Lions
The Lions signed former Jets CB D.J. Reed in free agency after losing CB Carlton Davis . Detroit HC Dan Campbell outlined Reed’s skillset and praised his physicality and willingness to tackle.
“Reed, he’s got cover ability, he can play man-to-man, start there,” head coach Dan Campbell said, via Tim Twentyman of the team’s website . “He’ll come up, he’ll tackle, he’ll squeeze the edges, and when you see him in press (coverage), he challenges. He’s not giving you free releases. He’ll mix it up and he’ll challenge you at the catch point. He’s feisty and competitive.”
Campebll also raved about new DT Roy Lopez for his ability to take on double teams and create good matchups for the rest of the defense.
“Lopez is down and dirty. Doesn’t mean he can’t play on third down but he lives in base (defense) a lot. He’s taking on the double teams and keeping people off the linebackers. He can get an edge on you and he’ll just do it time in and time out, over and over.”
Packers
Packers WR Jayden Reed had a tremendous start to the 2024 season but struggled during the second half of the season, averaging under 30 yards per game for the final eight games of the regular season. Green Bay HC Matt LaFleur revealed Reed was slightly beat up from the toll of the season and admitted the gameplan could have done better to get him in good spots.
“(Reed) definitely started off hot,” LaFleur said, via Jason Wilde of Channel 3000 . “It’s a long season, and there’s ebbs and flows with every season. I think there was a point in time about midway through where he got a little bit banged up. Nothing serious, just the overall pounding. And it definitely took a little bit of a toll. But I also think that we could have done a better job from a staff perspective of trying to put him in some more advantageous situations where he could have produced those numbers. Because he’s an explosive player, and he’s one of those guys that you want to get the ball to, no doubt about it.”
Vikings
- Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell, when asked what he’d say to a Vikings fan who asked to be sold on QB J.J. McCarthy : “I’m really confident and really excited to see him hit the ground running. He’s had a great offseason.” (Kevin Clark )
- O’Connell continued: “You’re constantly … evaluating all of the opportunities that may be out there. And certainly that was one that I found to be interesting just because it speaks to what our place has kind of turned into for quarterbacks…But at the same time, we’ve had a quarterback plan in place with J.J. McCarthy and really like where he’s at in that journey right now and looking forward to getting the off season program going with him.” (Kevin Seifert )
- O’Connell said he spoke with veteran S Harrison Smith this offseason but not about football until Smith reached out about returning for his 14th season: “And then he called me one morning and said, ‘Hey bossman, I think I got one more in me.’” (Seifert )
- O’Connell said Brian Flores identified CB Isaiah Rodgers early on as a free agent target: “When Flo has that kind of tone in his voice about guys … he’s been pretty darn accurate.” O’Connell sees him as “an every-down impact guy.” (Seifert )
- Vikings owner Mark Wilf confirmed there will be no formal shift in authority between GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell once Adofo-Mensah’s contract extension is complete. (Seifert )
- The Vikings announced three new hires to their staff, including Joe Distor Jr. as Head Strength Coach, Ben Hawkins as Head Performance Dietitian, and Chad Bari as Assistant Performance Coach.
- The Vikings signed WR Rondale Moore to a one-year, $2 million contract with $250,000 guaranteed from a signing bonus. The deal has a base salary of $1.1 million and Moore can also earn up to $600,000 in per-game roster bonuses. (Over The Cap )
- Maryland WR Tai Felton met with the Vikings in the leadup to his pro day. (Tony Pauline )
- Texas A&M DT Shemar Turner met with the Vikings at length before his pro day. (Tony Pauline )
- Kentucky DB Zion Childress has a 30 visit scheduled with the Vikings. (Ryan Fowler )
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