Bears

Bears DC Dennis Allen said injuries in the secondary have not changed the standard he expects from the defense.

“You know what I want to see?” Allen said, via ESPN. “I want to see 11 frickin’ dudes on the field competing their ass off. And if we all do that, then I feel pretty confident that we’ll get them to the right spot.”

Bears DB Cam Lewis said his versatility comes from years of cross-training and understanding the broader defensive concepts behind each position.

“I’ve been doing cross-training, you would say, for a little bit of time now,” Lewis said. “Honestly, my whole career. You try to get a grasp of the whole defense … the concepts, teaching, how they want different positions to play. Say if it’s at linebacker and we’re playing Cover 3, how they play Cover 3 for a curl flat would be the same thing as a nickel. Understanding the concept and turning my brain off is like — OK, I’m not playing safety now. I’m playing nickel. Let’s focus on nickel. OK, I’m going back to safety, let’s turn the safety brain on. It’s a little adjustment, especially with a new system coming from Buffalo. Been putting in the work. You’ve got to put in extra work, study a lot just to make sure you understand what they’re asking you to do.”

Bears HC Ben Johnson added the team is still evaluating which defensive backs it can rely on and is not panicking despite the injuries.

“DA is still installing his defense schemes right now,” Johnson said. “We’re still installing offense schemes. There’s a lot of learning going on. And as we go through camp, we’ll come to a consensus on the players we can count on most, who the starters will be, what role they’re going to play and whether we’ll adjust things schematically to have the most success on the field. That’s what we do. We’re not in panic mode by any stretch with some guys going down. That’s what happens in this league. It’s going to happen to every team throughout camp and throughout the season. We’re no different than that.”

Lions

Lions LB Devin White is one of the team’s newest additions but he’s already making a favorable first impression. With an opening at weakside linebacker with Alex Anzalone departed to Tampa Bay, White has a realistic shot at starting for Detroit. 

“I like where he’s at,” Lions HC Dan Campbell said via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “He looks like a different guy than what we saw in Vegas last year on tape. I mean, he’s moving well, he’s thumping, pretty smart. He’s got speed. Still has that speed.”

“That’s what I remember in Tampa Bay when I was in New Orleans,” Campbell added. “That was the guy. He was a headache. And so, Ham’s [Shaun Dion Hamilton] doing a good job with him and [DC Kelvin Sheppard]. And so, it’s pretty exciting right now, let’s see where he’s at. He’s going to play in his preseason game and let’s see where he can go. But we like what we’ve seen so far two weeks in.”

White started for the Raiders last year but languished in free agency amidst major skepticism. The Raiders were a bad defense and painfully thin at linebacker with little true competition for White. The former first-rounder is looking to revive his career. 

“I think the goal is just to be the best version of myself and that’s what Coach Dan told me,” he said. “He said, ‘Man, I played against you when I was in New Orleans and, man, you gave us troubles. We always had to highlight you for just running around, just causing hell and I want you to do that here.'”

• Lions TE Sam LaPorta took a hit to the hip, and the team is sitting him to help it calm down. Detroit HC Dan Campbell wouldn’t say with certainty that it won’t linger into the season. (Justin Rogers)

Packers

Packers WR Savion Williams enters the second year of his career after recording just 10 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown as a rookie. Green Bay HC Matt LaFleur said the receiver still has “a long way to go” with his development, but is enamored with his “size, speed, and strength.”

“His measurables are off the charts in terms of his size, speed and strength,” LaFleur said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “And then he’s just a young player that’s still learning and he’s got a long way to go, but I think he’s showcased a lot of great traits, and that’s why we drafted him and that’s why we loved him coming out.”