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It appears that former Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen gave us some pretty accurate insight into the mind-set of current Bears tailback Matt Forte.

It seems clear, via Twitter, that Forte didn't take it well Thursday when the Bears signed tailback Michael Bush to a four-year contract worth $14 million, including $7 million guaranteed. Forte, who was named the Bears' franchise player this month in lieu of a long-term deal, dropped the dreaded "d" word.

Forte: "There's only so many times a man that has done everything he's been asked to do can be disrespected! Guess the GOOD GUYS do finish last...."

*UPDATE: Forte's agent, Adisa Bakari, offered some context to the tweet in a statement to ESPNChicago.com's Michael C. Wright. Bakari: "Since drafting Matt in 2008, the Bears have signed Kevin Jones, Chester Taylor and Marion Barber, all ostensibly to serve as Matt's backup. To sign yet another running back, prior to completing a contract with Matt suggests disregard for Matt and his contributions to the Bears."

Unfortunately, we don't have the full set of facts to render our own judgment. We know the Bears guaranteed Bush ($7 million) roughly the same amount as Forte would be paid ($7.74 million) as a franchise player this year. We also know the Bears have now issued multi-year deals to veteran backups in each of the past three years.

What we don't know, and it's a rather big piece of the puzzle, is what Forte has turned down. Negotiations have taken place on and off for more than a year. If the Bears were somehow offering Forte less, or about the same, as they have given Chester Taylor, Marion Barber and Bush, then Forte would have a legitimate argument.

But if Forte is upset because the Bears haven't offered him an elite contract that approaches, say, $25-$30 million in guarantees, then the Bush signing should have nothing to do with his angst. He might be upset with the Bears for not valuing him as an elite back, and could perhaps make an argument that he deserves that payday. But a market-level deal for a backup is a separate issue altogether.

As we all know, reason and rational thought don't always rule contract negotiations. What's important is that Forte is among the Bears' best players, one they have built their offense around in recent years, and he's not happy. That's a problem for the Bears, regardless of whether Forte's anger is well-grounded or unfounded.

In our previous post, we discussed the potential impact of Michael Bush's arrival in Chicago on the Bears' negotiations with tailback Matt Forte. I wasn't ready to consider it a legitimate affront to Forte, who reportedly has turned down a more lucrative offer than what Bush received, but it's worth adding a player's perspective.

Via Twitter, former Bears tight end Greg Olsen made clear that Forte would be well within his rights to be upset. Bush is the third backup running back to receive a multiyear contract from the Bears in as many years, following Marion Barber and Chester Taylor. Olsen:

If u have a studd 3 down guy like @MattForte22 why keep paying backups big $ every yr? Crazy!! Matt deserves better.

— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen82) March 22, 2012

When a follower asked if Olsen was bitter because the Bears weren't willing to offer him a multiyear deal and eventually traded him, Olsen responded: "wrong [couldn't] be happier in Carolina. Just pointing out how its viewed around league."

You can agree or disagree with Olsen's reasoning, especially as it relates to having a reliable backup running back at one of the most physical positions in the game. But a number of Bears players stepped forward last season on the topic, and I think Olsen gives us a fair glimpse of how an NFL player views the standoff between the Bears and Forte. And let's just say it won't endear the team's position to any of them.

A number of wild theories began circulating in the moments after the Chicago Bears announced a four-year contract agreement with running back Michael Bush. So let's do our best to sift through what the deal does -- and, just as importantly, doesn't -- mean.

• Bush is the Bears' best attempt yet at finding a reliable backup to starter Matt Forte, one whose skills offer the team more complete coverage from the position. We've noted several times that Forte doesn't perform well in short-yardage and goal-to-go situations. Last season, Bush scored seven touchdowns for the Oakland Raiders on goal-to-go downs, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Chester Taylor failed as Forte's backup in 2010, and Marion Barber (2011) figures to follow him out the door shortly.
• Bush got a nice contract that could top out at $14 million and includes $7 million guaranteed. That's better than backup money, but Bush is better than your standard backup. He started 19 games in four seasons with the Raiders.
• That money suggests the Bears felt they needed protection against a possible holdout from Forte, who hasn't agreed to a long-term deal and hasn't signed his franchise tender. We're a long way from that point, but midsummer is not the time to start scrambling for insurance. The best options are available now.
• Some of you might think Forte would be annoyed to see a third consecutive veteran walk through the door with a multiyear contract while he awaits one himself. It's true that Taylor ($7 million) earned more than him in 2010, as did Barber ($2.5m) in 2011. This year, Bush's $7 million guarantee is close to the $7.74 million franchise tag that Forte will play under if he doesn't agree to a longer deal. But I think the Bears are willing to pay Forte more than his backup. Whether they are willing to pay him what he wants is another question.
• Regardless, I don't think Bush's arrival will make Forte any more or less likely to hold out. He has a number he wants the Bears to get to. Will it make the Bears less likely to meet that number because they have Bush? They might want Forte to think so, but ultimately they know they need Forte in their lineup.
• When you hear the name "Michael Bush," many of you think of the terrible broken leg he suffered in 2006 as a senior at Louisville. The injury required the insertion of a steel rod and essentially cost him two years of football. But since returning to the field in 2008, he has played in 61 out of a possible 64 games.
• The Brandon Marshall trade will define the Bears' offseason, but no less impressive has been their determination to beef up depth with highly paid veterans. Bush is the most notable example, but it's worth pointing out that backup quarterback Jason Campbell will earn $3.4 million, while kick returner Eric Weems got a $1.5 million signing bonus on top of a $700,000 base salary.

A week or two ago, I was discussing the future of the Chicago Bears with a friend. We started with the obvious -- whether offensive coordinator Mike Martz would return -- then moved up the ladder a bit. Was there any chance of a bigger shake-up after the Bears missed the playoffs in four of the five seasons since appearing in Super Bowl XLI?

Under the McCaskey family, we agreed, the Bears have been a methodical and slow-moving organization that wasn't prone to emotional reactions. But in a development that didn't register with enough people this past year, a new McCaskey assumed leadership in the summer. George McCaskey, the younger and more involved brother of former chairman Michael McCaskey, is now ultimately responsible for the team.

We'll find out soon whether it was George McCaskey who fired Jerry Angelo on Tuesday or whether the parting was mutual. But make no mistake: One of the NFL's most stable franchises has jumped into uncertain waters for the first time in a decade. The move is a surprise mostly because it came from the Bears. Angelo's 11 seasons are more than most NFL franchises give their general managers.

Angelo has run the Bears' football operations since 2001. He hired coach Lovie Smith in 2004, and together they have one of the longest tenures of any football leadership structure in the NFL. Angelo's departure leaves every aspect of the Bears' program under review, including Smith, and there is no telling where that might lead. Smith signed a contract extension last winter through the 2013 season, but after today he won't be working for the person who hired him. That situation rarely bodes well for a head coach, at least in the long term.

We'll get more into Angelo's time with the Bears as the day progresses. Suffice it to say, it will go down as a mix of on-the-field success and front-office missteps, including a series over the past calendar year that suggested Angelo's regime was lively but disorganized. A botched draft-day trade with the Baltimore Ravens, the failure of free-agent signings Chester Taylor and Brandon Manumaleuna, (which cost the McCaskey family about $12 million for nearly no production) and the arrest of receiver Sam Hurd on federal drug distribution suspicion were the latest examples. Eventually, those things pile up.

More to come.

Via ESPNChicago.com, I heard most of the brief news conference Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo held Friday to announce the inevitable and highly warranted decision to waive receiver Sam Hurd. What caught my ear more than anything, however, was Angelo's snappy response when asked if this episode will impact his future with the organization.

"Whistling Dixie," is what it sounded like Angelo said. In other words, you're in fantasy land.

I wonder, however, how Hurd's arrest will weigh on a lifelong football man who never imagined that the acquisition of a No. 5 receiver and special teams contributor would blow up into one of the most embarrassing moments in recent franchise history. By all accounts, Hurd was a well-respected member of the Dallas Cowboys for five seasons and there were few, if any, people around the NFL who would have suspected him of operating a drug distribution ring that undercover federal investigators busted Wednesday night in Chicago.

Angelo downplayed reports this month that he might retire after the season. There are times when sports franchises and private businesses alike oust their top executives at times of extreme crisis, but I don't think this qualifies. If the Bears fire Angelo because he signed a veteran NFL player with no prior history who was later revealed to be a drug dealer, well, that would be a tough blow.

Angelo said Friday that there were "no facts" and "no flags" that "anyone can present tangibly" that would suggest the Bears should have been aware of Hurd's alleged secret life. "We do our homework," Angelo said. "We do our due diligence and we did everything we could possibly do given the information that we can accumulate."

But when you think back just over the past year or so, you recall Angelo explaining a bizarre miscommunication that left tailback Chester Taylor believing he had been released when in fact he was expected at practice. You think of Angelo denying any wrongdoing when a draft-day trade with the Baltimore Ravens broke down without the Ravens realizing it.

Angelo is 62. He has two years remaining on his contract, but you wonder if the Hurd episode is enough to push him over the edge and at least consider retirement. His brief but fierce defense Friday suggested it won't. But perhaps he was the one whistling "Dixie" on that one.

Contract numbers for NFL players are often misleading, creating more confusion than enlightenment. Occasionally, however, they tell us more than a team has admitted about current plans and the likely future of a given player.

The contract of new Chicago Bears safety Brandon Meriweather is a prime case in point. We outlined a number of possible explanations for Meriweather's arrival last weekend. But as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune points out, Meriweather signed a one-year contract that will pay him like a starting player. He received a $1 million signing bonus, has a $2.25 million base salary and is now the Bears' highest-paid safety.

Meriweather's $3.25 million in total compensation is decent market value for a safety with two Pro Bowls on his résumé. It's not the type of money teams typically pay for a player they expect to spend 16 games as a backup and special-teams contributor, even if it's a team like the Bears with a significant salary cap surplus.

A wise guy would note the Bears have committed significant money to part-time players before. Last year, for example, they paid running back Chester Taylor and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna a combined $13 million.

In this case, I see no need for sarcasm. The Bears are expected to start safeties Chris Harris and Major Wright in Sunday's season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, but the finances behind Meriweather's arrival suggest change is on the horizon.

The Chicago Bears might have ended contract talks with tailback Matt Forte this week, but it appears he will be more valuable than ever in Sunday's season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

Backup running back Marion Barber sat out another practice Wednesday because of a calf injury he suffered Aug. 27. If Barber can't play Sunday, Forte's only backup will be little-used Kahlil Bell, who suffered a knee injury of his own this summer but fully participated in Wednesday's practice. It's always possible that Barber could practice minimally this week and then give it a go Sunday, but calf injuries can be debilitating for running backs and the Bears might not want to risk a setback at the outset of the season.

Forte was a workhorse for the Bears as a rookie in 2008, getting 316 carries and also catching 63 passes, but the Bears have pulled back on his touches in recent seasons, first by signing veteran Chester Taylor last year and then Barber this summer. Forte had career lows in carries (237) and receptions (51) in 2010, but he still produced 1,616 all-purpose yards and a gained career-high 5.6 yards every time he touched the ball.

Forte admitted he was "surprised" and "disappointed" that the Bears cut off negotiations, and during an interview session with Chicago-area reporters, he made clear he thinks he has earned an extension.

"Coming into the league you feel like this is supposed to be production-based," Forte said. "When you produce in the offense, you expect the team or the organization to actually notice that compared to other guys. We just couldn't meet in the middle I guess."

I still think it's possible the talks could restart later this season. But for now, Forte will have to keep demonstrating the durability that put him in this position in the first place. Forte hasn't missed a game in three seasons, a fact that is especially notable as the Bears sweat out Barber's availability. We'll keep you updated throughout the week.

Let's account for a few Sunday afternoon newsbits in quick-hitting fashion ...

Item: The Green Bay Packers are back at practice Sunday in preparation for Thursday's season opener (!) against the New Orleans Saints.
Comment: According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a number of injured players have returned. That list includes tight end Jermichael Finley, receiver Randall Cobb and defensive end Mike Neal. I'll have more on the start of Week 1 in a bit.

Item: The Packers slipped several valued players through waivers and signed them to their practice squad.
Comment: Receivers Tori Gurley and Chastin West, along with quarterback Graham Harrell, were all part of the practice squad Sunday. It was particularly important to keep Harrell in the program with No. 2 quarterback Matt Flynn's contract set to expire after this season.

Item: The Detroit Lions waived running back Aaron Brown and center Chris Morris. They reportedly claimed offensive lineman Jacques McClendon from the Indianapolis Colts. At the moment, the second roster spot is unfilled.
Comment: Veteran running back Chester Taylor signed with the Arizona Cardinals, eliminating that possibility for the Lions. It's not clear if Brown's departure means another running back is on the way in, or if he was simply the least-valued player remaining on the Lions' 53-man roster. We'll keep you updated.

Item: The Minnesota Vikings claimed linebacker Xavier Adibi from the Houston Texans.
Comment: The Vikings are a 4-3 team and Adibi [Updated] probably lost his job because the Texans switched to a 3-4. Depth was a critical issue here. Only five linebackers were on the original 53-man roster, and Adibi provides credible insurance should a starter be injured.

Check here for a complete list of the Detroit Lions' roster moves.

Surprise move: I don't know if it qualified as a surprise, but it was sure jarring to hear earlier Saturday that veteran punter Nick Harris was ousted. Harris has been the Lions' punter since 2003 and hadn't appeared to be in decline. But rookie Ryan Donahue is 10 years younger than Harris and had an equally strong training camp. Age doesn't always apply to punters as it does to players at other positions, but the Lions must believe Donahue can be their punter for years to come. Meanwhile, the Lions activated cornerback Alphonso Smith from the non-football injury list, meaning they believe he will be ready to play before the sixth week of the season.

No-brainers: You don't always see a six-year veteran as a team's No. 6 receiver, but Maurice Stovall proved he will be a valuable special teams player as well as a possible red zone threat. He beat out 2009 third-round draft pick Derrick Williams, whose potential never materialized and who was still dropping passes with regularity during the preseason. In training camp, it was clear that veteran Nate Vasher was behind younger cornerbacks Aaron Berry and Brandon McDonald. Both Berry and McDonald remain on the roster. Vasher was cut.

What's next: Lions general manager Martin Mayhew is usually good for a couple of trades and veteran acquisitions during Labor Day weekend. You wonder if the Lions want to fortify their running back depth, which currently includes little-used Aaron Brown and an injured Maurice Morris. Chester Taylor is a Detroit-area native. Just saying.

Check here for a complete list of the Chicago Bears' roster moves.

Surprise move: The Bears have now bid farewell to three locker room stalwarts: Center Olin Kreutz, receiver Rashied Davis and now tight end Desmond Clark. The Bears released Clark as part of Saturday's roster cutdown, deciding to keep undrafted rookie Kyle Adams instead. Clark said via Twitter that "I played my butt off but sometimes it's more about the business." The Bears indicated that he was released with an injury. Regardless, intentionally or otherwise, the Bears have at least temporarily created a player leadership void.

No-brainers: After last week's communication fiasco, there was little doubt that running back Chester Taylor would be part of this cutdown. The Bears need only two tailbacks behind starter Matt Forte, and those roles will be filled by Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell. They also kept fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou. I don't know if the Bears entered training camp planning to keep undrafted rookie receiver Dane Sanzenbacher, but his quick ascension as a slot receiver was obvious by the midpoint of the preseason. Quarterback Jay Cutler loves throwing to him.

What's next: The Bears' depth at linebacker is a little scary. They kept only five at the position, with Brian Iwuh and undrafted rookie Dom DeCicco as the reserves behind Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach. You would think the Bears would at least scan the waiver wire for additional depth, especially with Briggs nursing a knee injury. And with Barber and Bell having suffered preseason injuries, the Bears might check out emergency running back depth as well.

NFL teams have until 6 p.m. ET to reduce their rosters to 53, but NFC North teams already are off and running. I'll post significant releases as quickly as I can here Saturday afternoon, and then analyze each team's moves after they become official.

First up: The Chicago Bears' totally unsurprising and far-too-late decision to part ways with veteran tailback Chester Taylor. His days have seemed numbered since the moment the Bears signed veteran running back Marion Barber, and it appeared the Bears were set to release Taylor during their first round of cuts last week. He ended up starting their preseason finale in what was presumably a showcase for a possible trade. Clearly, no team expressed interest because everyone knew Taylor would eventually be released.

As we've discussed a number of times, Taylor had by one measure the least productive season in the NFL's post-merger history last year. Never before had a running back carried at least 100 times and finished with an average of 2.4 yards per carry or lower. I don't think he's finished as a running back, but he clearly wasn't a good match for Mike Martz's offensive scheme and provides yet another cautionary tale for giving big contracts to aging running backs.

Taylor, 31, received about $7 million last season.

Where will Taylor resurface? How about his hometown Detroit Lions? The Lions' backfield remains unsettled after the training camp loss of rookie Mikel Leshoure. And as long as we're talking about NFC North teams, let's not totally rule out the Minnesota Vikings, who have two injured backups -- Toby Gerhart and Lorenzo Booker -- behind starter Adrian Peterson.

Earlier: Taylor left the Bears' practice facility last Monday believing he had been released. The Bears called him back, saying he misunderstood a conversation with coach Lovie Smith.

The best thing we can say about Week 4 of the preseason is that it's over, at least here in the NFC North. The next time one of our teams is on the field, it will be for real. In between, roster cutdowns from 8o to 53 will take place. The deadline is Saturday evening.

A quick rundown of Thursday evening's activity, which featured four fun but meaningless victories:

Chicago Bears 24, Cleveland Browns 14
Final preseason record: 2-2
Of interest: Only a handful of Bears starters played. One of them, defensive tackle Henry Melton, registered an encouraging sack of Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace in the first quarter. ... It was interesting, but probably not newsworthy, that Chris Spencer started at center alongside the rest of the Bears' first-team offensive line. Just a night off for veteran Roberto Garza. ... Backup quarterback Caleb Hanie took a step in the right direction, completing 7 of 10 passes for 83 yards and dropping a perfect pass into the far corner of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown to receiver Johnny Knox. ... Tailback Chester Taylor started but managed 27 yards on 10 carries in what was presumably a showcase stint. But an injury to tailback Khahlil Bell might change the Bears' plans for Taylor, depending on its severity.

Detroit Lions 16, Buffalo Bills 6
Final preseason record: 4-0
Of interest: Most starters played one series. ... Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a 39-yard pass to receiver Calvin Johnson on the game's first play, allowing Stafford to finish the preseason with this line: 25 completions, 33 attempts, 395 yards, five touchdowns and a 154.7 passer rating. ... Receiver Maurice Stovall produced a nice final argument for a roster spot, downing a punt at the Bills' 8-yard line and catching a 16-yard touchdown pass from Shaun Hill in the first quarter. ... Running back Jerome Harrison was untouched until the end of his 47-yard run in the first quarter. ... Rookie punter Ryan Donahue got the first punt of the night, for whatever that's worth, and averaged 44.0 yards on four punts. Veteran Nick Harris averaged 51.5 yards on two punts.

Green Bay Packers 20, Kansas City Chiefs 19
Final preseason record: 3-1
Of interest: Some starters, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers, played one series. Rodgers' final pass of the preseason was an 8-yard touchdown to tight end Tom Crabtree. Rodgers finished the preseason with 37 completions in 47 attempts for 395 yards and four touchdowns for a 130.1 passer rating. ... Tailback Ryan Grant's 23-yard run to start the game came after strong blocks from tight end Andrew Quarless and right tackle Bryan Bulaga. ... Linebacker Vic So'Oto has put on a late charge for a roster spot. Thursday night, he had 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown. ... Not that it's a big concern, but quarterback Matt Flynn had one of the ugliest lines you'll see: two completions in 10 attempts for 12 yards and an interception, good for a 0.0 passer rating.

Minnesota Vikings 28, Houston Texans 0
Final preseason record: 2-2
Of interest: Nearly every starter sat out this game. Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder put on an unexpected display of his scrambling ability, running for 61 yards on eight carries, before leaving midway through the third quarter. Some were nice improvisational plays. A few were necessary when blitzers came free. And a few came after the point when he should have thrown the ball. All in all, however, Ponder left the Vikings with a positive impression after completing 10 of 16 passes for 83 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown to tight end Kyle Rudolph. ... With their top three running backs sidelined, the Vikings gave a workout to rookie Caleb King, whom they signed last month after no one selected him in the supplemental draft. King finished with 62 yards on 19 carries, including two touchdown runs.

As you know, NFL teams were required to reduce their rosters to 80 players by Tuesday. That high figure allowed most teams to save difficult decisions for Saturday's final cut down deadline for 53-man rosters. We'll take a look at some of the NFC North's top looming questions over the coming days, but for now let's get you up to date on how each team got to 80 players.

Chicago Bears: Released five players Monday, including defensive end Vernon Gholston. Running back Chester Taylor was not among those released and told reporters he expects to play in Thursday's preseason finale.

Detroit Lions: Released eight players Monday, including running back Mike Bell and place-kicker Dave Rayner, and released fullback Jerome Felton on Tuesday. The Lions appear to be moving away from the fullback position. Running back Mikel Leshoure, on injured reserve, no longer counts against the Lions' roster limit.

Green Bay Packers: Released three players Sunday, including tight end Spencer Havner and receiver Brett Swain, and three more Tuesday.

Minnesota Vikings: Released 10 players Monday, including quarterback Rhett Bomar.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

As a team official noted "growing concern" from team ownership about the state's commitment to the franchise, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton suggested he would support a voter referendum on the Minnesota Vikings stadium proposal. If Dayton follows through with that plan, the project would at least be further delayed and possibly threatened altogether.

It's important to add our traditional caveat that all stadium deals are complicated, and many evoke increasingly heated rhetoric. It's part of the game. But here is where the Vikings are now: Dayton said at the Minnesota State Fair that there are many unanswered questions about the team's $1.057 billion proposal for suburban Arden Hills and that he would be "supportive" of a Ramsey County referendum. "In a case like this, people should have their own voice," Dayton said. (Courtesy Minnesota Public Radio.)

Stadium supporters have often sought to circumvent referendums, believing it unlikely that that citizens will vote to increase their taxes no matter what the purpose. Indeed, Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett said a referendum could be a deal-breaker for the project. It's worth noting that baseball's Target Field was approved without referendum in Hennepin County.

On the same day, Vikings vice president Lester Bagley had this to say about owner Zygi Wilf's attitude toward the stadium situation, via Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com: "I am concerned. There is growing concern within our ownership, there is no doubt, about where this is headed and the fact that every year, we get to the end of the [legislative] session and there's a different reason why [it didn't get done]."

Again, much of what you just read, if you made it that far, is part of the process. But you can add the referendum issue to a series of hurdles that already exist, from a staunch anti-tax state legislature to the proposals of environmental studies that could delay the project. The Vikings' Metrodome lease expires Feb. 1, 2012.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Vikings are giving defensive end Everson Griffen some practice time at weakside linebacker, notes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune. Injuries have left the Vikings with moderate depth at the position behind starter Erin Henderson.
• Vikings center John Sullivan has been healthy all summer after struggling through calf injuries last year, writes Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• The Chester Taylor fiasco is another example of the Chicago Bears as a "dysfunctional embarrassment," writes Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Linebacker Lance Briggs' contract situation is representative of a larger issue in the Bears' locker room, writes David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune. Haugh: "Fair or not, Briggs believes he represented a growing number of teammates unhappy with the way the Bears organization deals with players. To hear some insiders other than Briggs describe morale at various times this preseason, the Bears could become the first NFL team to use the Disenfranchised Tag for players."
• Bears running back Marion Barber's calf injury isn't considered serious, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• There is no cause for concern on Bears place-kicker Robbie Gould's uneven preseason, writes Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald.
• Detroit Lions place-kicker Jason Hanson on the release of competitor Dave Rayner, via the Detroit Free Press: "I'm glad he's gone because he was good."
• Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh on his swipe at New England Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins last Saturday, via Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News: "Do I regret it? No. But the funny thing about the whole situation is, I wasn't the one who got the 15-yard penalty for grabbing a face mask. [Mankins was penalized.] And the other funny piece about it is, I didn't know you can't help protect one of your teammates. I had a great conversation with the ref who saw everything and he said, 'Next time make sure you let me handle it. But I understand what you were doing, helping your teammate out and removing him from the situation.'"
• The daily link from Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com would have gone here. May God rest his soul.
• Green Bay Packers receiver James Jones hasn't seen many passes thrown his way in the preseason, notes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette wonders if the Packers could keep five tight ends on their final roster.
• Packers receiver Greg Jennings (bruised knee) returned to practice Monday, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.

Moving on but never forgetting ...

Earlier Monday, you probably heard the news that the Chicago Bears were planning to release tailback Chester Taylor. Agent Ken Sarnoff, in fact, tweeted that coach Lovie Smith had informed Taylor of the news.

But Taylor wasn't among the five players the Bears waived.

The Bears then informed Sarnoff that Taylor had not been released and was expected at practice. He has since been sent home for the day.

So what in the name of Larry, Moe and Curly is going on here? I think we can draw a few conclusions.

1. One way or another, Taylor isn't going to be a part of the Bears' offense this season. Veteran Marion Barber, assuming he recovers from a strained calf muscle, is the Bears' No. 2 tailback behind Matt Forte.
2. It might be a long shot, but it makes sense for the Bears to hold on to Taylor until they can at least determine whether any NFL team is willing to trade for him. His $1.25 million salary for 2010 is hardly prohibitive.
3. As a players’ coach, Smith probably was doing his best to level with Taylor as soon as possible. What Smith said and what Taylor heard might not be the same. In fact, Smith told reporters that he told Taylor that he wasn't in the team's plans for its preseason finale Thursday -- but nothing beyond that.
4. The Bears obviously weren't anywhere close to as happy with Taylor's 2010 debut as they pretended to be. Although offensive coordinator Mike Martz has sung his praises, the reality is Taylor produced the lowest per-carry average (2.4 yards) of any post-merger NFL running back who had at least 100 carries. He was not a good fit last season.
5. No NFL team runs perfectly, and it's often easy from the outside to make fun of mistakes that occur in the fast-paced world of roster management. That said, the Bears have had enough stumbles over the years to feed a perception they have a disorganized front office. Some of the mistakes have been harmful and have led to the departure of players they wanted to keep, including receiver D'Wayne Bates. Others, like the botched draft-day trade this spring with the Baltimore Ravens, were simply embarrassing. The latest episode likely eliminated any possibility of getting an asset in return for Taylor and won't inspire confidence among other players that they can believe what the team tells them.
6. No owner likes to see money wasted, and general manager Jerry Angelo will have to answer for the $7 million in compensation the Bears gave Taylor as well as the $6 million-plus they gave since-departed tight end Brandon Manumaleuna in March 2010. Even Monday's moves included an unforgivable financial faux pas: giving draft bust Vernon Gholston a $250,000 signing bonus for what amounted to a preseason look-see. Gholston was waived Monday.

Curly would suggest the Bears are just a victim of "soycamstance." (Oh, you're a wise guy, eh?) I think they've gotten too cute. Taylor's future has been clear from the moment Barber arrived. Why keep three veteran running backs on your roster, especially when the third proved to be a poor fit last season? And if they're worried about Barber's calf strain, do they really think Taylor could be better than he was last season? It's laughable. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.