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We're Black and Blue All Over:

I was half-kidding when I suggested last weekend would be the NFL's final dark weekend of the offseason. But maybe it's true.

Multiple reports have suggested the Green Bay Packers are planning a meeting Saturday for at least some players, assuming NFL owners ratify a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on Thursday as hoped. Teams would technically be able to open their doors starting Friday, and they would no doubt aggressively begin preparations for training camp at that point.

NFL teams are prohibited from contacting players during the lockout, so it's not clear how the Packers are communicating their plans to players, if they are. It would make more sense to "invite" younger players who need playbook updates than veterans. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said via Twitter: "I definitely haven't been contacted about anything in gb this weekend, for the record."

No matter how it plays out, it's clear that NFL teams are motivated by end-of-July urgency and are taking news of CBA progress the same way we are -- it's a matter of what day, not if, an agreement occurs in the coming week.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Packers receiver Donald Driver to Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "The lockout gave me the opportunity to heal and not try to rush back to prove to people or prove to the media I'm not done yet. If I didn't show up for OTAs, and I'm hurt and everything, people would say I may be winding down. It always seems like every year I've got to go in and I've got to prove myself. At this point, I am the starter and no one can take that from me."
• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune believes the NFL should cancel the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame game.
• Former NFL quarterback Jim McMahon is in pain but doesn't have life-threatening injuries following a limo accident in Nevada, according to the Associated Press.
• The Chicago Bears might have trouble re-signing cornerback Corey Graham, writes Brad Biggs of the Tribune.
• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: "The Lions likely will be moderate in free agency this year, passing on the most-talked-about talents (Nnamdi Asomugha and Stephen Tulloch) at their most-needed positions (cornerback and linebacker). But they should be able to re-sign most of their priority free agents (Bobby Carpenter, Drew Stanton, John Wendling, etc., with Chris Houston being the wild card) and add a starter or two in free agency. And if that happens to be Drayton Florence and Keith Bulluck instead of Asomugha and Tulloch, know those players fit the Lions' dual desire to be competitive this year and build for next year and beyond."
• Long-injured Lions cornerback Jack Williams will get a chance to prove himself, writes Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com.
• Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder displayed a strong arm during workouts Monday, according to Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune.
• Vikings defensive end Brian Robison said he was told by team executives that his playing time will increase dramatically in 2011, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

As we've noted a few times, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been quietly leading players-only workouts for offensive skill positions this spring in the north Chicago suburbs. According to those present, Cutler has shown no signs of the sprained knee that forced him to leave the NFC Championship Game five months ago.

Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune spoke to several Bears who have participated. Receiver Rashied Davis said Cutler looks "healthy," and running back Kahlil Bell said he has been "fantastic."

Those anecdotal reports mesh with the information dispensed in January, when Cutler was diagnosed with a second-degree sprain of his medial collateral ligament. No surgery was required, and Cutler has rehabilitated on his own during the lockout.

Meanwhile, according to McClure, two prominent skill-position players haven't been participating in Cutler's workouts: Tight end Brandon Manumaleuna and tailback Chester Taylor. For what it's worth, Taylor has traditionally worked out on his own in Houston during the offseason throughout his career.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Rookie quarterback Nathan Enderle has not been present at the Bears' workouts, notes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• We'll let WLS-Ch. 7 handle this one: "National Football League attorneys are investigating a porn event advertisement that features several NFL players including a prominent member of the Chicago Bears and a top draft pick from the University of Illinois, according to a league official Tuesday evening." Bears safety Major Wright is billed as a party host and appears in a photograph with his Bears uniform.
• Former Bears defensive end Alex Brown is looking forward to playing the Bears in Week 2 with the New Orleans Saints, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Don't forget that cornerback Jack Williams is still on the Detroit Lions' roster, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• The Lions need big years from their draft class of 2009, writes Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News.
• Gil Brandt of NFL.com had this observation of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford after seeing him work out in Dallas: "From the waist up, Stafford looked like an offensive lineman. From the waist down, he had the legs of a wide receiver. In other words, not only is he fully recovered from the shoulder injury that sidelined him much of the 2010 season, but he also has gotten himself into phenomenal shape."
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com examines whether Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver will have a chance to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• The Minnesota Vikings will let the city of Mankato, Minn., know by July 18 if they will hold training camp there this summer, according to Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune. If so, camp would begin July 31.
• Vikings coach Leslie Frazier spoke with receiver Sidney Rice during the one-day lockout respite in April, notes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and other team officials met with Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and other state leaders for 90 minutes on the stadium issue Tuesday. The sides are hoping to have an agreement on how to pay for road improvements by the end of the week, according to Rochelle Olson of the Star Tribune.
• Quarterback Brett Favre on whether he wants to play in 2011: "I don't want to put my body through that anymore," he said. "I've been beat up enough." The Sun-Herald has more.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The NFL's trading deadline came and went Tuesday with no NFC North team making a move. Anyone who thought otherwise hasn't been paying attention.

No, the Green Bay Packers did not trade for the Dallas Cowboys' Marion Barber or any other tailback. The Chicago Bears didn't acquire New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins. There were never any indications that either team was pursuing such deals.

The Bears did release veteran defensive end Charles Grant after two inactive weeks and promoted defensive end Barry Turner from the practice squad, one of two minor roster moves Tuesday in this division. The other was the Detroit Lions' decision to release defensive back Dante Wesley and activate cornerback Jack Williams from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

There have been plenty of trades, major and minor, in the NFC North this season. But as expected, Tuesday was quiet.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Tuesday, we documented the strong reaction of Bears safety Chris Harris to the NFL's decision to re-emphasize its rules on helmet-to-helmet hits. Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher was also incensed. Here's what he told Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune: "It's freaking football. There are going to be big hits. I don't understand how they can do this after one weekend of hitting. And I can't understand how they can suspend us for it. I think it's a bunch of bull ... You know what we should do? We should just put flags on everybody. Let's make it the NFFL -- the National Flag Football League. It's unbelievable.''
• The Bears' defense needs a rest, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette examines why Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has lost 11 of 12 close games in his career.
• Tramon Williams has been the Packers "best and most reliable cornerback" this season, writes Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com goes behind the scenes with rookie offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga.
• Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards on the possibility of suspensions for helmet-to-helmet hits, via Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "I mean, that's taking it a little far. It is football. We all signed up to play this game. Things happen. You can't alter the way you play the game because that's the way some guys get touchdowns."
• Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe has two catches since the arrival of receiver Randy Moss, notes the Star Tribune.
• Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is planning to practice this week with the No. 1 offense, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions linebacker Zack Follett speaks to Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News about his scary collision in Sunday's game at the New York Giants.

Three NFC North teams placed a total of five players on the reserve/physically unable to perform list this week. I've shared and/or contributed to some of the confusion that might surround their immediate future, so let's clarify how the next few months will play out for Detroit Lions cornerback Jack Williams; Green Bay Packers cornerback Al Harris, safety Atari Bigby and running back James Starks; and Minnesota Vikings receiver Sidney Rice.

1. All PUP players are ineligible to play or practice for the first six weeks (not games) of the season.
2. After Week 6, a three-week window opens during which the players can return to practice (while not counting against the 53-man roster). In order to play this season, a PUP player must start practicing during that window. So the earliest a player could begin practicing is Oct. 18 and the latest is Nov. 1.
3. Once the player starts practicing, a second three-week window opens. At some point during that window, the player must be activated to the 53-man roster or be ineligible to play for the rest of the year. So the earliest a PUP player could be eligible to play is Week 7. The latest is Week 13.

Generally speaking, it's probably a safe bet to expect our PUP players to return on the earlier side of that timetable or not at all. It's not often that you see a player miss all of training camp, then almost two-thirds of the regular season, and then re-join a team for the stretch run. Football conditioning and team chemistry are two obstacles to such an unusual timetable.

NFL teams were required to reduce their rosters to 75 players by Tuesday afternoon. Not all of the information has trickled out yet, but I thought I would share what has been reported or confirmed. I'll update this post as warranted.

Chicago Bears: Three players already were waived Monday, which brought the Bears' roster to 76. The final move was waiving injured fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou.

Detroit Lions: General manager Martin Mayhew made another of his patented something-for-nothing moves, trading offensive lineman Tyler Polumbus to the Seattle Seahawks for [*update] an undisclosed 2012 draft pick. The Lions had claimed Polumbus on waivers only last week, but the Seahawks had also placed a claim on him. Cornerback Jack Williams (knee) moved to the reserve/physically unable to perform list. *Update: Those moves got the Lions to 75 players.

Green Bay Packers: Cornerback Al Harris (knee) was moved to the reserve/PUP list, according to USA Today, meaning he isn't eligible to play until Week 7 at the earliest. As we noted earlier Tuesday, the Packers' secondary is in a bit of a crunch. *Update: Joining Harris on the PUP is safety Atari Bigby (ankle) and running back James Starks (hamstring). Running back Quinn Porter was put on season-ending injured reserve.

Minnesota Vikings: Waived were linebacker J Leman, receiver Marko Mitchell and offensive lineman Bill Noethlich. As expected, the Vikings moved receiver Sidney Rice to the reserve/PUP list. Same rules apply: Rice won't count against the Vikings' roster total but will be ineligible to play for the first six weeks of the season.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Thanks to everyone for their patience during what was a wild Tuesday afternoon in the NFC North. Brett Favre's return to Minnesota forced us to cancel our weekly SportsNation chat, which I promise to make up later this week, and veered us from our division-wide mission for one day.

I'll be at the Vikings' Winter Park practice facility Wednesday afternoon, having taken the team's statement that "media availability with QB Brett Favre is to be determined" as quasi-confirmation that he has in fact been reinstated to the roster. But we'll also resume coverage of the entire division, beginning with our morning spin.

Suamico72 -- who, like me, never sleeps but unlike me is counting consecutive FavreWatch posts -- will be so disappointed.

• After a few swings and misses, the Chicago Bears brought in free-agent quarterback Matt Gutierrez for a visit as a potential short-term replacement to injured backup Caleb Hanie. ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson has more.
• The "turbo" gear of Bears tailback Matt Forte has been evident in training camp, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune: "Frank Omiyale's adventure at right tackle has been much smoother than a year ago, when the Bears inserted him at left guard. Omiyale graded out well in Saturday's exhibition opener, and the Bears are hoping that will serve as a building block for the offensive line. He looked more comfortable and natural, even if he's more accustomed to the left side, after struggling to play with proper leverage a year ago."
• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: "Last week in the middle of training camp, when tired legs and body aches were beginning to set in, Turk McBride gave the rest of the [Detroit] Lions defensive linemen a pick-me-up by hanging stuffed monkeys in their lockers."
• Lions coach Jim Schwartz had to cut Tuesday's practice short because of "an acute personnel shortage in the secondary," according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Here is McCosky's rundown of the injury list: Cornerbacks Jonathan Wade (finger), Dre Bly (thigh), Aaron Berry (hamstring) and Jack Williams (knee), and safeties Louis Delmas (groin), Dante Wesley (unspecified) and Ko Simpson (knee). Safety Randy Phillips also left the field because of dehydration.
• Rookie Lions defensive end Willie Young flashed enough promise in last Saturday's preseason opener at Pittsburgh to make veteran end Jason Hunter expendable, writes Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com.
• The Green Bay Packers' fluid situation at outside linebacker has yet to clear itself up, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• The Packers passed on signing free-agent tailback Brian Westbrook, who ultimately landed in San Francisco, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Uh-oh. Oft-injured Packers defensive lineman Justin Harrell experienced tightness in his back Tuesday and sat out both practices, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.

Sunday, the Detroit Lions shuffled their secondary in a message that no job is safe this summer.

Monday, some help arrived. Safety Louis Delmas, the Lions' best defensive back, was on the field and practicing after a groin strain sidelined him for the first nine days of training camp. Delmas actually suffered the injury during the spring, but team officials wanted him to spend the early part of August working on his conditioning to avoid a possible setback once he finally began practicing.

The Lions also activated tight end Will Heller from the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list Monday morning. That leaves the Lions with two players remaining on the PUP: Safety Ko Simpson (knee) and cornerback Jack Williams (knee).

As in previous years, I’ll do my best to infuriate you with the proportions of our training camp coverage. I typically try to emphasize the team I’m visiting while catching up on the other three as time permits. Usually, it all evens out. The only requirement is patience.

In that vein, we’ve already checked in on the Minnesota Vikings. So let’s catch the couple points from the first day of practice in Green Bay and Detroit.

Green Bay Packers

Safety Atari Bigby is likely to miss a week or more because of ankle injury he said he suffered during Friday’s conditioning test. Bigby told reporters that he is “very concerned” about the injury and added: "This is something that I've already been down this road and hopefully we can resolve it and I won't have to look at it again and we can laugh at it in the future." In the meantime, rookie Morgan Burnett remains in the starting rotation. …

Rookie cornerback Sam Shields had a strong first day of practice, reports Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Shields intercepted a Matt Flynn pass and also knocked down several other passes. He is considered a return prospect first and foremost.

Detroit Lions

Safety Louis Delmas was among six players placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list. Coach Jim Schwartz said Delmas is still recovering from a groin injury he suffered during minicamp. The injury itself is healed, but Delmas’ conditioning suffered as a result. Schwartz said that neither Delmas nor the other five players -- defensive end Jared DeVries, tight end Will Heller, tight end Brandon Pettigrew, safety Ko Simpson and cornerback Jack Williams -- will have long-term stays on the list.

On Delmas, Schwartz said: “What we’ll do with him is keep him on the side and work him into shape. The last thing we want to do is take a guy that’s healing and looking good and all of a sudden put him out too quick. I don’t want to put any kind of time table on it but he’ll be back pretty soon.”

… Running back Kevin Smith, on the other hand, was cleared for practice less than eight months after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. Schwartz: “Kevin Smith was considered to go on the PUP, but he’s been here an awful lot and he’s done an awful lot and he’s recovered well. He was able to go in and go pretty much without any limitations."

Detroit cornerback Phillip Buchanon lingered a bit longer than usual in the Lions’ locker room at halftime Sunday, receiving treatment for a minor injury. Really, there was no rush. The Lions were scheduled to receive the second-half kickoff, and Buchanon wasn't a member of the return team.

But these are the Lions, and seemingly on cue, tailback Kevin Smith fumbled on their first offensive play. With Buchanon temporarily unavailable as the defense took the field, Detroit coaches sent out newcomer Jack Williams. Earlier in the week, Williams had become the seventh cornerback to pass through the Lions’ revolving door dating back to the start of the season, yet another attempt to elevate their talent level.

On his first play, a 27-yard run by Minnesota tailback Adrian Peterson, Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury. He will be placed on injured reserve this week.

Alas, Detroit is no luckier -- and only one victory better -- since compiling the NFL’s worst-ever season in 2008. I’ve seen the Lions play in person three times this season, most recently on Sunday. There have been a few encouraging signs, but overall I’m mortified by what seems to be a tremendous talent gap across most positions.

I can only assume that’s what coach Jim Schwartz was referring to last week during a conference call with Minnesota reporters. Asked to encapsulate his first season with the Lions, Schwartz said, “I’m certainly not discouraged but there hasn’t been a whole lot of encouraging either. I think the best word is determined. We know what our issues are. We are going to work hard to get through them. We still have a lot of work to do. We know that and we are determined to get done.”

The Lions could and probably should pick up their second victory Sunday when they host Cleveland. But a realist would say their best-case scenario for 2009 is 4-12, and even that might be stretching it. More importantly, as Schwartz seems to admit, the Lions remain deeply encumbered by a talent shortage brought on by a decade of poor drafting.

So while the topic is fresh in all of our minds, I thought I would scan the Lions' roster and divide the players into three categories:

1. Keepers. These are players the Lions can build their future around.
2. Worth Learning More About. For various reasons, I wouldn’t give up on the players in this group.
3. Others. This one is pretty self-explanatory.

You can see the results of this exercise below. (No sense calling out the Others by name. It’s their island, anyway.)



A few notes and thoughts:

• As you can see, I came up with only seven nucleus-type players, along with seven more who have the potential to be part of a core group. Keep in mind that every team has a relatively small nucleus with a bunch of complementary players around it. I don’t think I was a particularly tough grader here, but a nucleus should represent more than 13 percent of your players.
• Cornerback is a position that many NFL teams have trouble establishing. But for the Lions not to have one nucleus-type player on either of their lines, at least by my reckoning, is most troublesome. It takes years to develop a good, cohesive lines. Last Sunday’s matchup against Minnesota provided an exaggerated example of the issue: Quarterback Matthew Stafford got pummeled while the Vikings' offense rushed for 152 yards and passed for 344 with only one sack. There’s a reason why the cliché still exists: It really does all start up front.
• For me, the Lions’ next step is to spend the rest of this season performing a similar exercise: Which players can Schwartz build around? Which ones are toast? Then you just start in one corner and start working your way out. If it were me, I would make linemen on both sides of the ball the top (and perhaps single) priority this winter.
• There are some good complementary players whom I left off this list because, based on age or history, it’s hard to envision them as more than short-term solutions. That group includes Buchanon, tight end Will Heller, cornerback William James and linebacker Larry Foote.
• I realize linebacker Ernie Sims isn’t on this list. I think he is and can be a good NFL player, but he might better suited to play in more of a Tampa 2 style scheme. Even before he started dealing with shoulder and hamstring injuries, it has seemed the Lions were intent on moving rookie DeAndre Levy past him. I could be wrong about that and am willing to listen to alternate theories and evaluations.
• I can’t say I had any specific criteria for making these selections. They’re based on what I’ve seen, along with what I’ve heard from people I trust. I consider this list a jumping-off spot for future discussion. I know some in our Lions audience are still mad at me for bailing on training camp, but hopefully we can move past that.

Let me know what you think, and we’ll continue to revisit the topic through the second half of the season and into the winter.

Catching up on Monday’s news around the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: Safety Al Afalava (shoulder) was on the field for practice Monday, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago. Meanwhile, we’re back to guessing who will start at left guard Sunday night against Philadelphia. Frank Omiyale replaced starter Josh Beekman late in Thursday night’s loss at San Francisco.

Detroit Lions: Yet another defensive back will go on injured reserve. Jack Williams, claimed on waivers last week from Denver, suffered a season-ending knee injury Sunday at Minnesota, according to coach Jim Schwartz.… Right guard Stephen Peterman suffered an ankle injury that could cost him some time.

Green Bay Packers: Tight end Jermichael Finley (knee) will return to practice Wednesday, coach Mike McCarthy told reporters in Green Bay. … Linebacker Aaron Kampman (concussion) should be ready to return to practice as well. McCarthy said he will remain the starter but indicated that rookie Brad Jones earned at least some playing time with his performance Sunday against Dallas. … McCarthy wouldn’t commit to a starting right tackle for this Sunday’s game against San Francisco. Candidates include T.J. Lang, Mark Tauscher and Allen Barbre -- probably in that order.

Minnesota Vikings: The team is hopeful that cornerback Antoine Winfield will be able to play Sunday against Seattle.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert

Catching up on Monday’s news in the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: We’ve already filled you in on the apology of defensive lineman Tommie Harris and the hospitalization of tailback Garrett Wolfe. One other nugget: Cornerback Charles Tillman (shoulder) said he will be ready to play in time for Thursday night’s game at San Francisco.

Detroit Lions: The Lions were awarded defensive back Jack Williams through waivers and released cornerback Jason David. … Linebacker Ernie Sims might have suffered a significant hamstring injury in Sunday’s loss at Seattle. Coach Jim Schwartz told reporters that tests were not complete as of Monday afternoon. Safety Louis Delmas (knee) is day-to-day. … Schwartz said he spoke with quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson after television cameras caught them in an unfriendly sideline exchange. “You want to be happy and cheerful and you want to win football games,” Schwartz said, “and there are things that you have to work through and there are going to be times that you need to talk things out and stuff like that. I don’t even see it as being an issue. I know it’s not for the players and I don’t understand why somebody would make an issue ….”

Green Bay Packers: We hit the Packers’ top news in Monday’s Third and One.

Minnesota Vikings: Cornerback Antoine Winfield (sprained foot) did some light work off to the side during practice, coach Brad Childress told reporters. But that doesn’t mean Winfield will be ready to return to the lineup for Sunday’s game against Detroit. Winfield hasn’t played since suffering the injury Oct. 18 against Baltimore.