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It's hard to imagine the Chicago Bears moving on without linebacker Brian Urlacher anytime in the near future, especially with no heir apparent on the roster at the moment. But that doesn't change the fact that Urlacher, who turned 34 on Friday, is entering the final year of his contract. Visiting Friday with ESPN 1000, Urlacher said he "no doubt" wants to finish his career with the Bears, but also said a trip into free agency would be "exciting."

Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com wrote a news story off Urlacher's appearance and the video provides the clip of the free-agent portion of the discussion.

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Chicago Bears in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): Tailback Matt Forte reports to training camp happy and healthy, either with a new contract or an acceptance of the franchise tag. His good will soothes the locker room and allows players to focus on football. Quarterback Jay Cutler leads the second coming of the 2008 Denver Broncos offense, connecting with receiver Brandon Marshall for 100-plus receptions, and the Bears finally find a Devin Hester "Package" that works. The aging defense remains sharp, rookie Shea McClellin provides an important balance to the pass rush and the Bears prove to be an NFC powerhouse.

Nightmare scenario: (7-9): Forte holds out from training camp, starting the summer off on a bad vibe. An offense that looks good on paper struggles to get organized under first-year coordinator Mike Tice. The Hester Package limits his effectiveness as a returner. McClellin isn't ready to be a three-down player. The defense gets old more quickly than expected, exposing the Bears' lack of young impact players.

Mort and Suzy discuss the Bears' offseason issues, Max and Marcellus rank the teams in the NFC East, and Herm and Bill Polian show off their dance moves.

A committee of ESPN experts -- including Trent Dilfer, Mel Kiper, Gary Horton, Matt Williamson -- assembled this offseason to create a unique version of our traditional Power Rankings.

Naturally, NFC North teams are featured prominently in what amounts to a three-year projection of Power Rankings for the 2015 season . The Green Bay Packers received the top spot as the team best equipped to compete three years from now, while the Detroit Lions were not far behind at No. 6.

The file requires an Insider subscription to read in full, but I can pass along where our four teams ranked and also a glimpse at the methodology used. Here is how the committee evaluated each team and the degree of impact each category had:

• Roster (32.5 percent of total score): Players under 30 emphasized
• Coaching (20 percent): Capability and stability of current staff
• Quarterback (17.5 percent): Where quarterback play would be in three years
• Draft (15 percent): Based on team's 2012 class and how many picks available in next three years.
• Front office (15 percent): Ability to manage roster and market's attraction to free agents.

Now on to the NFC North rankings with comments from me:

1. Green Bay Packers
Seifert comment: The presence of a 28-year-old MVP quarterback and one of the NFL's top general manager-coach combinations puts the Packers on an ideal long-term path.

6. Detroit Lions
Seifert comment: Quarterback Matthew Stafford had a 5,000-yard season before his 24th birthday. That's a nice start. General manager Martin Mayhew has elevated the team's talent level every season of his tenure and most of their key players -- Stafford, receiver Calvin Johnson, tight end Brandon Pettigrew, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, safety Louis Delmas and linebacker Stephen Tulloch -- are under 30.

17. Chicago Bears
Seifert comment: Jay Cutler is a legitimate franchise quarterback, but the best players on the Bears' defense are all over 30. That list includes defensive end Julius Peppers, linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, and cornerback Charles Tillman.

31. Minnesota Vikings
Seifert comment: Questions about quarterback Christian Ponder's long-term prospects made it difficult for the committee to project future success. There are also concerns about a lack of young impact players on defense. Defensive end Jared Allen is 30 and linebacker Chad Greenway is 29.

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.

Our friends at Football Outsiders have reached the NFC North juncture of their annual post-draft needs series for ESPN.com. You'll need an Insider subscription to read the entire file but I can provide you a snippet of the needs that Outsiders' statistical analysis points to for each of our teams.

Chicago Bears
Need: Offensive line
Excerpt: Left tackle J'Marcus Webb "led the league with 15 offensive penalties in 2011."
Seifert comment: We've been through this before. Outsiders suggests the Bears seek a swing tackle via free agency, but indications are that the team envisions 2008 first-round pick Chris Williams in that role.

Detroit Lions
Need: Cornerback
Excerpt: Free-agent acquisition Jacob Lacey "ranked 81st in success rate against the pass last year and 88th in 2010."
Seifert comment: The Lions prioritize the havoc they can create with a dynamic defensive line over whatever shortcomings they might have in the secondary. Lacey will compete with Aaron Berry and perhaps rookie Dwight Bentley for a starting job.

Green Bay Packers
Need: Backup quarterback
Excerpt: "If any injury causes [Aaron] Rodgers to miss action, the Packers are looking at trotting out either super raw seventh-round rookie B.J. Coleman or undrafted and utterly untested third-year man Graham Harrell."
Seifert comment: In 2008, the Packers set a precedent of using an untested backup in Matt Flynn. There isn't league-wide certainty that Harrell is prepared to be a No. 2 in 2012, but the Packers are more likely to use him in that role than sign a veteran free agent.

Minnesota Vikings
Need: Middle linebacker
Excerpt: "There's no evidence suggesting that [Jasper] Brinkley can handle the full slate of middle linebacker duties."
Seifert comment: All indications are that Brinkley will get the first chance to replace E.J. Henderson. There isn't a notable alternative on the roster, but it's a position where a temporary starter could be signed during training camp. But the Vikings are committed to getting younger and Brinkley is 26.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Chicago Bears and why.

For months, the Chicago Bears have systematically picked off their roster holes, large and small. They traded for receiver Brandon Marshall, giving quarterback Jay Cutler his long-sought "big target." They signed backups at quarterback (Jason Campbell) and running back (Michael Bush), drafted a pass-rusher (Shea McClellin) to complement Julius Peppers, and added another big receiver in rookie Alshon Jeffery.

But rather than address two years of uneven play along their offensive line with additional personnel upgrades, the Bears instead placed their faith in new offensive coordinator Mike Tice to handle that job. The Bears are confident that Tice's background as an offensive line coach will ensure a scheme that offers his blockers plenty of help and limits the difficulty of the position they find themselves under.

In the end, however, football is about the skills of the players more than it is the schemes of the coaches. If Tice can't help the Bears' incumbent linemen play at a winning level, then the rest of the Bears' upgrades won't matter for much. That's an awful lot of pressure to put on one coach.

Over the past few months, the Chicago Bears have transformed their receiving corps from one of the NFL's shortest to arguably the tallest. They've reunited the key players from the Denver Broncos' dynamic 2008 offense and they've fended off questions -- including some from their quarterback -- about their offensive line. But to me, the most intriguing thing happening in Chicago at the moment is the development of a mysterious package of plays for receiver/kick returner Devin Hester, the latest in a long line of attempts to harness Hester's Hall of Fame speed and skills for their offense.

General manager Phil Emery hinted at the new approach shortly after the draft. Offensive coordinator Mike Tice and receivers coach Darryl Drake offered some morsels to reporters during last weekend's rookie minicamp, and all that's left now is to see if it actually works.

Part of me wants to roll my eyes and cringe, as we did recently on the blog, as the Bears once again refuse to accept what Hester is and isn't -- at least what he hasn't been yet. They remain unsatisfied with him simply being the best kick returner in NFL history. And another part thinks this attempt could prove to be the most productive balance the Bears have tried yet.

Drake might have best explained the plan last weekend by suggesting the "Hester Package" will limit snaps but elevate targets to make more efficient use of Hester's time on offense.

"The talent has always been there," Drake told reporters. "It's just a matter of not having him play 70 plays and throw to him twice. Play him 15 [plays], let him touch it 13 [times.] In order for him to be effective, we don't need to have him out there playing that many plays. If he's out there, put the ball in his hands. We need to have that package, and Mike Tice -- I promise you -- he's going to do it."

On the surface, it makes sense. Hester's combination of speed and open-field running ability is rare and awfully tempting to expand on. And when you look at the chart, you see what happens when a team doesn't have or utilize the speed to stretch a defense vertically. The 2011 Bears, for instance, had one of the least efficient short passing games in the NFL last season.

But running a full game's worth of pass routes probably takes the edge off Hester's energy in the return game. There is reason to think he could have a similar impact in 15 plays designed to involve him than he could in 70 plays that spread the ball around the field.

That appears to be the starting point for a tweak that appears to have emanated from, or at least endorsed by, Emery himself.

"I want to make sure that we have a special plan for Devin," Emery said last month. "We have the 'Devin Package' -- packages of plays as a receiver. You never know where he's going to line up. I don't want to get too far ahead of that in terms of letting other people know what we're going to do with him, but he will have a package of plays that we feel can bring out his dynamic ability to the forefront and if not only as carrying or catching the ball, but sometimes that's a decoy.

"Devin's speed vertically is something that has to be accounted for. So if that pulls people from coverage, to handle that vertical ball, you've got other people; we've got some awfully big targets to hit."

On the other hand, of course, it's not as easy as it sounds. You better believe that opposing defenses will notice when Hester is on the field, especially now that the Bears have announced they want to get him the ball often in the relatively brief period of time he plays offense. I don't think it will make teams leave, say, Brandon Marshall wide open to account for Hester, but his appearance isn't going to surprise anyone, either.

The "Hester Package" has already conjured comparisons to the "Randy Ratio" that Tice used after taking over the Minnesota Vikings' head coaching job in 2002. As you might recall, a study of the Vikings' 2001 season showed they won every game they targeted receiver Randy Moss on at least 40 percent of their throws. Tice announced he would make that goal a centerpiece of his offense.

The "Randy Ratio" wasn't a schematic adjustment as much as it was Tice's attempt to cajole the notoriously anti-authoritarian receiver to buy in as a team leader. It backfired on a number of fronts, and Tice himself acknowledged over the weekend that it "came back to bite me in the [rear end]."

Turning serious, Tice said: "Devin is going to be on the field. If he's not on the field, then they should fire me."

That final line speaks to the extent the Bears have prioritized Hester's potential contribution. You know the old saying: If at first you don't succeed, try try again.

We noted last week that Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall, in his strongest language yet, denied any wrongdoing as part of a March incident outside a New York City nighclub. Marshall said an allegation that he punched a woman in the face is "a lie" and predicted he would be cleared by the New York City police department soon.

That could happen as early as this week, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Monday morning, Schefter reported that police have "struggled" to find evidence against Marshall and that it's "likely" the case will be closed with no formal charges filed.

In that scenario, it wouldn't seem likely that the NFL would discipline Marshall, either, which means he would be clear for a full 16-game season. Still, this episode should remind the Bears and their fans that Marshall is one misstep from significant time away from the team.

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."

The Bears' initial plan is for Jeffery to learn the "Z" slot position, but it's not out of the question that he could eventually pair with Brandon Marshall as an outside receiver with Devin Hester moving inside.

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.

As I suspected, you offered up a number of intelligent and well-articulated responses to a topic that has already gotten a fair amount of discussion both on this blog and nationally. But while discussing whether you would allow your son to play football, your responses brought the conversation to a new ground. Namely: the context of the discussion must be narrowed.

For the vast majority of us, the question isn't whether you would let your son embark on a 25-year run of playing football, thereby subjecting him to the long-term effects of countless blows to the head over an extended period of time. In reality, it's whether you would let him play at the youth or high school level for a few years.

Statistically speaking, most high school players don't play in college and most college players don't play professionally. We might be getting ahead of ourselves by making parental decisions based on a fear of the brain damage and eventual suicides of, say, former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson or Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Andre Waters.

With that, let's run through some of the responses that stood out to me. Thanks for your insight and, of course, have an outstanding spring weekend.

Chip001
What gets lost in a lot of this is that these are decisions parents make every day about other things that are much more dangerous without nearly as much drama over them. More kids are hurt driving than any other endeavor I can think of. Parents might rue the day when their child starts to drive, and they might be worried sick every time they go out on the roads, but still the child is allowed to get a drivers license when the time comes in almost all cases. We "take chances" every day with little things -- cell phones can be a distraction, swimming pools, alcohol, driving, speeding, etc -- but we can't limit kids chances of being hurt at every step in life. At some point, never "taking the chance" or the "risk" becomes more of a problem than a benefit.

Racthewiz
I had a concussion in a bike accident before I got in to high school. My doctor did not want me to play football in high school. I convinced my parents to allow me. I know I had several more in high school football. Sometimes I would get my bell rung, and I remember thinking I hope the other team does not throw my way for a while because I didn't remember my assignments. I did not tell anyone when they happened. That being said, with everything we know now, versus then, I would do it all over again. I loved football that much. I can't say if any of these hits have caused any long term effects.

34GummyBear34
I too played football all through high school and loved it dearly. It did wonders for me. I have a son now and I have no idea if he will want to play or not. One thing that he will have that I never did is the knowledge before hand of how damaging the game can be. I never thought I was going to get seriously hurt. Concussions were referred to having your bell rung. I think kids who live in areas that push football will have a harder time than my son. I don't live in the deep south. The west coast likes its sports but he's more likely to want to snowboard or mountain bike than play football

Percrand54ll
I think we're all jumping to the conclusion that these suicides are a direct result of brain damage. The scientific proof is just not there yet, and may never be. There are studies being conducted but no definite answers. I disagree with old players suing the league, I disagree that concussions are going to be the end of the sport, and MILLIONS of people, including myself, are just fine after playing 8 years of football.

I have a son and won't let him play football until 8th grade simply due to the physical toll it will take on his body. There are other sports for young kids, soccer, baseball, basketball, etc, etc, etc....

Curley2808
Correct me if I'm wrong...School buses don't even have seat belts and parents don't seem to have a problem with that. Danger lurks everywhere, don't live life scared.

Machinemanske
Being able to do anything you LOVE to do is one of life's treasures. We face risks everyday whether we choose to step onto a football field, strap into a snowboard or walk to the grocery store. The chances for concussions, brain injuries or worse are exponentially higher for players in any contact sport but consider the fact that they each face potentially life-threatening circumstances in whatever mode of transportation they use just getting to the practice field. I have had the pleasure of getting to do what I love to do almost my whole life and I wish everyone could have that experience. Sure drumming and football are vastly different, but my body has certainly paid the price over the years.

By now, you've probably heard that former Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter said Tuesday on ESPN Radio that he put bounties on other NFL players during his career to protect himself from injury. Carter told "Hill and Schlereth" that, for example, he paid some Vikings teammates to protect him from linebacker Bill Romanowski in a game against the Denver Broncos because Romanowski told him before the game he would end his career.

Carter referred to the bounty as putting "a little change on his head." He added: "Listen, on the football field you only got certain protection and your teammates are part of that protection. It's built in and if I'm playing a certain position where I can't protect myself -- how can the quarterback protect himself? But for his teammates to stand up and do something."

A lot of the interview, which can be found on this podcast , reflects Carter's usual bluster and rhetoric. But to me the serious upshot is that Carter's idea of a bounty, which he said was commonplace during his career, isn't the same thing as what the NFL claims the New Orleans Saints did under former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

"It wasn't to maim or hurt the dude," Carter said. "When a guy said he was going to hurt me, my recourse was to put a bounty on him to make sure."

Maybe it's semantics, but paying an offensive lineman to give Romanowski an extra shove is a lot different than, say, offering money to knock a starting quarterback out of a playoff game. Carry on.

Are the Chicago Bears really set at offensive line?

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

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

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

Did the Detroit Lions do enough to address their secondary?

When the offseason began, it was reasonable to lock in two starters among the Lions' defensive backfield: safety Louis Delmas and cornerback Chris Houston. That left the other two starters open and possibly subject to upgrade after a well-documented collapse of their pass defense.

Four months later, nothing has really changed about that arrangement. Cornerback Eric Wright signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if there is a safety on the roster who will challenge 2010-11 starter Amari Spievey, he isn't easily identifiable.

It appears the Lions are set to open training camp with oft-injured nickel back Aaron Berry, free agent Jacob Lacey and perhaps Alphonso Smith competing for Wright's former position. Although they drafted three cornerbacks last week, the best-case scenario is probably for third-rounder Dwight Bentley to win the nickel spot.

You can't fill every hole in an offseason, and the Lions' secondary will continue to be protected by one of the best defensive fronts in the game. But there some important questions remaining to be answered.

I've done my best to steer clear of politics in the increasingly tense debate on the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill, but the events of Tuesday left little choice. One political party (the Republicans) introduced a substantially different stadium proposal than had been discussed for much of the past eight months. Another political party (the Democrats) complained bitterly, bringing the issue to the stalemate where it currently exists. The headline "Republican Takeover" in Tuesday's post was a factual representation of what happened Tuesday: The leaders of the majority party took over the conversation by supporting the new proposal.

The recitation of those facts nevertheless implied to some of you that I have been "campaigning" for the new stadium. Citizen Cane asked me to "stop trying to cram the new stadium down our throats." Joe Blow wrote: "I get it, you're a Democrat."

Let me be as clear. I have gone out of my way to avoid steering this conversation one way or the other. I recognize reasonable arguments on both sides, and as a local taxpayer I acknowledge the inherent conflict of interest in taking sides. What I've tried to do is distill the news for those who aren't wading through the minute-by-minute coverage, and at times try to use my contacts -- I've been covering this issue for almost 13 years -- to provide some insight into what the news does or doesn't mean.

What I will say is I will be disappointed and critical if this issue gets swallowed up by political posturing that has nothing to do with the matter at hand. If the majority of Minnesota's state leaders object to the idea of a publicly-funded stadium, then fine. They should vote this bill down and be done with it. And if they want to keep the team in Minnesota, they might as well approve the bill now and move on to other things.

But the last two significant stalls on this project have been caused by political infighting, not debates about the stadium itself. The first, the bill's defeat in a House committee, in essence occurred because the sides couldn't agree on the appropriate proportion of votes that should be made by members from each party.

And Tuesday's news sure looked like part of a larger political tug-of-war that Minnesotans saw leading up to last summer's record-breaking government shutdown. It's a maddening part of politics that is perhaps unavoidable but gets in the way of efficient and sometimes even effective government.

The only side I'm taking is to campaign for resolution. On Wednesday morning, Gov. Mark Dayton invited Republican leaders to an afternoon meeting to salvage the bill. That's progress. Up or down, let's have it already.