ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert

My morning-after take on the NFC North’s cutdown day: Green Bay had some shockers and Detroit engineered a few surprises. Chicago and Minnesota were entirely predictable.

Packers general manager Ted Thompson has scheduled a mid-afternoon news conference to comment the organization’s decision to part ways with quarterback Brian Brohm, a second-round pick in 2008, and safety Anthony Smith, a free-agent pickup who seemed to be challenging for a starting job. I’ll get you details from that event as soon as I can. I'm also itching to compare how each team's draft class fared, but we might as well wait until the middle of the week when we know for sure who will be on the opening-week roster.

Remember, teams can start signing players to their practice squads Sunday at noon ET. Most NFL teams will continue to adjust their roster over the next few days through waiver claims, trades and signings of vested free agents who were released or otherwise available. So while the flurry of moves occurred Saturday, the trickle will continue for at least another 48 hours.

For now, let’s take a spin through Sunday coverage in the NFC North:

• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune has a one-on-one interview with quarterback Jay Cutler. Let’s just say you get a pretty good feel for Cutler’s personality through the brevity of some of his answers.
• Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald also spoke with Cutler, who talked expansively about his offseason visits to see children hospitalized with diabetes.
• Bears cornerback Charles Tillman was activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and now has four practices to get ready for live action, notes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Here’s coverage of the Brohm move from Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The general conclusion: Brohm didn’t show enough progress from his disastrous rookie season to suggest he would develop into a competent NFL quarterback.
• Dougherty believes the Packers might just use two quarterbacks on their active roster this season. Here’s his roster analysis.
• Detroit cut defensive tackle Shaun Smith because “his attitude and work ethic keeps getting in the way,” writes John Niyo of the Detroit News. The move also allows the Lions to avoid paying Smith a $350,000 roster bonus.
• Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press wonders if the Lions’ offensive line has turned the corner.
• Two young receivers made the Vikings' roster, at least for now: Jaymar Johnson and Darius Reynaud. Chip Scoggins and Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune explain.
• Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wants Packers fans to calm down over Minnesota’s acquisition of Brett Favre: “Being a football fan means you get to blow off steam, go crazy and have a good time. But do people have to act like, what's the term I want ... disgusting animals?”