NFL Notes: Packers, Patriots, Las Vegas, Raiders

Packers

Packers LB Clay Matthews said he feels moving back to outside linebacker will allow him to be more impactful in 2016.

“As I’ve continued to say, I think (outside linebacker) is my most natural position, my most impactful position, and I think we’ll see that on a more consistent basis this season,” Matthews said, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

There are still questions about the team’s depth at inside linebacker, even after they used a fourth-round pick on Blake Martinez.

Packers DC Dom Capers said that they won’t know how things stand until the pads are on.

“Only time will tell on those things,” Capers said. “You never really know until you get into playing games, and you have the pads on. So many times guys will look one way in OTAs, and then you get into the preseason and it’s a different game when you’ve got the pads on, you’re going full go and that type of thing.

“I think we’ve got some young guys there that are going to be ascending. We’ve just got to evaluate how much progress they make.”

Patriots

• Ben Volin expects Patriots OLB Jamie Collins to want to “break the bank” with his next contract.
• Beyond that, Volin isn’t sure New England will be able to bring back both Collins and LB Dont’a Hightower on market-value contracts.
• Volin doesn’t anticipate any of the Patriots’ contract year players to hold out for new deals this summer.

Raiders

Raiders owner Mark Davis doubled down on his seriousness of relocating the franchise to Las Vegas, while adding that he isn’t using the city’s interest as a bargaining chip with the city of Oakland.

“No, I would not, and I’ve made that clear,” Davis said, via Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The opportunity came up in Las Vegas, and we’re giving it full bore. This is not a pawn in a game. We are serious.

“Right now, I’m focused on Las Vegas. We think it could make a great marriage with Las Vegas and the Raiders.”