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In the hours after claiming the prestigious "Mirror Ball" as the champion of "Dancing with the Stars," Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver flew across the country to appear on ABC's "Good Morning America." He also hammered out an exclusive blog post for ESPN.com's Playbook page, and I'll excerpt a portion of it below:

It was truly special to be around so many great people. Each and every week we pushed each other to get better. We also had a lot of fun, and I will never forget the great times we had the past few months.

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Kelsey McNeal/Getty imagesDonald Driver and partner Peta Murgatroyd won Season 14 of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

Now the focus goes back to football.

Physically, I feel incredible.

I can't wait to get back up to Green Bay and get on the practice field with my teammates.

Winning this competition was sweet, but I still have a bitter taste in my mouth from last year’s playoff loss to the Giants.

We just brought the Mirror Ball to Wisconsin, and now it’s time for another Lombardi Trophy!

God Bless!

Despite rampant speculation, there are no indications the Packers plan to move on in 2012 without Driver. Coach Mike McCarthy indicated Driver could begin participating in the team's organized team activities as early as next week.

If you missed Driver's GMA appearance, here is a link to the first segment. He explains his post-victory celebration this way: "I was on fire. So I had to roll around and get the fire off of me."

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher confirmed Tuesday night that he isn't likely to participate in organized team activities (OTAs) -- and probably not veteran minicamp, either -- as he rehabilitates a sprained knee suffered in a Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Urlacher told reporters that he expects to be ready to start training camp, a completely reasonable schedule that nevertheless highlights one of the few holes on the team's roster.

Namely: Who would play for Urlacher if he was injured during the regular season?

According to ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson, second-year linebacker Dom DeCicco -- an undrafted free agent in 2011 -- will take the majority of snaps during the offseason. If nothing else, the Bears should know at the end of the spring whether DeCicco is capable of filling in for Urlacher in a regular-season environment, or whether they would need to look elsewhere. Finding a long-term replacement for Urlacher, 33, remains one of the most important challenges facing this franchise.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Urlacher, via Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune: "It's getting better. I'm on schedule, so I feel good. At this stage, I know the defense pretty well. I'm not worried about being out there and not knowing what I'm doing.''
• Bears receiver Brandon Marshall on his reunion with quarterback Jay Cutler and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, via Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times: "That just doesn't happen in sports. You don’t have a Pro Bowl receiver and a Pro Bowl quarterback and one of the most talented minds in football in Jeremy Bates back together. It just doesn't."
• Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com thinks the Detroit Lions can contend for the Super Bowl -- "[b]ut only if this team can harness what is an amazing lack of self-control. The Lions remain one of the least disciplined teams in football."
• Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News: "Dumb stuff happens in football, as in life. But the Lions have too much at stake now to be dealing with it, way too much to gain and way too much to lose. The spate of player incidents -- mostly minor -- is not a sign of a rambunctious team losing its way. But it's a pointed reminder that young talent is unpredictable, and a warning that the Lions' rough edges still need work."
• Lions cornerback Chris Houston isn't ready to be anyone's mentor, writes the News' Chris McCosky.
• Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covered the MACC Fund charity event in Milwaukee headlined by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
• Packers coach Mike McCarthy on his 2012 team, via Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: "This is clearly the most experienced football team in conjunction with the most talent that I've had a chance to coach."
• Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal: "The Green Bay Packers’ all-defense, all-the-time draft has already achieved one of its goals. The six rookie defenders have supplied a jolt of energy for a defense -- and a team -- that might have grown a little complacent after following up its victory in Super Bowl XLV with a 15-1 regular season in 2011."
• Packers linebacker Clay Matthews on moving to the right side, with rookie Nick Perry taking over on the left side, via Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com: "The misnomer about the position is that we're stuck to one side. On paper, it's going to say 'left outside linebacker' or 'right outside linebacker.' Really, those positions are interchangeable, so the faster we can get [Perry] up to speed, the faster we can have some fun moving him around, flying around and making some plays together."
• Packers defensive end Anthony Hargrove didn't have much to add about his role in the New Orleans Saints' bounty story after Tuesday's OTA, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• The Packers' defensive additions in the draft were "expected" and "necessary," according to linebacker Desmond Bishop via Rob Demovsky of the Press-Gazette.
• Dave Campbell of the Associated Press looks ahead at the Minnesota Vikings' three-week stay for training camp.
• The Vikings have signed a total of seven of their draft picks, according to Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Thanks to those of you who turned out for a mid-May chat on a lazy Tuesday afternoon. Among other things, we had the chance to react in near-real time to the Green Bay Packers' current arrangement of outside linebackers. The relevant exchange after the Packers debuted Clay Matthews as their right outside linebacker during Tuesday's organized team activity and rookie Nick Perry as the left outside linebacker:

John (Wisconsin)

Do you think its a good move or great move to put Mathews at ROLB?

Kevin Seifert (2:32 PM)

Yes, for those who didn't hear: The Packers put Matthews back at ROLB in today's OTA, with rookie Nick Perry at LOLB. There are a lot of factors here, including the possibility that it's an offseason experiment. I like the idea of getting Matthews against an opponent's second-best pass protector when he's on the left side, but that also puts him in position to defend more tight ends and play the run head-on more often. So overall, I'm fine if they use him at ROLB, even if it means he's facing opposing left tackles.

Matthews played on the right side as a rookie, when he had 10 sacks, but not in his second year, which yielded 13.5 sacks. In speaking with reporters Tuesday, coach Mike McCarthy suggested the Packers want to make sure Matthews isn't easy to find -- an issue cornerback Charles Woodson noted bluntly last season -- and also want to make things simpler for Perry.

McCarthy: "In Nick's specific case, yes, we want to look at the left side. Clay has played both sides now, so we want to make sure we continue to create targeting problems with Clay Matthews. Just like with any young player, you want to have a starting point, and right now we want to look and see how comfortable Nick is on the left side. Nick will be given a chance to play early."

My guess is we will re-visit this topic a time or two before September.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Good Monday morning to everyone. It doesn't get a whole lot bigger than the first week of organized team activities, or OTAs as we call them in the business, and that's exactly the point we've reached in the NFL offseason.

The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have scheduled their first OTAs of the spring for Monday, and the Chicago Bears will have one Tuesday. The Minnesota Vikings will open OTAs a week from Tuesday. Over on our NFL Nation blog, we have a comprehensive schedule of all 32 team's OTA schedules.

For newcomers, OTAs are on-field practices without pads or (presumably) contact. Some are open to the media, so expect to see some coverage in the coming days of how your favorite players are performing in jerseys and shorts.

Before we move on to our morning roundup, I want to thank everyone for their feedback to Friday's post on our blog operations. If you missed the post and/or want to share further thoughts about what you like and don't like, by all means hit up the mailbag.

OK, now, continuing around the NFC North:

• Here's a smart analysis of the Bears' negotiations with tailback Matt Forte from Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune. Pompei suggests a fair deal could include about $20 million in guaranteed money.
• In this ESPNChicago.com video, ESPN's Cris Carter says that the ability to "catch the ball and separate" is what makes Bears receiver Brandon Marshall so good.
• Bears linebacker Lance Briggs isn't concerned about Marshall's off-field behavior, writes Vaughn McClure of the Tribune.
• The running back position is one of the storylines for the Lions' first OTA, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Running back Kevin Smith thinks the Lions will have a better running game in 2012, notes Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Carlos Monarrez of the Free Press takes a look at some of the young cornerbacks the Lions added this offseason.
• Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looks at the three young Packers receivers who will vie for roster spots this summer: Diondre Borel, Shaky Smithson and Tori Gurley.
• Keeping receiver Donald Driver on the roster goes "against everything the Packers regime believes in," writes Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal.
• Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: "[I] t can be argued [Packers coach Mike] McCarthy is underpaid compared to some of his coaching brethren residing in the exclusive $7 million club."
• The Vikings signed former Bears offensive lineman Levi Horn, notes Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "The Vikings were 3-13 last season. Zygi and Mark Wilf and the entire Wilf family had a lot to do with that because for more than a year no one was in charge at Winter Park. In fact, the coach and personnel director often were at odds. It wasn't until after the season that [Rick] Spielman was given control after a leaguewide search netted, well, Spielman."

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.)

Hi everyone, and thanks for bearing with me Thursday while I attended to some business at, yes, the ESPN mothership. We discussed many important and pressing issues, among them our plans for the one or two days this summer when the NFL news feed slows down.

In reality, it appears I didn't miss too much in the way of news Thursday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter has strengthened his earlier report on the apparent all-clear that Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall has received from the New York City police department. Most notably, however, it appears we might have some clarity on the future of Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver.

It's been long speculated that the Packers will release Driver this offseason, even though he has offered to renegotiate his contract to stay with them. Non-committal answers last month from general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy strengthened that possibility, but on Thursday, agent Jordan Woy said he expected Driver to return to the Packers in 2012.

Woy told ESPN's Andrew Brandt: "He'll be back. Just need to work out details when done" with his appearance on "Dancing with the Stars." The reality show will conclude next week.

As we've discussed, there really hasn't been any rush to complete a renegotiated contract. Driver wasn't due any money until the start of training camp. So it's quite possible that Thompson and McCarthy won't commit publicly to Driver's return until the new deal is done. That makes some sense. We'll know soon enough.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

So I tuned in to "Dancing with the Stars" as promised Monday night. It won't rival "LOST" or even "Al TV" on my personal list of favorites. But one of the NFC North's most prominent players over the past decade is a cast member, and I'm well aware of the interest level from many Green Bay Packers fans in Driver's fate on the show.

As it turned out, Driver scored a combined 57 out of a possible 60 on his two dances of the evening, putting him in third place on the judges' scorecard. But that is only part of the final score, and we'll find out Tuesday night whether audience/viewer voting impacted the ranking and who exactly will advance to the finals of the show.

I took away a couple cool moments Monday night. On the day after Mother's Day, Driver tearfully praised his mother, Faye, for being "my soldier for a long time." Also, I laughed when the camera panned the audience after Driver absorbed some criticism from a judge. You could see Packers coach Mike McCarthy with the same quizzical facial expression he usually directs at officials during games. McCarthy sat right next to quarterback Aaron Rodgers and linebacker Clay Matthews. Very solid support.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thinks the "handwriting is on the ballroom floor for" Driver's departure from the organization.
• The Packers signed five players who participated in their rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, notes the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Detroit Lions rookie receiver Ryan Broyles on what he picked up by watching rookie minicamp, via Rod Beard of the Detroit News: "It's a great offense. I've been catching on a little bit now and see how they do it -- a lot like Oklahoma. They like to get out there and run three receivers -- sometimes four -- and even empty the backfield, so I think it's going to be a good offense to be a part of."
• Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley's court date stemming from an April marijuana arrest was moved back to July 31, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler on the right thumb he fractured last season, via the Associated Press: "It's fine. I really didn't throw a lot in the offseason, rehabbed a little bit and came back and felt good."
• Cutler isn't going along with the Bears' rampant optimism about their offensive line, notes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cutler: "You know, the offensive line is definitely going to be a concern and seeing where those guys are going to fit in and seeing what five we go with. If Gabe [Carimi] comes back, if J'Marcus [Webb] pans out. Where are we going to put Chris Williams? There are some question marks there. Until we really get that resolved and get our front five settled in, we've got some work to do on offense."
• Signs still point to the Bears moving Williams back to tackle, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com digs a little deeper into the friendship between Minnesota Vikings receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs.
• The Vikings' new stadium deal shields the public from their financial books, notes the Associated Press.

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.

So, as Lynn Hoppes notes over at ESPN Playbook, "Dancing with the Stars" moves to into its semifinal round Monday night on ABC. That means Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver is one of four contestants vying for the title, which means it's time to start paying attention to "DWTS" as far as I'm concerned.

If I can't wrest control of the remote Monday night, I'll do so ASAP and follow up at some point Tuesday. Driver is competing against opera singer Katherine Jenkins, actor William Levy and TV host Maria Menounos. (My extensive research on Levy reveals he is more frequently referred to as a "Latin heartthrob" but I just have no idea what that means.)

It sounds as if the Packers will be well-represented in the audience Monday night. According to Driver's verified Twitter feed, those scheduled to attend include coach Mike McCarthy, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, linebacker Clay Matthews, receivers coach Edgar Bennett and Rob Davis, the Packers' director of player development. Hopefully Rodgers can break away from his intensive training for the evening.

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.

This just in: Our coverage of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill has sparked a mixture of anger, boredom and protests from many of you. I'm sorry. It has been the most important offseason story in NFC North, especially when you consider it could have ended with one of our teams relocating and ultimately breaking up the very makeup of the division.

In reality, the early part of May is a relatively quiet time around the NFL. Trust me, you haven't missed any big NFC North news by following this blog. But I do recognize the need to rebalance our post distribution, and we'll work to do that over the coming days, weeks and months before training camp.

Let's start with a question from Will of Wauwatosa, Wis., who wonders why Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson hasn't made the expected move to release receiver Donald Driver: "If Ted Thompson is 'all business' and there are no personal feelings in his decisions, why doesn't he just cut Driver now? Why does he really care if he's on 'Dancing with the Stars?'"

I can't say for sure that Driver's continuing stint on "DWTS" is behind Thompson's current approach. All we know is that Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy were pretty tight-lipped about Driver's future when asked after the draft.

But from a business standpoint, there doesn't appear to be much of a rush to run Driver out of town, even if that's what the Packers ultimately decide to do. As Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported in March, the Packers aren't on the hook for any payments to Driver until the first day of training camp. If he's on the roster at that point, they would owe him $1.5 million.

Driver is in line for a $200,000 workout bonus if he participates in the Packers' offseason strength and conditioning program, but his work on "DWTS" has kept him away so far.

It doesn't make intuitive sense that the Packers would bring back Driver as the No. 4 or 5 receiver. The team might well agree. But there will be a window to deal with the situation after "DWTS" -- and before the Packers would owe Driver anything -- if that's what it comes to.

Thursday's Big Question series was intended mostly as a post-draft gathering point than an attempt to break new ground, but many of you were left with further questions about the Green Bay Packers' open safety position after reading the post. Lance of Beloit, Wis., writes:

Are Charlie Peprah and Jerron McMillian the only to viable options to replace Nick Collins? I have read reports that Charles Woodson may be moved to safety. Casey Hayward would be moved into Woodson's starting role. This was talked about on the Packers' website. I see this being an option also replace Collins and prolong Woodson career like Rod Woodson and Ronnie Lott.

Yes, Packers.com guru Vic Ketchman wrote: "[C]onsensus opinion is that a move from cornerback could do for Woodson’s career what it did for Ronnie Lott and Rod Woodson, which is to have lengthened its greatness." And defensive coordinator Dom Capers didn't exactly reject the idea last week after the Packers not only drafted McMillian, but also cornerback Casey Hayward.

"Charles is a bright guy," Capers said. "It's not like it would be a radical move because of the way we've used him in the last three years, basically. We feel he can play any one of those positions. That's one of the things he brings to the table is the flexibility that he gives you that he can."

Capers uses one of the more creative schemes in the game, and in some of his more elaborate formations, it's difficult to tell who is playing what position. Technically, Woodson has lined up as a cornerback, a slot nickel man and as a linebacker at various times over the past three years. The only way to tell if Woodson is a full-time safety is if he lines up there in the rare occasions when the Packers use their standard 3-4 base formation.

We've hit this topic often both in the blog and our weekly SportsNation chats. My take remains the same. Cornerback is a more important position and more difficult position than safety. Moving Woodson to safety only makes sense if the Packers have a strong option to replace him at cornerback.

Is that the case? Last year at this time, we might have thought Sam Shields was ready for that role. Shields took a step back last season. Could Hayward be that player? That might be a lot to ask a rookie. In February, at least, coach Mike McCarthy strongly implied that Woodson primarily will be a cornerback in 2012.

McCarthy could change his mind, of course, but at this point I wonder if he's more willing to take a chance with an unproven player at safety than he is at cornerback.

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.

What did you think about the way Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy addressed the future of receiver Donald Driver? At the very least, Driver's future with the franchise doesn't appear to have been decided.

Driver, 37, has said he would be willing to re-negotiate his contract to remain with the team, and last week the Packers made two difficult decisions -- releasing left tackle Chad Clifton and safety Nick Collins -- while Driver remained on the roster. But when asked if Driver is set to go to training camp with the team, Thompson told reporters Saturday: "I would never speculate on something like that. He's dancing right now. Doing good, too."

(As you know, Driver remains apart of the "Dancing with the Stars" cast on the West Coast and, according to ESPN.com's Lynn Hoppes, he's scheduled to dance the Viennese Waltz in Monday night's broadcast. That'll be big.)

It's not unlike Thompson to avoid direct answers on personnel matters. But McCarthy was unusually vague when asked the same question, saying: "No reason to speculate on that. I'm just going to follow Ted's answer to that question."

If Driver was definitely set to return, you would think Thompson and/or McCarthy would have said so. If a decision had already been made one way or the other, there would be nothing to avoid speculating on.

One guess is that the sides are trying to work out a restructured deal but haven't completed negotiations. Another, less likely, possibility is that they have agreed to reconvene after Driver's stint on "DWTS."

There certainly are no hard feelings at this point. McCarthy gleefully admitted he and his family have faithfully watched each "DWTS" episode, which is more than I (and possibly you) can say.

"I didn't realize it was such a tough thing for a man [to watch] "Dancing with the Stars," McCarthy said. "And if I'm not at home, we have to DVR it and watch it as a family. We're rooting him on and voting eight times like you're supposed to. He's doing a great job."

The Packers are well into their offseason program, but the early stages are mostly about strength and conditioning, neither of which have ever been a problem for Driver. Stay tuned.

The Green Bay Packers found their developmental quarterback in the seventh round of the just-completed NFL draft, using the No. 243 overall pick to select Tennessee-Chattanooga's B.J. Coleman. Normally we could stop our coverage there, but since former backup -- and likely Seattle Seahawks starter -- Matt Flynn was also a seventh-round pick, we should probably keep going.

Coleman is a former Tennessee recruit who transferred after losing the starting job. He missed time last season because of an injury to his throwing shoulder. Scouts Inc. reports that Coleman "possesses a very strong arm and can make all the NFL throws as well as stretch the field vertically" but otherwise doubts his aptitude for playing in the NFL.

The Packers are well known for their quarterback development, and that's what seventh-round picks are for. That, and this: According to coach Mike McCarthy, Coleman told team officials he would be the best draft pick they ever made. That's saying something. Can't wait to see B.J. Coleman in training camp.

Have a great evening, everyone.