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We're Black and Blue All Over:

It's safe to say the Chicago Bears are interested in upgrading their depth at linebacker after a whirlwind of veteran free-agent visits this week. According to ESPNChicago.com, the list includes Rocky McIntosh, Bryan Kehl and Zac Diles.

The Bears were thin at the position last year behind starters Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Nick Roach. But anyone they sign at this point should be viewed as a backup who could potentially compete with Roach to start during training camp.

The bigger issue the Bears face is finding eventual replacements for Urlacher, who turns 34 next month and Briggs, who turns 32 in November. That work will have to be done during the draft.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Bears signed veteran guard Chilo Rachal, notes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• The Bears will "do just fine" with defensive tackle Henry Melton, writes Dan Pompei of the Tribune.
• The NFL has turned up the heat on the Minnesota Vikings' stadium situation, but at least one state legislator wasn't happy to hear the league trying to "drive policy" for state government, according to Doug Belden of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune repeats a familiar message: Replacing a relocated team is always more expensive than giving the original team a new stadium.
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has spoken with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, according to the Associated Press via 1500ESPN.com. Another conversation is expected Thursday morning, which will include Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney.
• Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews privately lamented the loss of defensive end Cullen Jenkins last season, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel begins his position-by-position draft evaluations with quarterbacks.
• Young Detroit Lions players will benefit from the team's offseason program, writes Justin Rogers of Mlive.com.
• Washington running back Chris Polk could be a target of the Lions, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions season-ticket sales appear to be brisk this spring, according to Eric Lacy of the Detroit News.

Check here for a complete list of the Chicago Bears' roster moves.

Surprise move: The Bears have now bid farewell to three locker room stalwarts: Center Olin Kreutz, receiver Rashied Davis and now tight end Desmond Clark. The Bears released Clark as part of Saturday's roster cutdown, deciding to keep undrafted rookie Kyle Adams instead. Clark said via Twitter that "I played my butt off but sometimes it's more about the business." The Bears indicated that he was released with an injury. Regardless, intentionally or otherwise, the Bears have at least temporarily created a player leadership void.

No-brainers: After last week's communication fiasco, there was little doubt that running back Chester Taylor would be part of this cutdown. The Bears need only two tailbacks behind starter Matt Forte, and those roles will be filled by Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell. They also kept fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou. I don't know if the Bears entered training camp planning to keep undrafted rookie receiver Dane Sanzenbacher, but his quick ascension as a slot receiver was obvious by the midpoint of the preseason. Quarterback Jay Cutler loves throwing to him.

What's next: The Bears' depth at linebacker is a little scary. They kept only five at the position, with Brian Iwuh and undrafted rookie Dom DeCicco as the reserves behind Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach. You would think the Bears would at least scan the waiver wire for additional depth, especially with Briggs nursing a knee injury. And with Barber and Bell having suffered preseason injuries, the Bears might check out emergency running back depth as well.

I'll admit I was a bit groggy by the time I posted Monday night's Observation deck on the Chicago Bears' 41-13 loss to the New York Giants. My general impression of the Bears' defense was pretty neutral, especially on a night when the opponent rang up 41 points, and I wrote as much. I saw what I thought was some really sharp play in the first couple of series and thought the Bears' performance dipped at about the same time that coach Lovie Smith began removing his starters.

So I was surprised Tuesday morning to see the teeth-gnashing and general concern about the way the Bears' defense played and, especially, tackled. And I agree with Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune on this much: Smith's postgame criticism is as rare as it gets.

(While talking about the health of his team, Smith interjected: "You've got to tackle a little bit better before you start talking about injuries and things like that." Smith almost never criticizes his players, assistants or team in public.)

Maybe my expectations for preseason games are too low, but I go into them thinking they will be sloppy and light on fundamentals. You can get a sense for individual skills and competence in some instances, but once coaches begin sitting their starters, you're riding a slippery slope on any subsequent judgment from a team perspective.

But just for fun, I went back and re-watched the Bears' first four defensive series, after which middle linebacker Brian Urlacher departed. Remember, linebacker Lance Briggs was already sidelined for the game. What I saw confirmed my original thoughts: The Bears' starters missed maybe three tackles, one of them glaring, but also made more than a few secure stops to minimize or break up plays in the early going.

Here's what I saw:

First possession

• Safety Chris Harris and cornerback Tim Jennings combined for a backfield stop of Giants tailback Ahmad Bradshaw, forcing a 4-yard loss.
• Nickelback D.J. Moore tackled receiver Mario Manningham for a 4-yard gain on third-and-10, leading to a three-and-out.

Second possession

• Defensive end Julius Peppers rushed an Eli Manning throw on second down. Giants have second consecutive three-and-out.

Third possession

• Defensive end Israel Idonije missed a backfield opportunity on tailback Brandon Jacobs, who went on to a 7-yard gain on first down.
• Nobody missed a tackle on Jacobs' 18-yard run on third-and-1. The Giants caught the Bears in a man defense, and linebacker Brian Iwuh followed the receiver in motion away from the point of attack.
• Peppers rushed Manning on two other plays, contributing to incompletions.
• Jennings tackled Bradshaw 4 yards short of a first down on third-and-10.
• The Giants caught the Bears in another favorable matchup on fourth-and-4. Manning lofted a nifty 21-yard pass over Moore to receiver Victor Cruz.
• Urlacher tackled Jacobs after a 4-yard gain in the red zone.
• Iwuh knocked away Manning's pass for Manningham on third-and-goal, forcing a field goal.

Fourth possession

• The Giants took over at the Bears' 31-yard line following Devin Thomas' 73-yard kickoff return.
• Linebacker Nick Roach stuffed a Jacobs run for a 1-yard loss.
• Harris stopped a reverse to Manningham after a 1-yard gain.
• Bradshaw gained 13 yards on a screen play largely because center David Baas drilled Iwuh to the turf.
• On the next play, Wright whiffed on Jacobs at about the 10-yard line and Jacobs dragged Harris about 4 yards into the end zone for an 18-yard scoring jaunt.

To be sure, the night didn't end well for the Bears' defense. Maybe you can excuse a safety getting dragged a few yards by a 275-pound back, but never do you want to see a safety juked by the same guy. Considered as a whole, however, I didn't see nearly enough to panic during those four possessions.

You could make the argument that backups should play better than the way the Bears' did Monday night. You can question whether they have the depth to withstand any significant injuries. Specifically, you could argue that Wright shouldn't have continued to miss tackles later in the second quarter just because he was playing with some non-starters.

But you're on your own there. In my experience, you're much better off under-analyzing preseason games than overanalyzing them. I understand why Smith was upset. He is a stickler for physical football, and he can't excuse the play of backups and mishmash lineups. But we can. So let's everyone calm down and move on.

In this topsy-turvy post-lockout world, we have all assumed that the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) would be formally ratified by Thursday. In turn, all players who agreed to new contracts since last Monday would finally be allowed to begin practicing.

While there has been no formal announcement, it is by far a done deal that those players will be on the field Thursday -- especially for teams that have morning practices. Wednesday evening, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told The NFL Network that free agents might not be eligible to practice Thursday. As a result the Minnesota Vikings have pushed their main practice to a 4 p.m. ET start, hoping the CBA will be ratified by then.

In the NFC North, some big names have been standing on the sideline awaiting final ratification. I've included an extended, but not necessarily all-inclusive, list below. We'll keep you updated when and if final word comes down Wednesday night.

Chicago Bears: Defensive tackle Anthony Adams, running back Marion Barber, defensive end Vernon Gholston, cornerback Corey Graham, receiver Sam Hurd, linebacker Brian Iwuh, defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, punter Adam Podlesh, linebacker Nick Roach, tight end Matt Spaeth, center Chris Spencer, receiver Roy Williams

Detroit Lions: Receiver Rashied Davis, cornerback Chris Houston, place-kicker Dave Rayner, linebacker Justin Durant, quarterback Drew Stanton, linebacker Stephen Tulloch, cornerback Eric Wright

Green Bay Packers: Place-kicker Mason Crosby, tight end Spencer Havner, running back John Kuhn, receiver James Jones.

Minnesota Vikings: Safety Husain Abdullah, receiver Devin Aromashodu, nose tackle Remi Ayodele, receiver Bernard Berrian, receiver Michael Jenkins, offensive lineman Charlie Johnson, place-kicker Ryan Longwell, quarterback Donovan McNabb.

» NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South » Unrestricted FAs

A look at the free-agent priorities for each NFC North team:

Chicago Bears

1. Assemble a starting offensive line: As we've noted many times, the Bears have held off any public discussion about their five linemen pending the results of free agency. Well, we're here. It's time for the dominoes to start falling. The first will be whether center Olin Kreutz re-signs. It's generally expected, but nothing is guaranteed. Then, the Bears need to decide whether to pursue any starting-caliber guards or tackles. You would think they'll seek at least one new starter. Will they raid the Atlanta Falcons' glut of linemen? Might they take a flier on Robert Gallery? We'll know soon enough.
2. Establish a strongside linebacker: The position has largely been held by Pisa Tinoisamoa and Nick Roach over the past two years, but both have expiring contracts. It makes sense to re-sign at least one given the lack of offseason work for a presumptive new starter, and Roach is the younger of the two. If the Bears have another player on the roster they've targeted for this job, it's not readily apparent. While they're at it, the Bears should seek depth at defensive tackle following the release of Tommie Harris. They did draft Stephen Paea, but the Bears might pursue Seattle Seahawks free agent Brandon Mebane, as well.
3. Sift through receivers: From a media perspective, at least, there has been more offseason talk than ever suggesting the Bears will/should/might pursue a free-agent receiver. This year's class is deep, from Sidney Rice to Santonio Holmes to Randy Moss, and a number of other veterans could be available via trade. Coach Lovie Smith has said he wouldn't mind a receiver bigger than his current trio of sub 6-footers, and Devin Hester has lobbied publicly to sign Santana Moss. I think the increased discussion is largely a product of lockout boredom, but it wouldn't hurt the Bears to add depth so that Hester can be used more efficiently.

Top five free agents: Center Olin Kreutz, safety Danieal Manning, punter Brad Maynard, linebacker Nick Roach, linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa.

Detroit Lions

1. Sign a starting cornerback: The Lions' top cornerbacks under contract are Alphonso Smith and Nate Vasher. Chris Houston, who started 15 games last season, is a free agent, so it's possible the Lions will bring Houston back. Or they could seek an outside upgrade, be it Nnamdi Asomugha or Ike Taylor or Johnathan Joseph. Lions Fever would spike if they can land Asomugha, but they would have to use most of their salary-cap space to do it. For several reasons, the odds are against it.
2. Sort out the linebacker position: DeAndre Levy is the only linebacker assured a 2011 starting job, but even Levy can't be totally sure if he will play outside or in the middle. That answer will come only after the Lions sift through the available free agents. They could pursue one with a background in the middle, perhaps Stephen Tulloch. Or they could seek an outside linebacker to replace the released Julian Peterson. One of their outside positions is likely to be decided by a training camp competition among incumbents.
3. Evaluate right tackles: Early indications have been that Gosder Cherilus has made progress from microfracture surgery on his knee. If there is any question, however, the Lions might want to bolster their depth. Corey Hilliard did a decent job as Cherilus' replacement late last season. But keeping quarterback Matthew Stafford healthy is at a premium this season. Do the Lions want to face the possibility of opening the year with a backup plan at right tackle?

Top five free agents: Linebacker Bobby Carpenter, cornerback Chris Houston, linebacker Landon Johnson, quarterback Drew Stanton, safety John Wendling.

Green Bay Packers

1. Stay the course: It's been well-documented that general manager Ted Thompson hasn't participated much in free agency over the past few years, and it's hard to imagine his changing tack dramatically this summer. Thompson's most important decisions will be deciding which of his pending free agents to re-sign and which ones he should allow to depart.
2. Re-sign place-kicker Mason Crosby: Thompson gave Crosby a second-round tender in February in the event Crosby wound up as a restricted free agent. That move suggested Crosby is in the Packers' future plans and makes re-signing him one of the first orders of business now that he is an unrestricted free agent. Crosby has had some difficulties over the years, but kicking in Green Bay is difficult given the weather and he has made some important adjustments. Concerns about his kickoffs should be minimized by the NFL's decision to move them up 5 yards.
3. Think twice: The Packers appear set to let defensive end Cullen Jenkins depart. They can do so knowing they have a number of intriguing young players to compete for that job, from Mike Neal to C.J. Wilson to Jarius Wynn. But another player the Packers might lose, Daryn Colledge, doesn't have an obvious replacement. Would the Packers shift T.J. Lang from backup tackle to guard? Would first-round draft pick Derek Sherrod, their projected left tackle of the future, get a crash course on step down? It's something to think about and, given the lack of an offseason, might spur further discussion about re-signing Colledge.

Top five free agents: Guard Daryn Colledge, place-kicker Mason Crosby, defensive end Cullen Jenkins, receiver James Jones, running backs John Kuhn/Brandon Jackson.

Minnesota Vikings

1. Address receivers: Are the Vikings about to bid farewell to receiver Sidney Rice, a 24-year-old who is one year removed from an 83-catch Pro Bowl season? There is nothing they can do to stop it at this point, and Rice seems intent on at least testing his value on the open market. The Vikings spent most of last season searching for a suitable replacement when Rice was injured, and that job will intensify this summer. They have added an additional pass-catching threat in rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph. But if they lose Rice, the Vikings must either sign or trade for an established veteran to join Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian (if he makes the team).
2. Find a kicker: The Vikings made no known effort before the lockout to re-sign veteran Ryan Longwell, who has converted 43 of 46 kicks over the past two seasons. It's possible they'll make their move now. But they did not draft a kicker, and if Longwell signs elsewhere, the Vikings will have to scour the always-murky free-agent market. I'm guessing they already have a plan on this issue, but we haven't smoked it out yet.
3. Establish QB depth: We all know that rookie Christian Ponder eventually will assume the starting job. But are the Vikings comfortable with Joe Webb and Rhett Bomar as their only alternatives if Ponder needs some development time? I'm not sure about that. I also wonder if making Webb the No. 2 quarterback would limit his opportunities to contribute in other ways, perhaps as a receiver or a kick returner. For that reason, it would make sense for the Vikings to seek a quarterback with more experience to pair with Ponder.

Top five free agents: Defensive end Ray Edwards, linebacker Ben Leber, place-kicker Ryan Longwell, receiver Sidney Rice, nose tackle Pat Williams.

» NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South » Unrestricted FAs

Readiness factor: The Chicago Bears have been playing the same defensive scheme, with some of the same key players, since coach Lovie Smith arrived in 2004. That familiarity is an important mitigating factor for the loss of offseason workouts, and players expect that consistency to give the Bears an early-season advantage. The Bears could have used another offseason to fine-tune their offense under coordinator Mike Martz, especially to give them a head-start on retooling their offensive line, but such is life. Quarterback Jay Cutler did his part by running skill-player workouts this spring in the Chicago suburbs.

Biggest challenge: You thought offensive line coach Mike Tice had a tough job last season patching together a starting lineup? He'll have to do it again this season, and with less time. The Bears hope to find a permanent solution earlier than they did in 2010, but as of today, none of the five positions has an obvious starter. Free agency will affect Tice's decisions, as will the development of rookie tackle Gabe Carimi. Where will former first-round pick Chris Williams play? Will center Olin Kreutz be re-signed? These questions must be answered -- and soon.

Just for kicks: The Bears have a decision to make at punter, a position occupied by Brad Maynard for the past 10 seasons. It didn't appear the Bears were eager to resign Maynard, 37, before the lockout. That could change given the quick turnaround between now and training camp, but it's also possible the Bears have their eye on his targeted successor. Maynard was a big part of the Bears' special-teams machine over the past decade and would be difficult to replace.

Key players without contracts for 2011: Quarterback Caleb Hanie, center Olin Kreutz, safety Danieal Manning, punter Brad Maynard, linebacker Nick Roach, linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa.

In a way, I was right.

Last week did provide us the final dark weekend of the NFL offseason. I realize we don't yet have labor peace and the lockout is still on. But players will soon vote on the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), possibly this weekend. And even if the delay continues, U2 is playing a certain NFC North city Saturday night. Ah yes, it will be a beautiful day. See you there.

The heart is a bloom
Shoots up through the stony ground
There's no room
No space to rent in this town
You're out of luck
And the reason that you had to care
The traffic is stuck
And you're not moving anywhere
You thought you'd found a friend
To take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand
In return for grace
It's a beautiful day
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away

Harass me through the mailbag, Twitter or Facebook.

I've gotten a surprising number of missives similar to this one from John of Bremerton, Wash.: Though I grew up in Wisconsin and am a Packers fan, I am now losing my interest in the NFL as a whole. In an economy as bad as it has ever been in my 54-year life, players and owners to me are just an illustration of greed. Throw in the agents, lawyers, used car salesman, Wall Street hedge fund guys, politicians -- GREED RULES and I am checking out. They all could care less about the fan. Well this fan no longer cares about any of them. I have enjoyed your column but will no longer be following the NFL.

Kevin Seifert: My general sense throughout this dispute has been that fans would easily move past it provided no regular season games were canceled. After all, it's the games that count -- for everyone. To me, only the most hard-core fans would feel lasting effects of a delay in free agency or the cancellation of minicamps and organized team activities.

But as John points out, there is another segment of fans who are simply turned off by owners and employees of a successful industry brawling over how to divide a $9 billion pie, even if they do it during the offseason. Some of you also find it repugnant that the NFL draws a percentage of its revenues from taxpayer-funded stadiums and believe that fact should mitigate the extent of their capitalism.

I know financial people will note that NFL business growth has slowed in recent years, a classic warning sign for realigning costs. You could find any number of economists who understand why owners locked out players. But some of you don't want to hear about it. I'm guessing the NFL is willing to sacrifice your patronage, in the short-term at least, with the knowledge that a much larger segment will come racing back as soon as the doors open with few questions asked.

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Dustin of Dell Rapids, S.D., writes: With James Jones likely leaving via free agency, and Donald Driver growing older, will the Packers re-sign Jermichael Finley to a long term contract during/after this year? After Jones and Driver leave, if Finley is gone, our offense much less of an imposing force. Finley will likely be looking for some big money, but is he worth re-signing, even at a Vernon Davis size contract?

Kevin Seifert: Once again, I'm surprised at how many people are worried about this issue. Finley's contract does expire after the 2011 season, and Finley's wife tweeted this week that family members are already asking where Finley will play in 2012.

Despite Finley's enormous talent, longtime Packers beat writer Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel isn't convinced the Packers will re-sign him. A knee injury derailed Finley last season on the way to what appeared a breakout season, and the fact is he has yet to put together an elite-level 16-game season. The Packers have also invested heavily in a number of core players already, from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to receiver Greg Jennings to safety Nick Collins and cornerback Tramon Williams. Linebacker Clay Matthews will probably soon be up for an extension.

The 49ers signed Davis signed a six-year deal that included $23 million last September.

To me, Finley will answer this question himself by the type of 2011 season he produces. If he becomes the type of 16-game weapon many people believe he can be, it's going to be hard for the Packers to part ways with him.

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Michael of Tallahassee, Fla., writes: How does the exemption(s) work that I'm hearing about regarding the salary cap? Specifically is this something that will be a permanent part of the upcoming labor agreement or is it a temporary thing to benefit the teams who are currently over the proposed salary cap and will go away in a couple of years.?

Kevin Seifert: For something like this, it's best to consult with former Packers contract negotiator Andrew Brandt, who is now an analyst for ESPN and the National Football Post. This year, writes Brandt, teams can reduce one player's cap charge by $3 million. So, in essence, the cap will be $120 million plus a $3 million exception, or $123 million. In 2012, the exception will be $1.5 million, but the exception is not built in to every year of the proposed CBA.

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Zayne of Houston writes: What do you think of the chances that Clinton Portis comes to the Vikings? He is widely known as the best blocking RB in the league and the Vikings could definitely use him on third down with a rookie QB for protection and a safety gauge much like they used to use Chester Taylor.

Kevin Seifert: I suppose anything is possible, especially with a new coaching staff that surely has different ideas than its predecessor. And it's true, the Vikings first tried to sign LaDainian Tomlinson as a third-down back last season before drafting rookie Toby Gerhart.

But like Tomlinson, I don't think Portis would consider the Vikings his top option. As long as Adrian Peterson stays healthy, the No. 2 back in Minnesota won't play a lot. I'm not sure if the Vikings want a veteran backup for him, and I really don't think Portis would prefer to sign there if he had options.

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Wayne of Lake Worth, Fla., writes: Receiver Derrick Williams of the Detroit Lions...In or Out?

Kevin Seifert: With Stefan Logan as a kickoff/punt returner, and rookie Titus Young expected to serve as the No. 3 receiver, the best Williams could do is the No. 4 receiver. He's had two years in that role. I wonder if the Lions' patience has run out.

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Anton of Lowell, Ark., saw last week's discussion of the Bears' aging defense and wrote: Can you detail the Bears' talent pool of up and coming players on defense? It seems like they have failed to develop new draft picks (ala Lance Briggs) lately, and I'm scared we'll be seriously hurting once the 2000-04 guys are out the door. Can you shed any positive light on recent draft picks? Is our player development seriously lacking? If so, what can we attribute our recent dry spell to? Why have our new guys on D not taken the next step (Nick Roach, Corey Graham, Zack Bowman)?

Kevin Seifert: The Bears don't have much patience with their cornerbacks. I will say that. We've seen some really good play from Graham and Bowman in the past two years, but both got pushed deep down the depth chart after a couple of poor games. I especially wouldn't rule out the possibility of Bowman re-emerging as a starting-quality player, but it'll take an exceptional training camp to win back the Bears' trust.

One young player I really like is nickel back D.J. Moore, who had four interceptions, eight pass breakups and one touchdown last season. He seems to have a knack for the ball and understands pass coverage. Of course, we were saying the same about Bowman last year at this time. But if you're looking for some hope among the Bears' younger veterans, Moore is a worthy candidate.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

As training camps around the NFL inevitably approach, I wonder if we're going to see more reports of players who suffered injuries while working out on their own during the offseason.

Here's one that applies to the NFC North: Detroit Lions left tackle Jeff Backus suffered a left pectoral muscle injury, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The injury is believed to be a partially torn muscle, and his status for the start of training camp is in question.

Specifics are crucial in this case because a completely torn pectoral muscle is usually a season-ending injury. A partial tear can cause a month's absence.

Like most teams, the Lions don't have an heir apparent in-house to replace Backus if he has to miss some time. Left tackle is a difficult-enough position to fill anyway. And the Lions already are monitoring the health of right tackle Gosder Cherilus, who had microfracture surgery on his knee. Corey Hilliard and Jason Fox are the top two backup tackles.

You can say and think what you want about Backus, but losing a starting left tackle for a significant period of time is devastating for any team. A Lions source told Birkett the injury is not serious, but the team hasn't been allowed to examine him per the terms of the lockout. Stay tuned.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Free agent Keith Bulluck is a likely option for the Lions at linebacker, writes Birkett.
• The Green Bay Packers have given defensive tackle Justin Harrell no indication they want him back in 2011, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette checks in with former Packers guard Marco Rivera, who will be inducted into the Packers' Hall of Fame.
• The Chicago Bears would be better off holding their training camp this year at their permanent training facility in Lake Forest, Ill., writes Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• Bears free-agent linebacker Nick Roach to Vaughn McClure of the Tribune: "I love it here. It has been great to know these guys, to play with a historical pair such as Brian [Urlacher] and Lance [Briggs]. But I understand, too, that part of the business is that you're going to have to move around. And I didn't start off here. Moving on is something that I realize could happen."
• Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com suggests the Bears pursue receiver Bernard Berrian if he is released by the Minnesota Vikings.
• Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune identifies the Vikings' priorities when the lockout ends.
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton called the Vikings' stadium proposal "incomplete and unsatisfactory," according to the Associated Press.
• Receiver Sidney Rice's history of injuries could impact the offers he gets on the free-agent market, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Longtime NFL personnel man Gil Brandt, now an analyst for NFL.com, still has good insight into the inner workings of the league. And it's his belief that the Detroit Lions could make "a big play" for pending free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha whenever the market opens this summer.

Brandt, via NFL.com: "I wouldn't be at all surprised if they make a big play for Asomugha. And I think he would consider the situation in Detroit and playing for Jim Schwartz, who has won the respect of his team. A cornerback's best friend is a great defensive line, and right now the Lions have a pretty good group of defensive linemen."

Brandt also thinks the Oakland Raiders will make a big push to keep Asomugha, and national speculation has centered around his desire to play on the East Coast. But the Lions offer a unique situation: An elite pass rush from their defensive line and maximum contract leverage given their dearth of other cornerback options. No one knows how much the Lions would extend financially, but from a media standpoint, at least, they are gaining traction as a legitimate contender for his services.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Associated Press has a complete roundup of the confusion surrounding Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson's summer camp in Oklahoma. (Yawn.)
• A Twin Cities politician has started an online petition to prevent the Vikings from building a suburban stadium in Arden Hills, Minn. Shoreview City Council member Blake Huffman is frustrated by the lack of public involvement in the planning thus far, according to Rochelle Olson of the Star Tribune.
• Former Chicago Bears coach and current ESPN analyst Mike Ditka will appear this summer in the HBO show "Entourage," Ditka told ESPN 1000.
• Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com examines the future of Bears safety Danieal Manning, cornerback Corey Graham and linebacker Nick Roach.
• Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk, via Greg Billing of the Dayton Daily News: "We haven't had any full team workouts. We've had small groups of guys here and there working out together. The great thing about Green Bay is we're not banking on having any rookies coming in and play. We're not putting in any new schemes. For us the main thing is making sure everyone is coming into camp in shape and on time. We have a lot of guys who are accountable and take care of their bodies this whole summer."

Some of you might have seen Adam Schefter's report on the expected state of NFL free agency when a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is reached, presumably next month. In short, it will return the games to pre-2010 rules that made players unrestricted free agents after four accrued seasons.

Most NFL players with expiring contracts already knew whether they would be unrestricted or restricted free agents whenever the 2011 market opened. But this nugget is important to a handful of young NFC North players who have at least four seasons but were concerned that a future agreement could permanently raise the bar for unrestricted free agency to six years.

So if the CBA is written as expected, the players below would join the unrestricted ranks and be eligible to sign with any team for no compensation.

Chicago Bears

• Cornerback Corey Graham
• Safety Danieal Manning
• Linebacker Nick Roach

Detroit Lions

• Cornerback Chris Houston
• Quarterback Drew Stanton

Green Bay Packers

• Guard Daryn Colledge
• Place-kicker Mason Crosby
• Receiver James Jones
• Running back John Kuhn

Minnesota Vikings

• Defensive end Ray Edwards
• Receiver Sidney Rice

Had any of these players been restricted free agents, their movement would have required the new team to compensate their old team. Most would have had no choice but to return to their old teams. But players like Jones, Edwards and Rice would now have a much, much better chance of cashing in with a new team.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

My AFC South colleague Paul Kuharsky, who lords over the highly debated and increasingly powerful NFL Twindex, found some humor in a light-hearted Twitter exchange between Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and Blaine Gabbert of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It started with Gabbert announcing he was headed to the Florida Keys for vacation and continued with Ponder ribbing him for not spending "26 hours out of each day studying the playbook." Gabbert asked Ponder if "u still on your Viking ship from Norway? Or wherever you come from," and Ponder responded that "at least my mascots didn't go from one cat to another..tigers and jags #prrrrrr oh so scaryyy..."

I re-tweeted Ponder's final shot -- "Going to throw and get better with #ChrisWeinke at #IMG while others (@BlaineGabbert) are frolicking in the Keys working on their tan" -- and a few of you wondered if he was serious. As Kuharsky pointed out, it was all in good fun. Hopefully both quarterbacks maintain their sense of humor once they get on the field.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson, via Albert Maruggi of 1500ESPN.com: "I feel as good as I have since I've been in the league. When you get the time off and you're not getting back into it right away, helmet on and going through those things, your body gets a little more chance to rest."
• Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, speaking to Ted Glover of the Daily Norseman, said he has made "a number of amendments and revisions" to his offense to account for the shorter timeframe he'll have to install it this year.
• Green Bay Packers guard Josh Sitton on his Super Bowl ring, via D.C. Reeves of the Pensacola News Journal: "People just want to see it. I'm super excited to show everyone because I'm so impressed by it. When we first saw it, my jaw was just to the floor it was so unbelievable."
• Chicago Bears linebacker Nick Roach defended teammate Brian Urlacher, who has came under some silly criticism from NFL linebacker Dhani Jones, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Stefan Logan appears to have found a home with the Detroit Lions as a kick returner, receiver and running back, writes Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News.
• Police ruled that former Lions and Packers defensive end Jason Hunter was hit by a knife thrown by his girlfriend on accident in April, according to the Associated Press. No charges will be filed.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Chicago Bears

Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune targets Henry Melton, Zack Bowman and Nick Roach as players with the potential to have a breakout season in 2011.

Neil Hayes says Plaxico Burress is just the type of receiver the Bears need.

Detroit Lions

It's early, but Mikel Leshoure has already caught the eye of some of his new teammates in Detroit.

Nick Fairley says he doesn't feel like he's falling behind despite missing all of the player-organized workouts this spring.

Green Bay Packers

ESPN's Tedy Bruschi says it's time for the Packers to start looking ahead to next season and stop celebrating the Super Bowl win. "Being the Super Bowl champions, you'd think they'd want to repeat," Bruschi said. "We're into June. It's June now. You've had your little celebration the week after the Super Bowl. It's time to move on. I think that they're still worried about celebrating and basking in the glory of being a Super Bowl champion is a little bit worrisome if I were a Green Bay Packers fan."

Rob Demovsky sees the competition between Charlie Peprah and Morgan Burnett as one of the more interesting training-camp battles.

Minnesota Vikings

Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder has his sights set on working out with the Vikings' offensive linemen soon.

NFL Network has former Vikings defensive lineman John Randle No. 3 on its list of the top undrafted players.

As you no doubt have heard by now, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson has ordered an end to the NFL's owner-imposed lockout. The league has planned an immediate appeal, with a request for a stay until the appeal is decided.

In other words, it's not clear if the NFL's offseason will begin imminently or if we are still several court decisions away from real action. I'm guessing the latter, but in the event of the former, it's worth re-visiting last month's post on the potential for a court-ordered offseason.

If the owners don't receive a stay and/or lose the appeal, the expectation has been they will revert to 2010 offseason rules to determine player movement in the absence of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). If that's the case, some players who would have been unrestricted free agents under a presumptive new CBA would instead be restricted free agents in 2011, making them far more likely to remain with their original teams.

Here is a partial list of the key players who fall in this category and thus are anxiously awaiting word on the stay request. We'll have more as news warrants.

Chicago Bears

• Cornerback Corey Graham
• Safety Danieal Manning
• Linebacker Nick Roach

Detroit Lions

• Cornerback Chris Houston
• Quarterback Drew Stanton

Green Bay Packers

• Guard Daryn Colledge
• Place-kicker Mason Crosby
• Receiver James Jones
• Running back John Kuhn

Minnesota Vikings

• Defensive end Ray Edwards
• Receiver Sidney Rice

We're Black and Blue All Over:

In case you missed Adam Schefter's story late Thursday, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton is scheduled to work out privately for the Minnesota Vikings next Wednesday. The Vikings are one of nine teams that will take a second look at Newton between now and the April 28 draft.

Newton isn't likely to be available when the Vikings' No. 12 overall pick comes around, but they could trade up if they decide they like him or Missouri's Blaine Gabbert enough to do so.

Meanwhile, as Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com points out, TCU quarterback Andy Dalton listed the Vikings as a team he will visit but it isn't clear if he will work out for them as well.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Vikings place-kicker Ryan Longwell, who is a pending free agent, believes the NFL's new kickoff rules could extend his career. Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune has more.
• Workers will begin replacing the Metrodome roof on Friday, according to the Associated Press.
• Chicago Bears linebacker Nick Roach doesn't think the NFL made kickoffs any safer, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Bears receiver Rashied Davis is trying to organize offseason workouts for players, according to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.
• Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com explores the possibility of defensive lineman Henry Melton jumping into the starting lineup.
• Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press: "The lockout doesn't hit every team evenly. It hurts the Lions far worse. If the owners and players can't quickly settle their differences, 2011 will become another wasted year for [Matthew] Stafford and the team."
• Vic Carucci of NFL.com looks at the strange offseason the Green Bay Packers are experiencing.

As we enter the first full week of Lockout'11, I'll try not to bury you with legal minutiae and random speculation. All of this is unprecedented, and none of us knows how it will play out.

With that said, I will pass along specific information that will have a direct impact on our NFC North community. One such story comes from Mark Maske of the Washington Post, who has a pretty good handle on how the offseason would proceed if the NFL Players Association wins an injunction against the league, effectively ending the lockout.

If that happens, the owners would impose their own structure for free agency to begin next month. According to Maske, those rules almost certainly would mirror those used during last year's uncapped offseason. Most notably for us, that would mean players would need six accrued seasons to qualify for unrestricted free agency.

We've assumed that the league would return to its previous four-year requirement when free agency began, ostensibly after a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). But if free agency starts without a new CBA, which would happen if the NFLPA's injunction is successful, players with four and five accrued years would be restricted free agents.

Based on the tenders offered this month, teams would at least have the option of matching any offer those players receive on the market. Some prominent NFC North players would fall into that category. Below is a partial list of the players who would be unrestricted with a new CBA, but restricted under the likely terms following an injunction:

Chicago Bears

• Cornerback Corey Graham
• Safety Danieal Manning
• Linebacker Nick Roach

Detroit Lions*

• Cornerback Chris Houston
• Quarterback Drew Stanton

Green Bay Packers

• Guard Daryn Colledge
• Place-kicker Mason Crosby
• Receiver James Jones
• Running back John Kuhn

Minnesota Vikings

• Defensive end Ray Edwards
• Receiver Sidney Rice

Again, none of us knows exactly how this will play out. But if you're keeping a cursory eye on the initial legal proceedings, which could continue for a month, know this much: An injunction likely will take us back to the 2010 uncapped rules for free agency.

*Update: As several of you pointed out, Lions defensive end Cliff Avril has three accrued seasons and thus will be a restricted free agent no matter what system is implemented.