HEADLINES

Khyri Thornton

NFC North Moves: Lyerla, Vikings, Lions

May 19th, 2014 at 6:15pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Packers have signed three players out of their rookie minicamp, most notably Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter).

The team will take on chance with the shaky character of Lyerla, according to Demovsky. “Every case is an individual case. We have always believed that, or I have always believed that there are certain things that people can atone for, acknowledge their mistakes and get on with their lives,” said general manager Ted Thompson. “And I am a proponent of those kind of people that try to do that. And that’s where we’re at with Colt.”

Lyerla posted his reaction to being signed on his official twitter account. “I am honored to be a part of such a legendary organization. Proud to be a Green Bay Packer ! #GoPackGo”

The team also signed defensive back Charles Clay out of Hawaii and defensive end Luther Robinson out of Miami.

  • The Packers have signed third-round pick Khyri Thornton, reports Demovsky (via Twitter). Thornton, a defensive tackle out of Southern Miss, is the team’s sixth rookie to sign, leaving only three players left unsigned.
  • The Vikings have signed linebacker Dom DeCicco, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team released guard Conor Boffeli and quarterback Travis Partridge.
  • The Lions have signed defensive tackle Greg Hickman who was part of their rookie minicamp, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The team has released defensive tackle Corey Irvin to make room.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Houston, Packers, Vikings

May 17th, 2014 at 8:52am CST by Matt Feminis

Following one of the worst defensive seasons in team history, the Bears’ scheme under defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will “undergo significant alterations in 2014,” says ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “There are some significant changes in terms of techniques that we’re going to play; how we’re going to fit the run, some of our alignments,” Tucker said. “We’ll have some alternative fronts that we’ll play. I’m not sure how much of a difference you’ll see during the OTAs and things like that because we’re going to work to lay the foundation on our base principles and techniques, which will allow us to do pretty much anything we want down the road.” Wright also mentions that the team plans to cross train all of the defensive linemen in an effort to achieve better flexibility and versatility.

In other NFC North notes. . .

  • Lions veteran cornerback Chris Houston had toe surgery earlier this week, and the team is uncertain if he’ll be ready for the start of training camp, writes Dave Birkett in the Detroit Free Press.
  • The Packers drafted four defensive rookies. Of the group, first-round safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and third-round defensive lineman Khyri Thornton are expected to contribute as rookies. “There’s a reasonable chance Clinton-Dix will be plugged in as a starter on Day 1 of training camp,” says Tyler Dunne in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Thornton, while raw, was taken in the third round for a reason. Green Bay envisions him adding rotational juice to the defensive line.”
  • Because of an NFL rule, Vikings rookies Anthony Barr, Scott Crichton and David Yankey can’t join the team full-time until next month, writes Master Tesfatsion of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. The players’ schools — UCLA, Oregon State and Stanford, respectively — are on quarters instead of semesters, and the players are required to return to school until the term ends in June.
  • Meanwhile, the Vikings envision third-round pick Jerick McKinnon, an option quarterback at Georgia Southern, as the type of complimentary, all-purpose back that has thrived in so many of offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s units, writes ESPN’s Ben Goessling.