NFC Notes: Roquan Smith, Bears, Lions

Roquan Smith

Bears LB Roquan Smith didn’t receive a new contract from the team, and while the situation was well known to the media, GM Ryan Poles claims that the parties involved have moved forward in order to focus on the season.

“We’ve shifted gear, and it’s all ball now,” Poles said in a press conference earlier this week, via BearsWire.com. “He doesn’t get enough credit for being able to change gears like that and going out and just playing football and doing it the right way. I’m proud of him for handling it that way. And he’s out there and we’re better because of that.”

“It’s human nature,” Poles continued. “When things happen and two sides don’t agree on something, it’s going to take a little time to do that. I got a lot of faith that’s going to happen, and I’m excited for him. First of all, he’s a good player. That’s never changed. And he’s a good dude. I have faith that he’s going to have a good year and we’ll work on our relationship and all that. We’ve all been there, right? You have disagreements and you have to come back together and be teammates. That’s what I expect.”

Bears

Bears DC Alan Williams praised undrafted rookies CB Josh Blackwell and LB Sterling Weatherford, who both made the 53-man roster this season.

“He has some familiarity with the defense coming from where he came from,” Williams said of Blackwell. “Special-teams wise, we think he can help us, which it’s, you talked about complementary football, that’s one of three phases that’s important for us to win football games. So we’ll see how he fits in to the mix. We’re not going to pin him into any one position. Today was the first day and we’ll see how that goes down the line.”

“We looked at the tape. He hits and he took the ball away in the preseason also,” Williams said of Weatherford. “So if you go, ‘Hey, what profile of guys do you bring in?’ He fits that profile. And so, we talked to his teammates—Dom was happy that he’s here and he said, ‘Coach, he’s one of our guys’, meaning that his DNA is HITS principle DNA. So we’re glad we have him.”

Lions

Lions GM Brad Holmes commented on his decision to move on from backup quarterbacks Tim Boyle and David Blough, picking up QB Nate Sudfeld who was released by the 49ers.

“Yeah, I mean it’s never – it’s never totally ideal. Just like I told him, we had a plan for the backup quarterback position. It kind of took a detour that was unexpected, but you’ve got to be prepared for that,” Holmes said, via LionsWire.com. “And we just kind of made it work the best way we can, and we did what’s best for the organization at this time. I mean there are a lot of different options you can go, but we did the best thing for the Detroit Lions and so, that’s how it goes. So, is there a little bit of risk? And is it foolproof? And absolutely no, well I have too much respect for the unknown to really not say that there’s a little bit of that. But I think we got the plan in place where Nate (Sudfeld) will get caught up to speed and we’ll be in good shape.”