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Normally the end of the draft provides an opportunity to reassess the NFC North teams and start assessing the division race. The task of roster building is largely complete. For the most part, we'll know which teams are stacked, which ones have big holes and who should be favored to win the title.

This year's lockout has turned that convention upside down. Draft weekend is a first step, not the last, in building rosters for the 2011 season. At some point, teams will have an opportunity to sign veteran free agents and collect a class of undrafted rookies. So we'll hold off on any prognosticating for now.

Instead, we'll just take this moment to pull some highlights -- and lowlights -- from the past three days:

BEST MOVE

The Minnesota Vikings had their choice of talented, game-changing players available to them when the No. 12 overall pick arrived. Nose tackle Nick Fairley, defensive end Robert Quinn and offensive lineman Anthony Castonzo all would have stepped in as immediate starters at positions where the Vikings needed help.

But in the NFL of 2011, no team is any better than its quarterback. And at that moment, the Vikings didn't have one. After an early run took the top three quarterbacks off the board, the Vikings -- based on their own evaluation -- were left to choose between Florida State's Christian Ponder or the likely prospect of leaving this draft without a quarterback they could build their future around.

They chose the former, a decision that one way or the other will define the tenures of personnel man Rick Spielman and coach Leslie Frazier. There is widespread debate about Ponder's aptitude for future success, but in my view the Vikings are better off moving forward with him than sitting on their hands and hoping that a better option would present itself next month or next year or in 2013.

With Ponder in place, the Vikings can tailor their long-term offensive scheme and personnel to a tangible set of skills. And they have to trust their new coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson, to finish the job by developing and refining Ponder's game.

It wasn't an easy choice, and there are plenty of knowledgeable football people who considered it a reach or worse. But I credit the Vikings for recognizing that the "when" in this equation was just as important as the "who."

RISKIEST MOVE

No one can argue the value that Fairley, receiver Titus Young and running back Mikel Leshoure will bring the Detroit Lions. But the Lions wrapped up an otherwise successful draft with the same roster holes they started it in. They didn't draft a cornerback and selected only one linebacker, Syracuse's Douglas Hogue, a converted running back, with the No. 157 overall pick.

General manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz have both preached patience, saying their only goal in the draft was to enhance the talent of their roster. "There's a lot of time between now and when the season begins to worry about our needs," Schwartz told Detroit-area reporters.

The Lions made three great picks at the top of the draft. The risk, however, is that in doing so they considerably narrowed their options to fill their other needs. They'll now have to recruit another team's discards through free agency and/or a trade, or they'll have to hope one of the players on their roster makes a significant jump during a lockout that has thus far canceled all team-sponsored offseason programs.

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

We spent plenty of time discussing the Chicago Bears good fortune Thursday night, when they were able to draft Wisconsin offensive lineman Gabe Carimi with the No. 29 overall pick even after botching a trade designed to secure him three picks earlier. But the episode revealed a mistake perhaps bigger than the Bears' failure to report the deal.

The trade wasn't necessary in the first place.

The Bears' "glitch," as general manager Jerry Angelo later referred to it, saved them from wasting a fourth-round pick. It saved them from themselves.

Why were the Bears trying to acquire the Baltimore Ravens' No. 26 overall pick? They were convinced that the Kansas City Chiefs planned to draft Carimi at No. 27. But as we saw, the Chiefs had no such plans. With Carimi on the board, the Chiefs surprised most everyone -- including the Bears -- by leap-frogging the Ravens to draft ... Pittsburgh receiver Jonathan Baldwin.

The Ravens followed by drafting Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith and the New Orleans Saints traded up to select Alabama running back Mark Ingram at No. 28. That left Carimi for the Bears at No. 29.

I'm sure it wouldn't have been the first time a team traded up, and surrendered a second pick, on the false premise of another team's interest. But in the chaos of the moment, I'm sure the Bears were as surprised as anyone that Carimi was available at No. 29.

FILE IT AWAY

Some considered outside linebacker the Green Bay Packers' biggest need entering the draft, but they didn't draft a linebacker of any type until selecting Appalachian State's D.J. Smith near the end of the sixth round (No. 186 overall). The Packers drafted Arizona linebacker Ricky Elmore 11 spots later, but I'm not sure we can project either as a possible starter.

We all know it's unlikely that general manager Ted Thompson will seek a starter via free agency, so the Packers most likely will need to find a starting right outside linebacker from an internal list of candidates. Speaking to Wisconsin reporters Saturday, defensive coordinator Dom Capers spoke highly of incumbent Frank Zombo.

"Frank Zombo played close to 600 snaps for us," Capers said, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We have an awful lot more confidence in Frank than we did a year ago. He's another guy that got better as the season went on. I think he'll be head and shoulders where he was a year ago. I think we'll have good competition."

As you might have read somewhere on ESPN.com, Tuesday marks two important pro days in the quarterback draft circuit. Auburn's Cam Newton and Arkansas' Ryan Mallett will both be working out on their respective campuses this afternoon.

The Minnesota Vikings are in the midst of a search for their quarterback of the present and future, but we can already tell you that some of the most important people involved won't be in attendance at either pro day. According to Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune, Vikings vice president Rick Spielman and director of pro personnel George Paton are both attending the University of Minnesota's pro day instead. They have been joined by quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson.

I wouldn't read too much into his revelation. It's true that Spielman has ultimate draft authority under the Vikings' leadership structure, but I'm sure the Vikings will have at least a scout at both Auburn and Arkansas. Private workouts are also a possibility. In addition, we don't know where coach Leslie Frazier and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave are Tuesday, if anywhere.

It would be hard to imagine the Vikings have already ruled out Newton or Mallett as possible draft picks this early in the draft season. Stay tuned.

With two of our teams set to play Sunday for the NFC Championship Game, our other two teams have gotten the short shrift in recent weeks. I received your ideas for coverage of the Detroit Lions via Twitter the other day, and fortunately we have an entire offseason to discuss both the Lions and Minnesota Vikings to our hearts' content.

One issue merits near-immediate attention, however. A number of factors have conspired to make the Vikings a trendy landing spot for soon-to-be-former Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young. Among them:

1. The Vikings have no established starter on their roster, and coach Leslie Frazier has made clear the position must be addressed this offseason.
2. Frazier hired longtime friend Craig Johnson as his quarterbacks coach. Johnson was the Titans' running backs coach in 2010 but before that served as Young's position coach.
3. Johnson had nothing but positive things to say about Young during an interview with The Tennessean. Johnson noted that assistant coaches don't get involved in personnel moves, but added: "Obviously I have a good working relationship with Vince, and he produced pretty well under me."

At this point, we shouldn't rule out any possibility. Frazier just completed assembling his staff, and I don't think the Vikings have mapped out a concrete direction for the offseason yet.

Ultimately, it's probably more coincidental than purposeful that Frazier chose Johnson as his quarterbacks coach. This isn't college basketball recruiting, where you offer a scholarship to the player and a job to the AAU coach. There are too many variables involved in hiring an assistant coach solely in anticipation of acquiring one of his former players.

The big question will be whether Frazier wants to tie his career to a talented but often-troubled quarterback whose team has given up on him. Young could obviously use a change of scenery, but Frazier would face a steep risk-reward decision that could define his tenure.

Young recently sat down with ESPN's Marcellus Wiley, saying he will be an "elite quarterback in the NFL" and hopes that his next team won't hold his previous mistakes against him. We're a long way from there when it comes to the Vikings, but Johnson's arrival at least gives us reason to pause and discuss the possibility.

The Minnesota Vikings' 2011 home stadium remains in doubt, but their plans for the draft are not. In reviewing comments Thursday from coach Leslie Frazier and new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, it seems clear they intend to draft a quarterback who could jump in as a near-immediate starter when the season begins.

The Vikings hold the No. 12 overall pick, and as we noted Wednesday, early mock drafts suggest anywhere from two to four quarterbacks could already be off the board by that point. But past decisions have put the Vikings in an unenviable position this spring: They have little choice but to force a pick. The only question is whether the rookie will be ready to play right away or if the Vikings will also have to acquire a veteran option.

"I guess it depends on that young guy," Frazier said. "Ideally, you'd like to find the Matt Ryans of the world, the Joe Flaccos of the world and ride with one of those guys. But it doesn't always happen that way. We just kind of have to see where things fall. If we find someone like that, you'd like to build around him. That really gives you a chance for the long term. But as I mentioned it doesn't always happen that way. If we have to go with a veteran guy while we're developing that young guy, I'm not opposed to that either. But ideally, find a young guy, build around him and know you're going to have him for that next nine or 10 years as your starting quarterback. But those guys are sometimes hard to find."

Said Musgrave: "Ideally, you would like to find a young guy that has a bunch of promise and potential and you would hand him the keys and let him make his mistakes and learn and but also know that he would be there for you in the long term. That's ideal. I believe that will be one of our goals to identify any candidates that can fit that role but at the same time be ready to find some other fellows that may have some experience, that can come in and be effective and also have some upside to them as well."

Frazier announced most of the additions he has made to the coaching staff Thursday, acknowledging Musgrave along with Mike Priefer (special teams), Fred Pagac (defensive coordinator), Jeff Davidson (offensive line), Craig Johnson (quarterbacks) and Mike Singletary (linebackers). Holdovers will include George Stewart (receivers), Jimmie Johnson (tight ends), Karl Dunbar (defensive line) and Joe Woods (defensive backs).

Where that staff is working on game days next season is anyone's guess. Ted Mondale, the new chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, said Thursday it could take up to six months to replace the damaged roof of the Metrodome, if engineers determine a total replacement is necessary. That timetable could threaten the Vikings' preseason schedule if a lockout doesn't do the trick first.

As we've noted before, the Vikings have already questioned whether they will be able to play next season in the Metrodome. It's possible they'll move to TCF Bank Stadium, at least for 2011, while awaiting approval for a new stadium to replace the Metrodome. Stay tuned.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Is the Chicago Bears' longtime nucleus of defensive players facing its final chance to win a Super Bowl? That's the question asked by Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com.

And here's how linebacker Lance Briggs responded.

"No, no, I'm 30, not dead."

At some point, the reality is the Bears will have to move past the era of Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman and Tommie Harris. Their defense is getting older, but it might be a little early to initiate last rites.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Rookie Bears safety Major Wright will be ready if starter Chris Harris (hip) is limited in Sunday's NFC Championship Game, writes Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.
• Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times lists 10 moves that changed the Bears.
• The Bears want their receivers to be physical on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• When you include Howard Green among the Packers' starting defensive linemen, you find they are the biggest 3-4 group in the NFL. Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.
• No one could have guessed that rookie Sam Shields would emerge as a reliable nickelback for the Packers, writes Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• What is the story behind Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' "belt celebration?" Check out Jason Wilde's story on ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Both Rodgers and Bears quarterback Jay Cutler have long histories of having their personalities scrutinized, writes Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports.
• Visualization is a big part of Rodgers' preparation, writes Jim Corbett of USA Today in a lengthy profile.
• Don Babwin of the Associated Press collects some of the banter between Packers and Bears fans this week.
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com passes along some reaction from the Minnesota Vikings' newly announced coaching staff.
• Tennessee Titans assistant Craig Johnson is contemplating a move to the Vikings, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Johnson's history is mostly as a quarterbacks coach but he was the Titans' running backs coach last season. The Vikings have openings for both.
• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press sees some of the 2011 draft's early entrants as good fits for the Detroit Lions.