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The Green Bay Packers are serious about elevating the competition on their defensive line. Tuesday, they signed the third veteran free agent for that position group alone.

Former Miami Dolphins defensive end Phillip Merling will join Anthony Hargrove and Daniel Muir in the race for roster spots this spring and summer. In addition to that trio, the Packers also used second- and fourth-round draft choices on defensive linemen Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels, respectively.

Four years ago, Merling was one of the draft's top pass-rushing prospects. But after a disappointing stint with the Dolphins, he is more likely a hedge against Hargrove's eight-game NFL suspension, which is currently being appealed.

Merling was the No. 32 overall pick of the 2008 draft but managed just 3.5 sacks with the Dolphins, and none in the past two seasons. He was waived last month. Here's what Miami Herald beat writer Armando Salguero wrote upon Merling's departure: "He missed most of 2010 after tearing his Achilles' while jogging on his own. He was always in the cross-hairs of coaches who complained he did not practice hard enough often enough. He has been missing the current offseason workout. And he didn't exactly produce on game days, either. Fact is Merling's rookie year was probably his most promising. collecting 26 tackles, an interception, a sack and a fumble recovery."

Sounds like a player who could use a fresh start.

The Packers now have 12 defensive linemen on their roster. Like Hargrove, veteran Mike Neal also has a pending NFL suspension -- the first four games of the season. Still, that's a lot of bodies for a team that uses three defensive linemen in its base defense and two when it's in nickel. May the best men win.

Note: The Packers also waived quarterback Nick Hill and tight Cameron Ford.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher confirmed Tuesday night that he isn't likely to participate in organized team activities (OTAs) -- and probably not veteran minicamp, either -- as he rehabilitates a sprained knee suffered in a Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Urlacher told reporters that he expects to be ready to start training camp, a completely reasonable schedule that nevertheless highlights one of the few holes on the team's roster.

Namely: Who would play for Urlacher if he was injured during the regular season?

According to ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson, second-year linebacker Dom DeCicco -- an undrafted free agent in 2011 -- will take the majority of snaps during the offseason. If nothing else, the Bears should know at the end of the spring whether DeCicco is capable of filling in for Urlacher in a regular-season environment, or whether they would need to look elsewhere. Finding a long-term replacement for Urlacher, 33, remains one of the most important challenges facing this franchise.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Urlacher, via Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune: "It's getting better. I'm on schedule, so I feel good. At this stage, I know the defense pretty well. I'm not worried about being out there and not knowing what I'm doing.''
• Bears receiver Brandon Marshall on his reunion with quarterback Jay Cutler and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, via Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times: "That just doesn't happen in sports. You don’t have a Pro Bowl receiver and a Pro Bowl quarterback and one of the most talented minds in football in Jeremy Bates back together. It just doesn't."
• Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com thinks the Detroit Lions can contend for the Super Bowl -- "[b]ut only if this team can harness what is an amazing lack of self-control. The Lions remain one of the least disciplined teams in football."
• Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News: "Dumb stuff happens in football, as in life. But the Lions have too much at stake now to be dealing with it, way too much to gain and way too much to lose. The spate of player incidents -- mostly minor -- is not a sign of a rambunctious team losing its way. But it's a pointed reminder that young talent is unpredictable, and a warning that the Lions' rough edges still need work."
• Lions cornerback Chris Houston isn't ready to be anyone's mentor, writes the News' Chris McCosky.
• Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covered the MACC Fund charity event in Milwaukee headlined by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
• Packers coach Mike McCarthy on his 2012 team, via Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: "This is clearly the most experienced football team in conjunction with the most talent that I've had a chance to coach."
• Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal: "The Green Bay Packers’ all-defense, all-the-time draft has already achieved one of its goals. The six rookie defenders have supplied a jolt of energy for a defense -- and a team -- that might have grown a little complacent after following up its victory in Super Bowl XLV with a 15-1 regular season in 2011."
• Packers linebacker Clay Matthews on moving to the right side, with rookie Nick Perry taking over on the left side, via Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com: "The misnomer about the position is that we're stuck to one side. On paper, it's going to say 'left outside linebacker' or 'right outside linebacker.' Really, those positions are interchangeable, so the faster we can get [Perry] up to speed, the faster we can have some fun moving him around, flying around and making some plays together."
• Packers defensive end Anthony Hargrove didn't have much to add about his role in the New Orleans Saints' bounty story after Tuesday's OTA, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• The Packers' defensive additions in the draft were "expected" and "necessary," according to linebacker Desmond Bishop via Rob Demovsky of the Press-Gazette.
• Dave Campbell of the Associated Press looks ahead at the Minnesota Vikings' three-week stay for training camp.
• The Vikings have signed a total of seven of their draft picks, according to Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

You've probably seen reports that Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove was in New York City on Wednesday to appeal his eight-game NFL suspension.

You might also have seen reports that appeal hearings have been scheduled for May 30 for Hargrove and three other players suspended as part of the league's bounty investigation.

To clear up any confusion, let's make clear that the NFL Players Association is pursuing two parallel agendas here. Wednesday's hearing, before independent arbitrator Shyam Das, was to discuss the NFLPA's contention that commissioner Roger Goodell can't discipline players for actions that occurred under the jurisdiction of the previous collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

The May 30 hearing, to be heard by independent arbitrator Stephen Burbank, will center on whether Goodell or an independent arbitrator should hear the eventual appeal.

Most of this is legal gobbedly-gook, but it's important because it could impact whether Hargrove gets back some or all of his suspension and thus be available to the Packers before midseason.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Good morning. Three rookie minicamps over the weekend leaves us with more local links than a person has the right to expect on the second Monday in May. In this post, I've tried to pick out the highlights. Many of them don't relate to rookies, but be aware I'll have a second post up soon that addresses some of the questions we had Friday about these camps.

• New Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice wants players to "play fast" in his scheme, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. Tice: "We don’t want to be out on the field and have the kids think[ing] too much. We don't want to make it hard for the kids. We want to make sure the kids know exactly what we’re gonna do, when we're gonna call it and why we’re gonna call it. That's our job as coaches. We have some great athletes on offense. We have to put them in a position to show us and show the fans, and show the people that love the Bears, their athleticism and explosiveness. We want to be explosive."
• Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub downplayed any possibility other than Devin Hester being his top punt and kickoff returner in 2012. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has more.
• Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times checks in with former Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris, whose wife died unexpectedly three months ago.
• New Bears quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates will have starter Jay Cutler rolling more often than he did under Mike Martz, according to Dan Pompei of the Tribune.
• Detroit Lions defensive end/linebacker Ronnell Lewis is "nicknamed the Hammer for a reason," writes Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News.
• Receiver Ryan Broyles was an "impatient observer" at the Lions' rookie minicamp, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Justin Rogers of Mlive.com offers five observations from the Lions' camp, including: "Linebacker Travis Lewis looked very comfortable in the defensive scheme, playing both outside and middle linebacker."
• Green Bay Packers tight end Andrew Quarless (knee) isn't expected to be cleared to practice when training camp begins, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette takes a look at the Packers' current in-house options as a developmental center. He also notes the Packers have three assistant coaches who played center in the NFL.
• The Packers might not give much training camp work to defensive linemen Mike Neal and Anthony Hargrove, both of whom are suspended during the early part of the season. Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com has more.
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will formally sign the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill on Monday, according to the Associated Press via 1500ESPN.com.
• Richard Meryhew of the Star Tribune looks at the challenges of designing, planning and building the team's new stadium in a four-year timeline.
• New Vikings receiver Jerome Simpson on his recent 15-day jail sentence, via Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "It was terrible. It sucked. Any kids out there, that's a place you don't want to be. Somebody tells you when to wake up, when to make your bed, when to take a shower, when you can have a snack. That's an obstacle you don't want to face. I want all kids to learn not to go down that path and to learn from me."

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Lost in a busy Wednesday of Minnesota Vikings stadium news and Adrian Peterson's impromptu workout was the first public statement from Green Bay Packers defensive end Anthony Hargrove since a declaration he signed about the New Orleans Saints' bounty program was leaked. Here's the full statement:

"I'm disappointed that 'the Declaration' was leaked. The intent of 'the Declaration' was to let the NFL know exactly what happened in March of 2010. Call me naive, but I did not expect them to publicize the fact that I had sent them 'the Declaration.' But since they did, and because they grossly mischaracterized my words, it obviously became a hot item and subsequently was leaked by someone. I do not know who leaked it, but I would have preferred for it to remain private between the NFL and me."

The key words in the statement, as far as I'm concerned, are "grossly mischaracterized." As we have noted, Hargrove revealed in the original declaration only that he was instructed by Saints assistant coaches to deny the existence of a bounty program. The NFL's announcement on Hargrove claimed the declaration "established not only the existence of the program at the Saints, but also that he knew about and participated in it."

I think that leap -- taking an admission of denying existence to mean a confirmation of participation -- is what Hargrove is referring to by "grossly mischaracterized." Hargrove, along with the three other suspended players, are appealing the discipline.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel offers an unofficial Packers depth chart for the 2012 season, including a suggestion that Alex Green will be the No. 2 tailback behind James Starks.
• Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette doesn't think the Packers will keep receiver Donald Driver in 2012.
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com has coverage on the resolution to make 12-12-12 "Aaron Rodgers Day" in the state of Wisconsin.
• The Chicago Bears had signed four of their draft choices by the end of Wednesday, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• Bears backup quarterback Josh McCown recently worked out with and threw to rookie receiver Alshon Jeffery in South Carolina, notes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune on the 2012 Bears: "If the Bears stay away from catastrophic injuries, and the coaches push the right buttons, I think they are going to make Bears fans happy."
• Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times profiles Bears rookie Shea McClellin.
• The Detroit Lions agreed to terms with seventh-round draft pick Travis Lewis, according to Tim Twentyman of the Lions' website.
• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press profiles rookie quarterback Kellen Moore.
• In this video, Star Tribune columnist Sid Hartman takes credit for the recent success of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill. Next stop: The St. Paul Saints.
• It was important for Peterson to get past the third month of his injury rehabilitation without a setback, according to Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
• Peterson on the NFL's punishment of the New Orleans Saints, their coaches and players for the bounty program, via Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com: "I bet it don't happen again. Hey, I feel for those guys, [Jonathan] Vilma and Will Smith and those guys that got punished and I don't wish them [bad] at all. To be honest, that was my first thought. I thought, well, I'm sure guys will think twice about doing this again. It was unfortunate, but, hey, it happened. It is what it is."

I thought ESPN.com's Ricky Reilly did an awesome job articulating in this column something I've tried to get at in recent posts. Namely: The impossible situation that Green Bay Packers defensive end Anthony Hargrove found himself in during the NFL's investigation of the New Orleans Saints' bounty program.

As you know by now, Hargrove revealed in a signed declaration that then-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams instructed Hargrove to deny the existence of a bounty program when asked by NFL investigators in 2010. Williams prefaced his instructions by showing Hargrove a depth chart that revealed he was under consideration for a starting job the following season.

Reilly writes that the NFL follows a military structure that made it impossible for players to refuse participation in a bounty or, more specifically, for Hargrove to reject Williams' instructions and maintain his career:

In the NFL, you stand up to your coach on something like this, and you're immediately a "locker room lawyer" and suddenly you're Super-Glued to the bench. There are no guaranteed contracts in the NFL. You have two choices: You do what your coaches say or you do what your coaches say. …You do what your staff sergeant orders you to do, or you're playing in Winnipeg.

Reilly doesn't view Hargrove or any of the other Saints' players as total innocents in the matter. But given the circumstances, he views the 1-year suspension of linebacker Jonathan Vilma and Hargrove's eight-game suspension as too harsh:

I'm not saying the players didn't take part. They did. It was wrong and dangerous and they deserved punishment. And I admire [Roger] Goodell for the steps he's taken to stop players from stupefying themselves with helmet-to-helmet collisions. But to slap these players as harshly as their bosses is like giving Bernie Madoff's secretary the same sentence as Madoff.

The entire column is worth your time.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

We spent a good part of Monday night following the Minnesota Vikings' stadium vote in the state House of Representatives, so Tuesday morning we should shift to the other big story going on in the NFC North.

New Orleans Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said he did not tell current Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove to deny the existence of a bounty program when both were with the New Orleans Saints in 2010. Hargrove made that claim of Vitt and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in a signed declaration that was leaked Monday.

Vitt told Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times Picayune: "At no time did I ever tell Anthony Hargrove to lie or deny the existence [of the alleged bounty program]. He can say whatever he wants to say. It just didn't happen."

Consider it yet another twist in a story that doesn't seem to have a lot of indisputable truths.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Quarterback Graham Harrell, who is in line to take over the Packers' No. 2 role, could be eligible for the team's rookie minicamp this weekend because he is technically a first-year player, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Several of the Packers' scouts will be promoted soon, including Alonzo Highsmith, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Free-agent running back Ryan Grant was scheduled to be at the Detroit Lions' practice facility Monday but did not appear to show up, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• The meeting either didn't occur or was moved to Sunday, according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Justin Rogers of Mlive.com takes an early look at the Lions' 53-man roster.
• Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall thinks new teammate Devin Hester is poised for a big season. Marshall said that and more in an interview with ESPN 1000.
• Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. thinks the Bears should have upgraded their offensive line this offseason.
• The Minnesota Senate will take up the Vikings' stadium bill at 10 a.m. ET, according to Doug Belden of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• A Vikings spokesman said an amendment in the House bill to raise the team's share by $105 million in "unworkable," according to the Star Tribune. But that figure could be changed in late-bill negotiations.
• The decision to release place-kicker Ryan Longwell is an other example of the roster rebuild new general manager Rick Spielman is effecting on the team, writes Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.

The signed declaration submitted to the NFL by Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, revealed Monday by Yahoo! Sports, is troubling on a number of counts.

First, contrary to an NFL statement last week, the declaration offered neither confirmation of a New Orleans Saints bounty program nor an admission that Hargrove participated in one when he played for the Saints in 2009 and 2010. Instead, the declaration revolves around Hargrove's contention that then-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and assistant head coach Joe Vitt instructed Hargrove to deny all knowledge and existence of a bounty program when NFL investigators questioned him in 2010. Specifically, Hargrove said he was told to "play dumb."

Second, the declaration frankly paints a scene of the two Saints coaches blackmailing and implicitly threatening a player who at the time was one year removed from serving a year-long NFL suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse program. According to the document, which Hargrove signed last month, Williams told Hargrove he had been working on a depth chart and had penciled him in as the starting left end after a year spent mostly as a reserve defensive lineman.

Williams used that nugget to start a conversation that ended with him asking Hargrove to fend off NFL investigators. There was no overt mention of a quid pro quo, but I think any reasonably intelligent person can see what Williams was up to, at least based on the account Hargrove gave in his declaration.

After following Williams' instructions, Hargrove reported he was "never given an opportunity to compete for the starting defensive end job." I guess someone could consider Hargrove's return to reserve status in 2010 as evidence that there was no quid pro quo. It could also be a broken promise made to elicit loyalty.

Meanwhile, the declaration implies that Vitt also requested a degree of loyalty because he was part of the St. Louis Rams' coaching staff when Hargrove was drafted in 2004. Vitt also played a role in bringing Hargrove to the Saints in 2009, vouching for him when few teams were willing to offer him a contract.

Obviously there are two sides to every story, and as we hinted at last week, this declaration helps paint a broader role of Hargrove's participation in the investigation and the merit, or lack thereof, for the eight-game suspension he has been served with to start the 2012 season.

On the surface, the declaration doesn't provide the information the NFL claimed last week that it did. (The NFL's statement last week: "Hargrove submitted a signed declaration to the league that established not only the existence of the program at the Saints, but also that he knew about and participated in it.")

Perhaps the league has other evidence. But to me, and I would think most people, Hargrove's admission that he was instructed to deny the existence of a bounty program is not the same as acknowledging he either knew about it or participated. It isn't even enough to say that Hargrove lied. He followed instructions to deny knowledge. If that's the only evidence the league has on Hargrove, then an appeal initiated Monday might have some merit.

Again, as we discussed last week, Hargrove must own the original words he spoke to investigators. But this declaration provides some context for why he said what he said.

It might be easy for us to say in a vacuum that we would tell the full truth at all times, but this was a player who was still in the process of convincing the league he was employable. He was being offered a promotion by one of the few teams that originally expressed interest. It's dirty stuff. This entire episode -- the bounty program and the NFL's investigation -- gets murkier with every layer peeled away. What's next?

As you've probably heard by now, the NFL Players Association has taken its first steps toward appealing the bounty-related suspensions of Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and three other current and former New Orleans Saints players. As ESPN's Andrew Brandt points out, the crux of the NFLPA's efforts are to circumvent NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as the point man of the appeal and put it in the hands of independent arbitrators.

Instead of Goodell, the NFLPA wants longtime arbitrator Stephen Burbank to adjudicate the appeal.

Be sure to check out the news story linked above or Brandt's "SportsCenter" appearance in the video if you're interested in the details of the proceedings. But the bottom line is that Hargrove's eight-game suspension won't be final until the appeal process is complete, and that could take some time.

The question of what happens in the meantime isn't yet relevant for Hargrove. The terms of his punishment state that he can continue to participate in the Packers' offseason program, organized team activities (OTAs), minicamp, training camp and even preseason games. His suspension wouldn't begin until Week 1 of the regular season. So he has four months of flexibility before the timing of the appeals process becomes an issue.

Earlier: Hargrove said in a declaration to the NFL that he was instructed to lie about the Saints' bounty program during a 2010 investigation. That lie is the primary reason Hargrove received the second-longest suspension among the four players who were punished.

On Wednesday we noted that Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove received the second-harshest penalty among the four players suspended in the NFL's investigation of the New Orleans Saints' bounty program. In a news release, the league said Hargrove "actively obstructed" the league's original investigation in 2010 by "being untruthful to investigators."

On Thursday, an attorney hired by the NFL to provide independent analysis of the investigation revealed a surprising nugget. Namely: In his signed declaration, Hargrove said he had been instructed to lie by a party the attorney refused to name. Here is what attorney Mary Joe White said in a media conference call on that topic: "In [the declaration], he acknowledges the nature of the program and his participation in it. And, which was really the thrust of the declaration, that he was told to lie about it and he did when he was asked about it in 2010 by the NFL investigators."

When asked if Hargrove revealed who advised him to lie, White said: "He did, but I don’t think it is appropriate to reveal that."

From the top, I'll say that every man must own his words. However it came to be, a lie is a lie and Hargrove told one. But I do think this revelation provides some important context for understanding why Hargrove acted in a way that was ultimately responsible for the severity of his eight-game suspension.

At the time of his 2010 discussion with the NFL, Hargrove had just wrapped up his first season after returning from a league suspension. The Saints were one of only a few teams that had expressed any interest in him, and with his contract expiring, Hargrove was hoping the Saints would offer him a new deal to return.

Hargrove likely would have severed his ties with the Saints organization and probably submarined his career if he had admitted anything in 2010 that would have implicated the Saints. He had a tough choice to make with potentially destructive consequences in either direction. I don't know who instructed him to lie, but conspiracy theorists could run wild given what we already know about the lying that went on during this investigation.

Again, Hargrove must take ultimate responsibility for lying. But there are a lot of layers left to be pulled back here, and the question of who instructed Anthony Hargrove to deny the existence of a bounty program is one of them.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill ended Wednesday in a more productive place than it started, which began with a rare verbal harangue from mild-mannered Gov. Mark Dayton against legislative leaders who have proposed significant last-minute changes in the bill.

After a closed-door meeting, Dayton said he was willing to "look at" a proposal that would pay the state's portion through bonding rather than gambling revenues. The new proposal would put a roof on the stadium, as necessary, but there are still many unanswered questions as the legislative session continues past its scheduled adjournment.

Dayton on the Republicans' new proposal: "They're in the majority -- they control the floor, they control the agenda. They have the majority of the votes. I want to see a stadium that's structurally sound and financially sound, that puts thousands of people to work and keeps the Minnesota Vikings here. If it means continuing to work, and looking at another possibility, we're willing to do that."

As the world turns ...

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Vikings will not increase their contribution in the new proposal, a team spokesman told the Star Tribune. That contribution is set at $427 million.
• New Vikings receiver Jerome Simpson is ready to get to work, writes Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune.
• Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder was pleased to see the team draft USC left tackle Matt Kalil, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• The Green Bay Packers had no comment on the eight-game suspension the NFL handed defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove, according to Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "The Packers couldn't have been thrilled with Goodell's verdict, but there's no harm in keeping Hargrove. Suspended without pay, he won't count against Green Bay's 53-man roster. He is allowed to participate in offseason activities and the preseason and will begin the 2012 season on the 'suspended' list."
• Longtime Packers scout Shaun Herock is leaving to be the Oakland Raiders' director of college scouting, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
• The Detroit Free Press looks back at the Detroit Lions' decision to draft linebacker Jimmy Williams 30 years ago.
• Justin Rogers of Mlive.com takes a second look at the Lions' decision to draft receiver Ryan Broyles.
• Former Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer on the death of former NFL linebacker Junior Seau, via ESPNChicago.com: "For me, this tragedy of Seau, the bounty program, it’s all part of the same issue. That there’s an identity crisis going on in the NFL right now. Thus far, in my opinion, the league office has been very reactionary in the way that they have handled it. And this is generations of culture built up here around the way we practice, the way we teach, the way we’re instructed to play the game whether you're hurt, injured. As long as you can put one foot in front of the other you just go out and play."
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune speaks with former Bears safety Shaun Gayle, who also played with Seau late in his career. Gayle discussed the similarities between Seau's death and that of former Bears safety Dave Duerson.

Let's run through some of the basics on the NFL's eight-game suspension of Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove in a Q&A format:

Will Hargrove appeal?

Almost certainly, yes. He has three days to file it with the NFL.

Who will preside over the appeal?

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who finalized the original suspension as well.

Will Hargrove file a lawsuit?

Someone will, perhaps on his behalf. The NFL Players Association said in a statement that it will "vigorously protect and pursue all options" on behalf of the suspended players. This is a potentially career-altering suspension. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter: "Get ready for a massive multiple legal battle over this on several fronts."

When would the suspension start?

At the start of the regular season. That means Hargrove can continue to participate in the Packers' offseason program, go to training camp with them and participate in the preseason. He would be eligible to resume practicing on Monday, Oct. 29.

What does this mean for the Packers?

General manager Ted Thompson rarely signs veteran free agents, so it was fair to assume the Packers had a significant -- if not starting -- role in mind for Hargrove when they signed him. Fortunately for them, they drafted two defensive linemen last weekend, Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels.

Did the Packers know about the suspension before signing Hargrove?

No. It's reasonable to assume they thought one was a possibility, but it's doubtful they thought it would be for eight games.

Will the Packers keep him on their roster?

That's unknown at this point. They wouldn't have to pay him during the suspension and he wouldn't count against their roster. It's worth pointing out that defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said Hargrove's intensity was already having an impact on the team's defensive line in the early stages of the offseason program.

Why was Hargrove punished so severely?

The NFL is obviously sending a serious statement about the bounty issue. But of the four players who were suspended, the NFL singled out Hargrove because he "actively obstructed the league’s 2010 investigation into the program by being untruthful to investigators," according to the league's official statement.

The league said Hargrove certified that he was aware of the bounty program and that he actively participated in it. Does that jibe with a statement Hargrove sent us in March?

In the statement, Hargrove said he did not receive any money, nor was he expecting any, for a late hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC Championship Game. He admitted to celebrating Favre's ankle injury during the game but said it was a mistake and added: "[D]id I personally want Favre INJURED? Absolutely and categorically NO!"

What's your take, Mr. NFC North blogger?

I think this thing is going to get much, much uglier before it goes away. What the NFL alleged about Hargrove's role, as well as that of the three other players, is career-threatening and life-altering. I don't see anyone absorbing such a blow without a legal fight. Hargrove has overcome a number of obstacles just to make it this far in his NFL career, having turned his life around following a yearlong suspension for substance abuse in 2008. Remember, there are two sides to every story. Hargrove will be highly motivated to clear his name.

Wow. We all knew that new Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove was a member of the New Orleans Saints during the time when the NFL says the Saints' well-discussed bounty program was in place. But I'm not sure any of us expected Hargrove to receive the second-harshest penalty among Saints players as a result of the investigation.

But that's the upshot of Hargrove's eight-game suspension, announced Wednesday by the NFL. Only linebacker Jonathan Vilma, whom the NFL says put up a $10,000 bounty on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC Championship Game, received a longer suspension. Let me pass along two bits of information for you to digest before we start getting into analysis and implications.

First, here is the full NFL statement on Hargrove's role: "Defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove (now with the Green Bay Packers) is suspended without pay for the first eight games of the 2012 regular season. Hargrove actively participated in the program while a member of the Saints. Hargrove submitted a signed declaration to the league that established not only the existence of the program at the Saints, but also that he knew about and participated in it. The evidence showed that Hargrove told at least one player on another team that Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was a target of a large bounty during the NFC Championship Game in January of 2010. Hargrove also actively obstructed the league’s 2010 investigation into the program by being untruthful to investigators."

In March, Hargrove provided us with an extensive statement about his role, or lack thereof, in the bounty program. I've posted it verbatim below. We'll be back in a bit.

ANTHONY HARGROVE STATEMENT FROM MARCH 2012

"First of all, the purpose of this statement is simply to address the comments that have been made about me in the media. I will not address anything to do with anyone else but myself.

"In regards to the hit I made on Brett Favre that has been talked about: it was one of about five times I got to him and the only one that was late. I agree it was a late hit, but in the heat of the moment I was simply trying to make a play. I can assure you that when I got up, I was thinking two things, one, that I cost my team, and two, that I might have just cost myself some money if the NFL fined me.

"To put things in perspective, I received a game ball for my play that day and yet got fined while receiving nothing and expecting to receive nothing for the play some keep referencing. Kudos to Brett, he even asked me if that was all I had! Gotta love him.

"And in regards to my comments that have been talked about where I say that Favre is done, I readily agree that it sounds bad in retrospect. A lot of things look bad when we look back and realize how they sound. Trust me, I've said much, much worse. Heck, I probably say worse every day.

"But did I personally want Favre INJURED? Absolutely and categorically NO! Did I feel like we, the Saints, had a better chance of being in the Super Bowl with Favre on the sideline? Of course. Would the Patriots and their fans have probably been excited to see Eli [Manning] on the bench with his foot up whispering that he was done [in Super Bowl XLVI]? Would players on the sideline have made comments to that effect? Right or wrong, I'm guessing yes.

"Probably every Saints fan, player and coach got an adrenaline rush when thinking Minnesota might be in trouble. I said what many people were probably thinking, though maybe I said it in a way that sounded a bit too excited. Those who know me best know that I lean toward the animated side a bit. Okay, a lot! It's who God made me. I do regret saying it, though.

"I have made many mistakes in my life and have paid dearly for some of them, and the late hit and the comments were both mistakes, in my opinion. But players all over the league do the same thing every Sunday, make late hits and say stupid things. But I can say with absolute certainty that neither the late hit nor the comment have anything whatsoever to do with the issue being so hotly discussed in the media."

I wish there were a tangible way to illustrate what the Green Bay Packers have been searching for defensively this offseason. Coaches call it "juice," a term that isn't in my edition of "Football for Dummies" and is hard to define but is probably best considered in the context of children drinking sugar-dense orange juice. They bounce off the walls with boundless energy, leaving a path of destruction no ordinary parent could stop.

In football, "juice" doesn't necessarily lead to sacks or tackles behind the line of scrimmage or any other easily-measured statistic. It's more about the energy a player employs, the stress it puts on an offensive line and the way it interrupts the rhythm of a quarterback's mental progression. It leads to mental mistakes by opponents, along with inaccurate throws and poor decisions.

The Packers' defense fell short in a number of key areas last season. One of the most critical deficiencies, it's now clear, was a relative lack of juice up front. Despite a pair of Pro Bowl players in linebacker Clay Matthews and nose tackle B.J. Raji, the Packers were too often neutralized -- both inside and on the edge -- and thus exposed themselves to the kind of big plays that left them with an NFL record for passing yards allowed (4,796).

The team's response has been notable as much for its methods and as its targets. General manager Ted Thompson broke from tradition on multiple occasions, dipping into veteran free agency to sign defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and trading up three times in last week's NFL draft to select half of the six defensive players he opened the draft with.

When you put Hargrove in a group with first-round linebacker Nick Perry and second-round defensive end Jerel Worthy, you see a profile of exceedingly athletic players with the ability, in their own way, to be natural havoc-wreakers beyond the line of scrimmage. No one would admit to such a detail, and in fact Thompson claimed he had not so much as prioritized the defense this offseason, but I think it's clear the Packers have set out to ratchet up the juice among the defensive players they will use near the line of scrimmage.

"We've got to find a way to control the down and distance," defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters in Green Bay, "and [opponents getting] into predictable situations. … We can't give up the number of big plays as we did last year."

ESPN Stats & Information analyzed the Packers' defense on passes that traveled more than 15 yards in the air, finding that opponents gained an NFL-high 79 first downs and completed 21 passes of 30 or more yards in those situations. Coverage issues played a role in that, of course, but it's fair to say opposing quarterbacks must have felt awfully comfortable to have made so many downfield plays.

As the chart shows, the Packers' four-man rush was one of the worst in the NFL. All teams hope their standard rush can disrupt opponents, and that's where the root of the Packers' ills last season lies. When you see defensive players getting little movement beyond the line of scrimmage, that's a visual example of a lack of juice. When defensive players are getting into the backfield, even if they miss the quarterback or running back, that's displaying some juice. The hope is that Hargrove, Perry and Worthy can get the Packers' juices flowing a bit more in 2012. (See what I did there?)

We've already discussed Hargrove's potential impact, and it's worth nothing that defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said Hargrove's hard-charging personality has already had an effect on the position.

"He's another guy that has a lot of juice to him," Trgovac said. "He really plays hard every down. I think it's just kind of in his DNA to go full speed every down. Any time you can inject that into your room, [it's good]. ... He is always talking to those guys about how he's going to work hard every day."

Perry, meanwhile, brings with him a reputation for inconsistency at USC, but the Packers were enamored with the rare physical traits he will bring to outside linebacker and hope he will impose a significant pressure point on the edge. Both Thompson and defensive coordinator Dom Capers noted that Perry ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and nailed a vertical leap of 38 1/2 inches even while weighing in at 271 pounds.

"He's an explosive player," Capers said. "… We obviously think he has the potential to do that and be the guy we're looking for at the edge."

New Minnesota Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil, who worked against Perry in practice at USC, suggested he is a physical freak. Even if he doesn't rack up sacks, the theory goes, Perry has enough speed and strength to collapse pockets and make quarterbacks uncomfortable.

"That guy looks like he's Hercules," Kalil said. "His biceps are bigger than my legs and he has the lower body of a horse. That plus his athletic ability and just how strong he is and his arsenal of moves [in practice] really made games easy for me."

Worthy has a similar combination of quickness and size, but the Packers also found him to have exceptional instincts and thus have high hopes that he'll move immediately to the point of attack.

"He's one of the better players I've seen in a couple of years in finding the ball," Trgovac said. "He'll add some juice to our front. He'll get off blocks and do some of the things we ask him to do. He's got some quickness to him for a big guy, and he anticipates the snap count very well."

If true, this offseason will be just what the dietician ordered for the Packers. Juice all around!

From a talent perspective, Michigan State's Jerel Worthy was one of the best defensive line prospects entering the NFL draft. So why was he available midway through Friday's second round in the 2012 NFL draft?

Here's part of the Scouts Inc. report on Worthy that might help answer that question:

Effort and motor can run hot and cold. 2011 film study was inconsistent. Looks like two different players versus Wisconsin (best game) and versus Michigan (arguably his worst). Will occasionally give second effort to get back involved in play, but would like to see it with more consistency.

A legitimate possibility in the first round, Worthy instead fell to No. 51 overall, prompting the defensive-needy Green Bay Packers to trade up and grab him. To move up eight spots, the Packers gladly gave up a fourth-round pick (No. 123 overall), still leaving them with nine picks remaining in the final five rounds of the draft.

The Packers have moved aggressively this offseason to address their front seven, especially from a penetration and pass rush perspective. They signed free agent Anthony Hargrove to compete at defensive end, drafted outside linebacker prospect Nick Perry on Friday and now have Worthy.

We'll await word from the Packers, but you would think Worthy could play end or nose tackle in the Packers' 3-4 front. He might not be a pure pass-rusher, but his size and athletic ability makes him a strong candidate to disrupt the line of scrimmage. According to the Packers, Worthy had at least one tackle for a loss in nine games last season for the Spartans. And the beat goes on …