Kyle Carter

North Notes: Bengals, Packers, Vikes, Lions

By Dallas Robinson | at January 26, 2018 6:51 pm

While Bengals center Russell Bodine hasn’t been all that effective during his four years as the club’s starting center, he’s been durable enough to the point where Cincinnati would to like to re-sign him, as head coach Marvin Lewis explained to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Russell’s been, physically, mentally a tough football player for us,” Lewis said. “He was installed there as a rookie and he’s done nothing but continue to grow and get better and frankly grow into a guy you can count on to help lead the football team. I feel really good about him. So hopefully we’ll be able to get that done.” Bodine, 25, has started all 64 possible games since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2014, but he graded as a bottom-10 center in 2017, per Pro Football Focus.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

• Although the Vikings waived tight end Kyle Carter in order to create a roster spot for quarterback Sam Bradford earlier this month, the club intended to re-sign him when it was first eligible to do so after the Super Bowl, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Even earlier this week, Carter’s belongings were still in his Minnesota locker, so the Vikings clearly had a reserve/futures deal in mind. Instead, the Giants — who now employ former Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as head coach — claimed Carter off waivers, meaning they’ll control his rights for the remainder of the offseason.
• New Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst intends to make changes to Green Bay’s front office, but not until after the 2018 draft, he told Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Packers have already experienced a good deal of turnover this offseason, as former GM Ted Thompson was reassigned to an adviser role, while Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith both defected for Cleveland. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported earlier this year that both college scouting director Jon-Eric Sullivan and pro personnel director John Wojciechowski could be candidates for promotion.
• The Lions have parted ways with defensive backs coach Tony Oden in what is just the latest move in a complete defensive staff overhaul, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit has already let nearly every one of its defensive assistants out of their respective contracts, and the majority have landed elsewhere. While presumptive head coach Matt Patricia hasn’t yet officially made any hires, the Lions are reportedly interested in Boston College defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni for defensive coordinator.