Bears
Bears WR Rome Odunze said he’s focused on his improvement this offseason and is building his upper-body strength to deal with “nitpicking and grabbing.”
“I just turned 23,” Odunze said, via Jayna Bardahl of The Athletic. “I don’t have many things to focus on other than getting better. There’s a lot of nitpicking and grabbing in this league that isn’t always shown. I feel like I needed to build upper-body mass to be able to combat some of those things.”
Odunze acknowledged differences between the NFL and the college game, saying passing windows and the game’s pace are areas he adapted to.
“It’s a different game than college football. There are different windows, different ways to get open, and there’s a different pace that you have to get adapted to,” Odunze said. “Having a full season under my belt, I feel like I’m aware of those things. I can now play the game freely in a way that I know where I need to be when I need to be there.”
As for playing under HC Ben Johnson, Odunze said their new coaching staff will help put him “in positions to succeed.”
“I think Ben (Johnson) and crew have great offensive minds,” Odunze said. “I feel like they can help put me in positions to succeed, and that’s all I can ask for. But at the end of the day, I’ve got to get out there and make plays and get the job done regardless.”
Lions
Frank Ragnow announced his retirement from the NFL following his seven years with the Lions. Bears HC Ben Johnson reflected on Ragnow’s career after coaching the lineman for the last six years.
“I don’t know if I’ve been around a tougher player in my life than him,” Johnson said via BearsWire. “He was a pleasure to coach, a pleasure to be around. He makes everyone around him better. The number of injuries that he had, and he was still able to play through, it’s pretty remarkable. Whether you were in that locker room with him, or you competed against him, I think that everybody in this league had a high, high level of respect for him.”
Packers
Following his first year with the Packers, RB Josh Jacobs was a part of the running back resurgence in the league, where veteran backs changed teams and made a tremendous impact. Jacobs talked about the running backs showing up last year, and he zeroed his goals in on the Lombardi Trophy.
“I feel like everything in football, and really in life, it comes full circle,” Jacobs said, via Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s website. “Besides the quarterback, we touch the ball more than anybody else on the field, so we have the most opportunities to create and be special, so I’m proud of a lot of these guys who stepped up and showed their versatility and played good.”
“I feel like I had a good year, but I feel like I still left a lot on the table. For me, it’s just trying to come in and chase that No. 1 spot and raise a Super Bowl (trophy) at the end of the day. That’s the only thing that’s really on my mind.”
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