ESPN NFL

The sequence of events was interesting, at least. On Monday afternoon, Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy had this to say to reporters:

"You could make an argument that Brandon Chillar is our most productive linebacker to this point in training camp. He seems very natural in the pressure packages, both base and sub. He's someone that can play a number of different positions and can give us flexibility in our coverage schemes. Another instinctive football player, has excellent range. We also expect him to be an impactful player on special teams, but Brandon is having an exceptional training camp."

That assessment jibes with the performance I witnessed last week. A few hours later, Nick Barnett -- the injured player Chillar has replaced -- offered this on his Twitter account: "Getting a little bit upset about this pup crap."

(Pup = physically unable to perform list)

I don't get the sense the Packers are looking to replace Barnett or necessarily want Chillar to be their starter. One of Chillar's strengths is his ability to move between positions, thus making him an ideal multi-purpose backup. But his performance has definitely thrust a degree of urgency on Barnett, who is expected to be tested at some point this week to determine if he can be activated off the PUP list.

There's nothing like the success of a replacement to speed that process along.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Rookie offensive lineman T.J. Lang, once thought to be a challenger for the right tackle job, is getting some practice time behind left guard Daryn Colledge, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Detroit nose tackle Grady Jackson still doesn't know if he'll be subject to NFL discipline for his role in the StarCaps story, write John Niyo and Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News. Commissioner Roger Goodell has promised an answer before the season begins.
• Tight end Dan Gronkowski, a seventh-round draft pick, is starting to get noticed in training camp, writes Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press.
• Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press traces the evolution of Minnesota tailback Chester Taylor as a third-down specialist.
• New Vikings center John Sullivan has held his own from a physical standpoint in camp, writes Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune.
• The only thing that matters about Chicago defensive tackle Tommie Harris is how he plays on Sundays, writes David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.