NFC Notes: Brad Holmes, Ben Johnson, Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

Bears HC Ben Johnson made it clear that nobody would be given a job, despite their draft status.

“We talked about it the moment the players got back in the building [April 7],” Johnson said, via Bears Wire. “It was going to be a competitive environment. There is no depth chart right now. If you want to play, you’ve got to go earn it. If you want a role, you’ve got to go earn it. They know that. We were very straightforward and honest with them when they came in the building. I think all we did this weekend is we might’ve just turned up the notch a couple of dials for certain people in this building. That’s a good thing. That’s a healthy thing. That’s where you bring out the best not only in your team but in each individual.”

Lions

Lions GM Brad Holmes said the team wasn’t going to go into the draft to over-pick a player based on need.

“Height, Weight, Speed — it is the opposite of film evaluation, and we’re all about film evaluation, and that’s the hard part of scouting,” Holmes said, via ESPN. “Height, weight (and) speed is easy. Stats are easy. A position listed is easy. But film evaluation is hard to figure out.”

Detroit was viewed as a team that could take a defensive end early, but wound up not selecting one until Day 3 when they selected Boise State DE Ahmed Hassanein.

“I never stop. I am always going. I am always willing to learn. I never settle. When you teach me something, I’ll go 100 miles per hour every snap, every play. I will never settle,” Hassanein said. “That’s just who I am. I am ready to die on the football field because he believes in me. I truly feel that. Just the consistency and the growth and the physicality that I bring, I never stop. Offensive linemen hate going against me just because I keep going after them every play, every play, every play, even if I get blocked. I get back up and do it again, do it again, do it again because that’s who I am.”

Holmes reiterated that he has confidence in the team’s process of selecting players, even if the fan base is skeptical of who those picks are at times.

“I understand that fans and people on the outside of this building, they naturally have reactions, and they’ll have comments, thoughts about the decisions that we make,” Holmes said following Day 3. “And I think the tough part about it is that the people on the outside, they have very limited information about the decisions that we make, and we have all the information which goes into that decision. Also, not just the information that’s available, but also the work that we have to put into it. The people, let’s say the fans or the media or anybody, I don’t think that someone’s watching hours and hours and hours of film. I wouldn’t expect them to. They probably have a job. That takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of time, it’s a lot of strain. That’s the hard part.”

Packers

Green Bay double-dipped on wide receiver during the draft with Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. Packers HC Matt LaFleur is excited about the speed element the two bring to the offense.

“Obviously, Golden ran what he ran. Anytime a guy is breaking sub-4.3s, you know he’s legitimately fast,” LaFleur said, via ESPN. “I think what’s so attractive about a guy like Golden is not only is he fast, but he’s got, I’d say elite hands. And then Savion, I can’t remember exactly, mid-4.4s, 4.47 or something like that, but he did that three weeks after coming off an injury or three weeks of training. What his true speed is, I don’t think we truly know.”

Packers VP Jon Eric-Sullivan said the team has placed an emphasis on building up the offensive line due to their division’s strong defensive fronts.

“I think if you look at some of the teams — whether you’re talking about the NFC North or you’re just talking about the NFC in general as you get into the playoffs — some of the defensive fronts that you face, I think you’ve got to have guys that can hold up,” Sullivan said. “We look for guys that can play big-man ball and sustain versus power and do those kinds of things. If you don’t have that, eventually you’re going to succumb to … powerful, big fronts, especially the deeper you go into the playoffs. You’ve got to be able to handle that.“