HEADLINES

Harrison Smith

NFC North Links: Packers, Briggs, Bell, Smith

February 7th, 2015 at 1:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Packers kept three quarterbacks on the active roster last season for the first time in five years, but it is unclear whether the team will elect to do so again in 2015, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com. Matt Flynn served as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup but the team was worried that putting Scott Tolzien on the practice squad would leave him vulnerable to being signed away from the roster.

If the Packers need the extra roster spot next season, they will have to make a choice between the two players. However, Rodgers hopes that he will once again get a chance to have both of them in the room with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. “Both different personalities, but great teammates,” Rodgers said. “Those guys are a lot of fun. It would be great to have them back.”

Here are some other links from around the NFC North:

  • Longtime Bears stalwart Lance Briggs could be looking for a new team for the first time in his career. However, there is one team that he has already crossed off his list, in the division rival Packers, writes David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times. Briggs said so very succinctly when asked yesterday about the possibility (via Twitter).
  • Lions running back Joique Bell is coming back from offseason surgery, and looking forward to another chance at getting into the playoffs, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. The biggest thing for Bell is bringing back star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, suggesting that Calvin Johnson will have to restructure his contract to make sure they can re-sign him. “We’ll have to talk to Calvin, see if he can do something,” Bell said. “We just need him back. Come back, Suh.”
  • Vikings safety Harrison Smith is also coming back from surgery and focused on his future. As he is coming closer to free agency, he has made sure the team knows he is interested in staying in Minnesota for a while, writes Matt Vensel of StarTribune.com. “That’s all I’ve thought of doing,” Smith said. “I have no intentions of going anywhere else. I’ll just let [my agency] handle it. I’m just here to play football and we’ll see what happens.”

NFC Notes: Bucs, McCown, Vikings, Falcons

December 23rd, 2014 at 8:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers could wind up picking No. 1 overall, but head coach Lovie Smith isn’t thinking about it, as Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com writes.

“That can’t even come into the equation,” Smith said. “[In Sunday’s loss to Green Bay], even though we didn’t play as well, the guys fought right up until the end — they weren’t thinking about that pick or anything like that. This week we’re going to do the same thing. We’re going to make decisions that will give us the best chance to win by being able to look at players that we haven’t seen, that may come into the equation a little bit, but we’re going to do everything that we possibly can to try and win the game and let everything else take care of itself.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Although Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown will turn 36 next summer, he’s not thinking about retiring after this season, as Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com writes. “I don’t know if it’s at that point yet,” McCown said. “Obviously right now at this point in the season your body is tired and all those things. But once you get away from it and kind of reassess things, I feel good. My plan right now is to keep playing.”
  • Wide receiver Jarius Wright and safety Harrison Smith are two Vikings players eligible for contract extensions this offseason, and as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press details in a pair of pieces, Wright thinks he’s done enough to warrant a new deal, while Smith says he loves Minnesota and has no interest in playing anywhere else. Within that second piece, Tomasson also spoke to a few other Vikings about potential extensions, including tackle Matt Kalil.
  • Former Browns CEO Joe Banner is advising the Falcons, with a focus on the team’s new stadium business, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
  • Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, including Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter), that his personnel department really liked center Travis Swanson coming out of the draft. Of course, Swanson wound up being selected by the Lions in the third round of this year’s draft instead.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Teammates React To Peterson’s Absence

September 14th, 2014 at 8:06pm CST by Rob DiRe

While the Vikings have decided not to address the Adrian Peterson situation until Monday, his absence became a huge part of the story of the team’s 30-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune captured some of head coach Mike Zimmer’s press conference following the loss.

“I don’t want to discuss the Adrian issue at all today,” said Zimmer. “This is about the football game here. We’ll talk about it Monday or whenever we have the press conference on.”

While Tesfatsion noted many players declined to comment on playing without the star running back, there were some players willing to discuss it. Tom Pelissero of USA Today noted that even players who were willing to broach the subject, they had no answers for the media.

“He’s one of the best players in the NFL. Obviously, everybody knows that,” said linebacker Chad Greenway. “The reality is there’s going to be some interesting times ahead. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I don’t think we have any excuses for what happened out there today,” said center John Sullivan. “If you go out and execute the way we did on the first drive the entire game, this question isn’t being asked right now.”

“We obviously don’t condone any of the alleged (actions),” said safety Harrison Smith. “But we’re going to stand behind our guys, and that’s pretty much all I’ve got to say.”

The entire organization was still frustrated following the blowout loss. Zimmer made an emphasis on how little the lack of Peterson influenced the game.

“It didn’t affect the team,” said Zimmer. “You know what affected the team? Throwing interceptions. Getting a field goal blocked. Not tackling well enough. Having penalties on defense.”

The team will likely not have Peterson rejoin the team anytime soon, and must go into a game against the 0-2 Saints without their best offensive weapon. The team’s new best player on the offense also commented on how the team is handling the situation, according to Mark Craig of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).

“We just have to get that mindset,” said Cordarrelle Patterson. “28 probably ain’t going to be here with us.”