ESPN.com presents NFC North Kevin Seifert http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth 60 en-us Sat, 18 May 2013 16:15:34 webmaster@espn.go.com http://assets.espn.go.com/i/espn/teamlogos/lrg/trans/espn_dotcom_black.gif 110 110 Football Outsiders, a statistics-based analysis service, has been producing division-by-division Insider files on remaining team needs. You'll need a subscription to read the entire NFC North post , but below I've taken a few excerpts and written a few things about them. Chicago Bears Football Outsiders' issue: Receiver Football Outsiders comment: "When we pointed to wide receiver as a major flaw for the current Bears early in the offseason, it was to the consternation of a lot of Bears fans who saw the offensive line as the larger issue.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56484/football-outsiders-remaining-needs Sat, 18 May 2013 12:00:32 EDT 56484 Reggie Bush's appearance Friday morning on the NFL Network reinforced what should be a fun 2013 trend in at least two sectors of the NFC North: Running backs catching passes. Lots of them. How many? Well, we can say this: We have two connections to this chart of the most catches in a season by a running back in the NFL's post-merger era. First, you might recall that Bush caught 88 passes for the New Orleans Saints in 2006, the start of a four-year stretch in which he made 260 receptions.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56503/receiving-opportunities-for-forte-bush Fri, 17 May 2013 15:00:46 EDT 56503 Based on your feedback, at least, I didn't have all of my rocks in the box, or something like that, in writing the Green Bay Packers' portion of Friday's "Eight in the Box" series. The assignment was to name a player whose health/recovery is vital to his team's success in 2013. For the Packers, I named offensive lineman Derek Sherrod and also mentioned tight end Andrew Quarless. Phil of Platteville, Wis., begged to differ: "In response to your 'Eight in the Box' about players returning from injury: what about Desmond Bishop for the Packers?]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56516/mailbag-what-about-desmond-bishop Fri, 17 May 2013 14:15:52 EDT 56516 A look at key players for each NFC North team who are coming back from injuries: Chicago Bears: Place-kicker Robbie Gould needed offseason surgery after rupturing a semitendinosus tendon in Week 15 and still hadn't been cleared to kick 13 weeks later. All indications are that Gould will be ready for training camp and should once again be the Bears' place-kicker in 2013. Since he entered the NFL in 2005, Gould has the seventh-best percentage of conversions (85.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56498/eight-in-the-box-key-medical-concern Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:21 EDT 56498 We're Black and Blue All Over: Good mid-Friday morning and let's get straight to our morning tour: Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune answers several questions about Chicago Bears guard Kyle Long in his weekly mailbag. The Bears promoted Mark Sadowski to the position of senior national scout, notes Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Former Bears quarterback Jim Miller has taken a communications position with the team, according to Matt Charboneau of the Detroit News.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56494/bbao-friday-is-upon-us Fri, 17 May 2013 08:30:05 EDT 56494 Is former Detroit Lions receiver Titus Young suffering from a mental illness or is he just a bad person? The mere existence of that question is the topic of Tim Keown's thoughtful column on ESPN.com. An excerpt: The professional athlete suffering from mental illness has a much more difficult route to acceptance. From Jimmy Piersall to Metta World Peace to Royce White, the athlete isn't sick -- he's considered irresponsible. He is seen as being privileged to such an extreme degree -- paid to play a game translates to chosen by God in some circles -- that he can't possibly have feelings of depression or grandiosity or mania.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56488/on-questioning-titus-youngs-condition Thu, 16 May 2013 17:00:00 EDT 56488 In the still of a Thursday in May, Nick Fairley's suggestion that he is part of the NFL's best defensive tackle duo qualifies as a worthy football discussion. I waded in on Twitter this morning, noting that Fairley's inconsistency in his first two seasons required some projection to claim such a title, and I barely escaped the ensuing whirlpool. My thought: Fairley had a dominant five-game stretch for the Detroit Lions late last season, one that showed us what kind of player he could be, especially when paired with Ndamukong Suh.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56479/the-pressing-matter-of-nfls-best-dt-duo Thu, 16 May 2013 15:00:27 EDT 56479 I tried. I really tried to be outraged at Richard Sherman's creative inclusion of Lance Easley in his celebrity softball game schedule this summer. Alas, I cannot. Nathan Poole is a big reason why. (Hat tip to @KCousineau09 for pairing the two stories Thursday morning on Twitter.) Taking a step back: Sherman is the Seattle Seahawks' outspoken All-Pro cornerback. Easley is the NFL replacement official who first signaled for a touchdown in the Seahawks' "Fail Mary" victory over the Green Bay Packers last season.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56472/lance-easley-plays-nathan-poole-role Thu, 16 May 2013 11:30:03 EDT 56472 Maybe it's a habit. Despite the NFL's near-elimination of drama in signing draft choices, I still field daily questions about the status of negotiations. So it seems to be a good time to re-set things here in the NFC North now that the Minnesota Vikings have joined the signing party. Below are the six draft choices -- out of 35 who were selected -- that are unsigned as of mid-morning Thursday: Chicago Bears First-round offensive lineman Kyle Long Green Bay Packers First-round defensive end Datone Jones Second-round running back Eddie Lacy Minnesota Vikings First-round defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd First-round cornerback Xavier Rhodes First-round receiver Cordarrelle Patterson The Detroit Lions have signed their draft class.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56451/nfc-north-draft-signings-six-to-go Thu, 16 May 2013 09:55:11 EDT 56451 We're Black and Blue All Over: The Minnesota Vikings finally are following up on their first instinct on Joe Webb. Four years after drafting him with plans to attempt a conversion to receiver, the Vikings have confirmed that Webb is now a receiver moving forward. Coach Leslie Frazier and Webb himself discussed the decision with Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune, one that apparently was solidified after the team in March signed free agent Matt Cassel to be its No.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/56464/bbao-minnesota-vikings-joe-webb-to-wide-receiver-finally Thu, 16 May 2013 08:05:06 EDT 56464