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We're Black and Blue All Over:

Let's take a break from our (relatively) serious coverage of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill to note some highly significant intersections of the NFC North and reality television.

First, Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver made it through another week on "Dancing with the Stars" and is headed to the semifinals of the competition. I guess that means we'll need to ramp up our "DWTS" coverage. Via Twitter, Driver said: "I want to bring the Mirror Ball to Titletown." The question now is if Titletown is ready for the Mirror Ball.

Meanwhile, EW.com reports that Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is part of a new celebrity dating show on Fox called "The Choice." New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is also a cast member.

Whether this appearance fits into Suh's offseason image repair plan remains to be seen.

With that, let's continue around the NFC North:

• The Packers expect to have all of their draft choices signed this week, according to Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Packers cornerback Charles Woodson was in Washington, D.C., for the annual White House correspondent's dinner, but he told ESPN 540 in Milwaukee that he has no interest in politics as a post-playing career.
• Free agent running back Ryan Grant canceled a visit to the Detroit Lions because of "economic issues," according to his agent via Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• The Detroit Free Press has a look at the cover of "Madden NFL 13" with Lions receiver Calvin Johnson front and center.
• Andy Hoag of Mlive.com has the latest on former Lions receiver Charles Rogers' legal woes.
• Lions receivers coach Shawn Jefferson has some strong feelings on the issue of post-career depression among NFL players, as Chris McCosky of the Detroit News found out.
• The Chicago Bears agreed to terms with two more draft picks, tight end Evan Rodriguez and cornerback Greg McCoy, notes Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune thinks the Bears should bring back Tommie Harris as a reserve defensive tackle.
• The Vikings' head athletic trainer isn't ready to say that tailback Adrian Peterson will be ready to play in Week 1, notes Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune.
• The Vikings hosted free agent linebacker Rocky McIntosh on a visit, according to Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.

You might have heard over the weekend that Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $49 million, including $20 million guaranteed. Some of you have asked what that means for Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, who is seeking a multiyear extension.

Avril and Wake are in slightly different situations. The Lions have made Avril their franchise player, meaning he would earn a $10.6 million base salary in 2012 if the sides don't agree on a longer deal. Wake, on the other hand, was in the final year of his rookie deal and was scheduled to make $650,000 in 2012.

Also, it's important to note that Wake, who played in the CFL before signing with the Dolphins, is 30. Avril is 26. Football longevity factors into all long-term deals.

Not all of the numbers in Wake's deal are in, but it's worth noting the average is worth about $1.5 million more annually than the franchise figure.

In return for locking himself in for four years, Wake got $20 million in guarantees. Last summer, Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson received $30 million in guarantees in exchange for signing a six-year deal at about the same average Wake got.

We've been through this issue several times during the offseason. Not all of you are willing to put Avril in the financial category reserved for the NFL's top pass-rushers. But Avril's career numbers tend to sneak up on people. He has 30 sacks in four seasons; Wake has 28 in three while Johnson had 21.5 sacks in his first three seasons before signing his deal.

In the end, you can see why the Lions might not be highly motivated to strike a deal now that they have entered the new league year with Avril's high salary-cap number accounted for. But if the sides do agree on a deal, you can expect it to be in Wake's range if it's on the shorter end. If Avril wants more guaranteed money, he'll have to sign a deal approaching the length of Johnson's.

Another in a daily series on NFC North players who are candidates to receive their team's franchise tag. The window for tagging players opens Monday and closes March 5.

The future of Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril remains one of the Big Decisions we identified last month for NFC North teams. Avril and the Lions find themselves in a vortex of variables: He will be a free agent after a career season at a premium position for a team pushed tight against the salary cap. Can the Lions afford to keep a homegrown talent who totaled 11 sacks and forced six fumbles last season?

Earlier in this Franchise Focus series, we noted the allure of the tag for the Green Bay Packers, who could lock up tight end Jermichael Finley for around $5.5 million, and the Chicago Bears, who could retain tailback Matt Forte for about $7.7 million. In Avril's case, however, the franchise tag would be an inefficient and costly tool in the short term.

The NFL has not released its official franchise numbers for 2012, but writing for Football Outsiders, Brian McIntyre has projected it to be about $11 million for defensive ends. At last check, the Lions were slightly over the projected NFL cap limit of $120 million, meaning they would have to clear (or create) $11 million in space prior to placing the tag on Avril.

That would be a difficult task for a team with deep cap issues and a number of equally important priorities. Of course, the alternative is signing Avril to a long-term extension that would require a significantly higher cash commitment but could be written to maintain a lower first-year cap total.

Two recent deals, both of which average about $12 million per season, provide context for the type of deal Avril could receive. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali is playing under a five-year, $60 million deal that includes $35 million in guarantees, while Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson signed a six-year, $72 million contract last summer with $30 million guaranteed.

As we noted last month, Johnson's deal counted about $10 million against the cap in 2011, and his cap numbers will fluctuate between $11 million and $16 million throughout the deal.

Considered together, these numbers illustrate why it is going to be a difficult task for the Lions to bring Avril back. The Lions could artificially lower his first-year cap number in a long-term deal, but eventually they would have to pay for it. Pass-rushers almost always get paid, one way or the other, and Avril will be no different.

Previewing some of the big decisions facing NFC North teams early in the 2012 offseason:

It's been a while since the Detroit Lions have faced the kind of dilemma they have with defensive end Cliff Avril, a homegrown talent and pending free agent who is in line for a budget-busting contract.

Edge pass rushers are among the most valuable commodities in the NFL, and in 2011, Avril broke out with 11 sacks and a league-high six forced fumbles. He also scored touchdowns on separate fumble and interception returns, showing the kind of athleticism that could make him a fit in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme.

The Lions, of course, are in a tight cap situation that will make for what general manager Martin Mayhew has acknowledged will be his most challenging offseason. Four players — receiver Calvin Johnson, quarterback Matthew Stafford, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch — are projected to account for half of the $120 million cap in 2012. That leaves the Lions about $60 million in cap space to squeeze in 47 other players, including Avril if they want.

One option is to use the franchise tag, which would require about $10.6 million in cash and cap commitment to Avril for 2012 and leave him unsigned thereafter. A long-term contract isn't likely to count much less against the 2012 cap unless the Lions artificially backload it and create a bigger headache in future seasons.

The starting point for negotiations with Avril would almost certainly be the six-year, $72 million contract the Carolina Panthers gave defensive end Charles Johnson last season.

Like Avril, Johnson was 25 and emerging from a career year (11.5 sacks) as he entered free agency. The Panthers were motivated by the belief that a division rival, the Atlanta Falcons, would try to sign him on the open market, and in the end gave Johnson a deal that guaranteed him $34 million. Of that total, $30 million was in the form of a signing bonus that could be spread out over the life of the contract. His cap number was $10 million in 2011 and will fluctuate between $11 million and $16 million over the next five years.

Either way, the Lions probably would have to devote around $11 million in cap space toward retaining Avril for 2012. Is that a wise investment for a team that has about $20 million in 2012 cap space already devoted to a pair of other defensive linemen? Suh is projected to count for $12.7 million, while Vanden Bosch is around $7.7 million.

On the other hand, the Lions know how difficult it is to find a pass rusher with double-digit sack potential. Since the NFL began recording sacks in 1982, a span of 30 seasons, Avril is one of eight Lions players to reach the milestone.

Like anything else in the cap era, the Lions have the wherewithal to keep Avril in 2012. It just depends on how much they're willing to prioritize him, and sacrifice elsewhere, to do it.

Many of you have been asking about the status of Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, who as of Wednesday hadn't signed his restricted free agent tender. That formality appears to have been taken care of, and Avril will be eligible to practice whenever the NFL's collective bargaining agreement is formally ratified.

There was no rush for Avril to sign because he wouldn't have been eligible to practice any sooner. Any team that wanted to sign him to an offer sheet would have been required to send the Lions a first-round draft pick to secure his services.

Avril tweeted Thursday that "I'm back at it... Feels good to be back in the lockerroom..."

I'll be interested to see how aggressively the Lions pursue a long-term contract with Avril, who has 19 sacks in his three seasons. Pass rushing is a valued commodity in the NFL, and we've seen this offseason what teams are willing to do for it.

The Carolina Panthers gave defensive end Charles Johnson, who has 21.5 sacks in four seasons, a six-year contract worth $72 million. It included $30 million in guarantees.

Avril would at least seem in line to receive what the Atlanta Falcons gave defensive end Ray Edwards: A five-year deal worth $30 million, including $11 million in guarantees.