Bears

Bears GM Ryan Poles said they have appealed to the NFL about not getting compensatory picks for former assistant GM Ian Cunningham being hired as the Falcons GM. (Adam Jahns)
Poles talked about WR D.J. Moore: “We want him here. We thinking highly of him … But this is the time now where we have to look at all the scenarios that will allow us to put the best team out there…he’s a guy we want here but we have to look at all the scenarios.” (Courtney Cronin)
Chicago HC Ben Johnson explained Moore’s value to the team last season: “It was immense. He probably knew all the roles of the receivers better than anybody else we had in that room. The X, the Z, F, it really didn’t matter. He was a guy we knew we could count on. If guys go down, he can step in. There really wasn’t anything we shied away from in terms of the route tree that he could or could not do. I feel like the versatility is something that screams as you, the intelligence screams at you and as Ryan alluded to in our last press conference, just the toughness, the durability. When you talk about a 17-plus game season, that’s where a player like that is really, really valuable.” (Cronin)
Poles understands they are going to have some tough decisions on their roster if they want to create cap space: “There’s a couple guys we’ve got to make decisions on. You know, if that’s trade, release, there’s a lot of different options that … or few options that we can go down to create some space. But like I said before, this is a unique situation where we’ve gotten our roster in a position where we have a lot of talented players, a lot of guys getting paid well, and that puts some constraints on the cap. So we got to make some tough decisions. And, you know, like I said, when we win games, you create these relationships. There’s leadership guys or guys that were captains that mean a lot to our organization. But when you’re kind of put in a corner, that’s what league’s been and has been.” (Cronin)

Lions

Bears HC Ben Johnson believes that Lions HC Dan Campbell and OC Drew Petzing are a perfect fit for each other.

“I think he’s going to blow those players away just from a knowledge standpoint, from a connection standpoint,” Johnson said, via PFT. “I fully expect that offense to be clicking at a high level next year. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit, and I think there’s a reason why Dan, from what I could gather, cast a wide net for the offensive coordinator job and Drew hit the right notes in terms of what he was looking for. That doesn’t surprise me. I could see this being a great fit, knowing Dan and knowing Drew both. I think it’s probably a match made in heaven.”

Vikings

CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports the Vikings are hiring Maryland ST coordinator Chili Davis as their assistant ST coordinator.
Around the NFL reports the Vikings have promoted Josh McCown to pass game coordinator/QBs coach.
Zenitz also reports Minnesota is set to hire UCF DBs coach Will Johnson on their defensive staff.
Minnesota EVP Rob Brzezinski spoke on their options at QB: “I don’t know that we’re ruling anything out. … We have not a ton of time, but we have a couple of weeks and so we’re exploring every option that could be out there. It’s casting a wide net, I guess I would say.” (Kevin Seifert)
Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell was asked if he views QB J.J. McCarthy as the franchise QB: “A lot of those feelings are still the same. It’s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was [in 2024].” (Seifert)
O’Connell also spoke on his relationship with recently fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah: “Was and will always continue to be strong. Any kind of thoughts or noise to the contrary of that is not accurate in any way, shape or form.” (Seifert)
He was then asked if he wants more organizational authority: “I want ultimately what’s best for the organization under the direction of our ownership. … I think leadership in its purest form is at its best when that question doesn’t necessarily have to be answered.” (Seifert)
Brzezinski was asked if he wants the permanent GM job in Minnesota: “I am just focused right now on the next two months or whatever’s ahead of us into the draft. It’s an awesome responsibility. I’ve been here a long time. I know what this franchise means to our fans.” (Seifert)
He continued: “A nd just want to be a small part of one day delivering that championship. And so whatever steps we can take in the next couple of months, we’re going to do that to make that happen. And that’s what I’m focused on right now.” (Seifert)

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