Bears
Bears HC Ben Johnson has nothing but praise for what DC Dennis Allen has been able to bring to his staff and is looking forward to fielding an aggressive defense this year.
“I’ve had the pleasure of sitting in on a number of his meetings so far, and it’s everything I thought it would be,” Johnson said, via BearsWire.com. “He’s a guy that’s done it at a high level. He’s coordinated, he’s orchestrated a number of high performing defenses. Whether it’s points allowed, whether it’s third down defense, whether it’s red zone, he’s got a plan. He’s super smart. We were just sitting in my office yesterday talking about some game management things that have popped up – whether it’s here in Chicago, where I was in the past, where he was in the past and we see the game naturally the same way. He’s aggressive by nature. I can appreciate that about him. I think he’s got a great message every time these guys walk into the building and go to one of his meetings. I’m really excited about working with him.”
Packers
Packers QB Jordan Love gave his first impression of first-round WR Matthew Golden after getting to throw to him for the first time.
“It’s been fun to see him out there,” Love said, via PackersWire.com. “The routes he’s running, the things he’s doing, he looks very smooth. He’s got great hands. Great body control, all those things. For him, the biggest thing is, how fast can he pick up the offense and be as consistent as possible, knowing the things he needs to do on every play.”
Vikings
J.J. McCarthy is entering the second year of his career and is the incumbent starter for the Vikings in 2025. Justin Jefferson said he’s gotten to know McCarthy and is making sure to build a good connection with the quarterback.
“I got to know him a lot last year, but of course him being my quarterback this year, being able to talk to him or just pick his brain a little bit more, see what he likes, what he doesn’t like, how he throws the ball, all that is a big factor into a quarterback,” Jefferson said, via Rob Kleifield of the team’s site. “So just trying to learn every bit that I can, even off the field – just trying to chop it up and make sure we are well connected.”
As for Minnesota’s defensive line, the Vikings bolstered the group with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave this offseason. DT Harrison Phillips said seeing both players brought into the fold has been a big confidence boost.
“It’s exciting when you see the moves that they made and you see the drive from the top down, from our ownership, to our head coach, to our GM, to our coaching staff,” Phillips said. “The push that they’re showing, and confidence in us, makes us work even harder in the offseason, and makes us want to make our coaches and our organization, and fans, proud as well. You’d hate to be the one loose chain on the link. Our entire team feels that same way.”
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