One day after the AFC coaches met the media at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, it was the NFC coaches' turn. We've already gone over Mike Shanahan's desire for Robert Griffin III to slide more, and talked about the changes in Chicago.
Free-agent tracker
NFL free agency is underway. Follow all of the latest player rumors and signings in our free-agent tracker. More...
(The Bears will use Devin Hesterstrictly as a returner and include the read option in their offense.) So what else did we learn Wednesday?
- No one in this rookie quarterback crop makes Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians go "wow." Arians strongly suggested the Cardinals won't take a quarterback early because they "don't need one." Arians also said he'd pick his starting quarterback early in the offseason; he doesn't want competition at the position.
It sure sounds like Drew Stanton is the heavy favorite to start Week 1 for Arizona.
- New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said two things keep him up at night: The team's pass rush and left tackle position.
- The San Francisco 49ers hired Mick Lombardi, the son of Cleveland Browns GM Michael Lombardi. The younger Lombardi will be Jim Harbaugh's assistant, with some coaching responsibilities. Mick Lombardi was a coaching assistant in New England last season.
Harbaugh's comment on USC quarterback Matt Barkley was right on: "'Tis the season for ripping apart someone's game."
- Other updates from Mike Shanahan: Washington Redskins defensive lineman Adam Carrikersuffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a torn quadriceps and might not be ready for the season. Rex Grossman is expected to be back with the Redskins again in 2013. Shanahan also called the Tuck Rule "the worst rule in NFL history." Love it.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano expects Da'Quan Bowers to record double-digit sacks next season. That's why they let Michael Bennett go in free agency. Schiano also said that the team wants safety Ronde Barber back next year, but they aren't pressuring him for a decision.
- Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy on running back DuJuan Harris, via Jason Wilde: "He's going to play for us next year now. That's his responsibility to prove he's a starter."
- The race for the teams to pretend they will draft Geno Smith is on. Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly said that he likes Geno Smith, especially Smith's ability to understand coverages and protections.
Kelly took issue with his reputation as a revolutionary coaching figure.
"We don't run some magical offense and defense," he said.
Kelly also revealed that tackle Jason Peters should be healthy enough to participate in the team's first minicamp of the offseason. Another one I liked from Kelly:
"An elite athlete needs between 10 and 12 hours of sleep a night."
We need to extend this to people that write about elite athletes.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
