ESPN NFC North Blog

Posted by ESPN.com staff

Chicago Bears

• Brian Urlacher would have liked to see Plaxico Burress in a Bears uniform, but a potential suspension from commissioner Roger Goodell was probably too much for the team to overlook.
• In an NFL.com chat, Pat Kirwan believes Jay Cutler alone helps upgrade the Bears' receiving corps.
  

Detroit Lions

• Defensive end Dewayne White thinks if he stays healthy he can record at least 10 sacks in 2009.
• Linebacker Ernie Sims says Detroit's new defensive scheme fits him better than the one the team employed last season.
  

Green Bay Packers

• If you have a few thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket, there are suites available at Lambeau Field for the upcoming season.
• Samuel Lam of examiner.com offers his breakdown of the 2009 Packers.
  

Minnesota Vikings

• Kevin Williams and Jared Allen both earned some high praise from future Hall of Famer Rod Woodson.
• The NFL says it hasn't started mass producing purple No. 4 jerseys -- yet.

ESPN's Mark Schlereth talks about potential destinations for Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James and Warrick Dunn.

Posted by ESPN.com staff

Chicago Bears

• ChicagoBears.com's Larry Mayer goes one-on-one with general manager Jerry Angelo.
• In his countdown to training camp, the Chicago Sun-Times' Brad Biggs notes the Bears are still more than $17 million under the salary cap.
  

Detroit Lions

• Considering the Lions will have a new "all-you-can-eat" section at games this season, The Detroit News' Terry Foster ponders the following question: What is the perfect food for football?
• Despite being traded to a team coming off a 0-16 season, Dennis Northcutt maintains he is excited about the move.

Green Bay Packers

• Can Aaron Rodgers repeat his success from 2008?
• Lambeau Field checks in as the No. 1 stadium experience in professional sports, according to ESPN The Magazine's recently released standings.
  

Minnesota Vikings

• Protecting his legacy should be the least of Brett Favre's concerns if (when) he returns to the NFL, writes The La Crosse Tribune's Dave Myers.
• Don Banks says don't underestimate the role money will play in Favre's decision.

Posted by ESPN.com staff

Chicago Bears

• Devin Hester as a part of the Wildcat formation? ChicagoBears.com's Larry Mayer says anything is possible.
• Pro Football Weekly's Dan Arkush says "it seems a bit premature to be talking about Super Bowl aspirations" just because the Bears now have Jay Cutler in the mix.
  

Detroit Lions

• Terrelle Smith could land the job as the Lions' starting fullback, but he doesn't expect to see many carries.
• Former Lions safety Gerald Alexander said he was surprised by the trade that landed him in Jacksonville.
• Fellow rookie quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez are leaning on each other as they prepare for their first season in the NFL.

Green Bay Packers

• The Packers are going back to the basics when it comes to their kick return game.

Minnesota Vikings

• Because he missed this year's rookie symposium, Vikings receiver Percy Harvin may have to participate in the event next year.
  
• Count Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson among those who don't understand why Brett Favre wants to return to the NFL.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

In anticipation of a slow news week -- whoops, I just jinxed it -- I'll be taking a few days away from the NFC North blog. Something tells me you'll do fine without me.

A few posts should materialize thanks to the magic of the ESPN Blog Network. But absent the sudden arrival of a future Hall of Fame quarterback, you won't hear from me again until Monday (July 6).

In the meantime, have a great holiday weekend.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Linebacker Jasper Brinkley's agreement Tuesday with Minnesota allows us to update our hotly-followed NFC North draft signing chart. We're now more than halfway there. By my count, NFC North teams have signed 17 of their 32 picks.

Drum roll, please.

Chicago: All nine signed
Detroit: Two of 10 signed

• Quarterback Matthew Stafford (No. 1)
• Tight end Dan Gronkowski (No. 7c)

Green Bay: Four of eight signed

• Offensive lineman Jamon Meredith (No. 5b)
• Defensive end Jarius Wynn (No. 6a)
• Cornerback Brandon Underwood (No. 6b)
• Linebacker Brad Jones (No. 7)

Minnesota: Two of five signed

• Brinkley (No. 5)
• Safety Jamarca Sanford (No. 7)

	AP Photo/Matt Ludtke
	Nick Collins says he isn't sure if he'll report to training camp without a new deal.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

This is what happens when you build around young players.

They get older.

And they want to get paid.

After three years of fielding the NFL's youngest team, Green Bay has entered the next -- and decidedly less fun -- phase in the development of its program. In the past year, the Packers have signed four veterans to contracts worth a total of $116.5 million, but they still have 15 players whose contracts will expire after this season. Seven are likely starters, and one (safety Nick Collins) hasn't said for sure whether he will report to training camp without a new deal.

Decisions will have to be made and feelings inevitably will be hurt. This crossroads is neither unexpected nor avoidable, but for the Packers it's no less pressing than their conversion to a 3-4 defense as they attempt to rebound from a 6-10 season.

"There is always an evolution of a team," general manager Ted Thompson said. "At different points in people's careers, certain things happen. And we're trying to take care of our business the best we can. Each year your team matures, and we have a larger number of young guys that are getting ready for the next phase of their careers, and that's something that's our job to deal with."

Since his arrival in 2005, Thompson has taken a disciplined approach to building through the draft. You can praise him for developing players who are now worthy of extensions, or you can criticize him for structuring an unbalanced team. Regardless, his choice now is either to maintain the nucleus he has built or cast it aside for another young crop of players.

It's hard to imagine the Packers starting over, but the financial constraints of the NFL's salary cap will likely result in some players being excluded. That unavoidable byproduct has added a new layer to locker room dynamics as players try to figure out where they stand and inevitably compare their situations to others'.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

We're headed into the real dog days of summer, when even the beat writers covering each team take some time off to recharge before training camp begins. As such, there might not be a lot to choose from while scanning the Web for NFC North-related morning links.

I'll do my best to fill the post each morning, and feel free to send any stories you see to the mailbag. If it gets too thin, Black and Blue all over could always take a ... sniff ... hiatus. I'll give you plenty of warning if that happens, of course.

For now, let's see what I can come up with for this Tuesday morning:

• Rob Demovksy of the Green Bay Press-Gazette makes an excellent point: Will the Packers keep linebacker Brady Poppinga as a high-priced backup? Poppinga is buried on the depth chart but is entering the second year of a four-year, $13.4 million contract.
• Detroit coach Jim Schwartz has high praise for rookie safety Louis Delmas, according to Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press. Schwartz said Delmas has picked up the Lions defense "maybe as quick as I've ever seen a young player in the secondary do it."
• Chicago guard Roberto Garza is hosting two football camps in the Rio Honde (Texas) Valley. Here's a report from Louie Vera of the Brownsville Herald.
• Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson doesn't understand why retired quarterback Brett Favre is considering an offer to play for Minnesota, according to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports. Dawson: "To be in Green Bay all those years and then go to Minnesota, that will arouse a lot of people. … This is a strong rival, not just a rival."
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

I'll submit this nugget without comment, at least for now. Minnesota receiver Percy Harvin departed the NFL's rookie symposium in South Florida because he was ill, according to Steve Wyche of NFL.com.

Harvin reported as required on Sunday but organizers recommended he leave after he reported his symptoms. His ailment was not specified in the NFL.com story.

Harvin's departure raises to the level of noteworthiness only because it's continues an eventful offseason for the No. 22 overall pick of the draft. He reportedly tested positive for marijuana use at the scouting combine in February and then missed the Vikings' rookie minicamp after falling ill while in transit to the Twin Cities. Doctors diagnosed him with a virus and severe dehydration at the time.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Thanks to everyone who found their way back to our regular SportsNation time and place. We got after it pretty good, debating Aaron Rodgers' choice for companionship and tossing around potential Transformer-themed nicknames for Brandon Pettigrew. (I'll take your suggestions in the mailbag.)

Check out the entire transcript here. For now, I'll leave you with this exchange about Brett Favre's impact on Minnesota's offseason:

DJ (PA)

Why have the Vikings so publicly offered Favre the keys to the franchise? They have basically allowed him to highjack their entire offseason. Do you think they have assurances that he will eventually join them? If not, they will look pretty foolish.

Kevin Seifert

Excellent questions and point. They obviously feel very strongly that he's going to sign, or else they wouldn't have been so open about it. (Of course, Favre took care of that for them on the Joe Buck show). But I've talked to some people who believe the Vikings have underestimated the issues at play here and don't realize just how wishy-washy Favre could be. This might be a done deal in the Vikings' mind, but I would caution them against believing they can predict what Favre will ultimately do.

Despite rampant rumors that Favre has purchased a house in the Twin Cities and has already settled on his favorite sub shop, as of now we've got no official word that he has signed with Minnesota. There's no reason to believe something has scuttled this long-rumored arrangement, but Favre clearly holds all the cards here.

I've also found it pretty humorous to watch the evolution of the Vikings' public stance on his possible arrival. They've gone from insisting he was an offseason afterthought to debating whether he will be a good teammate, all while Favre's status as a retired player has remained unchanged. They haven't been disciplined enough to play dumb.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

On his new NFL.com blog, Jason La Canfora recently passed along some interesting expenditure numbers from the NFL Management Council.

Here's the upshot: Minnesota spent more cash on player salaries and bonuses than all but four NFL teams during the five-season period from 2004-08. But Chicago and Green Bay were significantly more efficient in their spending based on victories per dollar spent. I'll explain more, but first look at the chart below:

The NFC North was a microcosm of a league-wide trend: The highest-spenders weren't always the most successful. (It's a fact NFL types don't mind publicizing with negotiations looming for a new collective bargaining agreement.)

To be clear, these figures should not be confused with salary cap numbers. The numbers in this chart are the actual amount of cash the teams paid to their players -- not the manipulated numbers used to account for the salary cap. While NFL teams must all abide by the same cap total, there are many ways to maneuver different cash expenditures and remain in compliance.

These cash figures also provide specific documentation for something that has been intuitively true for some time. The Vikings have been free spenders since Zygi Wilf purchased the team in 2005, paying premium contracts to guard Steve Hutchinson, defensive end Jared Allen, defensive tackle Kevin Williams, and left tackle Bryant McKinnie, among others. The Packers, on the other hand, have mostly eschewed the veteran free agent market since general manager Ted Thompson's arrival in 2005.

In the end, both teams won 41 games over the five-year stretch -- but it cost the Vikings nearly $70 million more to do it.

The Bears ranked slightly ahead of the Packers as the NFC North's most efficient team over this period, paying $11.01 million per victory over that stretch. That ranked them ninth overall in the NFL.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

We've had multiple discussions about the possibility of Chicago signing free agent receiver Plaxico Burress. Bears receiver Devin Hester, for one, is all for the idea.

At this point, however, it appears the Bears are not a serious contender for Burress. In the video below, ESPN's John Clayton reports that Chicago has all but ruled out the possibility of singing him. Part of that stance could be based on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's decision to review Burress for possible league discipline long before his legal troubles are scheduled to be addressed in court.

Player acquisitions are always subject to new twists. But for now, at least, it looks like Burress and the Bears are not a match.

Here's the video:

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

I realize minicamps are done and all four NFC North teams are now officially on summer vacation. But that doesn't mean we can't chat amongst ourselves about all things Black and Blue.

That's right; our weekly SportsNation chat is back in its regular time slot: Monday at 1 p.m. ET. We'll tackle any question or issue you have ... and then some.

Here's the link. Chat with you in a few hours.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Good morning. Hope everyone had a great weekend. We're gearing up for another mid-summer week in the NFC North, where news will be light but the blogging will never stop. (OK, it will, but we'll get to that later.)

Any football fan of the 1980s, Chicago or otherwise, will be interested to read this feature from Bob Gillespie of the The State. It details the disease and episode that landed former Bears star William "The Refrigerator" Perry in the hospital earlier this year.

Perry, who has Guillain-Barre Syndrome, had little money and no insurance when he began feeling sick, One of his brothers found him in bed -- dehydrated and only semi-responsive -- in April. The story chronicles the work of former Bears coach Mike Ditka to upgrade Perry's medical care.

Perry was released from the hospital in May and is under the care of another brother, former NFL player Michael Dean Perry. He has three more weeks of rehabilitation to go.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Mark J. Konkol of the Chicago Sun-Times traces the rise and fall of former Bears fullback Roland Harper.
• NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's decision to begin reviewing the status of free-agent receiver Plaxico Burress, as reported by ESPN's Chris Mortensen, means the Bears aren't likely to be signing Burress anytime soon.
• Detroit left tackle Jeff Backus needs to emerge from a three-year nightmare, writes Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com.
• Jerry Green of the Detroit News reminisces about the once-regular public pronouncements of Lions owner William Clay Ford.
• Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette offers a thorough overview of the Packers' roster. Dougherty believes Jeremy Thompson has a good chance to start ahead of rookie outside linebacker Clay Matthews.
• Click here if you want to know who Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is hanging out with, according to the New York Post.
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman is concerned Minnesota will turn Adrian Peterson into this generation's Barry Sanders.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

The NFC North was a pretty busy place last week, especially considering we were in the final full week of June.

• Green Bay and Detroit held mandatory minicamps.
• Depending on whom you talked to, Brett Favre was either at a Minnesota medical center or house-hunting or complaining that his arm still hurts.
• Chicago was mostly quiet, as was our coverage of the Bears -- much to the chagrin of one Black and Bluer whose "question" we'll address below.

As always, you can contact me through the mailbag, our hot-and-humid Facebook page or through Twitter.

Let's get to it:

Ryan of Alexandria, Va., writes: I have a question/thought on the reason the Packers signed Greg Jennings to only a 3-year extension. Is it possible that they're thinking with a new CBA, the amount of money that goes to players would decrease, and therefore a shorter deal at that high salary is fine now, and they can get away with not having to give him a huge raise in the next contract as is common in the NFL because salaries, at least as of now, are ever-increasing? Does this make any sense at all?

Kevin Seifert: Yes, it does, Ryan. It's a good thought. It's very possible that contracts will remain static rather than track upwards over the next few years, even if there is an uncapped season. Ultimately, players might end up with less than the 60 percent of total revenues that they get now. But would that affect an elite player like Jennings? I'm not sure. No one knows exactly how it will play out.

I'll say this: It would be a calculated risk for the Packers to plan on a changing salary landscape. Assuming Jennings continues to produce at his current levels, the Packers' best-case scenario is to sign him for little to no raise. That means another three-year deal worth $9 million per year. And if the guarantees are similar, that means they would have given Jennings $32 million in guarantees over six years.

That would be more than the guarantees Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald has in his current precedent-setting deal. In that instance, the Packers would have been better off signing Jennings to a six-year, $54 million contract now -- double the actual contract. The guarantees in that deal would have been less than $32 million.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Packers are exposed if salaries grow long-term. They might have to pay Jennings much more than $9 million per year in 2012. To me, that risk outweighs the possible reward of a stagnant extension in three years.

Ted of Flagstaff, Ariz., writes: What do you think the chances are that the Lions send four players to the Pro Bowl this year? (Calvin Johnson, Kevin Smith, Jason Hanson, and Brandon Pettigrew) I think if they play to their potential, it's a possibility.

Kevin Seifert: One word: Whoa.

The first thing to consider is how hard it is to make the Pro Bowl. Johnson ranked fourth in the NFC last season in receiving yards (1,331) and tied for first in touchdown receptions (12) -- and still didn't make the team. He is the Lions' best player, but receiver is one of the toughest positions to crack in Pro Bowl balloting.

Hanson has a decent chance because there is reason to believe the Lions offense will be better overall this season. If that's the case, Hanson will have more opportunities in 2009. He converted 95.5 percent of his kicks last season but only got 22 opportunities. That could change.

Smith is a good, starting-quality running back. But there's a big difference between that status and making the Pro Bowl. Much like Hanson, Smith could get a chance to build some big numbers in Scott Linehan's offense. But will he approach the so-called elite level of 1,300 yards? I don't think so.

As far as Pettigrew goes, you don't make the Pro Bowl as a blocking tight end. Fair or not, tight ends get to Hawaii because of their ability to make plays downfield. He will need a 50-catch season, with more than a few touchdowns, to be in consideration. Not sure I see that happening this year.

Ari writes: Every single blog post you have is about the Packers, Lions or Vikes. You give the Bears no love and should be fired from your job. Report on the whole league idiot.

Kevin Seifert: Ok, how about this:

Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory;
Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.
We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.
Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you're wearing the crown.
You're the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down.

Seriously, in doing this blog, I've learned it's very difficult to keep four diverse audiences happy. There's no doubt we were light on Bears material last week. But the fact of the matter is they completed their offseason program two weeks ago. They've already signed all of their draft choices. There really hasn't been any Bears news lately. With two other teams in minicamps last week, it seemed appropriate to focus on them.

All four teams will be on summer vacation starting next week, and I imagine we'll balance our coverage at that point. But last week, it didn't make much sense to me to manufacture some Bears posts at the expense of actual events and news occurring elsewhere.

Lyndon of Slave Lake, Alberta, writes: My theory: Brett Favre signed a long time ago. There was a delay on getting the surgery done and we were all led to believe Favre was unsure about coming back and unsure about which treatment to use. This all seems unlikely now. I'm not sure Favre would go through with surgery without at least terms in place. I say a contract was done long ago.... What do you think?

Kevin Seifert: Totally agreed on the surgery, Lyndon, and your question gives me an opening to discuss a strand of this story that received national attention last week.

Favre would not have agreed to surgery unless he had a pretty good idea about what the Vikings would offer on the other side. The last thing Favre would have wanted is to have surgery and then later find out the Vikings' interest in him had faded. He needed a commitment, and there's no doubt in my mind the Vikings gave it to him.

As a result, I've been making clear on this blog for weeks that the terms of a potential contract were not issue. The health of his arm is the only obstacle to Favre joining the team.

I know there have been a series of reports that Favre had "signed" with the Vikings and that the team has already ordered jerseys to sell. I don't doubt the veracity of those reports at all. They jibe with what we've been discussing since earlier this month. I just think their significance is limited, and that's why I haven't followed up on them in a formal way.

Here's why: Even if the Vikings have a signed agreement locked in a drawer somewhere, it's nothing more than an irrelevant sheet of paper until they send it to the league for approval. If Favre decides to remain retired, it's null and void. If his arm feels fine and he decides to play, we're right where we've always been.

And, for argument's sake, there's nothing saying Favre couldn't decide to play but then seek some sort of alteration to the agreement. The Vikings would have to make those changes or risk Favre remaining in retirement. That's hardly the definition of a contract.

As for the jerseys, this is also news of limited significance. Professional sports teams make early, preliminary orders of memorabilia all the time. How do you think Super Bowl T-shirts show up on the field minutes after the game? Both teams make the order for the sake of immediacy, but one batch never sees the light of day. The same thing will happen to the Favre jerseys if he decides not to play.

To be clear, I don't want this response to be viewed as criticism of the reports you have all seen. I think they're accurate. It's just important to provide the appropriate context.

Steve S. of Burlington, Ontario, and Troy of Washington D.C., noted the original and unfortunate headline on this Aaron Kampman post on Monday: "No train wreck here" chronicled Kampman's smoother-than-expected performance on the first day of Green Bay's minicamp. It published about 90 minutes after a deadly Metrorail crash in Washington, D.C. Many people thought the headline was a flippant reference to the disaster.

Kevin Seifert: Trust me, I know how bad that looked. I'm all for having fun on the blog, but please believe me when I say I would never, ever make light of death in any way. For those who care, let me explain what happened.

ESPN.com's software allows us to "future-post" blog entries to publish at a late time or day. This gives us the flexibility to space posts out throughout the course of the day or to keep the blog fresh on a scheduled day off. For example, I wrote the post you're reading now on Friday and set it to publish Saturday at noon.

In the case of the Kampman post, I wrote it during the early afternoon. I finished it a little after 4 p.m. ET and set it to publish at 6:30 p.m.

I continued to work on minicamp coverage. The crash occurred around 5 p.m. ET, but I didn't hear about it until late Monday night. I honestly didn't make the connection between the headline and the accident until reading my e-mails Tuesday morning. I changed the headline at that point and posted an explanation for readers.

Again, I apologize if anyone took this as anything other than an honest -- and corrected -- mistake.