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We're Black and Blue All Over:

We haven't heard too much about the Detroit Lions' attempts to re-sign middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, but you wonder if his status will shake loose one way or the other this week.

The Lions are scheduled to host free agent linebacker David Hawthorne this week, notes Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com. Hawthorne was a starter the past three seasons for the Seattle Seahawks and could be a backup plan to signing Tulloch. If nothing else, his visit could trigger a break in negotiations that haven't yet yielded a deal.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Richardson writes that the Lions' chances of agreeing to a long-term deal with defensive end Cliff Avril anytime soon are slim.
• Re-signing left tackle Jeff Backus was important, writes Terry Foster of the Detroit News.
• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press explains the Lions' approach to free agency this season.
• The Chicago Bears have always had interest in new backup quarterback Jason Campbell, writes Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald said that people should "get to know" new Bears receiver Brandon Marshall before judging him, according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Vaughn McClure of the Tribune talks to friends about Marshall.
• Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy helped convince Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider to sign free agent quarterback Matt Flynn, tweets ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel takes a detailed look at the compensatory draft pick system and how it will be affected by the Flynn signing.
• The Packers could lose free agent defensive back/special teams captain Jarrett Bush, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms with running back Lex Hilliard, who spent the past three years with the Miami Dolphins, according to Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• Hilliard will have a chance to win the Vikings' No. 3 running back job, writes Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• The Vikings are still shopping for free agents, coach Leslie Frazier told Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune.

By this point, the Green Bay Packers' quiet approach to veteran free agency should surprise no one. We've had endless debates about the pros and cons of their philosophy, but in the spring of 2012, I think we should all have a clear understanding of the "why."

In the next 12 months or so, the Packers will face contract negotiations with three of the best players at their positions in the NFL. Receiver Greg Jennings is entering the final year of his contract, linebacker Clay Matthews has two years remaining on his rookie deal, and there is a general understanding that quarterback Aaron Rodgers has outperformed the contract he signed shortly after taking over as the Packers' starter in 2008.

Free agent activity this week has offered us a peak at the numbers the Packers likely will hear, and to no surprise, they're going to be high. Let's start with Jennings, who has to be smiling ear-to-ear after watching the money thrown at receivers this week.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers set the market for the top receiver available by signing Vincent Jackson to a five-year, $55 million deal with $26 million guaranteed. If Jennings were to hit the open market in 2013, he could reasonably expect Jackson's deal to serve as a baseline for negotiations.

Both players have been fortunate enough to play with elite quarterbacks and in steady passing offenses. As the chart shows, Jennings is a bit younger than Jackson, and has produced at a much higher rate over his career.

We'll set aside the $132 million contract of Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, as well as the $120 million deal Larry Fitzgerald signed last summer with the Arizona Cardinals. Both deals were inflated by unique forms of leverage that Jennings won't have access to.

Rodgers, meanwhile, is the reigning MVP and could expect a contract that comes close to the $18 million annual average the game's top quarterbacks -- including Tom Brady and Peyton Manning -- have received in recent deals. Ongoing negotiations between Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints could raise that level, but Brees has the leverage of an expired contract.

Regardless, you can do the math. Rodgers said in November that he wants his next contract to be his last. If the Packers want to sign Rodgers to a new, say, seven-year deal, the total value could surpass $125 million. Nothing crazy there when it comes to quarterback salaries.

Of the three, Matthews might be the most difficult situation to assess. His sack total fell from 13.5 in 2010 to six in 2011, but it's fair to consider him one of the NFL's better pass-rushers. The top available pass-rusher on the market this spring is defensive end/linebacker Mario Williams, who has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Buffalo Bills for $100 million over six years, with $50 million guaranteed.

So we can be conservative and suggest that the combined contracts of Jennings, Rodgers and Matthews could surpass $200 million. That should give you 200 million reasons why the Packers are laying low, at least at the moment.

One of the NFC North's most important issues has been resolved. The Detroit Lions have announced a seven-year contract extension with receiver Calvin Johnson, ending a two-month discussion about his unique situation and the heavy burden it had placed on the Lions' salary cap structure.

The full numbers are not yet in, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the total value is worth $132 million over the course of the next eight seasons with almost half -- $60 million -- in guarantees. That makes it the richest deal ever handed out in the NFL, according to Schefter, exceeding the eight-year, $120 million deal the Arizona Cardinals gave Larry Fitzgerald last summer. Fitzgerald's deal included almost $50 million in guarantees. Johnson is one of the league's best players, but the size of the deal speaks to the leverage he had in this situation.

A key detail unresolved at the moment is how much the extension will lower what had been a $22 million cap hit for Johnson. As we discussed in January, that figure made these negotiations difficult because Johnson would have been eligible for a $26.4 million franchise tag in 2013.

We'll sift through the numbers when we get them. The Lions have called a 1 p.m. ET news conference to discuss the deal. But for now, it's probably safe to assume the Lions have more salary cap space now than they had when you woke up Wednesday morning. (Assuming you didn't sleep until 11 a.m.) More in a bit.

As we discussed Saturday night -- or was it early Sunday morning? -- the Detroit Lions deserve to get big-boy treatment and analysis moving forward. First up: what appears to be a sizable conundrum on the financial future of All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

We noted earlier Monday that Johnson finished the season in historic fashion and might be in line for the most lucrative contract extension for a receiver in NFL history. After doing some digging Monday, it appears the NFL's salary-cap rules will leave the Lions with several options -- all of which would require mind-boggling numbers and difficult decisions.

The bottom line: The Lions could be forced to pay Johnson $77 million over the next three seasons alone. That number would cripple the cap structure of many teams, let alone one with as many high draft choices as the Lions have. Here's why and how that would happen:

Johnson's salary cap number is projected to be around $22 million in 2012, thanks to a $14 million base salary, a $4.5 million roster bonus and a debit for the $4.5 million performance bonus he earned in 2011. (I know those numbers don't add up. The debit is part of a bigger cap reconciliation process that hasn't happened yet.)

Obviously, the Lions would like to lower that cap number and could do so with a long-term extension that would spread out the hit over multiple years. But that's where Johnson's unique situation gets tricky. It would be a rare occasion where the NFL's franchise tag rules would work in favor, rather than against, the player.

As you know, the alternative to a long-term contract for a star player is to work under a series of yearly franchise tags. In most cases, the team has the advantage because it doesn't have to guarantee money beyond the current season. But in Johnson's case, it would require monstrous single-season salaries that would actually make the Lions' cap situation worse.

Under the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the franchise tag figure for a player is determined by the higher of the following two values:

1. The average of the five highest salary cap figures at the player's position over the past five years
2. A figure equal to 120 percent of his prior year's cap number.

Johnson's $22 million cap figure for 2012 is much higher than the projected franchise tag number for receivers. So the alternative to signing Johnson to a long-term deal would be letting him play out the final year of his current contract in 2012 and then franchising him at $26.4 million in 2013. Without a deal at that point, Johnson's franchise tag would rise to $31.7 million for 2014 and would account for perhaps 25 percent of the Lions' total cap structure.

That nuance shifts extraordinary leverage to Johnson in any negotiations that might occur over the next few months. If he does absolutely nothing, the Lions would be required to pay him about $77 million -- and substantially limit their cap flexibility -- to keep him on their roster for the next three seasons.

Often, the average of a series of franchise tags provides a rough starting point for negotiations on long-term deals for star players. The three-year average of $25.6 million in Johnson's case is monstrous. Johnson would have to make a concession for getting more money guaranteed up front than he would in the franchise scenario, but keep in mind that the highest average salary for an NFL receiver is currently about 45 percent lower than that: $15 million for Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, who signed an eight-year deal last summer that included $50 million in guarantees.

What does all of this mean? No matter which way they turn, the Lions will be on the hook for a ceiling-crushing commitment to Johnson. Unless he makes a cash concession to lessen the cap hit, the Lions are in a really, really tough spot.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

For the second time in three months, an NFC North team will be honored at the White House.

The Green Bay Packers visited President Obama in August to celebrate their victory in Super Bowl XLV. And Friday, the 1985 Chicago Bears finally will get their due for winning Super Bowl XX. That's right. As Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com writes, about 100 players, coaches and staffers from that team will be present for a ceremony that moved off the White House's radar due to circumstances in 1986.

Two days after the Bears' victory over the New England Patriots, the space shuttle Challenger exploded. The White House hadn't yet planned a trip, and the tragedy pushed its priorities in other directions. Obama, of course, is a longtime Bears fan who agreed to host the team if there was still interest. There was.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Bears players are openly campaigning for tailback Matt Forte to get a new contract, but they "shouldn't hold their breath," writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• The Bears have been looking at adding linebacker depth, including former starter Pisa Tinoisamoa, notes Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.
• Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press appreciates the trash talk of Lions coach Jim Schwartz.
• The Lions are in no rush to bring back defensive tackle Nick Fairley, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley was upbeat this week after a meeting with coach Mike McCarthy, notes the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal on Brett Favre's comments about Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers: "A little defensive, a little jealous, a little revisionist, a little ambiguous and even a little gracious."
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com traces the development of Packers receiver Jordy Nelson.
• Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield (neck) is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, writes Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• The Vikings will keep close tabs on Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, writes Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune.
• Vikings players aren't ready to give up on the season, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.

Earlier Tuesday, we broke down the sizzling start of Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson from multiple angles. At around the same time, ESPN analyst Cris Carter was updating his assessment of Johnson's standing in a mythical and irrelevant ranking of the NFL's top receivers.

Speaking on ESPN's radio's "Mike & Mike Radio Show," Carter said Johnson is "playing at a top-5 level" and added: "He's a phenomenal player." But it sounds as if Carter didn't go far enough for many of you, most notably Johnson's quarterback.

Carter said there are "really four elite wide receivers" in the NFL: Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers, Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons, Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals and Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was either listening or told about Carter's comment. Stafford's first tweet in about a month went like this:

Does anyone think 8 tds in 4 weeks will change chris carters mind about an "elite" receiver? #megatron

Johnson, of course, has six touchdowns in the Lions' first three games, giving Stafford's tweet an edgy projection about the two he would need to score Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. Stay tuned on that one.

I covered Carter at the end of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, and I can tell you he's not opposed to riling people up for the sake of riling people up. I don't doubt the sincerity of his viewpoint, but I'll say this: Y'all are letting old Cris get under your skin when the actual slight to Johnson is mild at best.

Carter paid plenty of homage to Johnson in his appearance Tuesday morning, saying: "Now, Calvin Johnson is playing the best football of his career. He's getting single coverage now and he's beating single coverage. They had double-coverage in the red zone. Him and Stafford have great chemistry together. He is playing at a top-5 level. But before this season, he wasn't better than the other four guys. He's starting to come into his own, which he should be. ... He should be coming into his prime and he's only going to get better. He's a phenomenal player."

You can listen to Carter yourself on this podcast . The Johnson segment begins at about the 17-minute mark.

And now back to our regular programming....

I know. I know. I KNOW. ESPN analyst and friend of the NFC North blog Cris Carter sent Detroit Lions fans into a rage Friday morning by omitting Calvin Johnson from his personal list of the NFL's best wide receivers.

You can listen to Carter's appearance on "Mike & Mike in the Morning" through this link . The receiver discussion begins at about the 16-minute mark.

Carter put six players in his group of elites. In order, they were:

1. Andre Johnson
2. Larry Fitzgerald
3. Greg Jennings
4. Reggie Wayne
5. DeSean Jackson
6. Roddy White

When a listener suggested that Calvin Johnson should be ranked on par with Andre Johnson, Carter said: "The only thing they have the same is the name."

Carter went on to say: "Calvin Johnson, he's very, very good at Madden and Tecmo Bowl or whatever they're playing now. But on film, when I watch film, and I break down the film, he's not to the point of these guys yet. That doesn't mean he can't play. He just not there yet."

Carter also didn't accept co-host Mike Greenberg's suggestion that Johnson's career has been bogged down by poor and/or inconsistent quarterback play. Carter replied:

"... We're trying to determine greatness and impact on the NFL game. Calvin Johnson, you don't have to double-team him to take him out of the game. Now, I made eight Pro Bowls. I made it with five different quarterbacks. They weren't always great. So I don't want to hear the excuse that I'm not playing with a great quarterback.

"Larry Fitzgerald the last couple years, he hasn't played with a great quarterback, but he still gets the numbers. He still gets open. He still makes plays week in and week out. I don't want to hear about the quarterback situation. That's all part of the process. Now, [Calvin Johnson] is a good player. He's just not great yet."

I know these kinds of rankings spur debate and get everyone fired up, but you probably know by now how irrelevant I think they are. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and Carter provided his -- forcefully as always. Is Calvin Johnson the best receiver in the NFL? No. Is he one of the best? Most people would say yes. Is he among the top six? Who cares?

We're Black and Blue All Over:

If all goes as expected, NFL teams will soon enter a three-day exclusive window to sign their own free agents.

The Minnesota Vikings will get their chance to re-sign receiver Sidney Rice, who has previously indicated a desire to test the market. The Chicago Bears, meanwhile, will get three days to, in the words of the Chicago Tribune's David Haugh, avoid fielding the "NFL's worst offensive line."

That's how important it is to re-sign center Olin Kreutz, according to Haugh. "Nothing would sabotage their season quicker" than allowing Kreutz to depart. The Bears have no obvious replacement in house and need an anchor amid the moving parts they're expected to have at both tackle and guard positions.

Kreutz acknowledged he will return to the Bears as long as he's offered "a fair deal." Haugh suggests it should fall in line with the three-year, $12 million deal the Baltimore Ravens gave Matt Birk two years ago. The Bears will be some $37 million under the cap and will need to dish out a number of contracts in order to meet the NFL's new minimum for cash expenditures.

Concern arose when the Bears opted not to re-sign him before the lockout, but it's possible they were awaiting the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, as many other teams chose to do as well.

Kreutz: "Everybody knows the way I feel about the Bears. I've chosen them many times. You hate to toot your own horn but I've left a lot of money on the table to be a Bear. The guys at Halas Hall have to decide what's best for the Bears. That's the decision they're going through this off-season and probably why I'm not signed yet."

We'll find out soon enough.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Don't expect a free-agent splurge from the Bears, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Green Bay Packers defensive end Mike Neal said his surgically repaired shoulder won't be 100 percent until October and that he'll have to participate in training camp with slight pain in the area. Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.
• Former Packers linebacker Dave Robinson has come to grips with his own mortality, writes Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• The artificial playing surface at the Metrodome will be replaced following work to replace the roof, according to Dave Orrick of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Ted Mondale, the political appointee who serves as the liaison on the Minnesota Vikings' stadium issue, sought to calm tensions after Gov. Mark Dayton turned a cold shoulder on the issue. Via Rochelle Olson of the Star Tribune: "Everyone's tired and angry. It's time to cool off. Have a glass of iced tea. Walk the dog. Everything will be all right." My opinion: The time for backing away is over. The state has used up that leverage. A better idea: Put down your ice tea and do your job.
• The opinion of Tom Powers from the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "Sit down, clam up and wait until another special session is called this fall. And tell Zygi Wilf to back off. From what I hear, our elected officials are beginning to consider him a royal pain in the keister. I'm not sure how many people around here actually are fond of him. I'm pretty sure not too many trust him. The Vikings will get their stadium. We're in, like, the sixth inning of this whole process. Progress has been made. A site and a local partner have been established. Financing figures have been tossed around. Infrastructure has been addressed. It's going to happen. The word is that a special session likely will be called in the fall."
• Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been working out with new Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph and compared him to former New York Giants star Mark Bavaro. Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com has more.
• Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com views Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and former running back Barry Sanders the same way in one sense: "[B]y and large, they're both loners in the locker room."

As I type this, the heat index is 113 degrees here at NFC North blog headquarters. That's 97 degrees with a 77-degree dew point and 53 percent humidity for you amateurs.

So as much as I wanted to go watch NFL players work out at the University of Minnesota with Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, I declined. I think my dog ate my homework while I was trying to find the cell phone that caused me to miss my flight.

Several local reporters did make the trek, and one episode caught my eye.

New Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder joined the group for the first time and participated in the early going before heading out.

Apparently, Ponder had a meeting scheduled with his realtor.

Apparently, Fitzgerald had other ideas.

From Judd Zulgad's blog item in the Star Tribune:

Ponder stayed for the entire workout, although that was not his original plan. He was going to leave early because he needed to meet with his realtor -- Ponder is living in Rudolph's guest room right now -- but Fitzgerald told Ponder that the house hunting could wait.

"I'm supposed to be meeting with my realtor right now, so he told me just to call him and tell him we'll do it later," Ponder said.

Consider it a lesson learned -- courtesy one of the hardest-working players in the NFL.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Chicago Bears

Anthony Adams is still hopeful he'll play football for the Bears this season.

The Bears are feeling a sense of urgency as next month's Hall of Fame Game draws closer.

Detroit Lions

The Lions will be ready to report to training camp as soon as the lockout comes to an end.

The Detroit News ranks Ndamukong Suh as the top defensive tackle in the NFL.

Green Bay Packers

Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News on quarterback Aaron Rodgers: "What makes him special beyond the obvious assets of arm strength, accuracy and leadership are what also separate [Tom] Brady, [Peyton] Manning and [Drew] Brees from the second tier of NFL quarterbacks: relentless drive to stay ahead of all competition."

Minnesota Vikings

Judd Zulgad goes behind the scenes at Larry Fitzgerald's workouts in Minneapolis.

The St. Paul City Council is expected to vote against a proposed half-percent sales tax in Ramsey County that would help support a new Vikings stadium in Arden Hills.

Have we missed something in our never-ending discussion about the Chicago Bears' receivers? Are the Bears planning an internal swap of roles and priorities for the 2011 season?

That question seems relevant after this week's comments from Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who told the team's website that Earl Bennett didn't see enough passes in 2010.

"That will be remedied," Martz said. "He will figure in a much larger role than he did last year. He came to us late. He was injured. I wasn't really sure where he was with all the stuff. But he established himself as a guy who needs to get a lot more balls than he did."

According to STATS Inc., the Bears targeted Bennett on 70 passes in 14 games. That was more than fellow receiver Devin Hester, who was targeted 68 times, and not that far behind team leader Johnny Knox (98). Don't forget that Knox (16) played in two more games than Bennett (14) last season.

So if the Bears targeted Bennett more times than all but one of their receivers, even as he played on less than 50 percent of their snaps (via the Chicago Tribune), what can we expect for 2011? Martz provided one clue when he said: "He's extremely reliable. I know Jay [Cutler] feels comfortable with him in the slot doing some of those things. But he should be able to play outside for us as well."

That tells me Bennett is likely to start opposite Knox in Martz's scheme, with Hester serving perhaps a less prominent role. That would jibe with what coach Lovie Smith said in March at the NFL owners meeting, where he suggested the Bears could be more efficient with Hester's playing time on offense. Indeed, Smith said he would like to "take away some of his reps and get him involved in the ones where he's out there."

A true No. 1 receiver is typically targeted more than 150 times per season. Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals and Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts lead the NFL with 175. I don't think Bennett will approach that total, but it's fun to consider the possibilities if Martz unleashes him to maximize his connection with Cutler, his long-time friend and quarterback.

Of the 70 passes thrown his way last season, Bennett caught 46. He dropped only one, according to video analysis from ESPN Stats & Information, and thus had the seventh-best catch percentage in the NFL. Let's see: A receiver with strong quarterback chemistry, nearly perfect hands and a green light from the offensive coordinator? If nothing else, fantasy players should take note.

Ranking the NFL's top 10 offensive players required an exercise similar to last week's defensive players project: Melding a number of individual rankings into one coherent list. In the end, it left us with two NFC North representatives despite my efforts to make it three.

Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson finished tied with Tennessee Titans tailback Chris Johnson for the No. 1 spot. Each received 70 points in our voting formula. Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson finished No. 5, and Green Bay Packers receiver Greg Jennings garnered only one a vote (from me) on the way to a No. 18 finish.

A few notes from my perspective:

• Some of you will note that Chris Johnson finished ahead of Peterson on the running backs ballot earlier this offseason (by one point). Remember, the criteria for the best running back and the best player aren't necessarily the same. Running ability is foremost in both, but receiving, blocking and other jobs play a larger role in the latter. Also, Johnson and Peterson were competing against players at other positions. Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson, for example, received three No. 1 votes.
• On the issue of Andre Johnson, I faced a quandary of consistency vs. accuracy. On our receivers ballot, I ranked Johnson No. 6. That was too low. So as you'll notice, I made a change for this ballot. I voted Johnson No. 4 overall, my second receiver behind the Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald. Consider it a mea culpa if you want, but that should explain the inconsistency I'm sure you would have noticed and pointed out on your own.
• My decision on Andre Johnson forced Calvin Johnson down the list. Calvin was now my No. 4 receiver, and I couldn't find room for a fourth receiver any higher than No. 8. You might argue that he deserved to be higher than Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons, who I had at No. 7, but White's production has been far superior over the past four years. Over that stretch, White has 371 receptions. Johnson has 270.
• I didn't have much hope that Jennings would crack the top 10, and my vote was totally biased. But the sentiment wasn't from a rooting interest. It was based on experience. I had the advantage of seeing Jennings play far more often in recent years than any of my fellow voters. And if I was given 10 slots to build an offensive team for 2011, I know I would get high production and character from Jennings.
• For those wondering, yes, there were two offensive linemen on my ballot, left tackles Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns) and Jake Long (Miami Dolphins). Offensive linemen, specifically left tackles, will be the subject of a future ballot. But suffice it to say, I value offensive linemen enough to put arguably the best two in the league on a top-10 ballot.
• *UPDATE: This was made clear in Paul Kuharsky's main post, but this ballot intentionally omitted quarterbacks to avoid a quarterback-dominated ranking.

I've always been the first to admit that I've never paid much attention to "Madden" or any other video game, but I've been surprised at how passionate many of you are about NOT wanting Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers or Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson to win ESPN.com's bracket-style competition for the cover of "Madden 12." Both players have advanced to the second round of the event.

"The Curse" is in your head.

Nevertheless, wrote @TeeJayV via Twitter, "Just no reason to chance it. Keep @AaronRodgers12 off of it!"

Rodgers, for his part, tweeted last week that it is "hard not to want" the Madden cover.

I suppose this will become a bigger issue for us if Rodgers and/or Peterson advance to the finals next month. But courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information, via NFC South colleague Pat Yasinskas, here are the basics of the so-called "Madden Curse."

• Madden 11: Drew Brees: Threw for 4,620 yards but also set a career high with 22 interceptions. Started 16 games despite persistent reports of a knee injury.
• Madden 10: Troy Polamalu/Larry Fitzgerald: Polamalu only played five games because of knee injuries, Steelers missed playoffs; Fitzgerald wasn’t affected much (97 receptions, 1,092 yards, 13 TDs, Pro Bowl).
• Madden 9: Brett Favre: Feuded with Packers, traded to Jets, horrible down the stretch (lost 4 of last 5).
• Madden 8: Vince Young: Missed 1 game with quad injury; led Titans to first playoff appearance in four years.
• Madden 7: Shaun Alexander: Fractured foot, missed six games; fewer yards and TDs in '06 AND '07 than in '04 OR '05.
• Madden 6: Donovan McNabb: Sports hernia in first game, missed seven games; feuded with Terrell Owens all year; had been to five straight Pro Bowls, hasn't been since.
• Madden 5: Ray Lewis: Broke wrist, missed one game; first season without interception; missed 10 games next year with thigh injury.
• Madden 4: Michael Vick: Fractured fibula one day after video game was released, missed 11 games; Pro Bowl next 2 seasons; obvious issues since then.
• Madden 3: Marshall Faulk: Ankle injury, missed two games, never rushed for 1,000 yards.
• Madden 2: Daunte Culpepper: 4-7 record before season-ending knee injury.
• Madden 2001: Eddie George: Career season, but fumbled in playoffs as top-seeded Titans lost first game to Ravens.
• Madden 2000: Barry Sanders: Retired one week before training camp.

On Tuesday, ESPN.com's NFL Blog Network kicked off a series of offseason posts using our power rankings template on individual players and coaches rather than teams. The first topic was receiver, and NFC West guru Mike Sando has compiled the final list over on his blog.

You'll see that Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans finished first and that two NFC North receivers, the Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson and the Green Bay Packers' Greg Jennings, finished fourth and sixth in the voting, respectively.

Regular readers know I don't take Power Rankings too seriously. They're just a fun debate starter and nothing more. My ballot is sure to draw some ire from the Texans' fan because I ranked Johnson No. 6, a position that in retrospect is probably low. But there is no taking it back, and the bottom line is a divisional blogger doesn't spread his focus equally among 32 teams.

In fact, thinking back, I believe I've seen one of Johnson's 115 NFL games in person. That game was nearly eight years ago in 2003. That doesn't mean I'm not aware of him and his production over the past seasons, but it hasn't registered with me to the extent of some other players I have seen more often.

For those interested, the ballot I submitted to Sando is below. From an NFC North perspective, I continue to cling to my choice of Johnson over Jennings in a battle that has no loser. I wonder if we'll ever see Johnson play a full season with a quarterback who performs at the level that Jennings now has three years with in Aaron Rodgers.

1. Larry Fitzgerald
2. Roddy White
3. Reggie Wayne
4. Calvin Johnson
5. Greg Jennings
6. Andre Johnson
7. Wes Welker
8. Brandon Marshall
9. Santonio Holmes
10. DeSean Jackson

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Chicago Bears

ESPN Chicago's Michael C. Wright sees reason for optimism in Year 2 under Mike Martz.

Detroit Lions

Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News says the Lions appear to have assembled a competitive defense seemingly overnight.

Lions offensive tackle Jon Jansen answers questions from fans in the Detroit Free Press.

Green Bay Packers

Jermichael Finley is trying to absorb all of the information he can working out at Larry Fitzgerald's football camp.

Former Packers player Tom Pagna, who also assisted Ara Parseghian at Notre Dame, died Tuesday in South Bend, Ind.

Minnesota Vikings

Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said he struggled with his stamina during Fitzgerald's camp.

ESPN Chicago's Wright breaks down the Vikings.