Bears
Bears HC Ben Johnson commented on building out the roster at certain skill positions as he enters his first season at the helm in Chicago.
“To me, that’s how you want to construct your roster from all your skill positions, you don’t want five 6’4″ guys in the receiver room, you more of a basketball team,” Johnson said when discussing how to identify the right players for the system, via BearsWire.com. “How you would have a point guard, the power forward, you have a wealth of different skill sets that you can look to call upon wherever you’re at in the field, and whatever situation arises.
Lions
The Lions added three free-agent CBs, including D.J. Reed, which puts 2024 second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw‘s role in question. Detroit HC Dan Campbell clarified they are not pessimistic about Rakestraw despite the additions, and he discussed the expectation that Rakestraw will improve.
“I would anticipate this guy takes another step up, man”, via Tim Twentyman of the team’s website. “We’re not down on him. We’re not disappointed. We expect him to go in there and compete, man. There is nothing set in stone. You draft guys where you do and you sign guys according to what you think they’re going to be for you, but the best man is going to play. So, he’s very much in that mix.”
Lions GM Brad Holmes echoed Campbell’s excitement for Rakestraw but admitted they couldn’t be forced to depend on him after an injury-filled rookie year.
“We’re still excited about Rakestraw, but unfortunately, he had injuries, and he wasn’t healthy enough to provide us a little bit more clarity in terms of where he was gonna be, so, I didn’t think it was going to be rational for us to depend on him,” Holmes added.
Lions
Detroit’s roster has made tremendous strides over the last couple of seasons under GM Brad Holmes. Heading into the draft with the No. 28 overall pick, Holmes is willing to move up or down for “the right guy” and reflected on drafting without having as many needs as when he took over in 2021.
“I think the first couple of years, there was probably a little bit more — because of where we were at as a roster — it was like, ‘Man we need this, this, this,’” Holmes said, via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “Like I told you guys at the time, man, we need everything. So, there was not just a position or anything. We just needed really good football players.”
“We have a lot of really good football players [now], but I don’t think that where we are now as a roster is going to lessen my desire to want to go get more better football players.”
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