Bears
Bears HC Ben Johnson spoke on the value of veteran QB Case Keenum as a backup, leader, and experienced playoff performer.
“Case has been phenomenal,” Johnson said, via BearsWire.com. “I haven’t been with him in the past, but he came highly recommended from a number of people that I trust. He’s got skins on the wall. I mean, he’s been to playoff games, he’s won playoff games. He’s done it at a high level. He’s been the number two quarterback at a number of different places as well. His experience level is off the charts. He’s seen a little bit of everything that this league has to offer. I can say from my experience of being in the room with him, he finds a good way to ask questions that I might not, or Declan or J.T. – we might not have provided the answer to prior. He does a good job of filling those gaps. And then of course, we’re constrained so much by the time limits in the springtime that he’s able to help the process when we’re not in there as coaches.”
Lions
New Lions RB coach and former player Tashard Choice plans on pushing RB Jahmyr Gibbs as hard as he can to produce a player he believes can be one of the greatest running backs in the league.
“For him, the sky is the limit,” Choice said of Gibbs, via the team website. “I’m going to push him. I’m going to push him like no other. I have to. Having the chance to watch him from afar for these last three years, and every single week because of (Lions defensive coordinator and friend Kelvin Sheppard) Shep and because of Jah, I kept wanting to watch the Lions’ games,” said Choice, who was a running back for six seasons in the NFL from 2008-2013. To see him progress, to see how smart he is — I tell him he’s one of the smartest running backs I’ve ever coached. He’s just a natural football player … so having an opportunity to get around him now coaching, I’m going to be harder on him even more.”
Packers
Packers CB/KR Keisean Nixon grew frustrated last season after teams started kicking away from him and commented that he wanted to focus on being a cornerback. Nixon backtracked on refusing to return kicks and is still open to the role.
“I was kind of frustrated when the season was over,” Nixon said, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “Of course I’m open to it. I’m always going to do what the team needs. Also, just me knowing who I am as a person, if the game’s on the line, I’m gonna want the ball, anyway. That’s a comment I probably could’ve kept to myself, for sure, but it is what it is. I meant what I said, but I’m also a team player and if the coach and the team need me to do something, I’m gonna do it, for sure.”
Nixon still doesn’t expect teams to kick to him despite touchbacks moving up to the 35-yard line.
“The rule change doesn’t matter,” Nixon said. “I don’t think they’ll fully kick me the ball. They’d rather (us) get it at the 35 than give it at the 50. I think it’ll be the same.”
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