Mike Patterson

NFC North Notes: Peterson, Patterson, Bears

Here’s a quick look at the NFC North..

  • On Wednesday afternoon, a reader asked Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) to handicap the odds that the Vikings will trade Adrian Peterson. Schefter replied that the Vikings have been very clear in their stance and they’ve insisted that they won’t budge. Earlier today, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report spoke with a league source who felt that Peterson was likely to show up at some point during OTAs. Peterson, meanwhile, issued a statement explaining that he does not want to be traded.
  • The Lions are set to meet with defensive lineman Mike Patterson, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Detroit is looking to beef up the line and they could do it by reuniting Patterson with coach Jim Washburn.
  • The Bears have hired former Saints cap guru Joey Laine as their new director of football administration, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Laine will handle the salary cap and player negotiations, according to a source. Cliff Stein will remain with Chicago as general counsel.

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Panthers, Lions, Giants

We took a look at notes from ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…

  • Even if the Rams end up re-signing wideout Kenny Britt, Nick Wagoner believes it wouldn’t be farfetched for the team to take a receiver with their first-round pick.
  • Greg Olsen would like to get an extension worked out before next season, and David Newton says it’d be wise for the Panthers to sign the tight end. The writer points out that signing Cam Newton is the team’s main priority, but re-signing Olsen is not far down the list.
  • Michael Rothstein writes that it’s “feasible” for the Lions to pay Ndamukong Suh more than J.J. Watt, but the writer notes that it would likely depend on the contract’s structure. Rothstein believes the team may have an eye towards the expected cap increases in future seasons, which means the team would prefer a backloaded contract.
  • Besides Jason Pierre-Paul, Dan Graziano isn’t entirely sure which of the Giants free agents the organization would want to re-sign. Antrel Rolle could return, but Graziano doesn’t expect the safety to take a discount. The writer has similar feelings toward safety Stevie Brown and defensive tackle Mike Patterson.

Giants Re-Sign Mike Patterson

TUESDAY, 9:54am: Patterson’s contract is worth the minimum salary for one year, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.

MONDAY, 1:37pm: In addition to officially announcing their signing of Zackary Bowman, the Giants have also announced a new deal for defensive lineman Mike Patterson (Twitter link). Like Bowman, Patterson had been an unrestricted free agent.

A longtime Eagle, Patterson joined the Giants for the 2013 season and assumed a part-time role for the team. In 413 defensive snaps, the former first-round pick logged 23 tackles and six quarterback pressures, grading especially well against the run, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).