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We're Black and Blue All Over:

We noted last month that all four NFC North teams faced decisions on their quarterback depth this offseason. The Detroit Lions, specifically, had to decide whether to bring back backups Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton -- both of whom are pending free agents -- or if they would use the positions to help draw down their bloated salary-cap structure.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports that Hill is likely to return, one way or the other, even if it means taking a "slight discount" to make it happen.

That makes sense for all parties. Hill has a longtime connection with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, performed well when the Lions needed him in 2010 and understands that he won't get a chance to beat out starter Matthew Stafford. That's a pretty good combination for a backup quarterback.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Lions added former NFL safety Marcus Robertson to their coaching staff as a defensive assistant, notes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Secondary coach Tim Walton has received added duties in coordinating the Lions' third-down package, writes Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com.
• Chicago Bears rookie linebacker J.T. Thomas was arrested Monday morning and charged with misdemeanor drug possession in West Virginia, notes ESPNChicago.com.
• Former Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris is "overwhelmed" by support from the Bears and the city of Chicago after his wife died suddenly over the weekend. Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times has more.
• The Bears' window to place the franchise tag on running back Matt Forte opens Monday, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has anticipated moving Ben McAdoo to quarterbacks coach for the past two years, writes Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Former quarterbacks coach Tom Clements, now the Packers' offensive coordinator, plans to spend a lot of time around the quarterbacks, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• McCarthy considered hiring Alex Van Pelt to his staff in 2006, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Minnesota officials need more input from Minneapolis leaders in order to push the Minnesota Vikings' stadium proposal to the next level, writes Doug Belden of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Former Vikings defensive line coach Karl Dunbar was hired by the New York Jets, according to Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.

Who knew that the departure of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, who neither called plays nor coached a position, would lead to a significant shuffling of the Green Bay Packers' offensive coaching staff?

The final staff, announced Monday morning, covered some previously known territory but also provided a few revelations. In the end, here is how the dominos fell after Philbin left to become the Miami Dolphins' head coach:

1. Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements was promoted to offensive coordinator.
2. Tight ends coach Ben McAdoo replaced Clements as quarterbacks coach.
3. Running backs coach Jerry Fontenot replaced McAdoo as tight ends coach.
4. Alex Van Pelt, a longtime friend of coach Mike McCarthy, was hired to replace Fontenot as running backs coach.

Two offensive position coaches will remain in their 2011 jobs: Receivers coach Edgar Bennett, who made the jump from receivers coach in 2010, and offensive line coach James Campen.

McCarthy has said on several occasions that he values coaching ability over specific playing experience, explaining why he has been so willing over the years to swap assistants. Here's how Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel put it via Twitter: "#Packers now have a QB as RBs coach, a TE as QBs coach, an OL as TEs coach and a RB as WRs coach. Go figure."

Indeed, Van Pelt played nine seasons as an NFL quarterback and has focused on quarterbacks for most of his coaching career. McAdoo never played the quarterback position, Fontenot was an NFL center for 16 years and Bennett spent eight seasons as a running back for the Packers.

I'm not going to get too worked up about McCarthy's mixing and matching. You would be surprised if you examine the career histories of coaches through the NFL; many of them took meandering paths to their current area of expertise. It might be unusual for a staff with so many former NFL players to have so many people "out of position," but if anything it speaks to McCarthy's confidence in his program's ability to foster career expansion.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

In many ways, it's tough to criticize the Chicago Bears' hiring of Phil Emery as their new general manager. He is by all accounts a highly respected figure in NFL scouting circles, someone who has demonstrated the willingness to work all day and every day to unearth talent and separate the so-called contenders from pretenders. As we discussed Monday, his character and approach are that of an ex-Naval Academy conditioning coach, and he sounded in his introductory news conference like a fine person to work for.

About the only criticism I could find in the Chicago media was the suggestion that the Bears swung low in their search to replace general manager Jerry Angelo, valuing competence but also requiring a level of conformity to their existing structure that might have disqualified higher-profile candidates. Here's how Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times put that sentiment:

"You get what you ask for. What the Bears asked for was a GM who has no desire to fire a middling head coach, a GM who thinks the team isn’t far away from being great and a GM who is extremely happy to be here. Check, check and check. Emery sounds like a man who can work with anyone who is put in front of him. That includes [coach Lovie] Smith, the scouting staff and, presumably, Staley the mascot, as long as he's a team player."

Regardless, I think we can use baseball terms to put this hire in proper perspective: The Bears put a runner in scoring position even if they weren't swinging for the fences.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune: "Much of the public listened to Emery and equated uninteresting with incapable, but be careful before jumping to conclusions. Judge Emery's substance, not his style."
• Smith's job appears as safe as it could following a general-manager transition, writes Dan Pompei of the Tribune: "Emery did not sound a bit like a man intent on running out Smith as soon as possible so he can put his stamp on the Bears with the head coach of his choosing. In fact, he made it clear his goal is to ensure Smith is the coach of the Bears for a long time."
• Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com: "It seems to me, a professional scout of character, that Emery is an old-school, salt-of-the-earth football guy. He's certainly not a personality in the vein of Jerry Angelo, whose famous last words in Chicago were telling a reporter to 'whistle dixie.' But I have a feeling that Emery knows what he's talking about when he's in a room full of like-minded men. He's a scout, after all, a guy who works in anonymity, taking his victories mostly in silence."
• Emery received a five-year contract, according to Brad Biggs of the Tribune.
• The Bears will speak with Alex Van Pelt for their open quarterbacks coach position, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• The Minnesota Vikings are looking at a stadium site across the street from the Metrodome so that they can continue playing in the existing stadium until the new one is ready, writes Kevin Duchschere of the Star Tribune.
• Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press speaks with Hall of Fame candidate Chris Doleman.
• Vikings director of player personnel George Paton interviewed Monday for the St. Louis Rams' general manager job, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson was named The Sporting News' executive of the year, notes the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Missed this from a few days ago, but Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com reported that many in the Detroit Lions organization are uncertain if running back Jahvid Best (concussions) will play again.

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.