NFC Notes: Lions, Packers, Panthers, Rams

Lions

• Michael Lombardi is hearing that the Lions will get their head coach in the next day or so and it won’t be a surprise.
• This, of course, implies that Patriots DC Matt Patricia will be hired as the team’s next head coach, considering that reports have said for weeks now that he was the guy to watch for Detroit.

Packers

Hall of Famer and former Packers GM Ron Wolf was asked about the team’s decision to hire Brian Gutekunst as their next GM over his son, Eliot.

“At least he had the opportunity to interview for it,” Wolf told Rob Demovsky. “Obviously the people up there don’t think he’s worthy or they would’ve hired him. End of discussion.”

• Tom Silverstein of PackersNews.com writes that Packers HC Mike McCarthy clearly won on out with the hire of Gutekunst as the team’s GM.
• Sources have told Silverstein that Gutekunst should be an “ally, someone level-headed, intelligent, amicable and an excellent judge of talent” for McCarthy to work with.
• However, Silverstein points out that this also sets up a situation where McCarthy has eliminated the excuses for not getting back to the Super Bowl and could also be setting up a must-win scenario for himself next season.

Panthers

• With the Panthers’ loss to the Saints on Sunday, the clock officially starts for owner Jerry Richardson to entertain offers to sell the team. According to Jason La Canfora, it’s possible the Panthers’ sale could be resolved by March.
• Panthers HC Ron Rivera said that he would like to continue working with interim GM Marty Hurney.
• Rivera also said he has “a real hunch” Steve Wilks is going to get a head-coaching job this time around. (Joe Person)
• Panthers LB Thomas Davis has one more year left on his contract and his mindset right now is to be back. However, Davis plans to sit down and talk about his future. (David Newton)
• Veteran DE Julius Peppers, who will be a free agent, said he enjoyed being back in Carolina: “It was a great decision to come back home and play this year.” When asked about what could be next for him, Peppers said: “I’ll see where my heart takes me.” (Max Henson)
• Also, the Panthers will have the No. 24 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. (NFLTR)

Rams

• Rams veteran OLB Connor Barwin, who will be a free agent in the coming months, said he’d “love to be back” in Los Angeles next year: “It’s the best system for me to play in. I know that, the people around here know that, probably people around the league know that. It makes sense from a football standpoint to be back in this system.” (Alden Gonzalez)
• We have Barwin featured in our Top 100  – 2018 NFL Free Agents list.
• Also, the Rams will have the No. 23 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. (NFLTR)