NFC North

Former All-Pro center Olin Kreutz has been fired from his job with CHGO Sports for allegedly attacking a colleague. 

CHGO Sports said in a statement Kreutz "physically attacked" a company employee Monday:

Kreutz responded to the company's statement with a Mike Tyson meme:

Per Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times, Kreutz allegedly grabbed the neck of CHGO Sports' Chicago Bears reporter Adam Hoge "in response to a flippant remark" during a staff meeting. 

Agrest noted Hoge didn't require treatment and didn't file a police report.

Kreutz played 14 seasons in the NFL from 1998-2011. The 44-year-old spent the first 13 years of his career with the Bears, making the Pro Bowl six consecutive seasons from 2001-06. The University of Washington alum was named to the All-Pro team twice, including to the first team in 2006.

After electing not to re-sign with the Bears after the 2010 season, Kreutz signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. He only appeared in four games before leaving the team because of disagreements with offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. 

Kreutz admitted in a 2018 radio interview he threw Drew Brees against the wall on his final day with the Saints as he was in the midst of argument with Kromer. 

The NFL named Kreutz to the All-Decade Team for the 2000s. He was named of the 100 greatest players in Bears' history as part of the NFL's 100-year celebration during the 2019 season.    

The Green Bay Packers waited until the second round of the 2022 NFL draft to address their need at receiver, but they reportedly "liked" Chris Olave heading into Round 1, according to Peter King of NBC Sports.

The New Orleans Saints traded up to the No. 11 pick to take Olave, while the Detroit Lions took fellow receiver Jameson Williams with the 12th pick after moving up from No. 32.

Green Bay, instead, stayed put in the first round with pick Nos. 22 and 28, taking linebacker Quay Walker and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. The Packers eventually moved up on Day 2 to select Christian Watson with the 34th overall pick.

King argued the team would have been better off packaging both first-round picks to move up to select Olave in Round 1.

Olave was a highly productive player during his career at Ohio State, totaling 175 catches for 2,702 yards and 35 touchdowns across four seasons.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department was especially high on the wideout, naming him the second-best receiver in the class behind only Drake London, and 10th best player overall. Olave was considered the most "pro-ready" at the position and the best "route-runner."

B/R listed Watson as the No. 15 receiver in the 2022 class.

The North Dakota State product is seemingly more of a project at the position, which general manager Brian Gutekunst indicated after the draft.

"He's a big, fast, physical receiver," he told reporters Friday. "We think his best football is ahead of him."

While Watson could develop into a star thanks to his physical tools, the Packers need immediate help at receiver after losing Davante Adams and Marques Valdes-Scantling this offseason. The team signed Sammy Watkins in free agency, but no one on the roster had more than 600 receiving yards last year.

It puts a lot of pressure on reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers to carry the offense without many proven weapons.     

The Chicago Bears have released quarterback Nick Foles, according to his agent Justin Schulman.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network relayed the news.

Foles will account for $6.667 million in dead cap space, per Aaron Leming of Bear Report.

It's been a disappointing three years for Foles, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 on a four-year, $88 million deal. The Bears acquired the quarterback in 2020 in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

In both stops, Foles had a chance to be the starting quarterback but couldn't get it done on the field.

The 33-year-old finished the 2019 season with three touchdown passes and two interceptions in four games, averaging 184.0 passing yards per game. He wasn't much better in 2020 with an average of 205.8 passing yards across nine games, throwing 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

He had just an 81.8 quarterback rating across those two years.

After the Bears drafted Justin Fields and signed Andy Dalton, Foles dropped to third on the depth chart. He ended up starting one game, leading the Bears to a 25-24 road win over the Seattle Seahawks after completing 24 of 35 passes for 250 yards and one touchdown.

Foles still possesses plenty of upside, as he showed during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. The veteran led the Eagles to the first Super Bowl in franchise history after taking over for an injured Carson Wentz late in the 2017 season.

The quarterback won Super Bowl MVP after totaling three passing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown in the win over the New England Patriots.

In six playoff starts, Foles has a 98.8 career quarterback rating.

In 2013, the Arizona product earned his only Pro Bowl selection when he threw 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions during his first stint with the Eagles.

As passing offenses continue to get better across the NFL, adding high-end talent in the secondary is more vital to success on defense than ever before. 

The Minnesota Vikings believe they have found a shutdown cornerback after selecting Clemson star Andrew Booth Jr. with the No. 42 pick in the 2022 NFL draft. 

Booth appeared in 25 games during his three-year college career. He was named to the All-ACC team in each of the past two seasons, including the first team as a junior in 2021. 

Landing a cornerback of Booth's talent can completely transform the Vikings' entire secondary next season.

Here is where their roster stands after adding the 21-year-old:

CB: Patrick Peterson, Nate Hairston, Harrison Hand

CB: Andrew Booth Jr., Cameron Dantzler, Kris Boyd, Tye Smith

SS: Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus

FS: Lewis Cine, Camryn Bynum, Myles Dorn

SCB: Chandon Sullivan, Parry Nickerson

Booth had a productive junior season that saw him move into the upper-echelon of draft-eligible cornerbacks. The Georgia native recorded 37 total tackles, three tackles for loss, five pass breakups and three interceptions. 

Looking at what Booth brings to the Vikings, he is ranked as the No. 24 overall player in this year's draft class by B/R's NFL scouting department. 

Bleacher Report scout Cody Giddings compared Booth's skill set to Los Angeles Rams cornerback David Long:

"A long strider with above-average speed, Booth occasionally has trouble with his change of direction and breaking, with his top-end speed being a question of concern. There are times when he lacks the crisp breaks desired due to his high pad level.

"Though he has good press-man skills, Booth works best when he can see routes develop in front of him. With the ball in the air, he has shown the ball skills needed to defend short and deep passes as well as the ability to play through the receiver."

One criticism of Booth's game that Giddings cited was questionable tackling ability. Being able to wrap up opposing players instead of trying to dive for their ankles will be crucial as he adjusts to the NFL. 

But a cornerback who stands at 6'0" with long limbs and ball skills is hard to find. Getting one on a rookie contract is one of the greatest luxuries in the NFL. 

Booth has plenty of experience in big games after playing at Clemson. This stage won't be too big for him as he takes his first steps in his professional career with the Vikings in 2022. 

The Green Bay Packers added a wide receiver with plenty of upside in the 2022 NFL draft when they selected North Dakota State's Christian Watson with the No. 34 overall pick on Friday.

Here is a look at how he fits into his new team's depth chart:

WR 1: Allen Lazard

WR 2: Sammy Watkins

WR 3: Randall Cobb, Christian Watson

Watson is coming off a breakout season at North Dakota State when he finished with 43 catches for 800 yards and seven touchdowns. The Bison also used him as a runner (15 carries for 114 yards and one touchdown) and a kickoff returner at times, underscoring his versatility.

This draft is loaded with talented wide receivers, and Watson is just one example. 

Headliners such as Drake London, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams, Treylon Burks and Jahan Dotson stood out, but the North Dakota State product was part of a deep group of secondary options that included Alec Pierce, Skyy Moore and George Pickens, among others.

It is a testament to how many wide receivers there were in this draft that B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked Watson as the 15th-best wide receiver in its final big board but still had him as a top-100 player at 97th overall.

It also put Watson as the 42nd overall pick in its last mock draft, and his "long speed when given a runway to take the top off the defense," physicality at over 6'4" and route-running ability were highlighted in a scouting report.

He can use that size as a red-zone threat, speed when defenders focus on the other playmakers in his new team's offense and route-running to get open underneath as something of a safety valve early in his rookie season.

If he does, Watson figures to be one of the under-the-radar picks who thrives given a specific role in the aerial attack.

With Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling no longer on Green Bay's roster, the Packers needed more talent. Throw in the opportunity to develop alongside a star quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, and there is plenty to like about this pick.

Reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers lost his favorite target this offseason when the Green Bay Packers traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders.

While speaking to Pat McAfee on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers admitted that the trade caught him off-guard.

"It was a little surprising with Davante," Rodgers said. "Obviously when I made my decision I was still thinking he was going to come back."

Rodgers was referring to his decision to continue his career with the Packers after he briefly contemplated retirement. He signed a three-year contract extension worth $150 million.

Arguably the most potent quarterback-receiver tandem in the league, Rodgers and Adams wreaked havoc on NFL defenses for eight years. Adams earned his second consecutive first-team All-Pro selection and fifth straight Pro Bowl selection in 2021 after finishing with 123 catches for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Adams and Rodgers have connected for 69 touchdowns together, the most in Green Bay franchise history.

Rodgers went on to say that he had communicated with Adams throughout his decision-making process and his expectation was that the two of them would continue their prolific connection.

"I was very honest with him about my plans and my future and where I saw my career going as far as how many years I wanted to play," Rodgers said. "I felt like he was going to be back, didn’t obviously turn out that way. But I have so much love for ‘Tae and appreciate the time we spent together and definitely wish him the best with Derek [Carr] in Vegas."

Rodgers will be throwing to some new faces in 2022 after the departures of Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Packers signed veteran Sammy Watkins in free agency, but they didn't address the receiver position with either of their two picks in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday.

With the No. 22 pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers decided to bolster their defensive unit by selecting Georgia linebacker Quay Walker. 

With the selection of Walker, let's take a look at Green Bay's updated defensive depth chart:

DE: Dean Lowry 

NT: Kenny Clark, Tedarrell Slaton

DE: Jarran Reed, Jack Heflin

LOLB: Preston Smith, Tipa Galeai, Randy Ramsey 

LILB: Krys Barnes, Quay Walker, Ty Summers, Ray Wilborn

RILB: De'Vondre Campbell, Isaiah McDuffie, 

ROLB: Rashan Gary, Jonathan Garvin, La'Darius Hamilton

LCB: Jaire Alexander, Shemar Jean-Charles, Kabion Ento 

SS: Adrian Amos, Vernon Scott, Innis Gaines

FS: Darnell Savage, Shawn Davis

RCB: Eric Stokes, Kiondre Thomas

SCB: Rasul Douglas, Keisean Nixon

The Packers likely hope to pair Walker with All-Pro De'Vondre Campbell, who re-signed with the franchise on a five-year, $50 million deal in March after an impressive 2021 campaign in which he finished with a career-high 146 tackles.

Walker was not a starter for Georgia until his senior season. However, he impressed in his final campaign for the national champion Bulldogs, recording 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, 67 tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss in 15 games.

Walker's draft stock rose immensely after an impressive combine performance in which his athleticism was on full display. The 6'4", 241-pound linebacker recorded a 4.52 40-yard dash, 32-inch vertical and a 122-inch broad jump.

While the Packers' defense didn't necessarily struggle in 2021, Walker will help improve a Green Bay passing defense that finished 10th in the NFL, allowing 219.1 passing yards per game. The team's rush defense ranked 11th in the league, allowing 109.1 yards per game on the ground. 

That said, it was surprising to see the Packers not use their first selection on a wide receiver. After trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay is left with Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb as Aaron Rodgers' top targets, none of which are as talented as Adams. 

However, it's worth noting some of the draft's top receivers were off the board before the Packers were on the clock, including Chris Olave, Drake London, Jameson Williams, Garrett Wilson, Jahan Dotson and Treylon Burks.