Offensive linemen catching passes. Lions players retiring. Can it get crazier??
I'm sure you've all heard the big news of the week. That Bears practice got extra whacky with offensive linemen catching passes. Oh, that's not it? Must not be NFC North related then! Let's hit it.
Bears
The offensive linemen stuff would be a joke with most teams, but Ben Johnson is known for weird trick plays and pissing away playoff chances with them. He said that in OTA practice three they were evaluating which offensive linemen and quarterbacks could catch and which skill players could throw.
Caleb Williams has reportedly progressed in his second off-season, this one under the ultra-detailed Ben Johnson, but reporters have noted a few cross-body throws that turned into picks. You expect picks in the pre-season as players try things but that type of risk-taking is endemic to his game.
Ben Johnson singled out rookie RB Kyle Monangai as a top player thus far. As we've mentioned thousands of times at this point, DeAndre Swift (or Deandre Slow as some call him) is a subpar starting RB and Monangai, the team's seventh-round pick, may have a legitimate chance to replace him. Of course, the 5'8" RB fell to the seventh for a reason and the story may change once the practice goes full contact..
Lions
The biggest news out of Lions camp is that all-pro center Frank Ragnow retired after seven seasons. Ragnow was a huge part of the team's, and specifically Jared Goff's, success over the past few years.Ragnow was not only a plus player but he was in charge of the protection calls that kept Jared Goff clean much of the time. There were some rumblings that Ragnow retired as part of contract negotiations and maybe would come back, but Dan Campbell denied those rumors.
Rookie guard Tate Ratledge was first in at center to replace Ragnow. Ratledge was a career guard in college and you have to wonder if the Lions are already making plans to acquire a new center. Our old friend Josh Myers may be available - he signed a one-year contract worth just $2mm ($3mm with incentives) with the Jets to be a back-up. You'd have to think they'd flip him for a fifth or something. If they don't make a move, they're ina really rough spot on the interior o-line. They could potentially have a rookie playing out of position at center, Graham Glasgow, who is old and also bad, at one guard and Christian Mahogany, who has played 65 career snaps, at the other guard. Glasgow could play center but that wouldn't magically make him good.
Unsurprisingly, the defense has outplayed the offense in OTAs so far. The defense does have more returning players and probably more scheme crossover but a poor o-line could spell a poor offense for the Lions this year.
Vikings
On the Vikings' side of things, a shiny and new interior offensive line has been a highlight of OTAs. Led by free agent acquisition Ryan Kelly.
Another interesting focus for the Vikings so far is Jeff Okudah. The former top-10 pick for the Lions played for Jeff Hafley at Ohio State and has been a bust in the NFL. It's possible playing for Matt Patricia and the Lions gave him the yips or something and the Vikings are playing him a ton with the 1s to find out.
Obviously, JJ McCarthy has to have some notes. It's hard to tell how he's really doing as you'll see some reporters saying he's hot and cold and others saying that he seems to already have chemistry with Justin Jefferson. The McVay tree tends to not play their starting QBs in the pre-season but McCarthy is probably going to have to.
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Mike Price is a lifelong Packers fan who recently moved from Utah to Stoughton (a Madison suberb). You can follow him on twitter at @themikeprice.
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