ He put in the work, Scott did a great job with him, got him right.”

“He’s just put the work in. He’s put the work in. And I’ll tell you what, he’s a man of his word. Came in at 325, made his weight, crushed the conditioning test,” Campbell added. “Really fired up. It’s a credit to him. Our eyes are open. We’re willing to give him an opportunity, if there’s a little bit more that shows, maybe he’s out there a little bit more on third down. We like Tyleik. We absolutely know there’s a role for him and there’s something he can do for us that really helps us. Can it be even more than that? Yeah. Our eyes are open.”

Packers

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said it was clear they needed a veteran LB like Zaire Franklin after they realized it would be tough to keep Quay Walker.

“As we kind of went down and we realized it was going to be really tough to get Quay back, I wanted to make sure we had an answer at middle linebacker, particularly one that might have some veteran presence,” Gutekunst said, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.

Vikings

The spotlight has been on the quarterback competition this offseason in Minnesota, but QB Kyler Murray is happy for the change of scenery and the chance to get to throw to a phenomenal receiver like Justin Jefferson.

“I think it’s greatness,” Murray said when asked about Jefferson, via Pro Football Talk. “Not only does he believe he’s the best receiver in the league, he wants to be. From what I’ve seen out here, he’s proved it every single day. Those are the guys you want to be around. It’s few and far between having guys like that, but when you get around one, you see why. I’m just grateful I get to throw him the ball.”

“It’s the best time of the year,” Murray added. “The best time of the year. Grass is green, sun is out, the trees — beautiful scenery. Just getting to touch the field again with the guys, getting to play the game that I love to play. Best time of the year.”