We're Black and Blue All Over:

One potentially significant injury that has fallen under the radar, at least on this blog, is the hip flexor suffered Saturday night by Chicago Bears punter Adam Podlesh. The injury is to Podlesh's left (non-kicking) hip, but generally, any lower-body injury has the potential to throw off a punter's or place-kicker's effectiveness.

The injury has not been advertised as long-term, but special-teams coordinator Dave Toub said Tuesday that he is "very concerned" and revealed Podlesh is visiting specialists to "figure out what we need to do."

Undrafted rookie Ryan Quigley will punt Friday for the Bears against the New York Giants, but the Bears must decide after that point whether Podlesh will be ready for the regular season or if they need to make other plans. They were scheduled to work out free agent Matt Dodge on Tuesday and could monitor the waiver wire during final cuts as well.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher sought alternative treatment for his troublesome left knee this spring, according to Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Tribune.
• Bears safety Chris Conte is dealing with a right shoulder separation but is expected to return in time for the regular season, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press explains what the "Iron Pimp" once meant to Minnesota Vikings receiver Jerome Simpson.
• Vikings nose tackle Letroy Guion isn't ready to return from a sprained knee, according to Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• The Vikings' punt return job is still wide open, according to the Star Tribune.
• The Green Bay Packers are in no rush to settle their rotation in the defensive secondary, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "[I]s Cedric Benson a good guy, a good teammate? Those who coached for and played with Benson insist he is. Benson says he is. But he's also a soft-spoken, sincere individual. Benson dismisses the clichéd punk-to-pro narrative, that he evolved from self-entitled to selfless. Benson believes he has always been himself. The Packers will soon discover where this takes them."
• Packers running back Alex Green is hitting all of his markers in recovering from a knee injury, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Detroit Lions safety Erik Coleman is happy to be healthy and playing this summer, writes Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News.
• Justin Rogers of Mlive.com lists five Lions players who need to step up now that training camp is over, beginning with rookie quarterback Kellen Moore.
• Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press profiles Lions fullback James Bryant, a former professional boxer. Bryant once wore a Hannibal Lecter mask during a weigh-in for fun.