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In this NFL32 Overtime video, we get an assessment of the Chicago Bears from ESPN's Chris Mortensen and a dance tribute to Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver that you won't want to miss.

In the hours after claiming the prestigious "Mirror Ball" as the champion of "Dancing with the Stars," Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver flew across the country to appear on ABC's "Good Morning America." He also hammered out an exclusive blog post for ESPN.com's Playbook page, and I'll excerpt a portion of it below:

It was truly special to be around so many great people. Each and every week we pushed each other to get better. We also had a lot of fun, and I will never forget the great times we had the past few months.

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Kelsey McNeal/Getty imagesDonald Driver and partner Peta Murgatroyd won Season 14 of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

Now the focus goes back to football.

Physically, I feel incredible.

I can't wait to get back up to Green Bay and get on the practice field with my teammates.

Winning this competition was sweet, but I still have a bitter taste in my mouth from last year’s playoff loss to the Giants.

We just brought the Mirror Ball to Wisconsin, and now it’s time for another Lombardi Trophy!

God Bless!

Despite rampant speculation, there are no indications the Packers plan to move on in 2012 without Driver. Coach Mike McCarthy indicated Driver could begin participating in the team's organized team activities as early as next week.

If you missed Driver's GMA appearance, here is a link to the first segment. He explains his post-victory celebration this way: "I was on fire. So I had to roll around and get the fire off of me."

I won't try to break down the reasons why Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver won the prestigious "Mirror Ball" trophy Tuesday night as the champion of the reality show "Dancing with the Stars." No point in that.

What I will say is that watching the last few weeks of the show was a good reminder about the value of stepping out of your comfort zone. Driver is a great athlete and competitor, and perhaps he was already a good dancer before this show. But his emotional reaction to winning was an indication of how hard he needed to work to secure this accomplishment, and how much satisfaction he felt upon achieving it.

(Having Packers fans supporting you in the viewer voting doesn't hurt, either.)

Driver will have a few whirlwind days of publicity but could re-join the Packers for offseason workouts as early as next week. His agent, Jordan Woy, tweeted: "Congrats to Donald Driver winning DWTS!! Now it is time to get ready for another season with the Packers!"

Here are some other Packers reactions via Twitter:

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers: Speaking of teammates, am so proud of @Donald_Driver80 and his accomplishment tonight!!! Enjoy the whirlwind the next few days quickie!!!

Tight end Tom Crabtree: Donaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaald Driiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ?#titletown? ?#GoPackGo? ?#dwts? ?#football? ?#dance? ?#America

Linebacker A.J. Hawk: Congrats @Donald_Driver80, Champion, not even close!

Guard Josh Sitton: My little cousin @biigwilly won the sate baseball championship tonight an @Donald_Driver80 won dwts ! What a great night! Congrats guys!!!!!

Receiver Randall Cobb: Quickie has to write a book about this! Congrats to @Donald_Driver80!!!

ESPN analyst Andrew Brandt, a former Packers executive: Donald! Remember skinny 7th round pick coming in saying he would make a name in GB. Great story.

Have a wonderful evening.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Detroit Lions had a busy news day Monday. We noted both the charity of quarterback Matthew Stafford and the poor behavior of receiver Titus Young, but that left out plenty of other tidbits.

Running backs Jahvid Best (concussion) and Mikel Leshoure (Achilles) were both on the field, participating in a limited portion of the Lions' opening organized team activity (OTA) of the offseason. So was rookie receiver Ryan Broyles, who is six months removed from major knee surgery.

Middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, meanwhile, didn't practice because of knee tendinitis and might not be back on the field until training camp. That's a bit of a disconcerting turn of events for a player so critical to the Lions' 2011 improvement, but keep in mind that Tulloch hasn't missed a game in his six-year career.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Broyles didn't participate in all of the drills Monday but got a personal side session with Stafford and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley showed off a new physique at Monday's OTA, according to John Niyo of the Detroit News.
• The 2012 season will be "very important" for Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, according to Justin Rogers of Mlive.com.
• Former Chicago Bears running back Garrett Wolfe is headed to the CFL, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• At some point, writes Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bears will have to decide whether to give running back Matt Forte a "shut-up-and-play" deal.
• We discussed the possibility of the Bears acquiring tight end Kellen Winslow, but he ultimately was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, notes the Associated Press.
• Kendra Meinert of the Green Bay Press-Gazette has a review of Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver's turn Monday night on "Dancing with the Stars."
• The Packers termed it "simply speculation" that team president/CEO Mark Murphy has interest in the Stanford athletic director job, according to Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Murphy once had interest in the job, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com, but not now.
• The Minnesota Vikings will soon have discussions with Minnesota State, Mankato, to create a long-term contract on training camp, according to Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• Martiga Lohn of the Associated Press examines the state funding mechanism for the Vikings' new stadium.
• Final passage of the bill by the Minneapolis City Council this week appears inevitable, writes Eric Roper of the Star Tribune.

I didn't forget about "Dancing with the Stars" this evening. Did you?

Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver finished the penultimate show of the season with a combined score of 59 points in his two dances. That puts him in a tie with actors William Levy and one point behind opera singer Katherine Jenkins heading into Tuesday night's season finale.

My understanding is that online voting will continue until 11 a.m. ET, but phone voting is complete. We'll find out Tuesday night if fan votes can push Driver ahead of Levy and Jenkins. Hopefully you can stand the suspense!

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Good Monday morning to everyone. It doesn't get a whole lot bigger than the first week of organized team activities, or OTAs as we call them in the business, and that's exactly the point we've reached in the NFL offseason.

The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have scheduled their first OTAs of the spring for Monday, and the Chicago Bears will have one Tuesday. The Minnesota Vikings will open OTAs a week from Tuesday. Over on our NFL Nation blog, we have a comprehensive schedule of all 32 team's OTA schedules.

For newcomers, OTAs are on-field practices without pads or (presumably) contact. Some are open to the media, so expect to see some coverage in the coming days of how your favorite players are performing in jerseys and shorts.

Before we move on to our morning roundup, I want to thank everyone for their feedback to Friday's post on our blog operations. If you missed the post and/or want to share further thoughts about what you like and don't like, by all means hit up the mailbag.

OK, now, continuing around the NFC North:

• Here's a smart analysis of the Bears' negotiations with tailback Matt Forte from Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune. Pompei suggests a fair deal could include about $20 million in guaranteed money.
• In this ESPNChicago.com video, ESPN's Cris Carter says that the ability to "catch the ball and separate" is what makes Bears receiver Brandon Marshall so good.
• Bears linebacker Lance Briggs isn't concerned about Marshall's off-field behavior, writes Vaughn McClure of the Tribune.
• The running back position is one of the storylines for the Lions' first OTA, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Running back Kevin Smith thinks the Lions will have a better running game in 2012, notes Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Carlos Monarrez of the Free Press takes a look at some of the young cornerbacks the Lions added this offseason.
• Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looks at the three young Packers receivers who will vie for roster spots this summer: Diondre Borel, Shaky Smithson and Tori Gurley.
• Keeping receiver Donald Driver on the roster goes "against everything the Packers regime believes in," writes Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal.
• Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: "[I] t can be argued [Packers coach Mike] McCarthy is underpaid compared to some of his coaching brethren residing in the exclusive $7 million club."
• The Vikings signed former Bears offensive lineman Levi Horn, notes Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "The Vikings were 3-13 last season. Zygi and Mark Wilf and the entire Wilf family had a lot to do with that because for more than a year no one was in charge at Winter Park. In fact, the coach and personnel director often were at odds. It wasn't until after the season that [Rick] Spielman was given control after a leaguewide search netted, well, Spielman."

Hi everyone, and thanks for bearing with me Thursday while I attended to some business at, yes, the ESPN mothership. We discussed many important and pressing issues, among them our plans for the one or two days this summer when the NFL news feed slows down.

In reality, it appears I didn't miss too much in the way of news Thursday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter has strengthened his earlier report on the apparent all-clear that Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall has received from the New York City police department. Most notably, however, it appears we might have some clarity on the future of Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver.

It's been long speculated that the Packers will release Driver this offseason, even though he has offered to renegotiate his contract to stay with them. Non-committal answers last month from general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy strengthened that possibility, but on Thursday, agent Jordan Woy said he expected Driver to return to the Packers in 2012.

Woy told ESPN's Andrew Brandt: "He'll be back. Just need to work out details when done" with his appearance on "Dancing with the Stars." The reality show will conclude next week.

As we've discussed, there really hasn't been any rush to complete a renegotiated contract. Driver wasn't due any money until the start of training camp. So it's quite possible that Thompson and McCarthy won't commit publicly to Driver's return until the new deal is done. That makes some sense. We'll know soon enough.

Just what you all wanted: NFC North blog readers will be treated to another week of "Dancing with the Stars" coverage.

(Don't like it? I'll be happy to bring back hourly Minnesota Vikings stadium updates.)

As you would most likely know by now if "DWTS" interests you, Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver has advanced to the finals of the ABC reality show. (I'm still a little confused how three celebrities remain in play after a four-person semifinal round, but maybe I'm overthinking it.)

After bidding farewell to the plucky Maria Menounos, Driver will compete against fellow celebrities William Levy and Katherine Jenkins next week for the "DWTS" title.

From a football standpoint, Driver's additional week on the show has probably delayed any resolution to his future with the Packers. Green Bay begins organized team activities next Monday, as Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com points out, but Driver will still be in competition at that point.

You'll have a chance to test my now-extensive knowledge of the NFC North's rookie class during our SportsNation chat Tuesday afternoon. (It's at 2 p.m. ET for those uninitiated.) Feel free to ask about the Chicago Bears' offensive line, especially considering the tepid endorsement it received this week from Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. You might have some final thoughts on the Minnesota Vikings' new stadium or the Detroit Lions' secondary or even my analysis of Donald Driver's dance moves. Just don't ask about the Empathy Paradox. Sooooo tired of that one.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

So I tuned in to "Dancing with the Stars" as promised Monday night. It won't rival "LOST" or even "Al TV" on my personal list of favorites. But one of the NFC North's most prominent players over the past decade is a cast member, and I'm well aware of the interest level from many Green Bay Packers fans in Driver's fate on the show.

As it turned out, Driver scored a combined 57 out of a possible 60 on his two dances of the evening, putting him in third place on the judges' scorecard. But that is only part of the final score, and we'll find out Tuesday night whether audience/viewer voting impacted the ranking and who exactly will advance to the finals of the show.

I took away a couple cool moments Monday night. On the day after Mother's Day, Driver tearfully praised his mother, Faye, for being "my soldier for a long time." Also, I laughed when the camera panned the audience after Driver absorbed some criticism from a judge. You could see Packers coach Mike McCarthy with the same quizzical facial expression he usually directs at officials during games. McCarthy sat right next to quarterback Aaron Rodgers and linebacker Clay Matthews. Very solid support.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thinks the "handwriting is on the ballroom floor for" Driver's departure from the organization.
• The Packers signed five players who participated in their rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, notes the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Detroit Lions rookie receiver Ryan Broyles on what he picked up by watching rookie minicamp, via Rod Beard of the Detroit News: "It's a great offense. I've been catching on a little bit now and see how they do it -- a lot like Oklahoma. They like to get out there and run three receivers -- sometimes four -- and even empty the backfield, so I think it's going to be a good offense to be a part of."
• Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley's court date stemming from an April marijuana arrest was moved back to July 31, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler on the right thumb he fractured last season, via the Associated Press: "It's fine. I really didn't throw a lot in the offseason, rehabbed a little bit and came back and felt good."
• Cutler isn't going along with the Bears' rampant optimism about their offensive line, notes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cutler: "You know, the offensive line is definitely going to be a concern and seeing where those guys are going to fit in and seeing what five we go with. If Gabe [Carimi] comes back, if J'Marcus [Webb] pans out. Where are we going to put Chris Williams? There are some question marks there. Until we really get that resolved and get our front five settled in, we've got some work to do on offense."
• Signs still point to the Bears moving Williams back to tackle, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com digs a little deeper into the friendship between Minnesota Vikings receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs.
• The Vikings' new stadium deal shields the public from their financial books, notes the Associated Press.

So, as Lynn Hoppes notes over at ESPN Playbook, "Dancing with the Stars" moves to into its semifinal round Monday night on ABC. That means Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver is one of four contestants vying for the title, which means it's time to start paying attention to "DWTS" as far as I'm concerned.

If I can't wrest control of the remote Monday night, I'll do so ASAP and follow up at some point Tuesday. Driver is competing against opera singer Katherine Jenkins, actor William Levy and TV host Maria Menounos. (My extensive research on Levy reveals he is more frequently referred to as a "Latin heartthrob" but I just have no idea what that means.)

It sounds as if the Packers will be well-represented in the audience Monday night. According to Driver's verified Twitter feed, those scheduled to attend include coach Mike McCarthy, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, linebacker Clay Matthews, receivers coach Edgar Bennett and Rob Davis, the Packers' director of player development. Hopefully Rodgers can break away from his intensive training for the evening.

This just in: Our coverage of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill has sparked a mixture of anger, boredom and protests from many of you. I'm sorry. It has been the most important offseason story in NFC North, especially when you consider it could have ended with one of our teams relocating and ultimately breaking up the very makeup of the division.

In reality, the early part of May is a relatively quiet time around the NFL. Trust me, you haven't missed any big NFC North news by following this blog. But I do recognize the need to rebalance our post distribution, and we'll work to do that over the coming days, weeks and months before training camp.

Let's start with a question from Will of Wauwatosa, Wis., who wonders why Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson hasn't made the expected move to release receiver Donald Driver: "If Ted Thompson is 'all business' and there are no personal feelings in his decisions, why doesn't he just cut Driver now? Why does he really care if he's on 'Dancing with the Stars?'"

I can't say for sure that Driver's continuing stint on "DWTS" is behind Thompson's current approach. All we know is that Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy were pretty tight-lipped about Driver's future when asked after the draft.

But from a business standpoint, there doesn't appear to be much of a rush to run Driver out of town, even if that's what the Packers ultimately decide to do. As Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported in March, the Packers aren't on the hook for any payments to Driver until the first day of training camp. If he's on the roster at that point, they would owe him $1.5 million.

Driver is in line for a $200,000 workout bonus if he participates in the Packers' offseason strength and conditioning program, but his work on "DWTS" has kept him away so far.

It doesn't make intuitive sense that the Packers would bring back Driver as the No. 4 or 5 receiver. The team might well agree. But there will be a window to deal with the situation after "DWTS" -- and before the Packers would owe Driver anything -- if that's what it comes to.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

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

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

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

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

Continuing around the NFC North:

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

We're Black and Blue All Over:

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did you think about the way Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy addressed the future of receiver Donald Driver? At the very least, Driver's future with the franchise doesn't appear to have been decided.

Driver, 37, has said he would be willing to re-negotiate his contract to remain with the team, and last week the Packers made two difficult decisions -- releasing left tackle Chad Clifton and safety Nick Collins -- while Driver remained on the roster. But when asked if Driver is set to go to training camp with the team, Thompson told reporters Saturday: "I would never speculate on something like that. He's dancing right now. Doing good, too."

(As you know, Driver remains apart of the "Dancing with the Stars" cast on the West Coast and, according to ESPN.com's Lynn Hoppes, he's scheduled to dance the Viennese Waltz in Monday night's broadcast. That'll be big.)

It's not unlike Thompson to avoid direct answers on personnel matters. But McCarthy was unusually vague when asked the same question, saying: "No reason to speculate on that. I'm just going to follow Ted's answer to that question."

If Driver was definitely set to return, you would think Thompson and/or McCarthy would have said so. If a decision had already been made one way or the other, there would be nothing to avoid speculating on.

One guess is that the sides are trying to work out a restructured deal but haven't completed negotiations. Another, less likely, possibility is that they have agreed to reconvene after Driver's stint on "DWTS."

There certainly are no hard feelings at this point. McCarthy gleefully admitted he and his family have faithfully watched each "DWTS" episode, which is more than I (and possibly you) can say.

"I didn't realize it was such a tough thing for a man [to watch] "Dancing with the Stars," McCarthy said. "And if I'm not at home, we have to DVR it and watch it as a family. We're rooting him on and voting eight times like you're supposed to. He's doing a great job."

The Packers are well into their offseason program, but the early stages are mostly about strength and conditioning, neither of which have ever been a problem for Driver. Stay tuned.