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It's hard to imagine the Chicago Bears moving on without linebacker Brian Urlacher anytime in the near future, especially with no heir apparent on the roster at the moment. But that doesn't change the fact that Urlacher, who turned 34 on Friday, is entering the final year of his contract. Visiting Friday with ESPN 1000, Urlacher said he "no doubt" wants to finish his career with the Bears, but also said a trip into free agency would be "exciting."

Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com wrote a news story off Urlacher's appearance and the video provides the clip of the free-agent portion of the discussion.

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Chicago Bears in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): Tailback Matt Forte reports to training camp happy and healthy, either with a new contract or an acceptance of the franchise tag. His good will soothes the locker room and allows players to focus on football. Quarterback Jay Cutler leads the second coming of the 2008 Denver Broncos offense, connecting with receiver Brandon Marshall for 100-plus receptions, and the Bears finally find a Devin Hester "Package" that works. The aging defense remains sharp, rookie Shea McClellin provides an important balance to the pass rush and the Bears prove to be an NFC powerhouse.

Nightmare scenario: (7-9): Forte holds out from training camp, starting the summer off on a bad vibe. An offense that looks good on paper struggles to get organized under first-year coordinator Mike Tice. The Hester Package limits his effectiveness as a returner. McClellin isn't ready to be a three-down player. The defense gets old more quickly than expected, exposing the Bears' lack of young impact players.

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Detroit Lions in 2012.

Dream scenario (12-4): The team moves past its string of silly/immature problems, tightening up not only its off-field behavior but also its discipline on the field during games. Mikel Leshoure and Jahvid Best give the Lions a power/speed dimension in the backfield they lacked for most of last season. Rookie receiver Ryan Broyles' knee heals quickly enough to provide a legitimate fourth option among receivers and further spread out opposing defenses. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley realizes his playmaking potential and teams up with Ndamukong Suh to provide consistent and dominant interior play. Fairley, Suh, Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch protect an undermanned secondary, and the Lions make big defensive plays against opponents that feel pressure to keep up with Detroit's offense.

Nightmare scenario (7-9): Best and Leshoure don't provide the balance the Lions hope for, either because of injuries or skill deterioration. Broyles takes longer than expected to return, Titus Young has a sophomore slump, and opponents flock to receiver Calvin Johnson. Left tackle Jeff Backus can't hold up for another season. Despite the formidable defensive line, the Lions can't cover for their secondary and give up too many big plays.

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Green Bay Packers in 2012.

Dream scenario (16-0): The Packers' passing offense picks up where it left off in a record-breaking 2011 season. The scheme is enhanced by a new approach to the running game, center Jeff Saturday takes over a leadership role from the departed Scott Wells, and Marshall Newhouse proves to be a franchise left tackle. The defense rebounds from last season's slump thanks to the infusion of draft picks Nick Perry, Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels. The Packers find a suitable long-term replacement for safety Nick Collins and, a season after falling five points short of a perfect season, the Packers pull it off in 2012.

Nightmare scenario (8-8): The Packers' running game falters when presumed starter James Starks can't stay on the field. Opponents find new ways to approach the Packers' passing game, and the defense isn't any better because their rookies aren't ready to play yet. Veteran Charles Woodson is forced to move to safety, and the Packers don't have a suitable replacement for him at cornerback. Despite these problems, it's hard to imagine the Packers finishing below .500.

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012.

Dream scenario (9-7): Quarterback Christian Ponder makes a big leap in his second season, spurred in part by confidence in his new offensive line. Ponder makes good use of his two pass-catching tight ends, Kyle Rudolph and John Carlson, and either Jerome Simpson or Greg Childs provides a legitimate downfield threat. Tailback Adrian Peterson (knee) is back to full strength early in the season, if not in Week 1. The Vikings get a big return on overhauling the middle of their defense and aren't hindered by starting one rookie safety (Harrison Smith) and perhaps two (with Robert Blanton). In a tough division, they're thrilled to finish with a winning record.

Nightmare scenario (3-13): The Vikings show no improvement from 2011, giving them a three-year record of 12-36. Ponder's inconsistency raises questions about his future with the franchise. Peterson returns but isn't a dominant runner any longer. The defense implodes because of its inexperience and lack of playmakers in the back end. It's clear the franchise has another year or more to go before matching the rest of the division.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The vast majority of you pleaded for the continuation of BBAO in responding to last week's suggestion request, so I will of course oblige. The Friday heading into Memorial Day weekend, however, is going to be a bit thin. News is as news does. Or something like that.

On with it ...

• Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette covered a public discussion on the early 1990s revival of the Green Bay Packers by Bob Harlan and Ron Wolf. Prior to that point, national media members were suggesting that the team be moved to Milwaukee.
• The Minneapolis City Council is expected to ratify the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill formally on Friday, notes Eric Roper of the Star Tribune.
• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: "If Cliff Avril and the Detroit Lions don’t work out a long-term deal this summer, and Avril hits the unrestricted free-agent market next spring, the biggest in-house beneficiary could be Willie Young."
• Several Lions players, including Young, will compete in a fishing tournament against pro Kevin VanDam on June 12. Chris McCosky of the Detroit News has more.
• Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune: "Bears linebacker J.T. Thomas likely will be cleared of a misdemeanor drug possession charge before the regular season begins, provided he completes the terms of a deferred sentence."
• Here is some audio of former NFL tight end Jermaine Wiggins speaking to ESPN 1000 about the Bears' offense under offensive coordinator Mike Tice and how he would handle the Matt Forte contract situation.

And you thought we were done with this silliness.

Out of respect to those of you with stadium fatigue, I've stayed out of the anticlimactic (and little-known) final stage of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium approval process. But for the record, we should remind everyone that the final bill must be approved by the Minneapolis City Council, and further, that two-day process began Thursday.

I'll let Minnesota Public Radio explain the details if you're interested. In essence, the council approved the bill in a preliminary vote, an outcome that has been considered inevitable since a majority of council members pledged support in March.

The final vote will take place Friday and is expected to mirror Thursday's 7-6 decision. Design and construction planning will begin immediately afterward.

Related: Grantland.com's Steve Marsh explains the stadium story through the eyes of a Minnesotan.

Green Bay Packers fans have loved ESPN's Skip Bayless for years, especially for his analysis of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' play. So I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear who Skip has picked to win the NFC North in 2012. It's near the end of this video and here's your only hint: ROAR!

First in a series of posts on NFC North rookies who have generated some spring buzz.

One of the most consistent suggestions I received in the wake of last week's request was for more discussion about intriguing rookies, who in many ways represent the first stop of hope and excitement for the upcoming season. So let's start with Minnesota Vikings receiver Greg Childs, a fourth-round pick who has just emerged from an 18-month recovery from a serious knee injury.

In October 2010, Childs was projected as one of college football's best NFL receiver prospects before tearing the patella tendon in his right knee. Doctors told him it could take up to a year and a half to recover fully, which would have cost him his final season at Arkansas. Childs decided to play in 2011, but as it turned out, he might have been better off sitting out.

His 21 receptions were less than half of his 2010 total, and he put a season's worth of slow route running and minimal separation on tape for NFL scouts. He wasn't much better at the February scouting combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds, and suddenly one of the best receivers of 2010 was on track to be a mid-round draft choice.

The Vikings were encouraged by a better performance at his pro day; at 6-foot-3 and nearly 220 pounds, Childs ran a 4.41 and hit 41.5 inches on his vertical leap. Many fans are no doubt miffed that the Vikings didn't devote more resources toward upgrading their downfield passing attack, but if Childs is truly recovered from the patella injury, they might well get away with it.

Childs seems quite aware of his opportunity, telling the "Vikings Tonight" radio show that "I definitely have a chip on my shoulder," adding that he wants to "show everyone that I can still be one of the top receivers and that I will be a steal of this draft."

Indeed, draft analyst Matt Waldman -- writing for The New York Times last month -- considered Childs the fifth-best receiver available in the draft. Waldman wrote that Childs' pro day was indicative of a full recovery and "a return to the skills he displayed as a sophomore and junior."

The Vikings really have only one receiver position locked down, and that's wherever Percy Harvin plays. Veteran Michael Jenkins is expected to return from a knee injury, and newcomer Jerome Simpson will add a level of playmaking when he returns from a three-game NFL suspension. But if Childs can run a true 4.4 at his size, it's going to be hard for the Vikings to keep him off the field once he learns the offense.

The Vikings started him off at the traditional "X" receiver spot that Jenkins played last season, but Jenkins is more of a possession receiver and lacks the explosion Childs will have if his recovery is in fact complete.

And listening to Childs, it is.

"I'm not concerned about the knee problem at all," he said. "I'm 100 percent, full throttle, no slowing down."

In this NFL32 Overtime video, we get an assessment of the Chicago Bears from ESPN's Chris Mortensen and a dance tribute to Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver that you won't want to miss.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

It was almost an afterthought amid discussion of quarterback Jay Cutler's new weapons, the weight loss of receiver Johnny Knox and the configuration of the offensive line. But we might as well acknowledge it: Newcomer Michael Bush was the Chicago Bears' first-team tailback during Wednesday's organized team activity as starter Matt Forte stays away from the facility in a contract dispute.

Forte has yet to sign his $7.7 million franchise tag while pushing for a long-term extension. If there is an end in sight to those negotiations, it hasn't been reported publicly. While no one thinks Forte will elect to miss regular-season games, it isn't clear if he'll report for any part of the Bears' offseason program or training camp.

Bush, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com: "Nobody has ever brought up Forte's name or wished he was here or anything to make me feel uncomfortable. But me being me, [I think] Forte needs to come on out so we can get it going. But I know he's got to take care of himself and his family as well."

To be continued.

Now for our morning spin around the division:

• The Bears signed free-agent defensive tackle Nate Collins to a one-year deal, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune on Knox: "This doesn't look like a man who will be taking the field in the foreseeable future to participate in a collision sport played against hulking behemoths and athletic freaks."
• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune raises an interesting question: Should the Bears sign Cutler to a contract extension ahead of Forte?
• Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson and some of his teammates tried their hand at bocce ball Wednesday, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions place-kicker Jason Hanson isn't sure how long he plans to play, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Lions coach Jim Schwartz isn't ready to address the status of receiver Titus Young, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Here's a Q&A with Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson by Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• It's clear the Packers want to beef up their defensive front, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• The Packers have apparently put their playbooks on iPads, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press speaks with new Minnesota Vikings place-kicker Blair Walsh.
• Opponents of the Vikings' stadium bill are still working to defeat it, according to Eric Roper of the Star Tribune.

Dozens of reporters descended Wednesday on the Chicago Bears' practice field for the first open organized team activity (OTA) of the 2012 offseason. Quarterback Jay Cutler was among those who spoke afterwards, and I thought I would run through a number of newsbits and offer some pithy but insightful comments to go with it.

Item: Receiver Johnny Knox, watching from the sidelines, revealed he lost 30 pounds during his recovery from spinal fusion surgery and remains 20 pounds below his playing weight.
Comment: Knox couldn't say whether he would play in 2012, but it's easy to see him sitting out the year. Everyone knows he suffered a serious injury, but given his gaunt appearance Wednesday, few us probably know the full extent. In February, don't forget, Knox said people wouldn't "be able to sleep" if they knew how close he was to never walking again.

Item: Cutler said the Bears' offensive situation is "a breath of fresh air" with longtime confidant Jeremy Bates serving as quarterbacks coach and Mike Tice now the offensive coordinator.
Comment: Cutler seemed to be referring to a healthy exchange of ideas between players and coaches on what will work in this offense and what won't. He has a decent track record in that regard, as we discussed last season, the Tice-Bates regime is clearly doing everything possible to meet Cutler's vision for the offense.

Item: The Bears' first-team offensive line included Chris Spencer at left guard, Lance Louis at right guard and a rotation of J'Marcus Webb and Chris Williams at left tackle. Presumed right tackle Gabe Carimi (knee) wasn't practicing.
Comment: There's noting scarier than a left tackle competition between a player who was moved away from the position two years ago (Williams) and one who probably shouldn't have been there in the first place (Webb). The reality is the Bears have only one position locked down: Roberto Garza at center.

Item: Cutler said that receiver Devin Hester "is having the best camp of all the receivers" and disagreed with suggestions that Hester's playing time should be limited.
Comment: I have to assume there is some kind of "get-Hester-confident" conspiracy going on at Halas Hall. Receiver Brandon Marshall has expressed similar sentiments. Unless, of course, the receiver light has suddenly turned on for Hester.

We spent some time earlier this month discussing the Green Bay Packers' remarkable two-decade process of developing and dispersing front office talent. Four teams are now led by general managers who worked under the Packers' Ron Wolf in the early 1990's, and on Wednesday the Packers formalized their next generation of up-and-comers.

The key points from this perspective:

• John Dorsey, the Packers' longtime director of college scouting, is now the team's second-highest ranking executive after general manager Ted Thompson. Dorsey's new title is Director -- Football Operations and is entering his 22nd season with the Packers.
• Eliot Wolf, Ron's son, is the new director of Pro Personnel. He has been with the Packers for nine years.
• Brian Gutekunst is the new director of college scouting. He has spent 14 years with the organization.

Based on history, at least one of those men will secure a general manager job in the NFL in the next few years.

I witnessed a portion of Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson's highly motivated rehabilitation from major knee surgery earlier this month at the team's practice facility. ESPN's Josina Anderson visited Peterson in Houston last week, and the message is the same: Peterson intends to play in the Vikings' Week 1 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a little more than nine months after surgery.

The team's medical staff has made no such declaration, and it's fair to look back at how former Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper's determination to return from his own knee injury in 2006 helped derail his career. That's exactly what I did in this week's Blogger Blitz.

A committee of ESPN experts -- including Trent Dilfer, Mel Kiper, Gary Horton, Matt Williamson -- assembled this offseason to create a unique version of our traditional Power Rankings.

Naturally, NFC North teams are featured prominently in what amounts to a three-year projection of Power Rankings for the 2015 season . The Green Bay Packers received the top spot as the team best equipped to compete three years from now, while the Detroit Lions were not far behind at No. 6.

The file requires an Insider subscription to read in full, but I can pass along where our four teams ranked and also a glimpse at the methodology used. Here is how the committee evaluated each team and the degree of impact each category had:

• Roster (32.5 percent of total score): Players under 30 emphasized
• Coaching (20 percent): Capability and stability of current staff
• Quarterback (17.5 percent): Where quarterback play would be in three years
• Draft (15 percent): Based on team's 2012 class and how many picks available in next three years.
• Front office (15 percent): Ability to manage roster and market's attraction to free agents.

Now on to the NFC North rankings with comments from me:

1. Green Bay Packers
Seifert comment: The presence of a 28-year-old MVP quarterback and one of the NFL's top general manager-coach combinations puts the Packers on an ideal long-term path.

6. Detroit Lions
Seifert comment: Quarterback Matthew Stafford had a 5,000-yard season before his 24th birthday. That's a nice start. General manager Martin Mayhew has elevated the team's talent level every season of his tenure and most of the Lions' key players -- Stafford, receiver Calvin Johnson, tight end Brandon Pettigrew, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, safety Louis Delmas and linebacker Stephen Tulloch -- are under 30.

17. Chicago Bears
Seifert comment: Jay Cutler is a legitimate franchise quarterback, but the best players on the Bears' defense are all over 30. That list includes defensive end Julius Peppers, linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, and cornerback Charles Tillman.

31. Minnesota Vikings
Seifert comment: Questions about quarterback Christian Ponder's long-term prospects made it difficult for the committee to project future success. There are also concerns about a lack of young impact players on defense. Defensive end Jared Allen is 30 and linebacker Chad Greenway is 29.