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Continuing our Tuesday flurry: Chicago parted ways with one of its most professional and respected veterans while also signing a free agent cornerback.

I suppose it shouldn't be a shock considering the Bears' new offensive scheme, but it was still a bit jarring to hear that fullback Jason McKie was released. McKie played seven years for the Bears; center Olin Kreutz was the only offensive player who has been with the organization longer.

New coordinator Mike Martz prefers H-backs and blocking tight ends over fullbacks. Speaking to ESPNChicago.com, McKie said in part: "I pretty much knew when Mike Martz was named offensive coordinator that there wasn't going to be a high priority placed on the fullback position."

Via his Twitter page, McKie said: "I want to thank the Chicago bears for the opportunity of playing for one of the best organizations in the NFL...and I also want to thank all ... of the bears fans for their support it's truly been a blessing...Bear Down and God Bless!!"

Now, on to a more pleasant topic: The Bears reached a two-year agreement with free agent cornerback Tim Jennings, who spent the past four years with Indianapolis. He was a 12-game starter for the Colts as recently as 2008, but was moved to a reserve role last season and the Colts didn't offer him a restricted free agent tender.

In Chicago, it's safe to consider him a candidate for the nickel job.

I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that Detroit is serious about upgrading its defensive line.

So far this offseason, the Lions have acquired defensive tackle Corey Williams from Cleveland and signed free-agent end Kyle Vanden Bosch from Tennessee. They might be in position to draft Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh next month, and now there are multiple reports they will host New Orleans defensive tackle/end Anthony Hargrove beginning Monday night.

Hargrove is a restricted free agent, meaning the Saints would have the right to match any offer Detroit might make. If they pass, the Lions would send the Saints a third-round pick in next month’s draft.

Hargrove is an active pass-rusher who has evolved from a college linebacker to a “three-technique” defensive tackle since entering the NFL. NFC North readers no doubt got to know him during the Super Bowl, when I just so happened to write this post on his fight against substance abuse.

The visit is scheduled to conclude Tuesday. We’ll keep you updated.

One other Lions-related housekeeping note: Their trade to acquire Atlanta cornerback Chris Houston is now complete, but the terms are a bit different than originally reported. The Lions sent their sixth-round pick this season and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2011 in exchange for Houston, who is expected to start this season.

Regular reader/commenter suamico72 is relentless, I can say with some certainty. After reading Monday morning’s Black and Blue post, suamico72 objected to an apparently incomplete explanation for why LaDainian Tomlinson spurned Minnesota and signed with the New York Jets.

I noted Tomlinson will play a larger role in the Jets’ offense, but suamico72 added: “AND because he wanted a ‘stable’ quarterback situation, WHY do you refuse to report on this Kevin? it was the FIRST thing LT referred to when asked! your colleagues refer to it, WHY NOT YOU? Are the espnanites not letting you say anything negative towards prince favre?”

I’ll admit there is no certainty that Brett Favre will play this season. Further, I probably won’t consider the Vikings a first-tier Super Bowl contender if he retires and leaves Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels to compete for the job. But it’s my somewhat informed take that Favre’s status was at best a deeply secondary factor in Tomlinson’s decision.

As we discussed Sunday, Tomlinson’s role would have been far more limited in Minnesota than it will be with the Jets. That would have been the case whether Favre played or not. Tomlinson left San Diego believing he could offer more to a winning team than the Chargers were asking. I believe he recognized he has a far better chance of doing that in New York than in Minnesota.

History tells us Favre will commit to playing at some point this summer. The Vikings’ apparent lack of urgency to craft a contingency plan suggests they believe the same thing. I think Tomlinson left Minnesota knowing there was an awfully strong chance Favre will play, even if he could be given no guarantees.

Suggesting that Tomlinson signed with the Jets because of Favre’s uncertainty is like saying a tree fell because of loose soil around it. The state of said soil might have contributed, but something had to push the darn thing first. (Oh, and Favre = soil in this little metaphor.)

As we head into the second full week of free agency, it's probably a good time to revise our look at each NFC North team's unsigned players. We haven't had a restricted free agent (RFA) receive an offer sheet yet, so we'll limit this post to unrestricted free agents (UFAs) -- who have total freedom to sign with another team.

Chicago Bears
UFAs as of March 5: Linebacker Darrell McClover, defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, running back Adrian Peterson, linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa.
Comment: None have re-signed. The Bears are trying to bring back Tinoisamoa.

Detroit Lions
UFAs as of March 5: Linebacker Vinny Ciurciu, offensive lineman Damion Cook, quarterback Daunte Culpepper, tight end Casey Fitzsimmons, linebacker Larry Foote, tight end Will Heller, cornerback Anthony Henry, cornerback Will James, offensive lineman Jon Jansen, safety Marquand Manuel, quarterback Patrick Ramsey.
Comment: Ciurciu, Heller and Jansen have re-signed. Foote seems likely to return to Pittsburgh.

Green Bay Packers
UFAs as of March 5: Offensive lineman Chad Clifton, running back Ahman Green, linebacker Aaron Kampman, offensive lineman Mark Tauscher.
Comment: Clifton and Tauscher have re-signed. Kampman signed with Jacksonville.

Minnesota Vikings
UFAs as of March 5: Offensive lineman Artis Hicks, defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, cornerback Benny Sapp, running back Chester Taylor.
Comment: Kennedy and Sapp re-signed. Taylor signed with Chicago. Hicks signed with Washington.

My reaction to Minnesota's swing-and-miss with running back LaDainian Tomlinson is the same as when Chester Taylor jumped to Chicago. The Vikings' backup running back job is an important but ultimately secondary role as long as starter Adrian Peterson plays a full season, and it should be viewed accordingly.

I couldn't get worked up about Taylor's departure, and I really don't consider it a crisis now that Tomlinson has agreed to terms with the New York Jets. Over the past two seasons, Taylor touched the ball 284 times via rushing or pass plays. That averages out to 8.88 touches per game, or about 14 percent of the Vikings' offensive plays over that span. That's not a big enough number to lose sleep over, in my opinion.

Peterson is the focus of the Vikings' running game, and you're kidding yourself if you think they will pull back on his carries because of continuing fumble problems. Tomlinson no doubt had several reasons for signing with the Jets, but I'm sure this undeniable fact was one of them: He's going to be more involved in the Jets offense (current starter: Shonn Greene) than he would have been in the Vikings'.

From Minnesota's perspective, it made sense to pursue a future Hall of Famer. If he wanted to gear down his career to that extent, bully for the Vikings. But it's not surprising he chose the other option.

Discussion will naturally turn to veteran Brian Westbrook, who played under Vikings coach Brad Childress when Childress was Philadelphia's offensive coordinator. Childress has always had great respect for Westbrook, but it's only fair to note the Vikings have yet to show interest. Westbrook's history of concussions makes him a risk for any team he might sign with.

Without Taylor or Tomlinson, the Vikings wouldn't have an experienced back to take over if Peterson is sidelined for an extended period of time. But for now, it will be interesting to see if the Vikings give second-year player Albert Young at least an offseason look at the role.

Childress talked up Young during a radio interview last week. It's also possible to find immediate running back help in the draft.

The Vikings would have done well to sign Tomlinson, but I don't think his decision qualifies as a blow. It just adds a little pressure on their depth chart and draft preparations.

I can see no downside with Detroit acquiring quarterback Shaun Hill from San Francisco, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee is reporting. Among my reasons:

• Hill spent three years as a backup in Minnesota under offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who now holds the same position in Detroit. They have a comfort level that will accelerate Hill's adjustment to a new team.
• Hill is the quintessential backup quarterback from this sense: He has proved he can come off the bench and win games over an extended period of time. He went 10-6 as a part-time starter for the 49ers over the past three seasons. Notably, the 49ers were 10-22 in the games he didn't start over that span.
• He is good enough that he could push starter Matthew Stafford if the franchise quarterback falls into an extended slump, but not to the extent where he would challenge for the starting job in training camp.
• The deal would end Daunte Culpepper's candidacy to return as a backup, a situation that probably wouldn't have been healthy for him or the Lions. Culpepper wants to sign with a team that will give him a chance to play over the long term, which is not something the Lions could offer.

A seventh-round draft pick in 2011, the 49ers' reported asking price, is more than a fair price for those attributes.

There are reports out of San Diego that free agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson is leaning toward signing with the New York Jets, but it makes perfect sense for Tomlinson to keep all options open as he negotiates his next contract.

That means Tomlinson must portray neutrality from a public perspective: to spark a bidding war between the Jets and Minnesota. I think that's why he told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he didn't know where he will sign, despite rampant reports linking him to the Jets.

I'll have more to say when we get confirmation of Tomlinson's destination. Right now, you're seeing the negotiating process play out before your eyes.

A few weeks ago, we wondered which of Green Bay's two free agent tackles would return for 2010. Left tackle Chad Clifton? Right tackle Mark Tauscher? Neither?

As it turns out, the Packers have chosen a fourth option: All of the above. Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com reports the Packers have agreed to terms with Tauscher on a two-year contract, about a week after Clifton signed a three-year deal. The team hasn't officially announced the agreement, but coach Mike McCarthy hinted one could be looming while speaking to reporters Friday at the Packers' FanFest event.

As we discussed last month, Green Bay had a complex decision to make. Tauscher finished the season in better physical standing than Clifton, who has struggled with knee, ankle and shoulder injuries over the past two years. But the Packers' top in-house backup, T.J. Lang, is more suited to play right tackle and there are no guarantees the team will find an immediate replacement in the draft.

Tauscher, on the other hand, performed too well over the second half of the 2009 season to be cast aside. So the answer in the NFL's uncapped environment was to bring both players back. I presume Lang will a serve as a super-backup who could one day take over for Tauscher. But not yet.

The only remaining question mark for the Packers' 2010 offensive line is left guard Daryn Colledge, a restricted free agent who has not yet signed his tender. Assuming he returns, Colledge might have to compete with Lang or fellow restricted free agent Jason Spitz to retain his job.

Just a quick update to let you know where the chase for free agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson now stands.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Tomlinson departed the New York area Saturday morning and is on his way back to San Diego. That jives with the timetable Tomlinson had previously told Minnesota he would follow: visit the Jets and then return home to consider his options and discuss them with his wife.

Based on travel time and other hurdles, a decision might not come until Sunday or Monday. As always, we'll keep you updated.

Green Bay sure knows how to put on a show. On the opening day of its annual FanFest celebration, the Packers:

• Unveiled throwback jerseys last worn 80 years ago (pictures here)
• Announced a three-year contract extension with Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins
• Announced a four-year contract extension for nose tackle Ryan Pickett.

I think I can hear the cheering over state lines.

Let's be clear on both Collins and Pickett: Neither player was going anywhere this offseason. Collins received the highest tender as a restricted free agent (first and third rounds), and he ultimately signed it rather than shop for offers. Pickett, meanwhile, was the Packers' franchise player and wasn't likely to elicit an offer at that level, either.

But the deals mark an important breakthrough for a front office that has systematically worked its way down a long list of players whose contracts have come due in the Packers' draft-based personnel procurement system. In the past 18 months or so, the Packers have given market-level extensions to seven key players. In chronological order:

1. Running back Ryan Grant (four years, $20 million)
2. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (six years, $65 million)
3. Receiver Greg Jennings (three years, $27 million)
4. Linebacker Brandon Chillar (four years, $21 million)
5. Left tackle Chad Clifton (three years, $20 million)
6.Collins (three years, $23.4 million)
7. Pickett (four years, $28 million)

Friday's deals put the Packers over the hump on their list, going a long way toward ensuring locker room harmony and -- more important -- keeping together a team that won seven of its final eight games in 2009. There are now more players on the list above than there are on the list below, which is the Packers remaining key players who are either restricted free agents and/or playing on one-year contracts:

1. Safety Atari Bigby
2. Guard Daryn Colledge
3. Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly
4. Center/guard Jason Spitz
5. Cornerback Tramon Williams

The Collins signing is especially significant and indicates the sides were able to work though any ill will that arose from the Packers' decision not to extend him last year. (Collins didn't participate in most of the offseason program as a result.) Earlier this week, however, Collins signed his RFA tender as a sign of good faith, and the team reciprocated by wrapping up the deal in time to announce it at FanFest.

According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Collins will receive $14 million of the total this season, amounting to a market-level signing bonus after consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl.

Although I've never believed that contract negotiations can impact the performance of a team, they can certainly distract an individual player. Friday, there are two fewer nervous players in the Packers locker room. And the list is growing shorter by the day.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Just for old time's sake, I stopped by Minnesota's practice facility Thursday afternoon and stood with the media assembled at the end of the driveway. Call me crazy.

At about 6:10 p.m. ET, free agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson walked out the front door accompanied by a member of the Vikings' personnel department. Tomlinson was carrying a purple Vikings jersey (No. 21, it appeared). He said a quick goodbye to the staffer, jumped in a limo and departed the premises.

ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported Tomlinson has a tentative visit scheduled for Friday with the New York Jets. I can't tell you exactly what is happening at the moment, but it sure appeared as though Tomlinson's visit here has concluded.

*UPDATE: Tomlinson has already told Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated that he enjoyed his visit to Minnesota but is heading to New York for a second visit.

We'll keep you updated.

Many of you saw free agent receiver Torry Holt on NFL Live this week and wondered if he has retired and moved into television work. The answer is no.

Holt, in fact, is openly lobbying for Chicago to sign him so he can reunite with offensive coordinator Mike Martz on a team that could use a veteran's presence among its receivers. Holt told ESPN Radio in Los Angeles that the Bears would be an "obvious" choice and said he has expressed as much to them.

(Thanks to sportsradiointerviews.com for spotting the appearance and transcribing.)

Here's part of what Holt had to say:

"It sounds like that would be the obvious choice and that would be a quick pick-up. But again, they have to do their evaluations, they've got to see if I can even fit with what they're trying to do. [They've] got a lot of young receivers there. They're trying to groom those young receivers and trying to get those young receivers an opportunity to play.

"If I come in as a vet, I'm going to challenge those guys for a starting spot, and probably more than likely, beat quite a few of them out for a position to play on that football team. So I guess that's something that they would have to evaluate.

"But if you think of it, it would be a natural fit with coach Martz being there. I know the system, I was in the system for many years and had a lot of success within that system. So it sounds quite natural, but coach Martz doesn't make the final decision. Some of the other people in the organization are going to make the final decision.

"It's going to have to come from the head coach and [general manager Jerry] Angelo and that staff on pulling the trigger to bring me in. So I'm just kind of waiting to see, but I did express to them early on -- the week that I got released from Jacksonville -- that I do have some interest in playing there in Chicago. I feel I could go there and help and contribute to that football team to trying to get things turned around and be a playoff contender. So we'll see how it goes."

Holt, 33, played under Martz in St. Louis from 1999-2005. I'm not sure what kind of money Holt is looking for, but I can't imagine him not helping the Bears in some capacity. I like the bravado he expressed and think it would be a good fire-starter for some returning players.

Martz has suggested that Devin Hester will play in a slot role, leaving Earl Bennett as one outside receiver. Johnny Knox and Devin Aromashodu would conceivably compete for the other outside position. Both showed substantive flashes last season, but I don't think either is established enough to ignore the presence of a player like Holt on the open market.

LaDainian Tomlinson's agent has ensured some leverage as he negotiates a potential contract Thursday with Minnesota.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tomlinson has tentatively scheduled a visit Friday to the New York Jets. The timing forces some urgency on the Vikings as they discuss terms with agent Tom Condon. So it seems Tomlinson will either agree to at least the framework of a contract Thursday or he'll move on to the Jets.

Asked Wednesday night if he could foresee himself signing quickly with the Vikings, Tomlinson said, "possibly." Stay tuned.

Just to update you on the latest: Free-agent running back LaDaininan Tomlinson dined Wednesday night with Minnesota officials and at least one player in downtown Minneapolis. Tomlinson also spoke with several media outlets, including the Star Tribune and WCCO.

He told the Star Tribune that he understands the role he would have with the Vikings and could "possibly" sign Thursday if all goes well. He said he has "heard what I like to hear" and that one of his agents made the trip with him. Tomlinson has a second visit lined up with another team but wouldn't identify it.

Meanwhile, he told WCCO that it would be a "blast" to play with quarterback Brett Favre and said he is confident he would coexist well with starting tailback Adrian Peterson.

"I definitely can," Tomlinson said. "I would be coming here for him. He's in the prime of his career. I've done what he's trying to do, except win a championship."

We'll keep you updated Thursday as warranted.

It's expected that free agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson will have some questions for Minnesota officials when he visits the team's practice facility Thursday. But it's hard to imagine he doesn't already have a decent idea of how he would be used -- and not used -- in the Vikings' offense.

Tomlinson spoke Tuesday with Vikings coach Brad Childress, and they will continue their discussions. Childress, speaking to Twin Cities reporters Wednesday, said that role shouldn't be a mystery.

"I would think he knows," Childress said, "but I always want to over-communicate clarity so we won't hopscotch around that. We'll have to show him what his role will be."

In the opening frenzy of free agency, first visits almost always lead to a contract agreement. Tomlinson's situation is a bit more difficult to read. If he wants to be a lead back in 2010, Minnesota isn't the right fit. If that's his goal, he might need to wait until a team loses its starter to injury in training camp or early in the regular season.

We could know the answer in less than 24 hours. Stay tuned.