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We're Black and Blue All Over:

Good morning. Three rookie minicamps over the weekend leaves us with more local links than a person has the right to expect on the second Monday in May. In this post, I've tried to pick out the highlights. Many of them don't relate to rookies, but be aware I'll have a second post up soon that addresses some of the questions we had Friday about these camps.

• New Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice wants players to "play fast" in his scheme, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. Tice: "We don’t want to be out on the field and have the kids think[ing] too much. We don't want to make it hard for the kids. We want to make sure the kids know exactly what we’re gonna do, when we're gonna call it and why we’re gonna call it. That's our job as coaches. We have some great athletes on offense. We have to put them in a position to show us and show the fans, and show the people that love the Bears, their athleticism and explosiveness. We want to be explosive."
• Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub downplayed any possibility other than Devin Hester being his top punt and kickoff returner in 2012. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has more.
• Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times checks in with former Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris, whose wife died unexpectedly three months ago.
• New Bears quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates will have starter Jay Cutler rolling more often than he did under Mike Martz, according to Dan Pompei of the Tribune.
• Detroit Lions defensive end/linebacker Ronnell Lewis is "nicknamed the Hammer for a reason," writes Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News.
• Receiver Ryan Broyles was an "impatient observer" at the Lions' rookie minicamp, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Justin Rogers of Mlive.com offers five observations from the Lions' camp, including: "Linebacker Travis Lewis looked very comfortable in the defensive scheme, playing both outside and middle linebacker."
• Green Bay Packers tight end Andrew Quarless (knee) isn't expected to be cleared to practice when training camp begins, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette takes a look at the Packers' current in-house options as a developmental center. He also notes the Packers have three assistant coaches who played center in the NFL.
• The Packers might not give much training camp work to defensive linemen Mike Neal and Anthony Hargrove, both of whom are suspended during the early part of the season. Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com has more.
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will formally sign the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill on Monday, according to the Associated Press via 1500ESPN.com.
• Richard Meryhew of the Star Tribune looks at the challenges of designing, planning and building the team's new stadium in a four-year timeline.
• New Vikings receiver Jerome Simpson on his recent 15-day jail sentence, via Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "It was terrible. It sucked. Any kids out there, that's a place you don't want to be. Somebody tells you when to wake up, when to make your bed, when to take a shower, when you can have a snack. That's an obstacle you don't want to face. I want all kids to learn not to go down that path and to learn from me."

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.

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.

Let's take a moment to review.

As the Chicago Bears' offense collapsed last season, then-injured quarterback Jay Cutler made a nuanced plea for schematic continuity without directly endorsing the return of offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

A month later, the Bears replaced Martz and promoted offensive line coach Mike Tice into the role.

A few weeks after that, the Bears hired a quarterbacks coach whom Cutler once endorsed for Martz's job and is obviously a personal favorite. Jeremy Bates was one of the Denver Broncos' offensive assistants during Cutler's time there.

On Feb. 20, Cutler spoke openly during an ESPN 1000 interview about his desire for a big receiver and specifically acknowledged his continuing friendship with Brandon Marshall, who at the time was a member of the Miami Dolphins. Tuesday, less than an hour after the NFL's free agent and trading period opened, the Bears acquired Marshall for a pair of third-round picks.

What Jay wants, Jay gets.

Maybe he should have asked for Jake Long, Reggie Bush and a private plane as well.

In all seriousness, I know some of you will think that new general manager Phil Emery and coach Lovie Smith have gone out of their way to placate, suck up to and otherwise make their quarterback happy. But I wouldn't look at it quite that way.

What the Bears have done is take most every step available to maximize the huge investment they made in Cutler in their historic 2009 trade for him.

It's fair to expect an elite quarterback to raise the production of those around him, but the Bears hadn't given Cutler much to work with since his arrival. They traded away his best receiver, tight end Greg Olsen, and hoped he could make it work with former college teammate Earl Bennett, a kick returner trying to play receiver in Devin Hester and a raw speedster in Johnny Knox. Last year's signing of veteran Roy Williams proved a laughably inadequate response to their positional weakness.

It's also fair to expect a quarterback to find common ground with his coordinator, but Cutler has now bid farewell to two of them in his three-year Bears career. The hope now is that Cutler can resume his lockstep relationship with Bates, and get enough flexibility from Tice, to eliminate the red tape and bureaucracy that has stifled the team's offense at times in recent years.

There is no such thing as a perfect environment in the NFL, and it's worth noting that pass protection has probably been the single biggest issue the Bears offense has faced since Cutler arrived. Regardless, the Bears have surgically repaired much of the ruins around him.

Cutler has been reunited with his favorite coach and top receiver, and frankly it's on him to make it work. The Bears have reinforced their commitment to their franchise quarterback. The rest is up to him.

On the same day they promoted Mike Tice to offensive coordinator, the Chicago Bears announced plans to hire a quarterbacks coach who would have elevated authority over the passing game. Upon hearing that description, many of us thought immediately of Jeremy Bates, the former offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks who was quarterback Jay Cutler's position coach in 2007 and 2008 with the Denver Broncos.

Almost a month later, that's exactly where the Bears landed. Bates wasn't the first candidate the Bears spoke with, but ultimately he accepted their offer this week. The team announced him as their quarterbacks coach Tuesday, and it's clear his arrival will further minimize the transition that usually occurs when an offensive coordinator is replaced.

As we've discussed, Tice's preferred scheme shares the roots of the one the Bears played for the past two seasons under former coordinator Mike Martz. And Bates is clearly a favorite of Cutler, who reportedly lobbied for him to be hired as offensive coordinator in 2010 and continued to advocate for him on Twitter last month, calling him a "[g]reat guy and a great coach."

It remains to be seen whether Bates has a role beyond that of the traditional quarterbacks coach. Neither the press release announcing his arrival nor a story on the team's web site mentioned the anticipated dual title of "passing game coordinator," but Bates was the Broncos' primary play-caller in 2008 and performed the same role for the Seahawks in 2010.

Tice was expected to call plays regardless in 2012, but the original plan was to give the quarterbacks coach additional responsibilities in organizing the passing game while Tice focused on the offensive line and the running game. To be frank, I'm not sure how that arrangement would have worked and I wondered if the title was intended to attract a more experienced pool of candidates by making the job appear to be a quasi-coordinator role.

In the end, this will be Tice's offense, Cutler will be coached by an old friend and the Bears have succeeded in limiting the upheaval associated with employing their third new offensive coordinator in four years.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provides the hard numbers that will make it so difficult for the Green Bay Packers to use their franchise tag on quarterback Matt Flynn, with the purposes of trading him, rather than simply allowing him to leave via free agency.

The basics: The Packers have about $113.3 million already allocated for a 2012 cap expected to remain around $120 million. That means they have around $7 million in wiggle room. But using their tag on Flynn would require a $14 million commitment, requiring them to clear at least another $7 million -- and that's if they don't do any other contracts all offseason.

Tight end Jermichael Finley and center Scott Wells, among others, are pending free agents. The Packers probably want to keep both, but it would be tough to squeeze in the 2012 cap numbers of their presumptive new contracts while also leaving Flynn's $14 million on the books even in a temporary situation. A more likely scenario would be to let Flynn depart and use the remaining space on a deal for Wells, and perhaps a much-cheaper franchise tag on Finley.

Teams can do any single move they want in the cap era if they're willing to sacrifice in other areas. In this case, would it be worth it to get an extra draft pick or two for Flynn if it means losing Finley and/or Wells in the process? I'm guessing no.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The New York Giants used the 2010 Packers as motivation in their run to the Super Bowl, writes Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wonders if Packers running back James Starks is ready to be the team's unquestioned starter in 2012.
• Giants linebacker Michael Boley is a signature draft pick of new Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery, writes Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• The Bears would be advised to invest in a veteran backup quarterback, Giants backup David Carr told Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner told Peggy Kusinski of NBC Chicago that the Bears needed better receivers to succeed in former coordinator Mike Martz's offense.
• The agent for Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril is in talks with the team about a long-term contract, according to Tim Twentyman of the team's website.
• Avril doesn't want the Lions to use their franchise tag to keep him, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn't surprised by the success of Lions coach Jim Schwartz. Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com explains.
• Financial troubles facing the NBA's Target Center in Minneapolis are proving a hurdle in the Minnesota Vikings' stadium drive, writes Maya Rao of the Star Tribune.

Previewing some of the big decisions facing NFC North teams early in the 2012 offseason:

Minutes after he was named the Minnesota Vikings' head coach in 2002, Mike Tice announced his first decision: Jim Kleinsasser would be moved from fullback to tight end. Some coaches discuss the quarterback while others focus on the defensive scheme. Stocking the tight end position ranked atop Tice's list of priorities, a revealing nugget about the kind of offense he planned to install.

Times and circumstances have changed, but 10 years later, there is every reason to presume a continued focus on the tight end now that Tice has taken over as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator. The Bears once boasted a strong tandem in Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark, but they discarded both players when their offense veered away from the position under former offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

A tight end himself for 14 years in the NFL, Tice likes to use them extensively in the passing game as well as run blockers. In four seasons with the Vikings, tight ends caught a total of 308 passes. So the first order of business this offseason will be to determine whether the Bears' incumbent starter, Kellen Davis, is capable of blossoming in that role.

Davis is a pending free agent but his career total of 28 catches might not spur mass interest on the free-agent market. He did score touchdowns on five of his 18 receptions last season, however, and his 6-foot-7 build makes him a potential downfield mismatch for linebackers.

The Bears will probably be on the lookout for downfield threats in the passing game, but Tice's affinity for tight ends means that Davis could prove a crucial part of their offensive plan for 2012.

As I make the trek back to NFC North blog headquarters, I invite you to peruse Jeff Dickerson's analysis of the Chicago Bears' tight end position over on ESPNChicago.com.

Tight ends were the story of the NFL's divisional playoff round, a development that only served to spotlight the Bears' relative weakness at the position. Two years with offensive coordinator Mike Martz, whose scheme didn't utilize pass-catching tight ends, has left the Bears with a tandem of Kellen Davis and Matt Spaeth heading into the offseason.

What's next? Dickerson has a few ideas.

I'll chat with you later.

Here's one way to think about Tuesday's news from the Chicago Bears: It all goes back to Greg Olsen.

Bear with me for a moment.

(Sorry.)

General manager Jerry Angelo was fired because he ran a front office that was willing to trade Olsen because the Bears' current scheme placed low priority on tight ends. And offensive coordinator Mike Martz was sent away because he ran a scheme that, among other things, couldn't adequately incorporate a player of Olsen's unique skills.

Obviously, last summer's trade of Olsen is one of many flash points that led to what happened Tuesday. But now more than ever, I find his late-July departure from Chicago to be a tight illustration of what should never, ever, ever, never, ever happen in an NFL franchise.

Olsen was the Bears' first-round draft choice in 2007. He had the size of a tight end, but was faster than most, and had receiver-like ball skills that are heavily valued by most NFL teams. His career peaked in 2009, when he caught 60 passes for 612 yards and eight touchdowns, but his impact was limited in a Martz offense that mostly asked tight ends to block and excluded them from the kind of matchups Olsen had already shown he could beat.

His production dropped to 41 receptions in 2010, and with Martz set to return, Angelo couldn't justify extending Olsen's contract when he was destined to be a supplemental contributor. So Angelo traded Olsen to the Carolina Panthers, who promptly signed him to a four-year contract extension worth about $23 million and watched as he caught 45 passes for 540 yards and five touchdowns.

The Bears, meanwhile, had only one player catch more than 37 passes, and that was running back Matt Forte (52 receptions).

Martz committed the first cardinal sin in this episode by not building his scheme around the skills of his players. And Angelo committed the second, not only by presiding over that mistake but compounding it by taking his eye off the horizon.

Martz had turned down a contract extension entering the season, starting the clock on his eventual departure. As the general manager, Angelo needed to hedge on Martz's future and protect an asset that would be of value beyond the potential end of Martz's tenure. Every other coordinator in the NFL, including whoever takes the Bears' job, has a scheme that would use Olsen more than Martz did.

Coach Lovie Smith apparently believes that Kellen Davis could be a similar player, but after catching 28 passes in four seasons, Davis represents hope rather than serious projection. In the end, the Bears traded away one of their best players because he didn't fit a scheme that they summarily dumped five months later. That should never happen.

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 20
Preseason Power Ranking: 13

Biggest surprise: The Bears installed little-known Henry Melton into the critical "three-technique" position on their defensive line, hoping that the converted running back/defensive end could play the role of interior playmaker last filled by Tommie Harris about five years ago. Melton had his ups and downs, but he finished with seven sacks in 15 games. The only defensive tackle in the NFL with more sacks was Tommy Kelly of the Oakland Raiders, who had 7.5. Melton will have to even out his game to be a long-term starter, but no team is going to turn down seven sacks from an interior defensive lineman.

Biggest disappointment: Backup quarterback Caleb Hanie spent nearly four years in the organization before the Bears called on him for extensive service. No matter the situation, that's a reasonable timeframe for a quarterback to develop into a useful asset. When Hanie took over a 7-3 team, it was fair to think he could navigate the Bears toward the playoffs. Instead, he was benched after four consecutive losses, punctuated by nine interceptions and 19 sacks, and helped scuttle the Bears' postseason hopes. You can't blame Hanie for everything that went wrong during that stretch, but the quarterback is the most important player on the field and Hanie obviously didn't do enough to win a game. The Bears deserve some blame for failing to develop him, but in the end the responsibility lies with the player.

Biggest need: Amazingly, it's a toss-up between two positions that annually draw offseason discussion around this team: receiver and safety. Quarterback Jay Cutler has obvious chemistry with receiver Earl Bennett, but it's also clear that Devin Hester is best left primarily as a returner and that veteran Roy Williams is on his last legs. The Bears traded away tight end Greg Olsen because he didn't fit into now ex-coordinator Mike Martz's system, and they enter this offseason with a far-too-limited number of reliable pass-catchers. Meanwhile, there is reason to believe that 2011 third-round pick Chris Conte merits a look as a starting safety in 2012, but 2010 third-rounder Major Wright hasn't shown much progress and the Bears desperately need a playmaker in the back end.

Team MVP: Part of me wants to say that tailback Matt Forte deserves the award. Amid a public negotiation about his expiring contract, Forte was leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage when he suffered a season-ending sprained knee in Week 13. But the Bears' collapse after Cutler's injury, especially before Forte was sidelined, demonstrated how valuable he really is. The Bears averaged 32 points per game during a five-game winning streak prior to his injury. In a 1-5 finish, they averaged 14.2 points per game. Sometimes, as they say, you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

Whither Hester? In Week 10, Hester returned a punt 82 yards against the Detroit Lions for his 18th career touchdown return. That left him one behind Deion Sanders' NFL record. But illness and a sprained ankle dramatically limited Hester's impact thereafter. He caught only four passes in the Bears' final seven games, and over that stretch he managed three returns for more than 30 yards. Hester is the type of player who could have helped overcome the ineffective offense Cutler left behind. His disappearance is a little-mentioned, but highly important, factor in their 8-8 final record.

Tuesday afternoon brought us what most of us figured was the only possible news the Chicago Bears would bring us this week: Offensive coordinator Mike Martz will not return in 2012.

Quarterbacks coach Shane Day, a Martz protégé, will also leave the organization. Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com has the details.

Martz's status has seemed shaky for most of his two-year tenure in Chicago. Both seasons required substantive midseason shifts in play calling and personnel usage, giving the Bears a balanced identity that didn't look much like Martz's storied scheme. Whether Martz willingly made those changes or had them foisted on him is an issue that was never resolved and is now moot.

I've argued the value of continuity on several occasions, noting that quarterback Jay Cutler will soon be playing for his fourth different offensive coordinator in the past five years. The Bears have an opportunity to minimize the change if they promote offensive line coach Mike Tice, as we've discussed, and it appears that Tice will receive strong consideration for the job.

Tice shares the same offensive roots as Martz but values the power running game and has a two-year head start with the Bears' personnel over anyone they might hire. He has never been an offensive coordinator, nor has he been a primary playcaller, and his promotion would rob the Bears of his drill-by-drill expertise on the offensive line. But there are no perfect candidates and Tice might well be the Bears' best option.

Stay tuned. Who knows what's next.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

With so much discussion recently about the future of Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz, we've hardly noted that another prominent Bears assistant also has an expiring contract and is uncertain to return.

Highly regarded special teams coordinator Dave Toub is a coaching "free agent" and has aspirations to be a head coach. In a story first reported by the Chicago Tribune, Toub is a candidate for the Miami Dolphins' job and has been scheduled for an interview.

Toub would seem likely to return to Chicago if he doesn't get the Dolphins job, but as a free agent he would have the opportunity to field offers to fulfill the same job elsewhere. The Bears might have to match a big contract offer to retain him. Stay tuned.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Bears coach Lovie Smith was pretty neutral on the future of Martz during a news conference, notes Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• Here's how Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com interpreted Smith's comments on Martz: "In Lovie-speak, that reads as much like Martz is not coming back as anything short of a press release announcing it."
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune grades the Bears' offense.
• The Detroit Lions aren't just happy to be in the playoffs, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• The Lions haven't been great with their blitz, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• The Lions' front seven deserves some of the blame for giving up 480 passing yards to Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn, writes Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com.
• The Packers are considering making Brad Jones their starting right outside linebacker for the playoffs, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• The Packers are an awfully healthy team heading into the playoffs, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• After finishing last year with 15 players on injured reserve, the Packers have six at the moment, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Minnesota Vikings players are bracing for significant personnel changes in 2012, writes Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune.
• The Vikings have nearly 20 free agents heading into the offseason, notes Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com breaks down the tape of the Vikings' loss to the Bears, noting among other things that rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph got more snaps than veteran Visanthe Shiancoe for the third consecutive week.

After the Chicago Bears' 17-13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Kevin SeifertThe Chicago Bears take their turn in the examination room after defeating the Vikings.
   There isn't much the Bears can do this offseason before deciding on the future of offensive coordinator Mike Martz. When trying to guess their plans, keep in mind that the Bears didn't intend for his contract to expire after the season. They reportedly offered him an extension last winter, but Martz reportedly turned down the deal. The decision would have put Martz in position to seek a significant raise, or possibly a head coaching job, if the Bears had another playoff run. But after finishing 1-5 after quarterback Jay Cutler's season-ending injury, Martz's status is unclear. As we discussed last week, the Bears will have to decide how important continuity is to them and to what degree they hold him accountable for the post-Cutler struggles.
2. There is an alternate way to view the Bears' offensive struggles, and thus Martz's performance: The offense didn't struggle because of Cutler's injury, but instead because Caleb Hanie -- the backup Martz has reportedly never been sold on -- replaced him. I was left wondering if that's how Martz feels after awkwardly crossing paths with him Sunday. The backstory: I was doing my regular Sunday morning appearance with 1500 ESPN on the second floor of the Metrodome press box, which houses booths for radio, television and assistant coaches alike. Asked how Martz's legacy might be viewed, I brought up several points we've discussed on the blog -- that the Bears' late-season slump suggested Cutler was more responsible for their midseason success than Martz. Unknown to me, Martz was already in the Bears' booth and must have heard my answer. He popped into the hallway and said: "How did the quarterback play last week? How did the quarterback play last week?" Then he walked away. (Podcast here, about halfway through Hour 1.) Indeed, the backup with a long-time Martz connection, Josh McCown, had played decently against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, completing 67.9 percent of his passes for 242 yards in a 35-21 loss. Martz's handpicked quarterback proved to be better on less than a month's notice than Hanie was after two years in the system. Does that lessen the blame we can justifiably direct toward Martz? Perhaps.
3. Tailback Matt Forte had a Pro Bowl season even though a sprained knee cost him the season's final four games. Like Martz, his contract has now expired. But unlike Martz, this issue will take months to resolve. The easiest play for the Bears will be to make Forte their franchise player and pay him a relatively reasonable $7.7 million or so in 2012. Based strictly on economics, that would be a smart move for the Bears. But it would also leave Forte, one of their best players, to assume the risk of a career-threatening injury with no financial guarantees beyond the season. After seeing three NFL running backs receive more than $20 million guaranteed as part of new contracts in the past six months, Forte isn't likely to be happy with franchise money. What happens next will depend on whether either side is willing to close a significant financial gap too large to overcome during negotiations last summer. The worst-case scenario is Forte holding out rather than sign his franchise tag.

And here is one issue I still don't get:

Where does this season leave linebacker Lance Briggs? As you recall, Briggs requested a trade during the preseason when the Bears refused to renegotiate his contract. That deal now has two years left on it. He's scheduled to earn $3.75 million in 2012 and $6.25 million in 2013 before it expires, when Briggs will be 33. So did Briggs gain leverage by playing out the 2011 season, getting him more than halfway through the original six-year deal? Or would the Bears be even less inclined to address it now that he is a year older? I'm not sure where this will go. It wouldn't be difficult for the Bears to throw one of their top players a bone, but the same could have been said about the situation last summer. The real question is how far Briggs is willing to push it. Will he reiterate his demand for a trade?

Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith turned down two opportunities this week to support offensive coordinator Mike Martz, once in a teleconference with Minnesota reporters and a second time when queried by Chicago-area media. Smith, in fact, angrily questioned why the topic was germane before the season ends.

Smith's rare loss of public composure suggests Martz's status is a sensitive subject, both for him and within the Bears organization. I suppose it's possible that Smith hasn't begun the process of evaluating Martz, whose contract expires after the season. But generally speaking, it's not a good sign for an assistant coach when his boss won't say anything comforting about his future.

So as the Bears presumably mull a future without Martz, they'll have to weigh his performance versus the value of continuity. They'll need to decide which is more important, and if there is a way to maintain what they did well this season even while hiring a new coordinator.

As rumors of Martz's demise swirled this season, I wrote several times about the collateral damage of regularly swapping offensive coordinators. The value of continuity within a scheme is reflected annually in the NFL's best teams. As the chart shows, eight of the nine teams who have qualified for the 2011 playoffs have employed the same offensive coordinator and/or used the same scheme for at least the past three seasons.

Martz has certainly displayed some pocks since the Bears hired him in 2010, most notably by opening each season with a skewed pass-run ratio that needed substantial adjustment by midseason. Would Martz's well-known stubbornness outweigh the detriment of starting over? Remember, the Bears' offense was humming in November before quarterback Jay Cutler suffered a season-ending thumb injury. In a subsequent interview, Cutler made clear he doesn't want to start over.

"If you look at the offenses around the league that are really good -- Green Bay, the Patriots, the Saints -- there is consistency there," Cutler said. "They've been in the same system. They've had the same offensive coordinator. They've had the same receivers, tight ends, guys around them that have grown up in the system.

"If you want to be an elite offense in this league, that's what you have to do. You can't keep shipping guys in and out. You can't keep doing different offensive coordinators left and right. It's hard on quarterbacks and it's hard on everyone to learn that kind of stuff."

Cutler offered the quintessential argument for maintaining continuity, and the Bears have had enough success under Martz to make it a reasonable possibility. But if Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo decide to hire a new offensive coordinator, is it possible to maintain most of their scheme?

The answer is maybe, with several caveats and an acknowledgement that I don't know how interested the candidate would be. But if the Bears elevate offensive line coach Mike Tice, they'll have a chance to build off their midseason success in 2011 and minimize the teardown that usually occurs in coordinator transitions.

Tice and Martz have much different personalities and personal histories, but their football backgrounds aren't as dissimilar as you might think. They both have roots in the Don Coryell "three-digit" offense, a scheme Tice learned while playing for ex-Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. Similar to Martz, Tice likes to throw downfield and isn't interested in the shorter passing routes featured in West Coast offenses. With Tice as their offensive coordinator, the Bears could build off the terminology and scheme they have installed over the past two years.

And if his time as the Minnesota Vikings' head coach is any indication, Tice also values some of the adjustments the Bears have made in the past two seasons: Balance with the running game and more liberal use of tight ends to block and provide important outlet receivers against pressure.

Over four seasons with the Vikings, Tice's teams produced 8,140 rushing yards, an average of 2,035 per season. And in half of those years, Tice's leading receiver was tight end Jermaine Wiggins, who caught a combined 140 passes in 2004 and 2005.

Based on Cutler's public request for more balance, quicker drops and better protection, my guess is that he would be on the same philosophical page as Tice. And after being on the same team for the past two years, they should have at least some level of personal acquaintance and be ahead of where a coordinator from outside the building would start.

And now, the caveats. Tice was a quarterback at the University of Maryland, a tight end for 14 seasons in the NFL and has been a long-time offensive line coach. But despite that pedigree, he has never been an offensive coordinator and has never been the primary playcaller of a team. That's not to say he couldn't do it. It's just that after 15 years as an NFL coach, he hasn't done it yet. (We should note that the same was true for current Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli when he was installed in 2010.)

Second, Tice has restored his reputation over the past two years as an exceptional offensive line coach. Elevating him to offensive coordinator almost certainly would rob the Bears of that drill-by-drill expertise. It's difficult, if not impossible, to do both jobs. They would have to hire a new offensive line coach to replace him.

The Tennessee Titans were prepared to offer Tice their offensive coordinator job last offseason. The Bears denied the Titans' request for an interview, giving Tice a new contract instead. For that reason alone, I would imagine the Bears would at least discuss Tice as a possibility if they let Martz go. It wouldn't be a slam-dunk hire, but it would fall well short of starting over. That alone would make Tice worth careful consideration.

Sifting through Wednesday's newsbits in the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: Running back Marion Barber (calf), tight end Kellen Davis (illness), defensive end Julius Peppers (not injury related) and linebacker Brian Urlacher (knee) did not practice. Barber doesn't seem likely to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Meanwhile, coach Lovie Smith was angered by questions about the future of offensive coordinator Mike Martz and wouldn't answer. Martz's contract expires after this season.

Detroit Lions: Cornerback Chris Houston was wearing a cast on his left hand but told reporters he injured his pinky finger and does not have a fracture. Hmmmm. Coach Jim Schwartz said it wasn't a long-term injury. Houston, safety Louis Delmas (knee), receiver Calvin Johnson (Achilles), defensive tackle Corey Williams (hip) and defensive end Willie Young (ankle) did not practice.

Green Bay Packers: Tight end Jermichael Finley reported knee soreness Wednesday and did not participate in practice. Neither did offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga (knee), receiver Randall Cobb (groin) nor running back James Starks (knee/ankle). Receiver Greg Jennings ran on the side during practice but was declared out for Sunday's game against the Lions. Offensive lineman Chad Clifton (hamstring/back) practiced. So did defensive lineman Ryan Pickett, who has been cleared after suffering a concussion earlier this month.

Minnesota Vikings: Quarterback Christian Ponder (concussion) was cleared to practice after and will start Sunday against the Bears, according to coach Leslie Frazier. Left guard Steve Hutchinson, who was placed on injured reserve this week because of a concussion, will "have some decisions he'll have to make after this season is over," according to coach Leslie Frazier. That suggests retirement could be an option.