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We're Black and Blue All Over:

It was almost an afterthought amid discussion of quarterback Jay Cutler's new weapons, the weight loss of receiver Johnny Knox and the configuration of the offensive line. But we might as well acknowledge it: Newcomer Michael Bush was the Chicago Bears' first-team tailback during Wednesday's organized team activity as starter Matt Forte stays away from the facility in a contract dispute.

Forte has yet to sign his $7.7 million franchise tag while pushing for a long-term extension. If there is an end in sight to those negotiations, it hasn't been reported publicly. While no one thinks Forte will elect to miss regular-season games, it isn't clear if he'll report for any part of the Bears' offseason program or training camp.

Bush, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com: "Nobody has ever brought up Forte's name or wished he was here or anything to make me feel uncomfortable. But me being me, [I think] Forte needs to come on out so we can get it going. But I know he's got to take care of himself and his family as well."

To be continued.

Now for our morning spin around the division:

• The Bears signed free-agent defensive tackle Nate Collins to a one-year deal, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune on Knox: "This doesn't look like a man who will be taking the field in the foreseeable future to participate in a collision sport played against hulking behemoths and athletic freaks."
• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune raises an interesting question: Should the Bears sign Cutler to a contract extension ahead of Forte?
• Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson and some of his teammates tried their hand at bocce ball Wednesday, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions place-kicker Jason Hanson isn't sure how long he plans to play, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Lions coach Jim Schwartz isn't ready to address the status of receiver Titus Young, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Here's a Q&A with Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson by Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• It's clear the Packers want to beef up their defensive front, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• The Packers have apparently put their playbooks on iPads, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press speaks with new Minnesota Vikings place-kicker Blair Walsh.
• Opponents of the Vikings' stadium bill are still working to defeat it, according to Eric Roper of the Star Tribune.

We spent some time earlier this month discussing the Green Bay Packers' remarkable two-decade process of developing and dispersing front office talent. Four teams are now led by general managers who worked under the Packers' Ron Wolf in the early 1990's, and on Wednesday the Packers formalized their next generation of up-and-comers.

The key points from this perspective:

• John Dorsey, the Packers' longtime director of college scouting, is now the team's second-highest ranking executive after general manager Ted Thompson. Dorsey's new title is Director -- Football Operations and is entering his 22nd season with the Packers.
• Eliot Wolf, Ron's son, is the new director of Pro Personnel. He has been with the Packers for nine years.
• Brian Gutekunst is the new director of college scouting. He has spent 14 years with the organization.

Based on history, at least one of those men will secure a general manager job in the NFL in the next few years.

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.

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.

As NFL front offices go through their post-draft hirings and firings, it's worth taking a look at the machine the Green Bay Packers have created in the 21 years since hiring Ron Wolf as their general manager. So that's exactly what I did in this week's Blogger Blitz.

I realize that I glossed over the four-year period when coach Mike Sherman made personnel decisions between Wolf's retirement and the hiring of Ted Thompson. But for the most part, the Packers have been run the same way for more than two decades.

Consider that over that stretch, the Chicago Bears -- considered one of the NFL's more stable franchises -- have changed directions three times. So have the Detroit Lions. The Minnesota Vikings, meanwhile, have had by my count six changes of front-office direction since 1991.

Let's run through some of the basics on the NFL's eight-game suspension of Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove in a Q&A format:

Will Hargrove appeal?

Almost certainly, yes. He has three days to file it with the NFL.

Who will preside over the appeal?

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who finalized the original suspension as well.

Will Hargrove file a lawsuit?

Someone will, perhaps on his behalf. The NFL Players Association said in a statement that it will "vigorously protect and pursue all options" on behalf of the suspended players. This is a potentially career-altering suspension. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter: "Get ready for a massive multiple legal battle over this on several fronts."

When would the suspension start?

At the start of the regular season. That means Hargrove can continue to participate in the Packers' offseason program, go to training camp with them and participate in the preseason. He would be eligible to resume practicing on Monday, Oct. 29.

What does this mean for the Packers?

General manager Ted Thompson rarely signs veteran free agents, so it was fair to assume the Packers had a significant -- if not starting -- role in mind for Hargrove when they signed him. Fortunately for them, they drafted two defensive linemen last weekend, Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels.

Did the Packers know about the suspension before signing Hargrove?

No. It's reasonable to assume they thought one was a possibility, but it's doubtful they thought it would be for eight games.

Will the Packers keep him on their roster?

That's unknown at this point. They wouldn't have to pay him during the suspension and he wouldn't count against their roster. It's worth pointing out that defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said Hargrove's intensity was already having an impact on the team's defensive line in the early stages of the offseason program.

Why was Hargrove punished so severely?

The NFL is obviously sending a serious statement about the bounty issue. But of the four players who were suspended, the NFL singled out Hargrove because he "actively obstructed the league’s 2010 investigation into the program by being untruthful to investigators," according to the league's official statement.

The league said Hargrove certified that he was aware of the bounty program and that he actively participated in it. Does that jibe with a statement Hargrove sent us in March?

In the statement, Hargrove said he did not receive any money, nor was he expecting any, for a late hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC Championship Game. He admitted to celebrating Favre's ankle injury during the game but said it was a mistake and added: "[D]id I personally want Favre INJURED? Absolutely and categorically NO!"

What's your take, Mr. NFC North blogger?

I think this thing is going to get much, much uglier before it goes away. What the NFL alleged about Hargrove's role, as well as that of the three other players, is career-threatening and life-altering. I don't see anyone absorbing such a blow without a legal fight. Hargrove has overcome a number of obstacles just to make it this far in his NFL career, having turned his life around following a yearlong suspension for substance abuse in 2008. Remember, there are two sides to every story. Hargrove will be highly motivated to clear his name.

I wish there were a tangible way to illustrate what the Green Bay Packers have been searching for defensively this offseason. Coaches call it "juice," a term that isn't in my edition of "Football for Dummies" and is hard to define but is probably best considered in the context of children drinking sugar-dense orange juice. They bounce off the walls with boundless energy, leaving a path of destruction no ordinary parent could stop.

In football, "juice" doesn't necessarily lead to sacks or tackles behind the line of scrimmage or any other easily-measured statistic. It's more about the energy a player employs, the stress it puts on an offensive line and the way it interrupts the rhythm of a quarterback's mental progression. It leads to mental mistakes by opponents, along with inaccurate throws and poor decisions.

The Packers' defense fell short in a number of key areas last season. One of the most critical deficiencies, it's now clear, was a relative lack of juice up front. Despite a pair of Pro Bowl players in linebacker Clay Matthews and nose tackle B.J. Raji, the Packers were too often neutralized -- both inside and on the edge -- and thus exposed themselves to the kind of big plays that left them with an NFL record for passing yards allowed (4,796).

The team's response has been notable as much for its methods and as its targets. General manager Ted Thompson broke from tradition on multiple occasions, dipping into veteran free agency to sign defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and trading up three times in last week's NFL draft to select half of the six defensive players he opened the draft with.

When you put Hargrove in a group with first-round linebacker Nick Perry and second-round defensive end Jerel Worthy, you see a profile of exceedingly athletic players with the ability, in their own way, to be natural havoc-wreakers beyond the line of scrimmage. No one would admit to such a detail, and in fact Thompson claimed he had not so much as prioritized the defense this offseason, but I think it's clear the Packers have set out to ratchet up the juice among the defensive players they will use near the line of scrimmage.

"We've got to find a way to control the down and distance," defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters in Green Bay, "and [opponents getting] into predictable situations. … We can't give up the number of big plays as we did last year."

ESPN Stats & Information analyzed the Packers' defense on passes that traveled more than 15 yards in the air, finding that opponents gained an NFL-high 79 first downs and completed 21 passes of 30 or more yards in those situations. Coverage issues played a role in that, of course, but it's fair to say opposing quarterbacks must have felt awfully comfortable to have made so many downfield plays.

As the chart shows, the Packers' four-man rush was one of the worst in the NFL. All teams hope their standard rush can disrupt opponents, and that's where the root of the Packers' ills last season lies. When you see defensive players getting little movement beyond the line of scrimmage, that's a visual example of a lack of juice. When defensive players are getting into the backfield, even if they miss the quarterback or running back, that's displaying some juice. The hope is that Hargrove, Perry and Worthy can get the Packers' juices flowing a bit more in 2012. (See what I did there?)

We've already discussed Hargrove's potential impact, and it's worth nothing that defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said Hargrove's hard-charging personality has already had an effect on the position.

"He's another guy that has a lot of juice to him," Trgovac said. "He really plays hard every down. I think it's just kind of in his DNA to go full speed every down. Any time you can inject that into your room, [it's good]. ... He is always talking to those guys about how he's going to work hard every day."

Perry, meanwhile, brings with him a reputation for inconsistency at USC, but the Packers were enamored with the rare physical traits he will bring to outside linebacker and hope he will impose a significant pressure point on the edge. Both Thompson and defensive coordinator Dom Capers noted that Perry ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and nailed a vertical leap of 38 1/2 inches even while weighing in at 271 pounds.

"He's an explosive player," Capers said. "… We obviously think he has the potential to do that and be the guy we're looking for at the edge."

New Minnesota Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil, who worked against Perry in practice at USC, suggested he is a physical freak. Even if he doesn't rack up sacks, the theory goes, Perry has enough speed and strength to collapse pockets and make quarterbacks uncomfortable.

"That guy looks like he's Hercules," Kalil said. "His biceps are bigger than my legs and he has the lower body of a horse. That plus his athletic ability and just how strong he is and his arsenal of moves [in practice] really made games easy for me."

Worthy has a similar combination of quickness and size, but the Packers also found him to have exceptional instincts and thus have high hopes that he'll move immediately to the point of attack.

"He's one of the better players I've seen in a couple of years in finding the ball," Trgovac said. "He'll add some juice to our front. He'll get off blocks and do some of the things we ask him to do. He's got some quickness to him for a big guy, and he anticipates the snap count very well."

If true, this offseason will be just what the dietician ordered for the Packers. Juice all around!

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.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Good morning. We saw an initial review of the 2012 draft Sunday from ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr., and I'm sure we'll continue to hear more and more analysis throughout the week. Few, if any, of it will be more meaningful or direct as what Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson said after seeing his team select six defensive players to start the draft.

While attending the White House Correspondents dinner in Washington, D.C., Woodson told Craig Gilbert of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "There's always talk about Green Bay just drafting the best available player. But I think this year that tells you that that's not the case. We drafted what we needed. And we needed a whole lot of help on defense. Anybody who watched our season last year understands that."

Noting that Packers general manager Ted Thompson traded up three times to draft specific defensive players, Woodson added: "You see? And everybody says he doesn't do that. And he did it. That tells you that we're going to win another championship. I don't believe we needed much, but I think we got more than we needed and that's even better."

I think we know by now that Woodson isn't prone to giddiness. Maybe it was the atmosphere at the exclusive D.C. event, but it's notable when a player like Woodson strongly approves of a team's approach.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Thompson took some rare risks with defensive end Nick Perry and defensive lineman Jerel Worthy, writes Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel.
• One of the Packers' undrafted free agents played college basketball, notes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com thinks that Graham Harrell will be the Packers' backup quarterback in 2012.
• Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News: "Say whatever you wish about the [Detroit] Lions' draft. Seriously, go ahead and say it. Odd. Smart. Confusing. Aggressive. Tepid. After a few years of no-brainer picks, the Lions let us do a little head-scratching. But at least their strategy and dominant body part didn't change: They stuck to what their heads told them."
• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press takes a closer look at the three Oklahoma players the Lions drafted.
• The Lions created competition at several positions with this draft, notes Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com has the list of 11 undrafted rookies the Chicago Bears signed.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune on the Bears' draft approach: "They ended up not selected an offensive lineman or a defensive tackle because of the way the draft broke. The Bears took players at other positions who were graded higher, which is the way you are supposed to do it."
• The Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill is caught in a larger political showdown as the scheduled end of the session approaches, writes Mike Kaszuba of the Star Tribune.
• Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "Between more than a dozen unrestricted free-agent signings since mid-March and last week's 10 draft picks, the Vikings' first step in the rebuilding manual is clearly stated: Stockpile affordable talent, create as much competition as possible and hope for the best."
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com has the latest on Vikings running back Caleb King, who remains jailed after a violent incident over the weekend in the Twin Cities.

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

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

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

BEST MOVE

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

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

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

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

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

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

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

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

RISKIEST MOVE

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

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

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

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

FILE IT AWAY

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

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

Message sent, huh?

Before Friday, Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson had traded up a total of three times in the NFL draft.

Friday afternoon, Thompson did it twice in the second round alone.

A few minutes after moving up to draft Michigan State defensive lineman Jerel Worthy, Thompson moved back into the second round to select Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward. The Packers gave up a third-round (No. 90) and fifth-round pick (No. 163) to do it, but as we've discussed, they entered Saturday with an NFL-high 11 picks to work with.

The Packers have gone for defensive help in each of their first three picks. I think they were serious about remaking their defense this offseason. You?

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Thanks to everyone for bearing with me during a fast-paced and surprising first round of the NFL draft. I told you ahead of time that my focus would be on the Minnesota Vikings, given their spot at No. 3 overall, but that I would account for each of the NFC North's first-round picks in a substantive way.

I did that as best I could as the first round sped on. We have months to pull apart and dissect this draft, but for now it occurs to me that there might be some question about what position three of our five first-round picks will play when training camp begins this summer.

Let's work through that issue for Shea McClellin and the Chicago Bears, Riley Reiff and the Detroit Lions, and Nick Perry and the Green Bay Packers before calling it a night (or early morning).

McClellin played defensive end and middle linebacker at Boise State and was projected by many teams as an ideal 3-4 outside linebacker. The Bears run a 4-3, of course, and general manager Phil Emery said he will begin his career at left defensive end, opposite of right end Julius Peppers.

"We like him at D-end," Emery told reporters in Chicago. "He has versatility, if we were to have a string of injuries, to play 'Sam' [linebacker], but we like who he is as a football player better as an end than at linebacker for us."

While McClellin seemed destined to play outside linebacker for a 3-4 team, it was assumed Perry would land with a 4-3 team so he could play defensive end. That was his position at USC, and he'll need to make a significant adjustment with the Packers.

General manager Ted Thompson told reporters that Perry's athletic ability should smooth the transition.

"He's played with his hand on the ground," Thompson said, "and we're convinced he's athletic enough to play standing up and do some of the things that we do."

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters that the "top priority" for outside linebackers is to "have that explosive ability to come off the edge."

Capers added: "Some of the coverage stuff we'll be doing with him will be a learning process, but that isn't uncommon with these guys."

Finally, pre-draft discussion centered around whether Reiff projected as left or right tackle in the NFL. Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters that Reiff could play up to four positions, but coach Jim Schwartz said: "Riley is a left tackle."

Schwartz added: "He fits the criteria for that position."

That makes Reiff the heir apparent to incumbent Jeff Backus, but the succession might not occur until 2013 or even 2014.

Now that we know McClellin will play defensive end, Perry projects as an outside linebacker and Reiff as a left tackle, we can close up shop for Thursday night/Friday morning. Back with you a bit later on Friday morning. Peace out.

As our ESPN.com blogger mock draft 2.0 reached the bottom of the first round, I had an unexpected decision to make. I wanted to get the Green Bay Packers an outside linebacker who could enhance their pass rush, and when the No. 28 pick arrived, I had a choice between Alabama's Courtney Upshaw and Boise State's Shea McClellin.

I had targeted McClellin before the draft as among a handful of players I figured to be choosing from at No. 28. Upshaw wasn't on that list, mostly because I thought he would be drafted by that point. After a few minutes of toggling back and forth, I stuck with my original intent and drafted McClellin.

AFC North colleague Jamison Hensley then gleefully grabbed Upshaw for the Baltimore Ravens at No. 29. So did I make a classic draft mistake by not adjusting after an unexpected turn of events? Can you make a football argument for McClellin over one of the best players on Alabama's championship defense? Or is it a moot point, considering the slim likelihood that both players will be on the real draft board when the real Packers make the real selection at No. 28 in the real draft on Thursday?

I reached out to Steve Muench, who spends the year evaluating college talent for Scouts Inc. Steve said he would also have taken McClellin for the Packers and offered this reasoning:

Upshaw is tough and he sets the edge well. He's also a relentless pass rusher from a big-time program. He is going to be a good player but the Packers need pass rush help and McClellin projects as the better pass-rusher. He's more explosive, he bends better and he closes better. That's why he makes more sense if both are available.

Your reactions were mixed via Twitter.

@PackerRanter thought "most would be happy with either."

@MJEversoll was "surprised both were available, but I agree [Ted Thompson] would take McClellin over Upshaw. Right choice."

@Z_Kool thought McClellin "seems like a GB kid, like the pick."

@bradygoble, on the other hand, thought "Upshaw is the better choice. Harder hitter and can get to the QB faster."

At some level, we're probably all guilty of some stereotyping here. If you read what Muench said, and watch the Todd McShay's draft minute on Upshaw, it's probably unfair to assume that the big-school Upshaw is the better athlete and that McClellin, from a smaller school, is the better technician. The media analysts who know more about this than we do suggest McClellin has better athletic traits as a pass-rusher, which is the primary place the Packers would use a first-round linebacker.

I'm of course open to further opinions from you, but I actually feel better about my choice today than yesterday. Carry on.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Long before he led a team of investors in purchasing the Minnesota Vikings in 2005, Zygi Wilf's family owned a real estate company that had significant investments in Southern California. His frequent visits have often provided convenient fodder for the rumor mill, mostly because his private plane has an unmistakable Vikings logo painted on its tail and the team has always been rumored to be a candidate to relocate there.

So when the Los Angeles Daily News reported Thursday that Wilf's plane was spotted at a Southern California airport, in the same week when his stadium bill in Minnesota was quashed, the news spread quickly.

As we've discussed, we are now in a phase of increased pressure and dramatic rhetoric as the franchise's future is sorted out. Whether the plane's arrival in Southern California was coincidental, an expensive message or an indication that Wilf is in negotiations to sell the team to a Los Angeles investor, the overlying point hasn't changed: The Vikings will eventually leave Minnesota if they don't secure a stadium deal.

Are they already angling to leave with 10 days remaining in the state's legislative session? I can't answer that. Just consider it another reminder of a potential future reality.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Regardless of the plane's purpose in California, the NFL is sending commissioner Roger Goodell and other executives to Minnesota for meetings Friday on the stadium, notes the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• The Vikings have met two league requirements for a relocation, notes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
• The Vikings' contingency plan at running back is incomplete, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• It's safe to assume the Green Bay Packers will select an outside linebacker relatively high in the draft, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Offensive lineman Chad Clifton has been working out in the Packers' offseason program, a good sign that he will get a chance to return in 2012. More from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Packers general manager Ted Thompson said he is "fine with" having Graham Harrell and Nick Hill as the backups to starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best (concussion) has been working out in the team's offseason program, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Lions general manager Martin Mayhew's draft philosophy can be boiled down to "the best player for us." More from the Detroit News.
• The Lions haven't changed how they evaluate prospects after having three of their 2011 draft class members have legal entanglements related to marijuana, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com takes a look at the Chicago Bears' prospects for drafting a receiver.
• Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery's approach is rooted largely in the "Patriot Way," writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The newsbits were flying Thursday afternoon in the NFC North. Noting outrageous, but all worth a mention. Let's do just that in quick-hitting fashion.

Item: Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he's narrowed down his options for the No. 3 overall pick to three players: USC left tackle Matt Kalil, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon and LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne.
Comment: The only news there is that Spielman has apparently eliminated Alabama running back Trent Richardson, a player believed to be coveted by the Cleveland Browns at No. 4. Spielman said that Kalil, Blackmon and Claiborne all grade out equally as prospects. I have a hard time believing that.

Item: The Chicago Bears signed free-agent linebacker Geno Hayes.
Comment: The Bears were in fact trying to add depth at the position before the draft. Hayes has played four years but is still only 24.

Item: Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said he has narrowed his options at No. 23 to between four and seven players.
Comment: That's about as much pre-draft insight as you'll get from Mayhew, who went out of his way to note how delicate information is when picking at the bottom of the first round.

Item: Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson told reporters that he is comfortable in not knowing the future of safety Nick Collins until after the draft.
Comment: It's probably safe to assume Thompson has sized up how his roster would look without Collins and has made his draft plans accordingly just to be safe.