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If you're listening to our friends over at ESPN 1000, you know that soon-to-be former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow said Monday that the Chicago Bears at least explored the possibility of trading for him last month. The natural follow-up: Now that Winslow has been told he won't be with the Bucs this season, do the Bears still have interest?

ESPNChicago.com colleague Jeff Dickerson told "Waddle & Silvy" that the "odds of him coming to Chicago are pretty slim," considering the Bears' decision to spend a fourth-round draft pick on tight end Evan Rodriguez. Kellen Davis, whom coach Lovie Smith has high hopes for, remains on the roster, as does backup Matt Spaeth.

So does the group of Davis, Spaeth and Rodriguez render Winslow unnecessary for the Bears? I wouldn't call tight end an urgent position of need, but I would say that Winslow is more proven and a better downfield threat than anyone in the Bears' existing group.

Winslow, 28, has caught 218 passes while playing in all 48 games over the past three seasons for the Bucs. He is an extreme talent but one who has now worn out his welcome at two NFL stops.

The Bears have been aggressive in their first offseason under new general manager Phil Emery, and it's not at all surprising to hear they expressed interest in Winslow last month. Now that Winslow has reported the Bucs' plan to part ways, the Bears almost certainly will have the opportunity to acquire him more cheaply and safely as a free agent. Offensive coordinator Mike Tice is a former NFL tight end who still loves what the position means for an offense. The Bears and Winslow might not be an obvious match, but it's one worth considering nonetheless.

As we catch up on this week's news and events after some rare May travel, it's worth pointing out Forbes Magazine's annual rankings of the highest-paid coaches in professional sports.

The top 10 includes eight NFL coaches and two from the NBA. One NFC North name is on the list and I wonder if a second should be as well.

As we've said many times, coaching salaries are among the NFL's best-kept secrets. Forbes' estimates are based on media reports and its own investigating, but ultimately the only people who know the numbers usually are the coach, the coach's agent, the owner and whoever handles the team's payroll and finances. That's a relatively short list of people with firsthand knowledge.

With that said, Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith is the country's sixth-highest paid professional coach with a $6 million annual salary, according to Forbes. Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy isn't listed on a chart that bottoms out at an annual salary of $5.5 million per season.

But as we discussed last March, there were reliable reports that McCarthy's post Super Bowl contract extension totaled $32.25 million over five years. That's an average of $6.45 million, which would leave him trailing only four NFL coaches on this list. (The New Orleans Saints' Sean Payton isn't listed because he won't receive most of his $7 million salary due to a year-long suspension.)

In sifting through the mountains of rookie camp coverage over the weekend, I stumbled upon this video from the Detroit Lions' reporting team of Tim Twentyman and Mike O'Hara. Toward the end, the pair addressed an issue that brought up two interesting questions:

1. Is there anything to read into the fact that Lions coach Jim Schwartz hasn't yet signed a long-promised contract extension?
2. If not, at what point is it significant that Schwartz's contract, at least of this moment, is set to expire after this season, or in about 10 months?

From the top, we should point out that coaching contracts are among the best-kept secrets in the NFL. There is no salary cap for coaches, nor is there a union, so teams don't have to file the final documents with many outside entities. News releases are typically issued to announce a new deal, although they often don't include the duration and never mention dollar figures.

Schwartz reiterated over the weekend that he won't talk about his contract, nor will he say if he would confirm a deal if it had happened. Regardless, it's probably safe to assume the Lions don't yet have a final agreement with Schwartz. That doesn't really matter at the moment, and to me it won't be an issue until the first day of training camp -- the symbolic start of a team's season.

There is every reason to think the sides will come to an agreement. If you judge coaches by playoff appearances, Schwartz is the Lions' best coach in more than a decade. And unless Schwartz has previously undisclosed designs on some sort of dual general manager/coaching job that wouldn't be available in Detroit, there is every reason to think he wants to stay put.

Those factors suggest a friendly negotiation that will wrap up in due time. But if Schwartz and the Lions report to training camp in late July to begin earnest preparations for the 2012 season without a resolution, then there is reason to start asking fair and legitimate questions about the future.

For what it's worth, the past three coaching contract extensions in the NFC North all came at least 11 months before the deal's expiration.

With his deal set to expire after the 2011 season, Bears coach Lovie Smith signed a two-year extension in February 2011. Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy's five-year extension came in March 2011; his contract was scheduled to expire after the 2012 season. And in November 2009, former Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress received an extension about 13 months before his deal was set to expire.

On Friday, we posted some basic but important questions about the trio of NFC North rookie minicamps held over the weekend. I thought they would help us keep focused amid discussion about dozens of players who probably won't make an NFL team, let alone make an impact on the 2012 season.

Below, I've addressed the questions with updated information culled from a variety of sources. Links are provided when appropriate. In one case, I offered a rarely-seen "bonus" section. Don't say I never do anything for you.

Chicago Bears: What is the conditioning level of receiver Alshon Jeffery?

By all accounts, Jeffery was having a nice opening practice Friday -- "picking peanuts off some guys' heads," according to offensive coordinator Mike Tice -- before leaving with leg cramps.

Cramps are not unusual at rookie camps, where nerves and a lack of familiarity often lead to inadequate hydration and/or eating. Jeffery's pre-draft questions about work ethic and conditioning add a level to this particular departure, but he returned for the weekend practices without incident.

"Most of the guys are a little sore right now, but we see a guy with great hands, a big target that will only get better," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "He should be in the mix to help us win games this year."

Bonus: Here's what Tice had to say about criticism of the Bears' depth at tackle, a position they did not draft to: "If we felt that tackle was a dire need for us, I'm sure they would have answered the bell on draft day. With the change in scheme, the change in personality and an offseason and getting some guys healthy, I think we'll make a big jump in the offensive line. It takes time for young guys to play good in all areas. And we have a couple young guys who have played good football in half the scheme, and they need to step it up in the other half. Plus, we have some guys who got hurt, and we need to get those guys back."

Detroit Lions: How many positions is offensive lineman Riley Reiff playing? Also, how much work, if any, is receiver Ryan Broyles doing?

The Lions rotated Reiff between left tackle and right tackle on a per-practice basis, but there were no reports of him seeing time at guard. That doesn't mean he won't eventually get some work there as a possible competitor for right guard Stephen Peterman, but on his first weekend the Lions limited him to the two positions he figured to be most familiar with.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz clearly subscribes to the "less is more" philosophy on drawing conclusions in rookie camp. But here were his early impressions of the Lions' first-round draft choice: "You can tell as much of what we did here today about him as we could outside [of practice.] I mean walkthroughs, meetings and things like that. You can tell that he's an experienced, smart, confident player and he’s going to do well for us."

Broyles, on the other hand, observed but did not participate in any of the practices as he continues to recover from a November knee injury. The question now becomes whether he will be cleared in time for training camp or whether he will open camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Schwartz wouldn't commit to a timetable on when Broyles will be able to practice or play a game but said: "[H]e's on a good path. He's had a good rehab so far. He showed it in his pro day and he's shown it here. It depends on what happens between now and then."

Green Bay Packers: How rough does Nick Perry look at outside linebacker? Also, are there any clues that B.J. Coleman will be able to challenge Graham Harrell for the No. 2 quarterback job?

The biggest news on Perry is that the Packers started him off as the left outside linebacker, which is where Clay Matthews played the past two seasons. Coach Mike McCarthy wouldn't say whether that meant Matthews will move to the rights side or if Perry will initially be slotted as a backup. But as Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette pointed out, most 3-4 teams prefer their biggest outside linebacker to work on the left side to stand up against opponents who are generally right-handed running teams.

Meanwhile, Coleman demonstrated notable arm strength in comparison to fellow quarterback Nick Hill, according to Rob Demovsky of the Press-Gazette. That's a good start. Whether he can challenge Harrell depends on how quickly he can learn the Packers' offense, and according to McCarthy, how long it takes him to adapt to an entirely new set of footwork techniques required at the professional level.

Are the Chicago Bears really set at offensive line?

After two consecutive seasons of patchwork along their offensive line, the Bears have declined to address their personnel in a meaningful way this offseason. They have signed one veteran free agent, little-known guard Chilo Rachal, and did not select a lineman among their six picks in last week's NFL draft.

That suggests the Bears truly do plan to begin training camp with some combination of the players they used last season, a group that will be bolstered by the return of 2011 first-round pick Gabe Carimi. Coach Lovie Smith consistently expressed confidence in the group and after the draft said, "Believe me, we want to do everything we can to open up holes for our running backs and of course to protect Jay Cutler, and we feel like we'll be able to do that."

No team allowed more sacks per dropback than the Bears over the past two seasons (one for every 10.5 dropbacks). The Bears believe their scheme under Mike Martz over that span was more to blame than the skill level of their talent. The success of the Bears' 2012 season might well ride on whether the Bears accurately attributed those problems.

Cleaning out my notebook after the 2012 NFL draft:

It can be difficult to gauge the value of coaching the annual Senior Bowl, but it's worth noting that two of the Minnesota Vikings' draft choices played under their coaching staff for the North team at this year's affair. That included Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith, whom the Vikings traded up to draft at No. 29 overall, and NC Sate linebacker Audie Cole, a seventh-round pick.

In the case of Smith, the Vikings were so convinced of his value after the Senior Bowl that they didn't speak again through the entire draft process. They didn't interview him at the annual scouting combine and didn't invite him to their facility for a pre-draft visit.

"When we got into our meetings and we put our board together and seeing how it was going to develop and knowing that we do need some help on the back end to improve our secondary," general manager Rick Spielman said, "that was the one huge advantage of being able to coach the Senior Bowl because we got to know those players inside and out and know what they are about. How they are in a meeting room. How they are out on the field. Our coaches know what it’s like to coach that player so that was a huge advantage for us and we know exactly what we are getting in Harrison Smith."

We've noted that the Green Bay Packers drafted six defensive players to open the draft. Another trend we noted: The Vikings drafted three pairs of players from the same school.

But we probably didn't spend enough time in the latter stages of the draft pointing out that the Detroit Lions finished the draft by selecting six consecutive defensive players -- including three cornerbacks -- while also drafting three players from Oklahoma.

We should probably chalk up the Sooner connection -- receiver Ryan Broyles, defensive end Ronnell Lewis and linebacker Travis Lewis -- as coincidence. But I wouldn't say the same thing about the defensive trend, considering how poorly the Lions' defense played over the second half of the 2011 season.

The impact of that decision is "yet to be seen," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. He added: "Drafting them doesn't do anything other than drafting them. They have to play well in preseason and training camp and they have to prove their draft status. So, yeah, it adds more guys to the roster and creates competition and things like that. ..."

With that said, I would think the Lions' cornerbacks should consider themselves on notice. Third-rounder Dwight Bentley is a smallish but feisty corner who had an excellent Senior Bowl against elevated competition. And fifth-rounder Chris Greenwood might have played at Division III Albion, but he is 6-foot-1 and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds. Players with those kind of measurables eventually get their opportunity.

The Chicago Bears' decision not to draft a lineman would appear an endorsement of their returning starters. So it's worth noting that coach Lovie Smith refused to say where offensive lineman Chris Williams will play in 2012, calling into question the short- and long-term future of the Bears' No. 1 draft choice in 2008.

First, here's what Smith said when asked if Williams would resume his role as left guard when training camp begins: "I can't tell you that right now. We have options with him. We'll see how it all shakes out. Chris, of course, can do both [guard and tackle]. Right now, we're two weeks into our offseason program. Let us get into it a little more and we'll be able to define some roles a little better."

That's hardly an endorsement for a player who has started at right tackle, left tackle and left guard in his disappointing career. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune makes some excellent points in suggesting Williams' most likely 2012 destination is a swing backup.

Williams was drafted as a left tackle, but the Bears chose J'Marcus Webb to play there last season and don't appear interested in looking back. Gabe Carimi, the 2011 first-round pick, figures to return at right tackle, making it easy to move Lance Louis back to one of the other guard spots. Louis, Chris Spencer and newcomer Chilo Rachal would be top candidates to start at the other two guard spots.

Everything is subject to change. But clearly there remain some parts in motion along the Bears' offensive line.

I'm sure the Packers have kicked around the idea of signing a veteran backup quarterback, and it could still happen. But after drafting Tennessee-Chattanooga's B.J. Coleman in the seventh round Saturday, the Packers don't appear eager to add anyone else. In other words, former No. 3 Graham Harrell is going to get every opportunity to win that job.

"I don't think you just say, 'I need a veteran backup,'" Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We have the MVP in Aaron Rodgers as our No. 1, and now we feel that we have three really good candidates to compete for two spots. ... The roster will shake that out."

Those candidates are Harrell, Coleman and Nick Hill, a former Arena Football League player who signed in January.

Some people cringed when the Coleman spoke reverentially about his pre-draft work with and respect for Brett Favre. Coleman seemed oblivious to the hard feelings surrounding Favre's departure in 2008 and his return with the Vikings in 2009 and 2010.

Maybe Coleman was a bit naïve, but I thought his giddiness was instructive as much as anything and perhaps illustrative of the big-picture way most of the football world view the relationship between the Packers and Favre.

In the big picture, the Packers-Favre separation was a small portion of a two-decade marriage that is destined to be reconciled. We are hypersensitive to that blip because we lived through it on this blog, but not everyone was as affected. If we aren't already, we'll all be closer to Coleman's perspective than we probably ever thought possible.

Analysis of the 2012 draft literally will continue for years, but I long ago accepted our psychological need for instant answers. It has become a tradition around here to review the immediate reaction of the country's foremost media draft analyst, which I consider to be a starting point for further discussion. So here are Mel Kiper Jr.'s 2012 draft grades , which require an Insider subscription to view fully but can be summarized forthwith:

Chicago Bears
Grade: C+
Kiper snippet: "I'm really surprised they had six picks and didn't get a single offensive lineman."
Seifert comment: The Bears weren't joking before the draft when they said they were satisfied with the makeup of their offensive line, one that will include the return of Gabe Carimi and Chris Williams. Saturday, coach Lovie Smith said: "We as a coaching staff are going to try and put the players in a better position, adding Chris and Gabe to the mix. There's a period of time, as you might have forgotten, during the season, when we played pretty good ball on the offensive line." Kiper thinks that first-round defensive end Shea McClellin might have been overvalued at No. 19 and isn't a big fan of second-round receiver Alshon Jeffery, but I think the Bears improved both positions with those additions.

Detroit Lions
Grade: B
Kipper snippet: "The board broke pretty well for Detroit."
Seifert comment: Yes, few media analysts thought tackle Riley Reiff would be available at No. 23 overall. (Clearly they hadn't measured his arm length.) And it's true the Lions managed to snag three intriguing cornerbacks after making the surprise choice of receiver Ryan Broyles in the second round. But to me what stands out about the Lions' draft is that they are in position to address future needs rather than desperately flail at their current issues. Reiff might not be a starter until 2013 or 2014, and Broyles' knee rehabilitation means he might not have immediate impact, either. It's called roster maintenance, and the Lions haven't been in that position in a while.

Green Bay Packers
Grade: B
Kiper snippet: "The Packers simply had to add to the pass rush."
Seifert comment: There will be plenty of talk moving forward about first-round linebacker Nick Perry and some about fifth-round linebacker Terrell Manning, whom Kiper loves as a situational pass-rusher. But you wonder if they'll both be eclipsed by second-round defensive lineman Jerel Worthy, a first-round talent who should be highly motivated by his draft fall. He's got the ability and capacity to become a dominant force on the line, whether it's as a 3-4 end or as a tackle in the nickel. Worthy could turn this into a proverbial "A" draft.

Minnesota Vikings
Grade: B
Kiper snippet: "I don't think we'll look back and see a lot of star power here, but they got what they needed."
Seifert comment: General manager Rick Spielman did a good job convincing everyone he was considering several bad decisions, and thus has been widely praised for making what seemed to be the obvious ones. That's the case for both of his first round picks, left tackle Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith. And after passing on LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, Spielman at least added some speed to the position by drafting Central Florida cornerback Josh Robinson. At the end of the weekend, Spielman used 10 draft picks and pushed two more into 2013. Quantity runs a close second to quality in the draft.

» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

The 2012 NFL draft is in the books. Our silly little arguments on left tackles and injured receivers seem so long ago. Oh, the memories….

In a few years, we'll be able to evaluate this draft with a measure of accuracy. For now, let's just consider some immediate highlights and lowlights.

BEST MOVE

The Green Bay Packers fielded arguably the best offense in franchise history last season. Their defense, on the other hand, allowed more passing yards (4,796) than any NFL team that has ever played. So let's award the "Best Move" title to the Packers' decision to deeply supplement their defensive personnel in this draft.

The Packers selected six consecutive defensive players to open this affair, the result of unprecedented maneuvering by general manager Ted Thompson -- who traded up as many times in this draft (three) as he had in his six previous drafts combined. Speaking to reporters in Green Bay, Thompson joked that he is "ashamed" and it was "pathetic" to have given up three of his 11 picks in those trade-ups, but to me that spoke to how seriously the Packers took their defensive slide last season.

Thompson insisted that there was "no intent to do it that way," but that would make for one heck of a coincidence, wouldn't it? Regardless of why it happened, the Packers came away with a pair of pass-rushers/disruptors in linebacker Nick Perry (No. 28 overall) and defensive lineman Jerel Worthy (No. 51) and two defensive backs -- cornerback Casey Hayward (No. 62) and safety Jerron McMillian (No. 133) -- who will have opportunities to compete for immediate playing time.

Worthy, Hayward and linebacker Terrell Manning (No. 163) were the three players Thompson traded up for, giving you an idea of how strongly he must have felt about them. Will this group stabilize the Packers' defense in 2012? It's impossible to predict individual performances, but generally speaking I'll go with this theory: The more the merrier.

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

The Detroit Lions had already used their first-round pick on a future need, Iowa tackle Riley Reiff, when they grabbed Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles in the second round. Not only did the Lions already have a deep set of pass catchers, but Broyles is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November.

So yes, it was initially surprising to see a match between the Lions and Broyles, even though it was easy to understand how the Lions made the decision. As we discussed at the time, the Lions follow their board in as tightly wrapped-up of a vacuum as any team in the NFL. Although they had significant need at cornerback and safety, they had Broyles rated higher and that was that.

Hopefully, those of you who were angry and didn't buy that explanation were assuaged by the latter stages of the Lions' draft. They chose three cornerbacks -- Louisiana-Lafayette's Dwight Bentley at No. 85, Albion's Chris Greenwood at No. 148 and New Mexico State's Jonte Green at No. 196 -- over their next five selections and finished with six consecutive defensive picks overall.

RISKIEST MOVE

The riskiest move in this draft was one that actually didn't happen. The Chicago Bears did nothing to address their personnel along the offensive line, first in free agency and now the draft.

It's true that a pair of 2011 starters who suffered season-ending injuries, tackle Gabe Carimi and guard Chris Williams, will return in 2012. And the promotion of Mike Tice to offensive coordinator should provide linemen with more help and less one-on-one responsibility than they had in the previous two seasons.

But the bottom line is the Bears have been forced to undergo multiple rounds of midseason patchwork in each of the past two seasons to lessen the punishment on quarterback Jay Cutler. When coach Lovie Smith said last month that he was confident in his current lineup, many of us wondered if he was just covering the Bears' draft plans.

He wasn't, which means the Bears are setting themselves up for another choppy season of personnel changes if their confidence proves unfounded.

FILE IT AWAY

We noted before the draft that the NFC North stood on the precipice of transition from the Black and Blue to the Air and Space division. You could make an argument that all four NFC North teams had a need at running back, especially the Packers and Lions. But as the NFL continues to move toward the passing game, it was reasonable to wonder whether anyone would act on those needs.

They did not. In fact, not a single running back was drafted in this division through the first six rounds. The Packers declined to take one in spite of a thin backfield led by injury-prone James Starks. The Lions, meanwhile, didn't deem it necessary despite the questionable health histories of Jahvid Best, Mikel Leshoure and Kevin Smith.

Message sent, huh?

I planned out a Chicago Bears-related topic for this week's Blogger Blitz before the team announced a contract extension for linebacker Lance Briggs. That will make for a Bears-centric day on the blog, but as we've always said, these things even out.

The video centers around the Bears' plans to re-focus Devin Hester once again on their offense, possibly at the expense of his role as a returner. Bears coach Lovie Smith indicated as much last month at the NFL owners meetings, as Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune notes. With Eric Weems and Devin Thomas on the roster, it's possible that Hester will work only as a punt returner in addition to receiver, while Weems and Thomas return kickoffs.

I understand the lure, but I feel like we've been down this road before. In 2008 and 2009, the Bears worked hard to work more of his game-breaking skills into their offense. He responded with 51 receptions in 2008 and a career-high 57 in 2009. The tradeoff? He didn't return a single punt or kickoff for a touchdown in either year.

Coincidentally or otherwise, the Bears pulled back a bit on his receiving duties in 2010 and 2011. Since that point, Hester has six returns for touchdowns.

The Bears don't think this is an "either-or" proposition, and they might be right. To this point, however, it has been. What's more important? Getting more offense from Hester or getting a Hall of Fame performance as a returner?

We've lumped two of our teams together in what is likely a motivated search for wide receivers in the April 26-28 draft. Both the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings have needs at the position, even after the Bears acquired Brandon Marshall, and so it's worth taking a look at the always thought-provoking analysis of ESPN Insider KC Joyner on the topic.

Joyner ranked the best 10 receivers available in the draft based on his proprietary system of metrics. An intriguing name rose to the top: Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill, a 6-foot-4 target whom ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay both have going to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 30 overall in their latest mock drafts. Kiper has Hill ranked as the draft's fourth-best receiver .

You'll need an Insider subscription to read the entire file. It's true that Hill played in a run-based, triple-option offense at Georgia Tech. But according to Joyner, when the Yellow Jackets did throw, Hill provided the draft's best downfield bang for the buck. He led all receivers in overall average of yards per attempt. From a physical standpoint, Joyner noted Hill is the tallest receiver in the draft and has the best 40 time (4.36).

Bears coach Lovie Smith met with Hill last month, before the Marshall trade. It seems unlikely but not out of the question that the Bears could draft Hill with the No. 19 overall pick. The Vikings probably would need to maneuver in some way to draft him. He's likely to be gone by the time their No. 35 overall pick comes up in the second round.

It's worth noting that Joyner's second-best receiver is LSU's Rueben Randle, whom Kiper had the Vikings selecting in the second round.

Earlier: South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery was a topic of discussion at the February scouting combine.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

On Tuesday, we downplayed the individual impact of three incidents Detroit Lions players have had with marijuana in the past three months. They are mostly misdemeanors and aren't likely to have lasting consequences from a legal perspective. If anything, they seem more significant when bunched together as a reflection of the organization.

Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press takes a different tack, writing the Lions should release defensive tackle Nick Fairley and running back Mikel Leshoure. They don't need "another ticking time bomb," Sharp writes. He adds: "Just because marijuana usage is perceived as more casual than other drugs doesn't mean the punitive measures should be equally nonchalant."

The timing of these incidents, which also include offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath, suggests the Lions will have to create a more effective internal deterrent. But parting ways with these players would be an awfully harsh, and probably unrealistic, punishment. I think Sharp was trying to snap people out of downplaying the significance of NFL players using marijuana, and the message was heard.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Chris McCosky of the Detroit News: "The arrests have put a cloud over what has been a mostly optimistic and promising offseason for the Lions."
• Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher wants to finish his career with the team, according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• The Bears were happy to see the "GSH" on their jerseys be restored to its original size in the Nike uniform change, chairman George McCaskey told the Sun-Times.
• Bears general manager Phil Emery, coach Lovie Smith and receivers coach Darryl Drake were all at Notre Dame's pro day on Tuesday to see receiver Michael Floyd. Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune has more.
• An exact date for a meeting between the Green Bay Packers and safety Nick Collins has not been set, according to Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. It is expected sometime next week.
• Packers tight end Jermichael Finley likes the gloves he can wear as part of the new Nike uniform, reveals Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports.
• Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com wonders if the Minnesota Vikings have put coach Leslie Frazier in a spot to fail, and risk being fired, in 2012. Their offseason hasn't exactly given them a personnel jump that would allow them to improve dramatically off a 3-13 performance.
• The Vikings haven't been their usual selves off the field lately, writes Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune.
• Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has started running during his knee rehabilitation, notes Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• The Vikings are hosting all of their 30 draft-eligible visits this week, notes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.

NFL executives and coaches descended on their annual meetings last week, just three months removed from the most prolific passing season in NFL history. Quarterback play has never had a more direct link to team success, and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith could stride confidently through the halls of the Breakers Hotel knowing he has a high performer who should be entering the prime of his career.

Which brings up an interesting dichotomy. Smith, of course, is the coach who for years described his team as one that "gets off the bus running." He appeared to change course in 2010 by hiring pass-happy offensive coordinator Mike Martz, but for two years he and Martz played tug-of-war over the Bears' schematic focus. Martz is now retired, replaced by former offensive line coach Mike Tice -- who once famously referred to Chicago as a "tough guy town" that required a power running game to succeed -- and the Bears appear headed for another offensive re-set.

So here's the question: How much will the Bears pull back on their passing attack to satisfy Smith's philosophical requirements in the running game? The Bears' offseason moves to this point don't give us a clear idea, so the owners meetings seemed like a good time to ask Smith directly.

Yes, the Bears acquired Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, giving quarterback Jay Cutler the first true downfield threat of his Bears tenure. But they also guaranteed $7 million to their new backup tailback. New general manager Phil Emery would not have allocated the resources it took to sign Michael Bush if he weren't confident that Smith needed two high-quality running backs (along with starter Matt Forte) for his offense.

He didn't say it in so many words last week, but it seems clear that Smith wants to open the 2012 season with the compromise he eventually worked out with Martz in each of the past two seasons. In 2011, in fact, it led to almost a 50-50 pass-run ratio that corresponded with a five-game winning streak.

"During the course of the season," Smith said, "our offense had a different look from time to time. When we leaned on the run, we could move the ball as well as anyone. … As far as how much different it will look, I think we'll just see consistently what we want to be, a little more than occasionally. More that as much as anything."

You might remember that the Bears threw on a higher percentage of their plays last September than any team in the NFL. Smith and Tice eventually persuaded Martz to balance his play-calling, and as the chart shows, the Bears didn't throw more than 32 passes in any game during that winning streak. But they also didn't tilt too far toward the run, with the exception of a windy Week 10 blowout of the Detroit Lions.

If I had to guess what the Bears will try to accomplish this season, that five-game window is the snapshot. If anything, Smith wants to maintain the course correction that Martz accepted only in fits and starts over the past two years. Tice has a professed love for the power running game, and Smith said simply: "Our philosophies mesh."

Smith added: "[Martz] and I had a long background together. So I knew what I was getting at the time. So, when I say 'philosophies mesh,' I'm talking about the direction I want to go now as we go forward. I knew what we were getting into. I wanted Mike, and I knew exactly what he would bring to the table. No more than that. Going forward, I felt like that was the direction we wanted to go with personnel and our running back position, and what I felt we needed to do to get back to where we belong. So, no more than that."

That's about as close as you're going to get to hearing Smith say he plans to do something differently. I don't mind saying I was in favor of Smith's initial decision to hire Martz, mostly because the Bears weren't in a position to make a gradual shift to an untested offensive coordinator or scheme. I just thought Smith would achieve better and more consistent oversight than he did.

That shouldn't be a problem with Tice, who is as strong-willed as Martz but more likely to push in Smith's direction.

The Bears are competing in a division that features two of the most explosive passing offenses in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. I'm not sure whether the Bears will be able to compete throw for throw with either team, but I'm positive they don't want to. What the Bears hope to achieve is the NFC North's most balanced offense. They are well on their way.

Chicago Bears

One of the Giants' playoff heroes, wide receiver Devin Thomas, signed with the Bears.

Coach Lovie Smith feels Brandon Marshall's "big, physical presence" was a perfect fit for the Bears, writes the Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei.

Smith is optimistic that Matt Forte’s contract status will be resolved soon. “My glass is always half-full,” Smith said Wednesday morning, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Sean Jensen. “Everything you’ve ever heard from us, Matt Forte is our running back."

Detroit Lions

Kyle Vanden Bosch and Stephen Tulloch said the Titans did not have a bounty program when they were with the team, reports the Detroit News' Chris McCosky.

The Lions are in favor of extending the trade deadline by two weeks, but the proposal was tabled until May at the NFL owners meetings.

Wideout Titus Young might be used as a punt or kick returner this season, writes McCosky.

Green Bay Packers

Packers safety Nick Collins will meet with coach Mike McCarthy, GM Ted Thompson, the team doctor and his two agents sometime next week to determine whether it's safe for him to resume his NFL career following the serious neck injury he suffered last season, writes the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein.

The Packers still have plans for veterans Chad Clifton and Donald Driver, according to Silverstein.

If faced with a similar situation in the future, McCarthy would sit Aaron Rodgers again in a meaningless Week 17 game, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Minnesota Vikings

Emails released by the city of Minneapolis reveal the "behind-the-scenes frustrations and horse trading that preceded a March 1 agreement between the Vikings, the city and the state" to land the new stadium, according to a report by Star Tribune writers Eric Roper and Mike Kassuba.

The Vikings expect star running back Adrian Peterson to begin running soon on his surgically repaired left knee, reports the Star Tribune's Dan Wiederer.

Coach Leslie Frazier would still like to add a speedy receiver, writes Weiderer.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Chicago Bears made the NFC North's biggest offseason move by acquiring receiver Brandon Marshall. They filled two disruptive holes in their depth by signing quarterback Jason Campbell and running back Michael Bush, and they even paid a $1.5 million signing bonus to Eric Weems to serve as a secondary kick returner.

If there is one gap in their performance, however, it's the apparent decision to stand pat at offensive line. We all know about the Bears' pass protection issues in recent years, but as Rivers McCown points out in this EPSN Insider piece , they didn't grade out well in run-blocking, either. According to McCown, the Bears had the third-highest percentage of runs stuffed at the line scrimmage last season and ranked No. 20 overall in converting short-yardage runs.

So it was more than fair to question Bears coach Lovie Smith about his plans for the offensive line, especially left tackle J'Marcus Webb, in 2012. Smith noted that 2011 first-round pick Gabe Carimi will return, probably at right tackle, and 2008 first-round pick Chris Williams is likely to be his left guard again.

It's always possible that the Bears could draft an offensive lineman or two next month, but Smith suggested the Bears have addressed their blocking schemes more than they have their personnel.

Asked why the Bears didn't sign a veteran lineman, Smith said: "That would be saying we don't feel comfortable with [our current players], and that's not the case."

Smith said he feels "comfortable" with Webb at left tackle but didn't rule out the possibility that Carimi could eventually play there. Webb absorbed 15 accepted penalties in 2011, the third-highest total for any player in the NFL, and our friends at Pro Football Focus attributed 12 sacks to him -- the second-highest total among NFL tackles.

"You can look at the situations sometimes dictating that," Smith said. "Every tackle in the league can look bad at times. There are some things you have to do to help him out a little bit more at times, which we plan to do. You can make a case and throw out stats on what he did, but I think it's hard for all tackles in the league to block Julius Peppers from time to time.

"We feel like we have a good plan at the left tackle. … We have all of our options open right now, but if we end up playing J'Marcus Webb at left tackle next year, we'll be comfortable with that."

Smith, of course, is referring to an important shift the Bears are working on as they transition from Mike Martz's offense to the one run by new offensive coordinator Mike Tice. If all goes as planned, Tice will provide Bears linemen with better numbers and more chances for double-teams while limiting the one-on-one opportunities defenders get.

You never like to hear a team making plans to protect its left tackle, let alone any offensive lineman. But as we've discussed many times, there are only a handful of left tackles in the NFL who can account for their assignments without regular help. Unless something dramatic happens in the draft, that's what the Bears appear headed for. Giving Webb and his teammates more help will have to do, at least for now.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Good morning. We'll start our a barrage of blog posts from the NFC coaches breakfast with the Chicago Bears, who I acknowledged earlier have gotten a bit of the short shrift this week. I spent about 20 minutes at coach Lovie Smith's table Wednesday morning, and we'll start off with his response to a report that receiver Johnny Knox will not be ready to start the 2012 season because of a back injury he suffered last season.

Smith refused to put a timetable on Knox's return and said: "It would be hard for me to go into that right there. Are you a religious man? Do you talk to God? He can probably tell you. Besides that, it's going to be pretty hard."

Informed that doctors can often make reliable projections, Smith said: "They guess sometimes. Doctors know? Give me his number and I'll call him as soon as we stop talking. I just know that Johnny is working hard each day. He has made a lot of progress. That's all we want, for Johnny to keep rehabbing, which is what he's doing. It's amazing how people are already diagnosing when he's coming back. It's a little early for that."

That was Smith's somewhat defiant attempt to avoid committing on the return of a player who suffered a frightening, serious injury and has a long way to go before he can even think about playing again. In the meantime, the Bears have fortified the position by acquiring Brandon Marshall and signing free agent Eric Weems, who can play receiver but also replace Knox as a secondary returner to Devin Hester.

It would not be surprising in the least if Knox opened the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, but neither Smith nor God need to make that decision yet. So they haven't. Yet.