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Detroit was the NFC North’s most active team from a personnel perspective in 2009, literally signing dozens of veteran free agents and working out many more. It appears the Lions are picking up where they left off.

The team signed running back DeDe Dorsey on Tuesday, according to Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News. Dorsey was a final cut last season by Cincinnati and played a major role in the HBO production of "Hard Knocks." He spent 2009 in the United Football League, and I doubt he will be the last running back the Lions sign this offseason given the knee and shoulder injuries of starter Kevin Smith.

Meanwhile, the Web site Pro Football Talk reports the Lions will work out free-agent receiver Donte Stallworth on Wednesday. The NFL reinstated Stallworth on Monday after a yearlong suspension for his role in the death of a pedestrian following a drunken driving accident in Miami.

There is a big difference between working out a player and deciding to sign him to a contract. But one thing is clear: The Lions will continue to turn over every rock to improve their talent level.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• From a Detroit Free Press editorial: "No National Football League club should feel worse about the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl than the Detroit Lions, now the sole team in the league's National Conference and the only one of the NFL's original members never to make it to the big game."
• Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who suggested a new lottery game last week to help pay for a new Vikings stadium, said Tuesday there are no such provisions in his upcoming budget proposal. Mike Kaszuba has more in the Star Tribune.
• The relationship between new Chicago assistants Mike Martz and Mike Tice has the potential to be "highly combustible," writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris supports the team’s decision to name Rod Marinelli its defensive coordinator, according to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.
• The similarities between New Orleans coach Sean Payton and Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy are "striking," writes Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Nose tackle Ryan Pickett, a pending free agent, wants to re-sign with the Packers. Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.

I wish I had thought of it first, but my pal Greg A. Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (@Greg_A_Bedard on Twitter) has already nailed it:

Wondering if “stupid good” is the new “kick-ass” in the NFC North.

A moment to explain: In 2006, Minnesota coach Brad Childress infamously referred to the Vikings’ scheme as a “kick-ass offense.” Tuesday, new Chicago offensive coordinator Mike Martz might have matched Childress in the memorable statement department.

Speaking on WSCR radio in Chicago, Martz had this to say about Devin Hester’s fit for the slot receiver role in his offense:

“Devin Hester in that role could just be stupid good, if that makes sense to you,” Martz said. “What we can do with him inside, the matchups we can get with him on third corners, safeties and linebackers would be absolutely remarkable.”

(Hat tip to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.)

Stupid good? I think we should adapt that as our motto for the offseason. Let’s have a stupid good offseason on the NFC North blog!

Before we launch ourselves full-bore into the offseason, I think it makes sense to take a look back at Super Bowl XLIV to provide some guidance for NFC North teams. What lessons can we learn from New Orleans and Indianapolis advancing to the final game of the season?

Let’s look at that question in alphabetical order. We won’t force it, so for each team I’ll choose either the Saints or the Colts for guidance:

Chicago Bears

A pressing issue: A defensive approach that has slipped from feared status to one that seems stale and passive.

How New Orleans addressed that problem: By hiring defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, knowing he would shake up and energize a group that was similar to the 2008 Saints with the exception of safety Darren Sharper.

Williams described that attitude change thusly: “It was a culture shock to them from the very first meeting. My aggressive demeanor in the meetings, making them defend themselves with explanations and demonstrations on the field. Every single time we stepped on the field of play in practice, it’s been a game. We had to turn that scout team mentality there on defense.

“I’ve joked with [Saints coach Sean Payton] about this, because a lot of times offensive head coaches want the defense to play scout team in practice. You don’t get better on defense that way. You get worse on defense that way. We had to attack our offense. We had to challenge our offense, and we made our offense better because they had a tough time dealing with us this spring.

“I tried to break their spirits and make them do physically unbelievable things from up-downs and running sprints and all these things for semi-attention deficit disorder mistakes they were making. It made them stronger. When things don’t break you in times of easiness, then they find out they become stronger later on.

“I tell them all the time, ‘When you bleed more in times of peace, you’re going to bleed less in times of war.’ They kind of paid the price in minicamp, OTAs and training camp. It was remarkable to see the leaders come back and say, ‘We want more.’ When they started that swagger and attitude back at me, I knew I had them. Now I have to manage them, and that’s not easy. Our motto has been: ‘Live on the edge, play on the edge, never hurt the team.’”

The Bears have already assigned Rod Marinelli their defensive coordinator duties. Marinelli won’t change the Bears’ scheme, but he would be well-advised to find a way to shake up the complacency that seems to have settled over Chicago’s once-proud defense. He has the kind of fiery personality to do so.

Detroit Lions

A pressing issue: A defense that gave up a staggering 392 yards per game in 2009.

How the Saints addressed it: By making turnovers the great equalizer. For as much as Williams’ defense was celebrated this season, it still gave up an average of 357 yards per game during the regular season. That ranked No. 25 among all NFL defenses.

Those totals actually got worse in the playoffs, where opponents averaged 422 yards per game.

But this season, the Saints balanced that yardage by nearly doubling their takeaway total from 2008. After causing 22 turnovers that season, the Saints created 39 takeaways in 2009. They caused eight turnovers in the playoffs.

That trend was no accident. Williams expected players to take risks to create those turnovers. “If you’re afraid to jump routes, if you’re not willing to play aggressively that way, you’re not going to make it,” he said.

The Lions ranked No. 25 this season with 23 takeaways, including only nine interceptions. There’s no doubt they need to elevate their talent level on defense. But encouraging players to take more risks would help cover for that deficiency. They would probably give up some big plays if the risks backfire, but they were already doing that. What is there to lose by taking more chances given that dynamic?

Green Bay Packers

A pressing issue: An aging offensive line that includes probably two players -- left guard Daryn Colledge and right guard Josh Sitton -- who seem locked into starting roles in 2010. That leaves three open spots, although Jason Spitz could return as center if his back is healthy.

How Indianapolis addressed it: The Colts made a change at left tackle, sliding in Charlie Johnson to replace Tony Ugoh. But to me, the lesson of the Colts is that they didn’t do enough to solidify their line and ultimately paid for it in the Super Bowl.

As my AFC South colleague Paul Kuharsky noted, the Colts’ failure to convert key 3rd-and-short situations proved critical in the playoffs during the past two seasons. Kuharsky notes the Colts might want to re-think their approach to building their offensive line as 2010 approaches.

The Packers could share in that lesson. Their first order of business: Develop a depth chart that avoids using starters as the primary backup at another position. As they learned last season, moving Colledge to left tackle when Chad Clifton was injured weakened two positions.

Their second task: Find a long-term answer for at least one of their two tackle positions. Clifton and Mark Tauscher are both free agents. Even if both are re-signed, planning needs to accelerate for their eventual replacement.

Minnesota Vikings

A pressing issue: The conflict between their fundamental desire to run the ball and the current state of the NFL as a pass-happy league.

How the Saints addressed it: By falling into a much more balanced pattern than most people realize. The Saints increased their rushing plays by about 15 percent and decreased Drew Brees’ passing attempts by about 20 percent during the regular season. The Saints, in fact, ranked No. 15 among all NFL teams in passing attempts.

I know I argued several times during the season that the Vikings should recognize their offense had trended toward the passing side, and ride it as far as they could in the playoffs. But based on the way the Vikings are configured, I don’t see that as a good long-term solution.

The Saints provided a paradigm for balance even while recognizing their strength as a passing team. Who would have guessed the Saints would have more running plays and pass fewer times than the Vikings?

But that’s exactly what happened in 2009, and the Vikings would be wise to re-center themselves a bit for the long-term.

Even if quarterback Brett Favre returns, is it reasonable to expect another career year from him? Like the Saints in 2009, the Vikings’ offense would be better in 2010 if they need to throw a few less times because their running game has offered a more viable alternative.

New Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz joined "The Afternoon Saloon" to discuss his connection with Jay Cutler as well as his opinion of Lovie Smith.

Thanks for working with me through Monday’s travel day. I’ve returned to NFC North headquarters and am excited for the true start of the NFL offseason.

As I hope you recall from last season, we will plow through the offseason with the same gusto as the regular season. If you can believe it, we’re only two weeks away from the scouting combine and less than a month before the opening of the free-agent market. The 2010 draft is just around the corner as well.

I’m already planning out some posts out this morning. I feel like New Orleans coach Sean Payton (only with more sleep and without the ring): Enjoy the Super Bowl one night, and then get back to work the next morning. Let’s start by taking a quick spin around the division:

• Green Bay appears set to pay linebacker A.J. Hawk a $4.6 million in salary and bonuses for the 2010 season, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Chicago cornerback Nate Vasher seems to be a likely candidate for release, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Otherwise, Vasher would earn $2.95 million plus another $500,000 in a workout bonus for 2010.
• Bears receiver Earl Bennett met with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz on Monday, according to the team’s Web site. Bennett: “I’m ready to work hard for him.”
• Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford will be at team headquarters this week to have his shoulder and knee checked out, according to the Lions’ Web site. He’s hoping to be cleared to participate on the first day of the team’s offseason program, which begins March 15.
• Could Minnesota open the 2010 NFL season at New Orleans? Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune asks that question.

MIAMI -- Greetings from Gate H15 at the Miami International Airport, where I’m continuing what will be a long travel day back to NFC North headquarters. I should probably have my head examined for leaving a cloudless day in South Florida to return in a snowstorm, but I suppose 10 days down here is about as much as I can ask for.

Already today we’ve noted Darren Sharper’s Super Bowl championship and asked for some feedback on Dick LeBeau’s pending enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Depending on travel conditions, this might be Monday’s last post. If it is, I’ll be back with you Tuesday and throughout this week as the NFL offseason begins in earnest.

Until then, let’s catch up on some NFC North news and analysis:

• Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times takes an in-depth look at the Bears’ “litany of disappointments” since making the Super Bowl three years ago.
• Bears receiver/returner Devin Hester had a chance to “party with my boys” during Super Bowl week in Miami, according to the Chicago Tribune.
• Alex Karras is another former Detroit player who belongs in the Hall of Fame, writes Jerry Green of the Detroit News.
• The grandson of Hall of Fame Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi was part of New Orleans’ championship team. Here’s an Associated Press profile of saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• You can view this Facebook page to see outtakes from Brett Favre’s Super Bowl commercial, the one where he discusses his “role” in the Super Bowl 10 years from now.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Saturday was an interesting one for NFC North fans. We got defensive lineman John Randle into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but were stymied on two other fronts: Receiver Cris Carter was among the first cuts from the Round of 15, while defensive end Richard Dent made it one step further before falling short.

I won’t spend too much time discussing the players who didn’t make it. Today is John Randle’s day. But three quick points before we move on to him:

• Many of you are already asking why Randle made it over Dent. After all, they finished their careers with the same number of sacks (137.5). Discussion among the 44 voters is confidential, but the vibe I got Saturday was this: Randle’s total was deemed more impressive because he played much of his career at defensive tackle -- traditionally a harder position from which to pile up sack totals.
• Carter actually regressed in the voting this year after making it all the way to the final cut in 2008. As we discussed Saturday, I can only attribute that result to Jerry Rice’s surefire presence in this class and the relatively small number of receivers who are enshrined on a yearly basis. Entering Saturday’s vote, there were 20 receivers in the Hall of Fame, a total less than running backs (25), quarterbacks (23), offensive linemen (34) and defensive linemen (27).
• I know that Dick LeBeau played extensively for Detroit. But for coverage purposes, ESPN.com is considering him AFC North property. Check out this post from colleague James Walker.

Now, on to Randle. Mark Craig of the Star Tribune got ahold of him before Randle’s cell phone died.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling because of where I came from and what it took to just make it in the NFL," Randle said. "Words can’t describe what it means. I'm in the Hall of Fame!"

Without exaggeration, I would say Randle ranks among the all-time success stories in recent Hall of Fame memory. He played college football at a Division II school (Texas A&I) that is no longer in existence under its current name. He went undrafted and was signed as a rookie free agent in 1990 by Minnesota scout Frank Gilliam, a player who was lucky if he weighed in at the 287 pounds he was typically listed at.

I spoke Saturday night with one of Randle’s best friends, former Vikings linebacker Ed McDaniel.

“People always told Johnny that he wasn’t big enough and wasn’t good enough,” McDaniel said. “So I know that every day he went out there, he wanted to show the other 30 teams that they made a mistake. He wanted to beat your guy every play. He wasn’t a prototypical player, but he knew that when it was all over, he would be judged among the best players ever to play his position. That’s what he was fighting for all those years.”

There are all kinds of stories I could tell about Randle’s whacky personality, and I’ll get to a few in a moment. From a football perspective, however, I think Randle fundamentally changed the way defensive linemen are perceived.

In many ways, Randle was the first modern-day “three-technique” defensive tackle, the kind of interior disruptor you now see throughout the NFL. Before Randle, the NFL’s top pass rushers always were defensive ends or linebackers. But Randle used his rare quickness to get a step on centers and guards, putting together nine seasons of 10 or more sacks.

As they say, the quickest point to the quarterback is up the middle. During the heart of his career from 1991-2002, Randle collected more sacks than anyone in the NFL.

“He revolutionized the game,” McDaniel said.

Along the way, he proved to be one of the most colorful personalities in the game. Occasionally, Randle’s eye makeup and non-stop trash talking overshadowed how good of a player he was.

To be sure, he always made sure he had fun playing the game. But Randle also believed he could get in the heads of opponents with some well-timed barbs -- so much so that he studied media guides for personal information he could banter with.

“Everyone has seen the NFL Films stuff from Johnny,” McDaniel said. “That was the nice stuff. When he wasn’t miked up, that’s when the X-rated stuff would come. He would say stuff about guy’s mothers, about their wives, about their children. He wanted to hit a guy at his weakest point. It was filthy, but it worked.”

McDaniel told a story about playing in a game against Miami in the mid-1990s. Randle and fellow Vikings linebacker Jack Del Rio tackled a Dolphins running back. At the bottom of the pile, Del Rio was twisting one of the running back’s ankles. Randle had the other and was yelling, according to McDaniel, “Harder, Jack, harder! Twist it off! Twist it off!”

“I said, ‘Oh my God,’ McDaniel said. “This is a level of football I’ve never seen.”

I covered Randle during the latter stages of his career, and I rarely saw him stand in one place for more than a moment. He had a barb ready for everyone in the room, and considering how he dashed from place to place in the Vikings’ locker room, I was always surprised how observant he was.

At the time, I was 26 and apparently looked younger. (The gray hair is a recent turn of events.) As he ran toward his locker one day, Randle stopped, looked at me and said: “Hey, does your mom know you’re here?”

I looked around. Was he talking to me?

“I said, does your mom know you’re here?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“Because,” Randle said, “you’re too young to be away from home by yourself.”

I’m betting his enshrinement speech will be a knee-slapper.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- We took our show on the road this week, blogging from the site of Super Bowl XLIV. The NFC North continued to push forward, of course, from the staff changes in Chicago to more Pro Bowl fallout from Minnesota left tackle Bryant McKinnie.

I also shook things up a bit with a non-NFC North on the inspiring story of New Orleans defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove.

Remember, you can reach me all sorts of ways: Through the mailbag, via Facebook or on Twitter. @Bvluke41 asked on Twitter if I actually read all of your questions. The answer is yes, but the multiple platforms make it difficult for me to respond to them individually. Facebook friend Perry has passed along some ideas for streamlining the process. Until then….

James of Albany, N.Y., writes: I'm sure this might be tossed around in Halas Hall but now that Mike Martz is on board, a lot of speculation about Greg Olsen's position has come about. Great TE, but might not be a great fit with Martz’s offensive scheme. What do you think the chances are of Bears trading Olsen for Brandon Marshall? I would think since Marshall is on his way out that this might be a possibility.

Kevin Seifert: It’s an interesting proposal, James. And we all know that Chicago and Denver have come together on a big-time trade before. Here’s what I’ll say: The Bears should do one of two things. Either Martz should tweak his offense to make better use of the tight end or Olsen should be converted into an asset more valuable to his scheme. (Which is a nice way of saying they should trade him.)



Take a look at the chart. In 10 years as either an NFL coordinator or head coach, Martz has never had a tight end catch more than 38 passes. That’s about 40 percent less production than what Olsen put together in 2009.

I would think there should be a role for a player like Olsen in any scheme, whether the coordinator is Martz or someone else. A good coach should be able to incorporate Olsen’s size and athletic ability into his offense, not minimize him because he doesn’t fit a pre-determined set of guidelines. If the Bears trade Olsen, it will be an acknowledgement that Martz either isn’t able or willing to do that.

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Derek of Warner Robins, Ga., writes: In your article on Darren Sharper, you highlight that his talents were not fully utilized in a cover-2 scheme. Couldn't this be said of many safeties, as any team that uses cover-2 puts their safeties at a so-called disadvantage by using them as deep cover? Also, can you think of any safeties that excelled in cover-2, or does this scheme just generally limit safety play-making opportunities, thus minimizing the safety's statistical performance?

Kevin Seifert: I don’t think the Cover 2 limits a safety’s playmaking opportunities as a rule. There have been safeties who have made noise in the scheme, from John Lynch in Tampa Bay to Mike Brown in Chicago.

But as Rod Woodson said in the post you referenced, the Cover 2 minimizes Sharper’s particular skill set. Sharper makes plays by jumping routes, reading the quarterback’s eyes and playing a bit of an educated guessing game. That approach simply doesn’t work with the Cover 2. The ways that Lynch and Brown made plays, most notably through hard hitting, aren’t strengths that Sharper possesses.

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Via Twitter, @SueinChitown notes that the NFL named Scott Green as the referee for Super Bowl XLIV and asks: I am sorry but can they go any lower than using Scott Green??

Kevin Seifert: Green was the referee for Green Bay’s 51-45 loss in the divisional playoffs last month at Arizona. As we discussed at the time, he was standing within a few yards of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers on two controversial non-calls in overtime: A blow to Rodgers’ head followed by an apparent face mask tug on the final play, which ended with Karlos Dansby’s fumble return for the game-winning touchdown.

Green flat-out missed the blow to Rodgers’ head, but I understood why he didn’t see the face mask. When the ball came loose, Green’s top priority was to determine if it was a fumble or a pass, and then to follow its path for a potential change of possession occurs. It’s a pretty tough to expect Green to follow the ball and also watch Rodgers for signs of roughness.

I understand the frustration of Packers fans with that sequence. But I don’t know that it should have kept Green out of the Super Bowl. As with everyone, the NFL judged him on his body of work. He’s been a respected official for a long time.

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Dave of Rochester, N.Y., writes: Since Aaron Kampman is probably going to be hitting the free agent market, what do you think the chances are that he winds up with the Lions? Clearly Kampman wants to play in a traditional 4-3 defense and Detroit desperately needs to generate a pass rush with their front four, so it seems like a fit as long as Kampman is willing to play for a bad team (though he would do a lot to help that defense which will be infused with some young talent after the draft, as well as an inconsistent but possible star in Cliff Avril.)

Kevin Seifert: As we’ve discussed before, I’m not sure if anyone knows when Kampman’s knee will be healthy. That’s the big obstacle to him signing with the Lions or anyone else. Someone will either take a risk or else they’ll wait until closer to training camp so they can test his knee and conditioning.

If he’s healthy and the Packers don’t re-sign him, I think Kampman will have his pick of teams to sign with. The Lions would be one of them, but there are no connections that I’m aware of that would make Detroit his likely landing spot.

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Matt of Chicago writes: There is a lot of talk about the effectiveness of Vikings running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. … His documented confrontational style of coaching with Adrian Peterson is clearly not improving AP's play in a number of areas. AP is just not responding to his coaching. Can you do some investigating or write an article about this?

Would Robert Smith consider coaching AP? Robert Smith was a premed student at Ohio State and a very smart analytical player. I believe he would be a great coach for AP, very cerebral.

Kevin Seifert: Let’s start with your second question. Robert Smith has never coached on any level, and I’ve never heard him express any interest in doing it. He’s got his hands in a lot of other areas, and I really doubt he would be a good match for the running backs job in Minnesota or anywhere else.

As for Bieniemy, I too wondered if he would be a fall guy for Peterson’s fumbles and struggles in the second half of the season. But if it were going to happen, it almost certainly would have happened by now. Brad Childress has been very loyal to his original staff in Minnesota, and he’s fired only one coach in four years. In the end, I don’t disagree with retaining Bieniemy. Based on what I know, he has been emphasizing ball security with Peterson for years. I think the responsibility falls with Peterson more than Bieniemy. It’s up to him to protect the ball.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- I made no bones about being an unabashed advocate for Chicago hiring Mike Martz as its offensive coordinator. And so I don’t mind telling you that I see no upside in promoting Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator.

Marinelli has never been a coordinator in 33 years as a coach, and his new responsibilities will take at least some of his focus away from his specialty as a defensive line tutor. Marinelli wasn’t known for his organizational skills as Detroit’s head coach from 2006 to 2008 and he doesn’t seem well-suited for this job.

Frankly, I wonder if Marinelli thinks it’s a good idea. Last month, coach Lovie Smith strongly implied Marinelli didn’t want the job.

Here’s what Smith said Jan. 5: “I’ve talked to Rod about all of the different things I am going to do. Rod would like to be in his position of being an assistant head coach, and helping me with other things like that, and coaching the defensive line. That’s a full-time job.”

So Smith pursued one-time Bears assistant Perry Fewell for the job, only to be spurned when Fewell joined the New York Giants. With few other options, it appears Smith talked Marinelli into making the change. In a statement released Friday, Smith said:

“We considered outside possibilities, but I didn’t feel our defense would benefit the same way it will with Rod in the coordinator role. From the first day I became head coach of the Chicago Bears I envisioned Rod as our defensive coordinator. I considered him for the role last year, but wanted him to have the opportunity to work exclusively with our defensive line and become acclimated to our team. He will remain in our defensive line room, but will add the responsibility of the defensive calls on game day.”

Assistant defensive line coach Eric Washington was promoted to the full-time role, but it sounds as if Marinelli will split his time between the line and his coordinator duties. To me, that presents a problem on both fronts: His influence with the line will be watered down, and the Bears still don’t have a coach to serve solely as the defensive coordinator. Wasn’t that what they needed after Smith gave up those duties after the season?

There are some ways this could work, and it’s worth noting that Marinelli and Smith are united in their advocacy of the Tampa 2 scheme. It’s ingrained in their souls and they should be able to hit the ground running.

But it sure feels like the Bears targeted only one candidate for this job and were at a loss after Fewell went to the Giants. Ultimately, it seems they circled back on an emergency backup plan.

Their offense got better with the additions of Martz and offensive line coach Mike Tice. I can’t say the same about their defense after Friday’s moves.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Just got this news from Chicago: The Bears have decided to elevate Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator, part of a series of moves to finalize their 2010 coaching staff.

I’ll have more on this in a bit -- including some discussion about what changed after coach Lovie Smith said last month that Marinelli didn't want the job. But I wanted to make sure you had the news first.

Earlier Friday, we discussed Richard Dent's chances of being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dent checked in with ESPN 1000 to discuss his emotions on the eve of the vote.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- There appear to be only two locks this year for the 2010 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, set to be announced Saturday. Based on informal conversations during this Super Bowl hype week, there is little doubt that receiver Jerry Rice and running back Emmitt Smith will get elected.

By definition, that means the three finalists with NFC North ties are on the bubble. So with a little more than 24 hours left until the 5 p.m. ET (Saturday) announcement, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each player’s candidacy. In alphabetical order:

Cris Carter
Key qualification: When he retired after the 2002 season, he ranked second on the NFL’s all-time list of receptions (1,101) and touchdowns (130).
Working against him: Receivers historically have a tougher time than other positions, and Rice is already a lock. There are currently 20 receivers in the Hall of Fame, less than running backs (25), quarterbacks (23), offensive linemen (34) and defensive linemen (27).

Richard Dent
Key qualification: When he retired after the 1995 season, his 137.5 sacks ranked third all-time in the NFL, thanks in part to a run of five consecutive seasons with 10 or more sacks.
Working against him: From a statistical standpoint, there’s nothing to argue against here. Dent was a Hall of Fame player. In recent years, however, he seems to have fallen victim to competing against other 100-sack players like Fred Dean, Bruce Smith and John Randle. This year, Charles Haley will be added to that list. Sometimes those players cancel each other out in the eyes of some voters.

John Randle
Key qualification: Had more sacks (131) between the years 1991-2002 than any other NFL player.
Working against him: Has the exact career sack total as Dent (137.5), which means he falls in the same category: A player with Hall of Fame sack totals competing against others with similar qualifications. Not everyone gets in.

MIAMI -- Just in case you didn’t see or hear it Thursday, make sure you check out Chicago receiver/returner Devin Hester’s appearance on ESPN 1000. Or, as he might prefer, Chicago returner/receiver Devin Hester.

That’s right. Hester said he wouldn’t mind dialing down his work as a receiver to focus as a returner. Here’s the exact quote:

“I know what I'm best at. The return game is my bread and butter, so if I had to cut back on my receiving and go back to returning, that's something I would love to do.”

The correlation between Hester’s slide as a returner and his shift to full-time receiving duties has been too obvious to ignore. The theory was that Hester would have more opportunities to make big plays as a receiver, but it hasn’t worked that way.

The Bears will have to decide whether they have enough depth at receiver to allow Hester to pull back. At this point, I don’t think they do.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Hester told Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times that injuries slowed him in 2009.
• Detroit officials sought input from quarterback Matthew Stafford on their offseason roster priorities, according to John Niyo of the Detroit News.
• Lions tailback Kevin Smith is reconsidering whether to have offseason shoulder surgery, writes Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com.
• The NFL should fine Minnesota left tackle Bryant McKinnie $100,000 after dismissing him from the Pro Bowl, writes Peter King of Sports Illustrated.
• New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams speaks to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on his interview last season with Green Bay.

MIAMI -- Here are the first comments I’ve seen from Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler on the arrival of new offensive coordinator Mike Martz. According to the Bears’ Web site, Cutler said he “felt very comfortable” with Martz during a meeting last weekend and added:


“The results of his offense speak for themselves. He had a lot of success in St. Louis and his offenses made improvements each year in Detroit and San Francisco. I haven’t run his system, but I am familiar with it. I’m anxious to start digesting the playbook and getting back on the field.”

Cutler didn’t address what many of us would like to know: Whether he has moved past some pretty harsh words Martz had for him while broadcasting for the NFL Network during the season. Most notably, Martz criticized Cutler’s body language during a postgame press conference, suggesting it was evidence that Cutler doesn’t “get” his role as a leader.

Martz, however, did discuss the issue with the Bears’ Larry Mayer. He said he “addressed that immediately” in their meeting last weekend. Martz noted that postgame press conferences can be “very difficult” and said Cutler needs to make sure he takes “that deep breath” before starting one.

“It just did not, I didn’t think, demonstrate who he really was in that,” Martz said, “and those are learning experiences for all of us.”

I wouldn't exactly call that an apology, but I also wouldn’t say Martz’s original comments were wrong. But I am guessing it will be the last time Martz tries to coach one of Cutler’s press conferences again. I’m sure he’ll stick to offense from now on.

MIAMI -- Detroit linebacker Larry Foote is planning to hit the free-agent market next month because the Lions have expressed little interest in granting his request for a multiyear contract. John Niyo of the Detroit News has the story here.

Foote started 14 games last season at middle linebacker, but a foot injury opened the door for rookie DeAndre Levy to establish himself as the likely 2010 starter. The Lions don’t have much depth behind Levy, but at this point Foote isn’t likely to agree to return as a backup.

It’ll be interesting to see if any of the Lions’ starting linebackers from 2009 return in 2010. Julian Peterson is due to make $7.5 million in 2010, and Ernie Sims did not appear to be a great fit for the Lions’ new defensive system.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press checks in with Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford during a Super Bowl promotional tour.
• Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty suggested several options for funding the construction of a new Vikings stadium, including a new Minnesota Lottery game. Here is coverage from the Star Tribune.
• Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com notes the Bears chose receiver Juaquin Iglesias over Austin Collie in the 2009 draft.
• The Bears interviewed San Francisco assistant Shane Day for their quarterbacks coach position, according to the Chicago Tribune.
• Few people realize that Colts coach Jim Caldwell is from the town of Beloit on the Wisconsin-Illinois border. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looks at that part of Caldwell’s life.