Bears
After an exciting offseason that was headlined by the hiring of HC Ben Johnson, Bears President Kevin Warren expressed his eagerness to watch the team’s development in 2025. Chicago was busy again in free agency, and Warren talked about making the finances work for whatever the team needs to improve.
“I am really excited to watch this evolve from a group of really good players to a team,” Warren said, via Larry Mayer of the team’s website.
“I tell Ryan and coach all the time: ‘Just dream and forget about the financial cost and the resources for the time being. Tell us what is the right thing to do for this franchise and then we can figure out how to make it happen.’ I want to create an environment that has creativity, that is diligent, that is hard working and does not start off thinking, ‘Oh no, we will never be able to do that.’”
Through the early phases of the relationship between Johnson and GM Ryan Poles, Warren believes they are completely aligned because of their high football knowledge and passion for the game.
“They are the same person. They are very bright, their intelligence level is high, they are curious, they have a high football IQ, they are winners, they are family men, they are similar in age and their journey was similar.
“They love the game of football. They love the Bears. They have a lot of similar attributes, and I think now they know they are in an environment where they can write their own future, and we have got the greatest fan base that we are building this for.”
Packers
- Packers HC Matt LaFleur on new signing Isaiah Simmons: “He’s a very talented player and he’s played a lot of ball in this league. … The thing you love about him is he has a lot of versatility and can do a lot of different things. In New York, situationally, he was (used) all over the place.” (Weston Hodkiewicz)
- LaFleur said Simmons was endorsed by S Xavier McKinney: “I asked X, and X gave him two thumbs up. That is meaningful though, when you have a player coming from New York. He said he was a great teammate, and that’s all I needed to hear.” (Ryan Wood)
- LaFleur on the status of WR Christian Watson: “He’s been outstanding. Great attitude and he’s working hard. That’s all you can ask of anybody.” (Hodkiewicz)
- As for CB Jaire Alexander, LaFleur noted he isn’t taking part in voluntary in-person work: “I just know we’re trying to work through it.” (Matt Schneidman)
- Packers TE John FitzPatrick‘s one-year, $1,500,000 deal includes a $125,000 signing bonus, a base salary of $1,130,000, up to $170,000 in per-game roster bonuses, and a workout bonus of $75,000. (OverTheCap)
Vikings
The Vikings made considerable investments in their defensive and offensive lines, adding DL Jonathan Allen, DT Javon Hargrave, C Ryan Kelly and G Will Fries. Regarding the defensive line, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah thinks it was important to add strong interior rushers.
“That’s a position on the front where some of these great scheme play callers like Kevin want to attack you in base downs, and you maybe don’t have your elite pass rush group on the field, so you need defensive interior players who are able to stop the run but also transition and are athletic enough to get after the passer, maybe limit some of these explosive plays these great guys can get against you,” Adofo-Mensah said, via Craig Peters of the team’s site. “It’s really an important thing. If you look at all great teams, they’re really great in the front from different places, so we’re excited about what we were able to add.”
Adofo-Mensah called Hargrave an “infectious” player, while Allen was on their radar “for a couple of years.”
“You talk about Hargrave and the infectious way he plays football,” Adofo-Mensah said. “I think that’s going to elevate that group, and Jonathan Allen is a pro’s pro. Honestly, he’s been on our radar for a couple of years, and we’re excited to add him.”
Kelly understands their offense’s success typically hinges on how well the line is protecting.
“On offense, you have to run the ball. You have to protect well,” Kelly said. “It’s not always about the receivers, right? Like, if the quarterback doesn’t have time, who cares, right? In Indy, we always had the saying, ‘As o-line goes, the offense goes.’ I think that was always in the back of our mind when we went to a game, was, ‘No matter what happens, it’s on us.’ And that’s the burden that the offensive line carries, right? We’re sometimes the first people to take the criticism, last people to get the praise, right? That’s what you sign up for. That’s why the offensive line is so tightly knit. So speaking for an offensive line perspective, that’s what makes us who we are, and that’s the mentality we’ll bring this year.”
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