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There are some genuine reasons to believe the Minnesota Vikings would seriously consider selecting LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. The most obvious was the Vikings' historically poor pass defense last season, along with the national consensus that Claiborne is the best cornerback in the draft.

But there are just as many reasons to be suspicious of the sudden league-wide uncertainty about the Vikings' intent, which for months we assumed to be either a trade or the selection of USC left tackle Matt Kalil. It coincides with the very public efforts of Vikings general manager (Crazy) Rick Spielman to create that very impression. Based on individual team needs, it's more likely that a team in the top 5-8 would trade up for Claiborne, or possibly Oklahoma receiver Justin Blackmon or Alabama running back Trent Richardson, than Kalil.

From a football perspective, some people are shaking their heads and wondering why a team whose base defense includes more zone coverage than anything else would spend the No. 3 overall pick on a cornerback. As conventional wisdom goes, individual coverage skills aren't as valuable when not employed in man/press coverage. Thus, you can get cornerbacks to play in a Cover-2 scheme lower in the draft than if you plan to use them in man coverage.

The Vikings have based their scheme on the Tampa-2 framework since 2006, when Mike Tomlin took over as defensive coordinator. Current coach Leslie Frazier, who like Tomlin is a protégé of modern-day Tampa-2 linchpin Tony Dungy, maintained continuity when he replaced Tomlin in 2007.

The goal of the scheme is to find elite pass-rushers to create havoc among the front four and allow the remaining seven players to flood the coverage zones. As a result, teams that use the Tampa-2 framework don't often pursue cornerbacks in the first round.

The Indianapolis Colts selected cornerbacks Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden with their first two picks of the 2005 draft when Dungy was the coach there. In 2008, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected cornerback Aqib Talib and the Buffalo Bills selected Leodis McKelvin.

Those picks were the exceptions to the rule, and none of the cornerbacks were taken in the top 10.

Spielman said this week that the Vikings aren't a pure zone team, which is true. No NFL team could get away with a single form of coverage for 16 games. ESPN Stats & Information doesn't track coverages, and it is almost impossible to do accurately without help from someone who knew the exact play call on every play.

But considering Frazier's roots with Dungy, and a similar history of new defensive coordinator Alan Williams, it would be fair to say the Vikings' coaching staff has a strong background in zone coverage. That doesn't mean the Vikings won't, or shouldn't, draft Claiborne. But it means that one way or the other, changes would be afoot if they do.

If you have a player as talented as Claiborne in coverage, it makes sense to use more man/press coverage than the Vikings have used in the past. And if that's an issue for the coaching staff, you wonder if drafting Claiborne would further shake the ground under Frazier.

We've already noted the unique position Frazier finds himself in entering a rebuilding process in his second full year as head coach. Would a commitment to an elite cover corner mean that Spielman isn't expecting his Tampa-2 coach to be around much longer? It's a question worth asking. We'll know if it's even relevant in a few hours. Stay tuned.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman kicked off the draft-day trade speculation season by hopping on the NFL Network during Senior Bowl practices and declaring: "It will be, I think, very busy on draft day. We're the third overall pick, so we'll be looking at all the options. If someone wants to come up and get our pick, we’re going to be more than willing to listen."

As we've discussed before, the presence of Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III would make the Vikings an obvious trading partner for a quarterback-needy team at No. 3. In the past, Spielman has said there are a few players in each draft that he would never pass up an opportunity to select, regardless of the trade offer.

You wonder if USC offensive lineman Matt Kalil will be one of those players. The Vikings are in need of a left tackle and usually teams need to devote a high draft pick to get one. Three more months to go.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Vikings are preaching steady improvement but not a revival in 2012, according to Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune checks in with new Vikings defensive coordinator Alan Williams.
• The NFL doesn't consider Los Angeles a viable option for relocation in 2012, writes Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers endorsed quarterbacks coach Tom Clements to replace Joe Philbin as the team's offensive coordinator, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Rodgers thinks there is a "strong possibility" that Philbin will bring Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn to the Miami Dolphins, notes Wilde.
• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune suggests that Phil Emery is likely the Bears' new general manager: "But given the stability Emery offers and the job requirements as [team president Ted] Phillips defines them, I will be surprised if the Bears hire anybody else."
• Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice has been communicating daily with quarterback Jay Cutler, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Former Bears offensive lineman Kevin Shaffer is working with draft prospects at the Senior Bowl, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune wonders if Alex Van Pelt will be the Bears' new quarterbacks coach/passing coordinator.
• Detroit Lions offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath paid a $412 fine after being charged Monday with possession of marijuana. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has more.
• Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham is happy that defensive backs coach Tim Walton will remain with the team, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.

Just to keep you updated, the Minnesota Vikings have made it official: Former Indianapolis Colts defensive backs coach Alan Williams is their new defensive coordinator and Brendan Daly will take over as their defensive line coach.

A news release made no mention of former coordinator Fred Pagac, who reportedly will share duties as linebackers coach with Mike Singletary, who will also be a special assistant to the head coach. I'll withhold most comments until later Thursday, when we should hear from coach Leslie Frazier.

In general, however, I would view these moves as more of a re-shuffling than a shakeup considering the familiarity of all involved. Frazier and Williams worked together on the Colts' staff in 2005 and 2006, and both are devoted to former Colts coach Tony Dungy's Tampa-2 defense. Williams was once part of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff that included Dungy as the head coach and former Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin as the defensive backs coach.

Daly was the Vikings' assistant defensive line coach from 2006-08, the final two years under Frazier. He replaced Karl Dunbar, who was fired. It is presumed that defensive backs coach Joe Woods will return in his current role. More to come.

As business closed Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings appeared closer to having a defensive coordinator than a new stadium. Let's take a look at those unrelated issues one at a time.

Multiple news outlets -- including NFL.com, ESPN1500.com and the St. Paul Pioneer Press -- were reporting that Indianapolis Colts defensive backs coach Alan Williams will soon be hired as the Vikings' defensive coordinator. Williams and current Vikings coach Leslie Frazier were on the same Colts staff under former coach Tony Dungy, and Williams' arrival would ensure continuity for the Tampa-2 scheme Frazier prefers.

Other changes would still need to be worked out. The Vikings need a new defensive line coach, and reports suggest that former defensive coordinator Fred Pagac could return to coach linebackers. In that scenario, 2011 linebackers coach Mike Singletary would stay on staff as a special assistant to Frazier.

That's an awfully convoluted mix of incumbents, newcomers and demotions, one that we'll address if and when the Vikings confirm it.

Meanwhile, Gov. Mark Dayton failed to deliver a single stadium site or a financing plan, as previously promised, during a Wednesday news conference. Instead, he said that every credible site has outstanding questions that make it impossible to make a final recommendation to a state legislature that convenes next week.

With that said, Dayton has all but ruled out a suburban site in Arden Hills, Minn., saying the Vikings would have to cover gaps in local funding that would increase their required contribution from $425 million to $700 million. That isn't going to happen.

Dayton seems to favor a little-known site in downtown Minneapolis near the intersection of I-94 and I-394, known as the "Linden Ave." site, mostly because it would create a sports entertainment district with Target Field and Target Center. There has been little research done on the site, however, and local businesses have been vocal about their opposition.

The current Metrodome site, Dayton said, is a "default" site that would work if the so-called Linden Ave. site falls through. The Vikings haven't committed to a contribution for either Minneapolis site, however, and Dayton said he can't move forward until they do so.

At this point, I don't think anyone knows how this will play out. It sounds like an awfully large number of big decisions must be made in a short period of time in order for a stadium to be approved in the next few months. Dayton, however, characterized the situation as "first-and-goal at the 5-yard line." Hmmm. We better check his red zone percentage.

The Vikings' Metrodome lease will expire Feb. 1, and while they have indicated they would reject offers to relocate, they have also said they won't sign a lease for 2012 until a new stadium is approved. Stay tuned.

We can cross off one of the many swirling coaching situations in the NFC North now that the Chicago Bears have re-signed special teams coordinator Dave Toub.

Toub's contract had expired and he recently interviewed for the head-coaching position with the Miami Dolphins. It appears the Dolphins have moved on to a new batch of candidates, and the Bears jumped at the opportunity to bring back one of the game's top special-teams gurus before he began soliciting offers from other teams.

The conclusion to the Toub story leaves us with these coaching storylines in the division:

1. The Bears still need to hire a quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator and an offensive line coach to replace Mike Tice, who was promoted to offensive coordinator.
2. The Minnesota Vikings' entire defensive staff remains in flux without a coordinator in place. Indianapolis Colts defensive backs Alan Williams is the latest candidate to get an interview for that job. Coordinator Fred Pagac and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar have both been fired.
3. Up to five Green Bay Packers assistants could be candidates for promotion elsewhere, some for the same job. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin has interviewed for the head coaching job in Miami, has another interview scheduled with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and could generate interest from the Oakland Raiders. Assistant head coach/inside linebackers Winston Moss could be a candidate for the Raiders, as could Philbin, defensive coordinator Dom Capers and safeties coach Darren Perry. Finally, quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has an interview scheduled with the Buccaneers.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

With all but four NFL teams done for the 2011 season, we have a pretty good idea of what the 2012 draft order will look like. Something tells me you would be interested in where NFC North teams will be choosing in the first round, and so I refer you to ESPN.com's full draft order on our NFL Nation blog.

A few slots have yet to be decided by a coin flip, but the four NFC North teams are locked into their positions. The particulars:

3. Minnesota Vikings
19. Chicago Bears
23. Detroit Lions
28. Green Bay Packers

Let the mock drafts begin.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Please keep two of our blog regulars in your thoughts as they battle serious illness. Best wishes to VWCAU and icLambeau.
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com summarizes the interest in Packers assistant coaches throughout the NFL. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is a candidate for the head-coaching jobs with the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements will interview for the Bucs job as well. Assistant head coach/inside linebackers Winston Moss and safeties coach Darren Perry could both be candidates for the Raiders job as well.
• A lack of pass rush hurt the Packers all season, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette explains what went wrong on a Hail Mary pass that led to a New York Giants touchdown Sunday.
• The Minnesota Vikings are planning to interview Indianapolis Colts defensive backs coach Alan Williams, a former colleague of Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, for their defensive coordinator job, according to the NFL Network via Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• The Vikings' defense remains in flux, writes Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune.
• The Chicago Bears denied the Vikings permission to interview defensive backs coach Jon Hoke for their defensive coordinator job, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• The Bears have completed their first interview for their general manager job, having spoken to New England Patriots executive Jason Licht, according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub, a candidate for the Dolphins' head-coaching job, is now available on the open market as a special teams coach as well. Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com explains.
• Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reviews the Detroit Lions player by player.
• Detroit native Eminem gushed about the Lions in a recent GQ article, according to the Detroit Free Press. Among his observations: safety Louis Delmas is "ill."

MIAMI -- Will the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike Martz lead to a turf swap at Soldier Field? Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune broaches that question Wednesday, and I think it’s an excellent idea.

The current grass field has to be re-sodded several times during the regular season and is annually rated as one of the NFL’s worst in a poll of players. Replacing it with FieldTurf would cost the Chicago Park District $1.5 million, but obviously wouldn’t require six-figure replacements and would pay for itself in a couple of years.

As important, it would provide a more consistent and faster surface for Martz’s offense. The Bears have always considered the dirt/grass field a home-field advantage, but it might be time to consider what is best for their own team as well. Tight end Desmond Clark, among others, have long advocated for change.

Continuing around the NFC North at the midpoint of Super Bowl week:

• Are the Bears targeting Indianapolis assistant Alan Williams for their defensive coordinator job? Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com checks it out.
• The Bears are targeting San Francisco assistant Shane Day as their quarterbacks coach, according to Brad Biggs of the Tribune.
• Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Sun-Times: “The Bears never have fired a head coach during a season and have no plans to do so with [Lovie] Smith. But if they did, they have options on the staff like never before. And it's not just the former head coaches. [Dave] Toub remains one of the best special-teams coaches in the NFL and is seen widely as a possible future head coach.”
• This is the first time in a decade that Detroit hasn’t changed either its offensive or defensive coordinator during the offseason, writes Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press.
• Martz’s arrival spells trouble for the Lions’ troubled pass defense, writes Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com.
• Released by Green Bay, defensive tackle Daniel Muir has turned into a reliable starter for Indianapolis. Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.
• New Orleans safety Darren Sharper wonders if Green Bay safety Nick Collins will face the same fate that he did: Allowed to leave via free agency. Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel has more.
• Jason Wilde of EPSNMilwaukee.com wonders what motives Brett Favre and agent Bus Cook would have for allowing pictures of Favre’s injuries in the NFC Championship Game to be published online.