ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert

Detroit’s depth at safety dwindled so much this summer that it suddenly became necessary to start shopping for more. That’s why they felt compelled Thursday to acquire Buffalo safety Ko Simpson.

As you might recall, the Lions finished up offseason workouts with five veterans -- Daniel Bullocks, Gerald Alexander, Kalvin Pearson, Marquand Manuel and Stuart Schweigert -- competing with rookie and Louis Delmas. Alexander was traded to Jacksonville to reduce the glut, Bullocks suffered a re-occurrence of an old knee injury and Manuel has been limited by injuries in training camp. Delmas and Pearson have been working with the first team, but Pearson has struggled and Delmas is still learning the NFL game.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew has been rolling veterans in and out of his building for what amounts to extended tryouts. So I can’t say that Simpson is going to challenge Pearson for his starting job. But it’s pretty clear the Lions depth at the position has dissipated considerably.

Posted by ESPN.com staff

Chicago Bears

• Devin Hester as a part of the Wildcat formation? ChicagoBears.com's Larry Mayer says anything is possible.
• Pro Football Weekly's Dan Arkush says "it seems a bit premature to be talking about Super Bowl aspirations" just because the Bears now have Jay Cutler in the mix.
  

Detroit Lions

• Terrelle Smith could land the job as the Lions' starting fullback, but he doesn't expect to see many carries.
• Former Lions safety Gerald Alexander said he was surprised by the trade that landed him in Jacksonville.
• Fellow rookie quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez are leaning on each other as they prepare for their first season in the NFL.

Green Bay Packers

• The Packers are going back to the basics when it comes to their kick return game.

Minnesota Vikings

• Because he missed this year's rookie symposium, Vikings receiver Percy Harvin may have to participate in the event next year.
  
• Count Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson among those who don't understand why Brett Favre wants to return to the NFL.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Detroit had to do something about the glut of safeties it was carrying on its roster. So for that reason alone, Friday night's trade of Gerald Alexander makes sense.

The Lions shipped Alexander to Jacksonville and managed to get a player that can probably help them this season. Receiver Dennis Northcutt isn't a Pro Bowl player, but like most of the Lions' offseason acquisitions, he is a serviceable veteran who can bring more credibility to his position. Detroit's receiving corps looks a bit more respectable with Bryant Johnson, Ronald Curry and now Northcutt competing for time opposite Calvin Johnson.

Alexander has recovered from a neck injury that limited him to five games last season, but he turned out to be the odd man out from a group that includes rookie Louis Delmas along with veterans Kalvin Pearson, Daniel Bullocks, Marquand Manuel and Stuart Schweigert. Delmas almost certainly will start at one of the safety positions, leaving the other four veterans to compete for the second role.

It's worth noting that Lions senior personnel executive James Harris signed Northcutt as a free agent in 2007 when Harris was the Jaguars' vice president of player personnel.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

I'll keep repeating this line about Detroit's efforts to improve its personnel: The team is leaving no stone unturned.

Manuel

Tuesday, the Lions agreed to terms with free-agent safety Marquand Manuel, who played for Denver last season and was in Green Bay during the 2006 season. The Lions will be Manuel's sixth team in eight seasons, but his addition poses little risk for a team that is looking for help at every position.

Detroit's crowded safety position includes rookie Louis Delmas, the No. 33 overall pick of the April draft, and three other players who have been starters in recent seasons: Gerald Alexander, Kalvin Pearson and Daniel Bullocks. Veteran Stuart Schweigert also remains on the roster after joining the team late last season. Competition, of course, makes everyone better.

Manuel isn't the player who is going to push the Lions to the Super Bowl, but he has a chance to make them better. That's been the Lions' only mantra this offseason, and it sure beats the alternative of standing pat after an 0-16 season.

I'll circle back on this topic later this week. But a quick scan of the Lions' offseason transactions reveals they have either signed, claimed or traded for more than two dozen veteran free agents as part of their short-term roster overhaul. Manuel is the latest, but probably not the last.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Hi there. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

I'll have some more thoughts on Minnesota's minicamp during the week. For now, I'm intrigued by an item buried midway through the weekend column of David Haugh from the Chicago Tribune. Haugh noted the volume of e-mails he has received that document the failure of new quarterback Jay Cutler to sign autographs around town.

One fan predicted that Cutler's decision to wave off fans would be his undoing in Chicago. I think that's a little dramatic and places an unfair standard on a guy who already is dealing with skyrocketing expectations. So the only way some fans are going to root for him is if he stops and signs autographs whenever they want?

There is a balance to that sort of thing, and it's something Cutler will have to deal with for a while. (See this excellent piece by Wayne Drehs of ESPN Chicago for more.) I'm sure Cutler realizes that most fans will base their loyalty on his performance in games, not how many autographs he signs during the offseason.

Let me know if you think differently. Otherwise, let's take a weekend look around the division:

• The arrival of new linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa clouds the picture for veteran Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• The three leading candidates to replace Green Bay right tackle Mark Tauscher are Breno Giacomini, Allen Barbre and rookie T.J. Lang. Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette breaks down the situation.
• Packers safety Atari Bigby on his mindset: "Listen, I'm going to have fun. I'm going to have fun in this defense and I'm so excited. I'm just trying to be calm right now just because of this season I'm coming off. That was a humbling season." Greg A. Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explains.
• Free-agent offensive lineman Jon Jansen agreed to a one-year contract worth the veteran's minimum of $845,000, according to Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press. The deal is contingent on a physical.
• Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman catches up with Lions safety Gerald Alexander, a former Boise State star who has fully recovered from a fractured vertebra in his neck.
• Vikings coach Brad Childress wore a wig of spiked brown hair during the final day of minicamp Sunday. Here is video from KMSP in the Twin Cities.
• Vikings receiver Sidney Rice said his right knee gave him no trouble during minicamp, writes Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune. Last month, Rice said he had not yet fully recovered from the sprained ligament he suffered early last season.
  

Posted by ESPN.com staff

Chicago Bears

• Safety Kevin Payne has been given clearance to participate in the first day of organized team activities (OTAs).
• Veteran linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa is scheduled to visit with team officials on Wednesday.
  

Detroit Lions

• The Detroit Free Press' Carlos Monarrez talks with safety Gerald Alexander, who is working his way back from a neck injury.

Green Bay Packers

• Cornerback Charles Woodson and wide receiver Jordy Nelson will be honored by the team's Hall of Fame.
• The Packers have decided to stick with the league's pension plan, but may consider opting out next year.
  

Minnesota Vikings

• Even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is unsure if Brett Favre "officially retired."
• Percy Harvin was on the field Tuesday as the Vikings kicked off OTAs.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Chicago remains abuzz about the Bears' prospects for adding a veteran receiver to go along with new quarterback Jay Cutler.

Coach Lovie Smith didn't rule out the possibility of pursuing Torry Holt or Plaxico Burress, although the agent for Holt recently told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times that he doubted Holt will visit the Bears. Holt played for St. Louis when Smith was the Rams' defensive coordinator, and Smith told reporters Tuesday that Holt is a "great player, great guy." His comments on Burress were less expansive, according to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.

Smith: "Would we like to get another receiver? Possibly. As for how we'll get it, free agency or the draft, we really don't know."

The Tribune's David Haugh suggests the Bears back off any interest in Burress: "Burress coming to town would be bad for everybody around here, except possibly bail bondsmen."

The Bears continue to seem more likely to pursue a receiver in the draft. According to the Sun-Times, receivers coach Darryl Drake put Oklahoma receiver Juaquin Iglesias through a private workout Tuesday. Drake is scheduled to work out Georgia receiver Mohamed Massaquoi on Wednesday. Both players are candidates for the Bears' second-round selection.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette names defensive end as the Packers' greatest position of need: "'Desperate' is not too strong a word to use when describing this position."
• Tight end Tory Humphrey's one-year contract with the Packers is worth $460,000, according to the Press-Gazette's Rob Demovsky.
• Minnesota tailback Adrian Peterson reiterated he wants to gain 12 pounds during the Vikings' offseason strength and conditioning program, according to Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune. Peterson: "God willing [I will get to] 225, 230 just to see how it feels. Before the season starts I look forward to having my weight up so I will be able to see how it is when I run and cut and do different things like that."
• Detroit is scheduled to host Missouri receiver Jeremy Maclin, according to Scout.com via John Niyo of the Detroit News.
• Lions safety Gerald Alexander, who suffered a fractured vertebra last season, is on the mend. Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press has the story.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

The Detroit Lions aren't sitting pat after their embarrassing 34-21 loss Sunday at Atlanta. Several Detroit-area media outlets are reporting that cornerback Travis Fisher and safety Gerald Alexander have been benched for Sunday's game against Green Bay. Leigh Bodden and Daniel Bullocks will replace them, respectively.

The Lions also will use Brandon Middleton as their kickoff returner and insert Manny Ramirez (no relation) at right guard, replacing Stephen Peterman.

As Dave Birkett of the Oakland Press points out, Fisher and Alexander were two of the many Lions defenders who struggled Sunday. Falcons receiver Michael Jenkins beat Fisher for a 62-yard touchdown reception; both Fisher and Alexander missed chances to tackle running back Michael Turner on a 66-yard touchdown run.

There are two ways to go on this one. You can give the Lions coaching staff credit for reacting decisively and demanding accountability. Or you can question Detroit's convictions after pressing the panic button on two summer-long decisions after just one game. We lean toward the former route but will respect those who take the latter one.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Lynch

It doesn't appear the Detroit Lions are interested in safety John Lynch, who left the Denver Broncos earlier this week. The Lions have been among a handful of teams mentioned as a possible landing point for Lynch because of his close relationship with coach Rod Marinelli dating back to their years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"We're not looking right now," Marinelli told reporters Thursday at the Lions' training camp.

Four players are competing for playing time at safety, including: Dwight Smith, Gerald Alexander, Kalvin Pearson and Daniel Bullocks.