We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Minnesota Vikings listed Bryant McKinnie on their roster as weighing 335 pounds.

He admitted to finishing last season at 360 pounds.

When he reported for training camp this weekend, according to Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune, he weighed nearly 400 pounds.

That figure was what prompted Tuesday's surprising release, Zulgad reported. Throughout the lockout, there had been talk of players who might let themselves go without the structure of offseason workouts. I think it's fair to say that McKinnie was one of them. McKinnie said at the beginning of the offseason that he had hired a person trainer, and later he posted a video of him playing tennis with Venus Williams, but obviously things caught up to him this summer.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com: "His legacy as a player will be a rare talent who settled for good instead of great, until the only NFL team he's known decided it wasn't willing to settle anymore."
• Vikings cornerback Chris Cook, via Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "It's just a better year for me. [My rookie year] made me very hungry to come back out here and show everybody what I can do. And prove myself to myself."
• The Green Bay Packers aren't viewed as the team to beat in the NFC this year thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles' free-agency news, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Packers running back Ryan Grant has no problem sharing the load with James Starks, writes Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Rookie receiver Randall Cobb has already made his mark on the Packers, writes Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• The Chicago Bears should play newcomer Chris Spencer at center right away instead of wasting time with Roberto Garza there, writes Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald.
• Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz is "giddy" about the offseason improvement in quarterback Jay Cutler's footwork. More from ESPNChicago.com.
• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune revisits a questionable play call with Martz from the NFC Championship Game.
• Martz thinks that tight end Kellen Davis is ready for a bigger role in the offense, according to Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports there was "a high level of concern" about defensive tackle Nick Fairley's left foot Tuesday.
• Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press has the story of Quinn Pitcock, a defensive lineman trying to make the team after bouts with addiction and depression.
• The Lions have a receiver on their roster named Demario Ballard, he is 6-foot-6 and weighs 220 pounds, according to Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com, and has made some impressive catches in individual drills.