Bears
Heading into his first year as a head coach, helping QB Caleb Williams take the steps to become the franchise quarterback is perhaps the most important job for Bears HC Ben Johnson. During their first offseason together, Johnson talked about creating a strong relationship with trust, but understands that’s something that has to develop over time.
“It starts with developing a rapport and a trust, and that’s earned over time,” Johnson said, via Alyssa Barbieri of the Bears Wire. “You don’t walk in Day 1 and expect that to be achieved. The more time we spend together, he understands that I have his best interests at hearts, and vice versa. He’s going to go out there and play as well as he possibly can, not just for himself or me, but for the whole team and the city, that’s really what it comes down to. We’re very much aligned in terms of what we want to get done, it just takes more time on task, in terms of getting on the same page with how we’re going to do it.”
“I think that the great ones, they want to be coached hard,” Johnson added. “That’s really the assumption we’re making with all of these guys. They all, at one point in time, they’ve either come up to my office or DA’S office, or (special teams coordinator) (Richard) Hightower’s office and they’ve all told us how much they want to be a good player, a good team. They want to be a part of greatness. We’re going to treat them as such, and part of that is coaching them hard.”
“Everyone is different. I’ve been around a number of coordinators, a number of quarterback coaches,” Johnson concluded. “I would say that my style is kind of a combination of everything that I’ve been around and I’ve come to learn and love and appreciate. There’s a process that I believe in, that we believe in, as an offensive staff, that we’re adhering to this springtime, and we’re going to stay true to that, and how we’re going to develop that position in particular. Those guys are doing a great job, they’re working hard right now.”
Lions
New Lions TE coach Tyler Roehl commented on the opportunity for growth the team could have in the run game with TE Sam LaPorta.
“He has a real natural feel in the pass game,” Roehl said recently of LaPorta. “Where can I continue to add value for him in the run game? He’s got the right mindset and intent. He has a really good foundation to build upon. There are small things in the run game I can help out with.”
“Talk about no ego and about the team. High capacity to learn and an unbelievable work ethic,” Roehl said of his first impressions of LaPorta. “Our communication and the way he goes about his work, excited to continue to help add value to his game.”
Packers
Packers seventh-round CB Micah Robinson took just one visit during the pre-draft process and it was to Green Bay. It evidently went well because the team made Robinson its final pick of the 2025 draft.
“On my visit I was joking with the coaches, actually,” Robinson said via Mike Spofford of the team website. “I was like, ‘I’m going to be back. Hopefully I’ll be back.’ I kind of just spoke it into existence.”
“I had a great visit up here with them,” Robinson added. “Got to know the coaches. Got to tour the facilities. Loved everything. Loved everything about the culture. Loved everything about Green Bay. Now I’m back. Sometimes it only takes one. One team to believe in you. Green Bay believed in me, so I’m here now and I’m here to give everything I’ve got.”
Robinson isn’t a lock for the roster as a seventh-round pick and he’ll compete with a few other late-rounders and undrafted free agents to make the team. At 5-11 and 185 pounds, his best fit might be at nickel corner, where Green Bay does have a need.
“I want to show them I can play any position, whether that’s nickel or corner,” Robinson said. “I want to play special teams. With my skill set, I want to show them they can put me anywhere on the field, and also be a low-maintenance guy. Whenever they need me, just go out there and do what I have to do.”
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