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The Green Bay Packers have released linebacker A.J. Hawk, tight end Donald Lee and safety Derrick Martin. The transactions were announced by general manager Ted Thompson.

The Green Bay Packers ended the 2009 season with short- and long-term needs at both offensive tackle positions. Their ensuing plan was never in doubt. The Packers re-signed both incumbents, Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, and then sat tight until the April draft -- where they patiently waited for Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga to fall to them at No. 23 overall.

Clifton started all 20 games of the Packers' run to the Super Bowl XLV championship, while Bulaga replaced an injured Tauscher for the final 16. It was a routine example of the Packers' team-building philosophy: Develop your own depth, promote from within and spend free-agent money to retain your own players.

Around here, we've gone around and around on the Packers' recent unwillingness to supplement their roster with veteran free agents. It's hard to argue with the results this season, and now it's time to find out how -- and if -- the rest of the NFL implements "The Packer Way."

The methods of all Super Bowl champions are scrutinized and often copied the following offseason. But this year, the Packers' competitors aren't likely to have a choice. The impending lockout will wipe out free agency, at least for now. Although the market will eventually open when a collective bargaining agreement is reached, it's quite possible the timing will be reversed.

The draft will come first, followed by free agency, rather than the other way around. Teams will not have the luxury of making draft decisions based on the results of free agency. Without a hard plan in place, they must, in the words of Arizona general manager Rod Graves, "approach the draft as if that's the only thing we have to focus on."

We needn't waste much time on the background. You know it well. Of all the players currently on the Packers' roster, only three -- cornerback Charles Woodson, defensive end Ryan Pickett and linebacker Brandon Chillar -- were signed as veteran free agents. Three more were acquired via trade: running back Ryan Grant, along with safeties safety Derrick Martin and Anthony Smith. The rest were either drafted by the Packers, signed as undrafted rookies, claimed on waivers or signed off another team's practice squad.

The intriguing issue is whether the Packers are uniquely equipped to navigate the offseason as it crystallizes for all NFL teams. From the outside, it sure seems that way.

"I'd say that our football team represents what you can accomplish building through the draft," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "That's a credit to [general manager] Ted Thompson and our personnel staff. We're a draft-and-develop program, we have been for the last five years, we'll continue to do so, and this is a very important draft class for our football team to keep the competition at a high level in the locker room, to keep the depth of our football team as deep as possible. The lesson we learned going through this past season is a very good experience to draw from, so we believe in the draft. That's important to us."

As he has in past years at the scouting combine, Thompson found himself answering questions last week about his approach to free agency and the draft. This year, however, there was no tinge of derision. Instead, Thompson was asked to explain how he stocked his team so well while largely eschewing a primary source of talent.

Thompson credited former Packers general manager Ron Wolf for being a "strong believer that you build the core of your team around the draft" but otherwise said: "Our guys do a lot of work."

Thompson said: "Most of our entire staff and personnel was trained by Ron Wolf and he believed very strongly in scouting and going to see players and doing due diligence and working just as hard on the seventh-round guys and the free agents as we do on the first-round guys. That's just the way we do business."

It's not as if other teams don't try their best to draft good players. But the Packers have two factors working in their favor that some others do not:

1. A proven system for scouting, evaluating and valuing potential draft picks
2. A single-mindedness about the draft that, without the crutch of free agency, forces them to keep looking until they find what they want

It was interesting last week listening to the disparate viewpoints of NFL general managers. Some were clearly relived to see two draft-first teams, the Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, advance to the Super Bowl.

"Oh man, I love it," said Billy Devaney of the St. Louis Rams. "Isn't that awesome? I think both teams combined maybe had four starters that they got through free agency. The vast majority were draft picks, a couple of street free agents here and there, but those two organizations -- they've done it the way that everybody else aspires to do it. Putting it together with the foundation of hitting on their draft picks, and doing a great job keeping their guys."

The truth is, not everyone does aspire to it. Two disciples of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick suggested it's wrong to ignore any avenue for improving their team.

"I think you truly believe that you need to compare both sides going into every year and decide where the strengths are and where the weaknesses are and if you can fix them in the draft or in free agency," said the Atlanta Falcons' Thomas Dimitroff. " I know that was something that I was very particular about coming into Atlanta to make sure that I didn't get pigeon-holed as one type of team builder."

GM Scott Pioli of the Kansas City Chiefs suggested that patience will allow teams to stay true to their core values, whatever they may be.

"Everybody is going to build their team the same way that they believe," Pioli said. "You're going to have the draft. You're going to have free agency. None of this is going to go away. At some point everything is going to be done."

But if nothing else, the uncertainty about the timing and nature of this year's free-agent market seems likely to make the draft each team's first stop for offseason upgrades. You don't have to look any further than the NFC North to find recent examples where teams were able to focus their attention elsewhere in the draft after making inroads in free agency six weeks earlier.

The Chicago Bears, for example, signed free-agent defensive end Julius Peppers in March and then focused on safeties at the top of the April draft, eventually landing expected 2011 starter Major Wright. The Detroit Lions signed receiver Nate Burleson in free agency, relieving a primary roster need and freeing them to pursue running back Jahvid Best and safety Amari Spievey in the draft. Both players are likely 2011 starters.

This spring will be a guessing game -- for most teams. For the Packers, it will be business as usual.

Wrapping up the Green Bay Packers' 9-0 win against the New York Jets.

What it means: The Green Bay Packers improved to 5-3 to take a half-game lead in the NFC North as the Chicago Bears enjoyed their bye week. I'm obviously not in New York to poll the Packers individually, but they have to be satisfied with five victories at their season's midpoint after the run of injuries they've endured. Tally ho!

Scoreless: On a windy day at the New Meadowlands Stadium, the Packers' defense issued an impressive shutout. Despite a perceived mismatch against the Jets' rushing game, the Packers limited them to 99 rushing yards. But two late plays stuck out to me. Backup safety Charlie Peprah, playing because of injuries to Atari Bigby, Morgan Burnett and Derrick Martin, twice separated the ball from Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery -- one on fourth down to end a late Jets threat. You know it's a good day when your No. 4 safety is making game-saving plays.

Injury report: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers played much of the fourth quarter with his left ankle heavily taped after appearing to sprain it on the stadium turf. I had to laugh when, shortly after the injury, FOX cameras panned to Gillette Stadium to show Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre preparing to play with two fractures in his left foot. Can Rodgers ever get some independent credit?!

Unsung hero: How about punter Tim Masthay getting down the hold on Mason Crosby's 20-yard field goal in the first quarter? The snap hit the ground, but Masthay got it up in time for the kick.

What's next: The Packers will host the Dallas Cowboys in their second Sunday night game in three weeks.

Some quick thoughts on the Green Bay Packers' 23-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

What it means: The Green Bay Packers are 3-3, with all three losses coming by three points. Two have been in overtime, and the winning field goal in the third came with four seconds remaining in regulation. No matter how small the margin of defeat, however, the Packers are nowhere close to where they hoped to be six games into the season.

This will turn it around: In classic Ted Thompson fashion, the Packers acquired safety Anthony Smith from the Jacksonville Jaguars after the game for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. Yes, it's the same Smith whom the Packers released on the final cutdown day prior to the 2009 season. Smith will provide some depth following injuries to Morgan Burnett and Derrick Martin, and before Atari Bigby can return from the physically unable to perform list.

Offensive: The Packers had 359 net yards, but 86 of them came on one pass play to receiver Greg Jennings in the first quarter. They averaged 4.7 yards on their other 58 plays. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues to be uncharacteristically inaccurate, completing only 18 of 33 passes, and his best play Sunday was what appeared to be an impromptu quarterback sneak to tie the game with 13 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Rodgers did appear to be under duress for a good part of the game; defensive end Cameron Wake had three of the Dolphins' five sacks.

Controversial call: Special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum was so upset about a fourth-quarter call that he showed a photograph of the pre-snap alignment to reporters, according to Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Linebacker Robert Francois was called for being over the center on a punt, a new rule this season. But Slocum said the photograph showed Francois was well off the line of scrimmage and in compliance with the rule. The call, however, returned possession to the Dolphins and set up a go-ahead touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano.

Short-handed: We already knew the Packers would be without tight end Jermichael Finley, right tackle Mark Tauscher and linebacker Nick Barnett, among others. But they also played Sunday without linebacker Clay Matthews, defensive end Ryan Pickett and defensive lineman Mike Neal. Matthews' replacement, Brady Poppinga, left Sunday's game with an injury.

Back in action: The Packers made an effort to get the ball to their top offensive playmaker following the loss of Finley. Jennings finished with six receptions for 133 yards after catching 14 in the Packers' first five games combined.

What's next: The Packers host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday night at Lambeau Field.

As painful as it might be, let's take a moment to update the Green Bay Packers' astonishing injury report. The bottom line: The Packers will definitely be without tight end Jermichael Finley, linebacker Nick Barnett, safety Derrick Martin and tight end Donald Lee for the next several weeks. A number of other players could also fall in that category based on progress (or lack thereof) this week. A rundown:

• Finley: He will have surgery to repair what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports is a torn meniscus in his right knee. Coach Mike McCarthy said he would be "surprised" if the injury ended Finley's season. It's more likely he'll miss between three and six weeks.
• Barnett: There is now "some hope" that a wrist injury will not cost him the rest of the season, McCarthy said. But surgery scheduled for Wednesday likely will cost Barnett at least six weeks.
• Lee: He has a chest sprain, McCarthy said, that will cost "maybe a couple weeks."
• Martin: A knee sprain is likely to cost him several weeks.
• Quarterback Aaron Rodgers: McCarthy said he will miss some practice time "at minimum" this week but wouldn't rule him out of Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins. Still, given the heightened state of awareness on brain issues in the NFL, it wouldn't at all be surprising to see Rodgers miss his first game since becoming the team's starter in 2008.
• Linebacker Clay Matthews: He missed a month during the preseason because of a hamstring pull, but McCarthy said the latest hamstring injury was "not as severe as the first time." Whether Matthews can make it back in one week, however, is uncertain.
• Defensive end Ryan Pickett: An ankle sprain has left his status uncertain for this week and beyond.

All told, the Packers could play the Dolphins without seven players who were Week 1 starters. We have a long practice week ahead of us, but this injury report is just incredible. I think we can all agree that it will require a highly effective patchwork effort for the Packers to get where they want to go this season.

Just so you know what the Packers are up against, let's take a look at Weeks 6 through 12 of the Packers' 17-week schedule:

Week 6: Miami Dolphins
Week 7: Minnesota Vikings
Week 8: at New York Jets
Week 9: Dallas Cowboys
Week 10: Bye
Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 12: at Atlanta Falcons

Whoa. What a week. The Green Bay Packers had three starters knocked out of action this week and watched as the running back their fans coveted was traded elsewhere. A nine-sack beating put Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler on the sideline for the first time in his career. The Minnesota Vikings acquired a Hall of Fame receiver to go with their Hall of Fame quarterback, who had the NFL reviewing accusations that he sent racy messages and photographs to a former sideline reporter of the New York Jets. The Detroit Lions dealt with the disappointment of three close losses and an 0-4 start.

It was enough to make you pine for the weekend, when we could thrust aside off-field news and actually see some football.

Everyone's watching, to see what you will do
Everyone's looking at you, oh
Everyone's wondering, will you come out tonight
Everyone's trying to get it right, get it right

Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, oh
You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby, lets go!

As a reminder, I read everything you send to the mailbag, Facebook and Twitter. Responses are a little less frequent, but to echo Vikings receiver Randy Moss, I've had my share of slip-ups in the past. But what if I had been on that boat? What then!

Moving on ...

Yee of San Francisco notes the regional debate sparked this week by Sports Illustrated's Peter King, who argued that the Denver Broncos got the best of the Kyle Orton-Jay Cutler trade. Yee writes: Cutler and Orton will forever be tied together and compared against each other. I think it's misleading to say that Orton is having the better season. Of all the articles and comments that I've read, one key data point is constantly left out -- strength of defensive opponents they have faced. If you look at the defensive rankings for the first 4 weeks, here's the breakdown:

Cutler

• Detroit Lions: No. 26
• Dallas Cowboys: No. 8
• Green Bay Packers: No. 10
• New York Giants: No. 3

Orton

• Jacksonville Jaguars: No. 30
• Seattle Seahawks: No. 25
• Indianapolis Colts: No. 24
• Tennessee Titans: No. 9

In short, Cutler has faced a top-10 defense in three of the first four games whereas Orton has only faced one. The game against the Baltimore Ravens will be truly telling of how "great" Orton really is.

Kevin Seifert: Oftentimes, readers do the work for us. Thanks, Yee. The only potential hole I'd poke in your argument is that after four games, rankings can still be skewed by one particularly strong or weak outing. Does a team have a bad defense? Or is its yardage total skewed by one poor outing?

With all of that said, King's analysis was based on the start of last season -- a 20-game span where Orton has matched Cutler's win total and has a significantly better rating. And that's to say nothing of the three draft choices the Bears gave up in the deal.

This is a multi-pronged argument that might never be decided. Among other things, you have to ask if you think Orton would have had a better record than Cutler's 10-10 if he had remained with the Bears. Or perhaps you would look at it this way: Would Orton, plus two first-round picks, have made the Bears better than they've been under Cutler to this point?

You also have to consider the future. What did the Broncos do after their first year with Orton? Aggressively move up in the 2010 draft to select Tim Tebow. It's only a matter of time before Tebow displaces him. That's how it works with highly drafted quarterbacks in this league. If Orton moves on while Cutler remains behind center for the Bears, that's a pretty important point in any trade analysis.

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Robert of Los Angeles writes: As a Packer fan I am a little concerned about the injuries to both Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar. However, the injury to Mark Tauscher is not that bad because it allows Bryan Bulaga to fill in. Do you think that the Packers have enough depth at the injured players position to still make a playoff run? The media has been blowing up that this has been a bad week for Packer fans and that it's pretty dim right now.

Kevin Seifert: It's been without question a difficult psychological week for the Packers. Their locker room was so morose after squeaking by the Lions last Sunday that coach Mike McCarthy had to remind players -- twice -- that they won the game. Then the bad news really started flowing on injuries to Tauscher, Barnett and safety Morgan Burnett.

The impact of each injury is independent to the rest. In Burnett's case, the Packers are going to be in a tough spot for a couple weeks. You would assume that former starter Atari Bigby could step in after he is activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, but that can't happen for another two weeks at the earliest. Until then, the Packers will have to patch it together with three players they didn't plan to use on defense this season: Derrick Martin, Charlie Peprah and Jarrett Bush.

I don't disagree with your take on Tauscher. As we've discussed all spring, the Packers entered this season with a much better plan for depth along the offensive line this year. With two aging tackles, they needed some younger replacements. To me, Bulaga and T.J. Lang are decent alternatives.

The Barnett injury might be the most crippling of all. There is still no confirmation that he will miss the rest of the season, but he is definitely not playing Sunday at the Washington Redskins. He is an emotional leader of the defense and, with Chillar also injured, the Packers are limited in their possibilities to replace him. For now, it looks like it will be Desmond Bishop. Nothing against Bishop, but Barnett has been a critical member of this defense for a long time.

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Jackson of Henderson, Nevada, writes: According to the Star Tribune, the Vikings not only gets Randy Moss, but also the Patriots' seventh-round pick in 2012. So if the Vikings do not re-sign Moss, they'd probably get a third-round pick from the NFL as compensation AND the Pats seventh rounder in 2012. Not bad.

Kevin Seifert: That's a very interesting point and one we did not get to last week. It's very difficult to predict compensatory draft picks, which the NFL awards to teams based on a secret formula of free agency gains and losses. It'll depend on many factors, including Moss' full 2010 production and whether the Vikings sign any free agents themselves, but it's certainly possible that a third-rounder could be the net result.

Even if it's a fourth-rounder, the Vikings would have in essence moved down one round to rent Moss for 13 games. I think they would find that a pretty reasonable cost.

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Steven of Brick, N.J., writes: Is it just me or did the Lions steal Alphonso Smith from Denver? They gave up Dan Gronkowski, who looked pretty good in the preseason but he wouldn't of made the 53. Smith is starting to look like a 37th overall pick. He's becoming a stud.

Kevin Seifert: It's awfully early to make any judgments, but I thought Smith's interception last Sunday at Lambeau Field was big time. Normally, I would take my chances with Packers receiver Greg Jennings running down the field against anyone. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers made a pretty nice throw, but Smith timed his jump perfectly and simply stole the ball from Jennings. It was about as well as you can play an elite receiver, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Smith start Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.

Gronkowski was a decent prospect who wouldn't have played much this season behind the Lions' two-headed tight end monster of Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler. The teams also exchanged 2011 draft picks. But generally speaking, I'll always take a player with potential at cornerback over a player with potential at tight end.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

It doesn't sound like the Detroit Lions would be the first choice of free-agent linebacker Keith Bulluck, whom we have discussed as a possibility to fill the weakside position vacated by the trade of Ernie Sims.

As John Niyo of the Detroit News points out, Bulluck indicated strongly in a national radio interview Thursday that he's hoping to sign with the New York Giants when he completes recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Bulluck: "But honestly, to be 100 percent honest, I want to play for a championship, you know what I'm saying? If it comes down to it, if my option is to go to Detroit, yeah, all right, that's what we gotta do. Because I'm gonna play football, regardless. But the New York Giants is what's up."

The Lions have been using second-year player Zack Follett at the position during spring practices, and to be fair, they've never indicated anything more than casual interest in Bulluck. But suffice it to say, more than a few dominoes would have to fall in order for Bulluck to end up in Detroit.

Continuing around the NFC North on this wonderful Friday morning:

• Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com wonders why the production of Lions receiver Calvin Johnson hasn't been more pronounced over his first three seasons.
• Defensive backs Al Harris, Derrick Martin and Will Blackmon aren't expected to participate fully in the Green Bay Packers' minicamp next week, according to Mike Spofford of Packers.com.
• Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette believes cornerback Tramon Williams should model his contract dispute after that of Packers safety Nick Collins: "Williams should take a long, hard look at how ... Collins conducted himself a year ago. Collins made it known he wanted a new contract, and coming off a Pro Bowl season, he rightly deserved one. But the Packers held their ground and made Collins play out the final year of his five-year contract. Instead of pouting or holding out, Collins took the high road. He lived up to his contract and produced a second consecutive Pro Bowl season. In response, the Packers rewarded him with a four-year, $26.7 million deal in March."
• Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs is in favor of an 18-game season, according to Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune.
• Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen told ESPN 1000 in Chicago that he's assuming quarterback Brett Favre will play in 2010. Allen: "If I was a betting man, and I had to put money on it today, absolutely. I hope if the answer was no, he would have already had the wherewithal to tell us that he's not coming back so we could have done something in free agency."

Next week at this time, we'll be knee-deep in draft coverage. So on our final weekend before Draftapalooza (Overused suffix? Yes? No?), let's see what's on your mind. Remember, I read everything submitted to the mailbag portal, to our rollicking Facebook page and to the NFC North Twitter feed. Whether I respond is based on a complex algorithm I developed during my time in Oxford. (#slightresumeexaggeration.)

On with it:

Nathan in Phoenix writes: With Brandon Marshall in Miami, can we officially revive the Ted Ginn Jr./Cliff Avril trade talk?

Kevin Seifert: I selected this question and wrote most of the answer minutes before Miami traded Ginn to San Francisco on Friday afternoon. If the Lions were interested, they missed out. But I still think Avril-Ginn remains an interesting conversation topic. (And I don't like wasting work time.) The trade means the Lions certainly had an opportunity to grab Ginn if they wanted.

We first discussed this rumor -- and I still have no confirmation it was anything more than that -- in February. At the time, I was in favor of making the deal if I were Detroit. I didn't change my opinion, even though pass rushing is generally more valued than pass receiving in the NFL.

Ginn received a fair amount of grief in Miami, but much of it is related to his status as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2007 draft. He hasn't produced like a Top-10 pick, but it's amazing what perception means to a player's production.

Take a look at the chart to your right. Ginn caught 38 passes last season and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. If the Lions got that type of production from their No. 3 receiver, which is what Ginn would have been behind Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson, I think everyone would have been awfully pleased.

At the same time, there would have been some risk in parting with Avril after two seasons. As the chart shows, Avril has 10.5 sacks his first 28 NFL games. Those aren't exactly Reggie White numbers, but they're notable in the context of the Lions' otherwise horrendous pass defense over that stretch and suggest future growth is possible on what should be an improved defensive line this season.

If it were up to me, however, the benefit of adding a proven offensive playmaker with room to grow would outweigh the risk of giving up on a pass rusher who might or might not advance beyond five sacks on an annual basis.

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Responding to an earlier post, Lvmagicman54 wants to know why Chicago general manager Jerry Angelo wouldn't give up his 2011 first-round pick to move up this year and draft a starting-caliber safety. If the gambit doesn't work, reasons Lvmagicman54, someone else will replace him to clean up the mess.

Kevin Seifert: I understand this sentiment, which has surfaced from many Bears fans who recognize that Angelo and coach Lovie Smith have entered "Or Else" territory in their tenures. That status should put them in a mode of maximum aggressiveness, but I still don't think it should make them reckless with the Bears' future assets.

Even if they can grab a quality safety in this manner, the trade would leave the Bears short-handed in next year's draft. Assuming they gave up the 2011 pick for a second-round choice in 2010, that would leave them in a debilitating stretch of three consecutive drafts without a chance in the first round.

If the Bears were a safety away from winning the Super Bowl, it would be a smart move. But I don't think safety is an important enough position to make that claim; regardless, the Bears are more than one player away from a championship.

Let's say the Bears make such a deal and play well enough in 2010 for Angelo and Smith to keep their jobs. They'll remain employed, but with at least one more year of scraping the barrel for talent. They need to take that scenario into account as well. I can see gutting a draft for a quarterback or pass-rushing defensive end. But not for a safety.

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Rick of Grand Rapids, Mich., quotes a certain blogger as writing: "I would say that player's last name rhymes starts with an 'S', ends with an 'r' and has a 'u' in the middle." Either I am really bad at riddles or perhaps you had a few beers with lunch ... or both.

Kevin Seifert: I wish I could use that as an excuse. I wish I could claim to have concocted a riddle so complex that no one could figure it out. I wish I could claim my "delete" button was broken and/or that the "r" button is next door to the "h" button.

Alas, I have no excuse. At the time I wrote that fated sentence, I was a word that starts with "i," ends with "t" and includes "dio" in the middle.

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Jordon of Rapid City, S.D., writes: How far do you think Jimmy Clausen would have to fall before the Vikings begin seriously thinking about trading up to draft him?

Kevin Seifert: If you go by this trade value chart, which has its flaws, you see the Vikings probably would have to give up their second-round choice if they wanted to go as high as No. 20 overall for Clausen. So I'm guessing he would have to fall to the mid-20s before it becomes a reasonable possibility.

But before we get too far down that road, I'm not getting the feeling that the Vikings have a ton of interest in Clausen. When he took the field to throw last week for the first time this offseason, neither coach Brad Childress nor vice president Rick Spielman were in attendance. Instead, both Childress and Spielman traveled to Gainesville, Fla., for a weekend of activities that included working out Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

At this time of year, you have to be careful attaching too much significance to that scenario. There is always the possibility that the Vikings are trying to hide their interest. But Clausen also wasn't among the players the Vikings brought in for a private meeting at their facility earlier this month, according to reports.

Given the importance attached to drafting a quarterback in the first round, would the Vikings really pass on so many opportunities to evaluate him in order to mask their interest? If I had to guess, I would say not. It's more likely that they don't plan to draft him.

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Nick of Princeton, N.J., writes: In talking about the Packers needs. I've noticed that many people point out the obvious: LT, CB, and OLB (although I think we're just fine there). Here's the question: Why aren't too many people looking at safety for the Packers? You have a Pro Bowler in Nick Collins, you have the oft-injured Atari Bigby, and then after those two, you have Derrick Martin and the hateable Jarrett Bush. I mean looking at that group, you'd have to think that safety was a pressing need. Right?

Kevin Seifert: I guess I don't see it that way, Nick. When your concerns are mostly centered around backups, then the priority can only be so high.

It's true that Bigby missed three games last season and nine in 2008. But he's starter-quality when healthy, and unless he has a chronic condition, there's no objective reason to anticipate future injuries. Past injuries isn't enough to rearrange the Packers' draft priorities, in my opinion.

I agree the Packers could use more depth behind Collins and Bigby, but that's not as important as finding a future starter at both tackle positions and finding more pass-rushing sources.

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Via Facebook, Craig writes: In your most recent chat you stated, "I think last summer gave us all the evidence we need on [Tarvaris] Jackson and [Sage] Rosenfels." You also stated, "[Jackson] was horrendous in training camp and lost in the first preseason game. What he did after that, which is when [Brett] Favre signed, is immaterial to me. When he had the pressure of actually starting, he wasn't up to it. Nothing personal against him. I just think I'm in line with a lot of people who don't think he can play."

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't he get hurt early in camp? If that is true, then maybe that is the reason why he didn't start the first preseason game, and only went 7-15 in it. But if you look at his entire numbers in preseason (23-36, 306 yards, 3 td 0 int), a fair person wouldn't state that this is someone who can't "play." ... While I know you can't reveal sources, you can inform your readers if you have spoken to anyone on the coaching staff, or players, who don't have confidence in Jackson?

Kevin Seifert: Thanks for the questions, Craig. We'll start with the final one. I can unequivocally state I have spoken with more than a few personnel people and NFL executives who expressed strong doubt that Jackson would ever become a successful NFL starter. But don't take it from me. We saw that belief in action during the offseason.

Jackson was a restricted free agent, but to my knowledge, no NFL team showed interest. It's true that few RFAs changed teams this year. But the quarterback position is an entirely difference species. If there is someone available with potential, teams will jump. Seattle traded for San Diego's No. 3 quarterback, Charlie Whitehurst. He's never started an NFL game. Seattle's new general manager, John Schneider, had a front-seat view of Jackson's career while working for the Packers' front office.

As for last summer, you're right. Jackson did sprain his knee on the second day of camp. In the interim, Rosenfels took over working with the No. 1 offense. That's why he started against Indianapolis. I realize that it might seem hypocritical to criticize his performance against the Colts and then write off his success in the other three games, but it is what it is: He played poorly when competing for the job and much better when he had no pressure on him.

I don't want this to appear to be a personal campaign against him. I think Jackson is a pretty decent guy. But on the field, it's my opinion that he has never demonstrated the capacity to be a long-term starter in the NFL. And I'm not the only person who thinks that.

Pre-market player moves in the NFC North continued Tuesday with Detroit releasing defensive end Jared DeVries. Lions president Tom Lewand told local reporters that DeVries, who didn't play last season because of an Achilles injury, requested the move.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Lewand said: "They really felt that this was the best option for them at this time, to see what else might be out there and for Jared to properly evaluate the options he has going forward."

DeVries was also due a roster bonus next month. Lewand said it's possible the Lions will re-sign him at some point, but I can't imagine they are heavily counting on a contribution from a 34-year-old defensive end who is returning from a major injury.

In an interview with Mlive.com, DeVries indicated the Lions aren't as enthused about his rehabilitation as he is.

As we head toward the March 5 start of free agency, I'll do my best to track the significant transactions of all four Black and Blue teams and post them at the bottom of every related post. Here's what I have so far:

Chicago Bears

• Signed: Tight end Richard Angulo, receiver Eric Fowler.

Detroit Lions

• Claimed: Linebacker Ashlee Palmer
• Signed: Running back De De Dorsey
• Released: Defensive end Jared DeVries

Green Bay Packers

• Signed: Safety Derrick Martin, punter Tim Masthay.

Minnesota Vikings

N/A

It will be interesting to see if Green Bay safety Derrick Martin's decision to sign a two-year contract Monday will become a trend in the new world of the NFL's anticipated uncapped environment.

Martin would have been an unrestricted free agent under the league's current system, but qualified only for restricted status in an uncapped season. He took the Packers' offer before finding out what type of restricted tender they would extend or if he would receive any interest on the free-agent market.

As Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out, the restricted tender would not have been guaranteed. The two-year contract had some guaranteed money.

Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette has coverage as well.

Martin was mostly a special-teams player in 2009, but he will give the Packers depth as they tackle two bigger issues -- namely the pending restricted status of their two starting safeties, Nick Collins and Atari Bigby. If there has been progress on either player's situation, it hasn't made its way to the public domain.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune wonders if free-agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson would be a good fit for Minnesota.
• Detroit isn't likely to extend an offer to Tomlinson, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
• Chicago signed tight end Richard Angulo and receiver Eric Peterman on Monday. Angulo played for new offensive line coach Mike Tice in Minnesota and Jacksonville.

We’re no closer to knowing whether Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin (knee, ankle) will play in Sunday’s wild-card matchup against Green Bay.

Boldin missed a third consecutive day of practice Friday but is listed as questionable on the Cardinals’ injury report. By NFL definition, that means it’s a 50-50 proposition. Boldin has been noted for playing with injuries on multiple occasions in his career, and Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt told reporters a decision won’t be made until Sunday morning.

Here’s how Boldin put it, courtesy Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: “If I can go, I’ll be out there. I’m doing everything within my power to make sure I’m on the field Sunday. If I’m not able to go -- trust me, it won’t be nothing that I didn’t do. I have doctors at my house at night, poking and prodding, acupuncture -- everything that’s possible. I’m trying to make sure that I’m on the field.”

Cardinals beat writer Darren Urban, writing on the team’s Web site, notes that Boldin’s status “wouldn’t even be a question” if this were a regular season game. Indeed, if Boldin plays, it will be an exceptional effort by a big-time player in a sudden death game.

Without Boldin, the Cardinals would rely more heavily on receivers Steve Breaston and Early Doucet.

The Cardinals also listed safety Antrel Rolle (thigh) and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (toe/knee) as questionable. But both players practiced Thursday and Friday and are expected to play.

Meanwhile, only one Packers player could miss Sunday’s game because of injury. Safety Derrick Martin (ankle), primarily a special teams player, is listed as doubtful. Nose tackle Ryan Pickett (hamstring), who has missed three of the past four games, is probable.

Two of Arizona’s three injured players got back on the practice field Thursday, but the most significant one remained sidelined.

That’s the upshot of Thursday’s injury report as we’re now three days from Green Bay’s wild-card matchup against the Cardinals. Receiver Anquan Boldin remained sidelined by knee and ankle sprains, and coach Ken Whisenhunt is appealing to Boldin’s well-chronicled toughness.

Speaking to Arizona reporters, Whisenhunt said: “He’s proven time and time again … what he’s all about as far as how tough he is and his ability to come in and play.”

Safety Antrel Rolle (thigh) and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (toe/knee) participated in a limited portion of Thursday’s practice after sitting out Wednesday. Both appear on track to play Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Packers had all hands practicing fully Thursday except for safety Derrick Martin (ankle).

Let’s catch up after another busy day in the NFC North:

Minnesota defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will interview Thursday to become Buffalo’s head coach, his sixth opportunity to do so in the past three years. He interviewed with Miami and Atlanta after the 2007 season. Last winter, he spoke with Denver, Detroit and St. Louis.

My AFC East colleague Tim Graham makes the important point that the Bills don’t consider this a token interview because Frazier is black; they’ve already interviewed interim head coach Perry Fewell for the job and therefore aren’t required to interview any further minorities.

My feeling about Frazier remains the same. He won’t blow you away with a sales pitch during an interview, but he is a classy and intense coach who will appeal to teams looking for substance over style. Look for his name to surface in Cleveland if new Browns president Mike Holmgren fires coach Eric Mangini.

Chicago will interview Fewell for its defensive coordinator job next week, after he speaks with the New York Giants. My ESPN Chicago colleague Jeff Dickerson considers Fewell a good fit for the job, and I agree. With Lovie Smith unwilling to change his defensive scheme, he might as well hire someone with extensive experience in the system.

All Green Bay players except safety Derrick Martin (ankle) participated in at least a portion of practice Wednesday. That includes nose tackle Ryan Pickett, who has been inactive for three of the past four games because of a hamstring injury. In Arizona, receiver Anquan Boldin (ankle), cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (toe/knee) and safety Antrel Rolle (thigh) all sat out practice. My NFC West colleague Mike Sando has more on Rodgers-Cromartie here.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he hadn’t heard that Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt was apparently miffed by the way Green Bay approached the two games between the teams this season. And even if he had, McCarthy said: “I am worried about my own football team. His feelings toward my team or my feelings toward his team, it's a non-topic with me.”

Speaking during a conference call with Wisconsin reporters, Whisenhunt clarified his original comments. “The only thing I was chafing about was the approach of my football team and how we handled it. I was disappointed with some of the things we did in the ball game as far as how we played. It was obvious to me that Green Bay was more physical than us. That’s what was very disappointing to me. I could see where [reporters] would think that I was irritated, and I was, but it certainly wasn't at coach McCarthy or the Packers. It was more about how we performed.”

I guess all’s well that ends well.

Getting inside the final Friday injury report of the 2009 season. (Sniff, sniff….)

Chicago Bears: Safety Al Afalava (knee), receiver Johnny Knox (ankle) and safety Danieal Manning (calf) are all listed as doubtful and not expected to play Sunday at Detroit. All other active players, including safety Craig Steltz (foot) should be available. Defensive tackle Israel Idonije (foot) and cornerback Charles Tillman (ribs) were placed on injured reserve earlier this week.

Detroit Lions: Linebacker Larry Foote (foot) won’t play against the Bears. Safety Louis Delmas (knee) and cornerback Phillip Buchanon (shoulder) are questionable. Delmas seems likely to play. Buchanon will be a Sunday decision.

Green Bay Packers: Safety Derrick Martin (ankle) is out and linebacker Brandon Chillar (back) is doubtful for Sunday’s game at Arizona. Nose tackle Ryan Pickett (hamstring) is listed as questionable, but it will be a surprise if he plays. Fullback Korey Hall (elbow) and defensive end Michael Montgomery (ankle) are questionable.

Minnesota Vikings: Nose tackle Pat Williams (elbow) made it through a week of practice and coach Brad Childress said he thinks Williams might be over the hump with the injury. His primary backup, Jimmy Kennedy, isn’t likely to play Sunday against the New York Giants because of a thumb injury. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (thigh) is questionable but expected to play.

It was only two weeks ago that some numbskull suggested Green Bay might have a tough time getting in playoff position during the second half of the season. Geez. Some people just don’t think about what they say or write.

Because as we stand on the brink of Week 12, the Packers have given themselves an excellent chance to clinch a wild-card spot if they continue a winning pace. (I would define “winning pace” as winning more than you lose. For the Packers, that would mean a 4-2 finish and a 10-6 final record.)

It won’t be as easy as it sounds, not when you consider they have only two home games remaining. It’s possible that a 9-7 record could clinch a playoff spot, but let’s be safe for the purposes of this discussion. In recognition of that strong assumption, let’s consider four keys to the Packers’ postseason run. (Four! Get it?)

1. Schematically cover for personnel losses on defense

The loss of cornerback Al Harris pushes the rest of the Packers’ defensive backs up the depth chart. Tramon Williams is the likely starter, with some combination of Jarrett Bush, Brandon Underwood and newcomer Josh Bell all in the mix for the nickel. Navigating this issue will be the Packers’ biggest challenge in making the playoffs.

All three players are relative unknowns in terms of coverage ability. It’s great if one of them steps up. If not, however, defensive coordinator Dom Capers will have to implement some lineup creativity to get his best 11 players on the field.

That could mean leaving an extra linebacker on the field in some nickel situations. It might require finding a bigger role for backup linebacker Desmond Bishop. It could mean flooding the line of scrimmage with blitzers, if that’s what Capers’ remaining players do best.

From the moment he arrived in Green Bay, Capers pledged to craft a scheme around the strengths of his players. It’s time for him once again to follow through.

2. Remaining disciplined with the “new” short-range offense

Over the past two weeks, the Packers have returned to the approach they used in 2007, emphasizing quicker passes, shorter routes and better balance with the run. In this case, the shift was a response to the limited pass protection they have offered quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The development has been obvious the casual observer, but Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette recently put a strong number behind it. In Sunday’s 30-24 victory over San Francisco, 20 of Rodgers’ 32 completions traveled within 4 yards of the line of scrimmage. And their biggest offensive play came off a simple 10-yard slant pass to receiver Greg Jennings, who turned it into a 64-yard touchdown.

“We know our strengths,” Jennings said. “We know our weaknesses, and we have to play to our strengths. And our strength is getting the ball out of Aaron’s hands and letting us make plays. … I think [the short game] is the best way to get the ball in any one of our hands. The last couple of weeks, that’s been a huge emphasis -- the three-step game, the quick game, just trying to get the ball in each one of our hands and just get us out in space against the perimeter guys.”

3. Win the right games


This might sound counterintuitive, but some of Green Bay’s games will be more important than others. I’m not suggesting the Packers do anything other than try to win all of them. But we observers should keep priority and orderliness in mind when looking at their schedule.

In terms of tiebreakers and playoff seeding, division games are most important -- even if it has nothing to do with winning the title. Conference matchups rank next, followed by AFC games. So if I’m making a priority list of the teams I think the Packers need to beat to make the playoffs, it’s going to look like this:

A. Detroit
B. Chicago
C. Seattle
D. Arizona
E. Baltimore
F. Pittsburgh

I ranked Seattle and Baltimore ahead of Arizona and Pittsburgh because they’re home games. No tiebreaker applies to home victories, but any playoff plan should include winning your home games first.

4. Make a standard out of the special-teams performance we saw Sunday.

The Packers have had their share of coverage problems this season, and our friends over at Football Outsiders ranked their special teams last in the NFL through the first nine games of the season. But I thought the Packers put forth a mostly winning effort Sunday.

No one can be happy about Josh Morgan’s 76-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter. Moving past that play, however, the 49ers managed 18.7 yards on their other three kickoff returns and 2.3 yards on three punt returns.

Meanwhile, Williams’ 27-yard punt return set up what turned out to be a key field goal at the end of the first half. And don’t forget that Derrick Martin downed a Jeremy Kapinos punt at the 49ers’ 2-yard line in the fourth quarter. On the next play, safety Nick Collins intercepted Alex Smith to set up the Packers’ final touchdown.

You can’t solve any problem overnight, special teams or otherwise. But if the Packers can minimize big returns and make some positive plays to balance them out, I think what they did Sunday would suffice in a playoff race.