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It's early in the offseason. But from the looks of it, the Miami Dolphins want to run an up-tempo offense under first-year head coach Joe Philbin.

The former offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers is known for putting pressure on defenses. Green Bay was as good as anyone in dictating tempo. Last year the Packers were third in total offense (405.1 yards per game) and first in scoring (35 points per game).

But can Philbin's philosophy work in Miami?

The key to Philbin's first year will be quickly learning and knowing his personnel. New coaches often make the mistake of assuming their system and concepts are one size fits all.

Miami quarterbacks Matt Moore or David Garrard certainly isn't Aaron Rodgers. Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline is not Greg Jennings, and tight end Anthony Fasano is not comparable to Packers tight end Jermichael Finley.

The Dolphins have uncertainty at quarterback and the worst group of receivers in the division. Going up-tempo has its risks. Miami could face plenty of three-and-outs, which would put a lot of pressure on its defense.

Philbin and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman need to be careful about this while installing their new West Coast offense. Green Bay's strengths under Philbin were the quarterback and passing game. It's much easier to go up-tempo when you have a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl-winning quarterback throwing to stud receivers and tight ends.

Miami doesn't have that on its roster this year. The Dolphins' strength is their running game behind their offensive line and 1,000-yard rusher Reggie Bush. It would be wise for Miami's coaching staff to keep that in mind.

Every team in the NFC West had a 1,000-yard rusher last season.

Coaches in Seattle, San Francisco and St. Louis have promoted run-first philosophies. Arizona has invested first- and second-round picks in running backs Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams, respectively.

Run, run, run.

And yet the division focused on the passing game quite a bit during the 2012 NFL draft -- on both sides of the ball. NFC West teams drafted a league-high three wide receivers in the first two rounds. Teams from the division drafted three cornerbacks in the first three rounds, tied with the NFC North for most in the league.

The charts show how many receivers and corners each division added through the first three rounds. The combined total for the NFC West (six) was the most for any division, one more than the NFC North.

St. Louis drafted cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins (second round) and Trumaine Johnson (third round). Arizona used a third-round choice for cornerback Jamell Fleming. Arizona (Michael Floyd) and San Francisco (A.J. Jenkins) used first-round picks for receivers. St. Louis added receiver Brian Quick in the second round (and another receiver, Chris Givens, in the fourth).

NFC West pass defenses could face additional pressure given the scheduling rotation in 2012.

Every NFC West team faces New England with Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker.

The division also faces Green Bay (Aaron Rodgers, Jermichael Finley, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson), Detroit (Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew) and Chicago (Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall).

San Francisco draws New Orleans (Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston) and the New York Giants (Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz). Arizona faces Philadelphia (Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin) and Atlanta (Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Julio Jones). Seattle faces Dallas (Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Dez Bryant) and Carolina (Cam Newton, Steve Smith).

The top five teams in 2011 passing yardage -- New Orleans, New England, Green Bay, Detroit and the Giants -- show up on NFC West schedules. Green Bay, New England, the Giants and Saints comprised the top four in yards per passing attempt. The top seven teams in passing touchdowns -- Green Bay, New Orleans, Detroit, New England, Dallas, Atlanta and the Giants -- play a combined 16 games against the NFC West.

And, of course, NFC West teams must face each other, which means games against Larry Fitzgerald, Vernon Davis, Randy Moss, Sidney Rice and others.

If you were plugged into social media Tuesday morning, chances are you were overwhelmed with discussion on the NFL/Nike uniform announcement. I would say that a few key marketers are getting hefty, hefty bonuses.

I can report to you that, as expected, none of the NFC North teams changed the essence of their uniforms.

The photo in this post shows Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley and Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin in their 2012 attire.

You'll notice that the Bears' jersey has the television numbers on the shoulder, rather than the sleeve, and Nike reported that the "GSH" patch honoring George S. Halas will remain a part of the uniform. The Lions' pants don't have quite as much shine, and in some cases there is a new "flywire collar." It's also worth noting that each player in the photograph has shoes that match his team's primary color. Previously, players wore white or black shoes.

For now, at least, the change to Nike has impacted material and technology more than anything. If you want details on that, be sure to check out Nike's website. At the moment the site is quite slow, but eventually this link will take you to the Vikings' page. There is a scrolling mechanism at the bottom to take you to any of the 32 team pages.

Yeehaw!

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

Chicago Bears

Key additions: Running back Michael Bush, linebacker/special teams Blake Costanzo, quarterback Jason Campbell, receiver Brandon Marshall (trade), receiver Devin Thomas, receiver/returner Eric Weems.

Key losses: Running back Marion Barber (retired), cornerback Zack Bowman, cornerback Corey Graham.

Come on back: Lost in the shuffle of the Marshall trade were the return of three free agents who should play key roles in 2012. Tight end Kellen Davis figures to get an expanded role in offensive coordinator Mike Tice's scheme, especially as a receiver. Cornerback Tim Jennings should retain his starting role opposite Charles Tillman, with D.J. Moore in the nickel. And safety Craig Steltz will provide reliable depth at safety and will be one of the Bears' special teams leaders after the departure of Graham and Bowman.

What's next: There is no urgency yet, but the Bears will need to make peace with tailback Matt Forte at some point before the summer. Forte isn't happy that he's been made the Bears' franchise player and briefly lost his public composure when Bush signed a deal that guaranteed him about the same amount of money as the franchise tag will pay Forte. It's not a big deal if Forte skips the Bears' offseason program or even misses a few days of training camp, but the Bears will want to find a way to eliminate this issue by early August. Meanwhile, it wouldn't be surprising if the Bears address their offensive line during the draft.

Detroit Lions

Key additions: Defensive end Everette Brown, cornerback Jacob Lacey.

Key losses: Cornerback Eric Wright.

All in the family: With the exception of Wright, the Lions were able to retain the core of their 10-6 team. Among those who re-signed: Tackle Jeff Backus, safety Erik Coleman, defensive end Andre Fluellen, quarterback Shaun Hill and linebacker Stephen Tulloch. And don't forget that receiver Calvin Johnson is locked up for perhaps the rest of his career. He signed a new eight-year contract worth $132 million.

What's next: The Lions appear interested in adding competition at safety, having hosted free agent O.J. Atogwe earlier this month. Adding a safety remains a possibility, if not through free agency, then probably through the draft. And while Backus is re-signed for two years, it wouldn't be surprising if the Lions look for a long-term replacement in the draft.

Green Bay Packers

Key additions: Defensive lineman Daniel Muir, center Jeff Saturday, defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove.

Key losses: Quarterback Matt Flynn, center Scott Wells.

Shocker: The Packers usually do whatever it takes to keep their own players and avoid having to search the free-agent market for other the castoffs of other teams. They started off that way by re-signing tight end Jermichael Finley to a two-year contract, but when they were unable to sign center Scott Wells, they quickly targeted veteran Jeff Saturday and made him their first starting-caliber free-agent signee in five years. General manager Ted Thompson also authorized the acquisition of Hargrove and the pursuit of Dave Tollefson.

What's next: It's not out of the question that the Packers will add a veteran pass-rusher, whether at defensive end or linebacker. Then they'll get back into their comfort zone and start preparing for the draft, where it's reasonable to think they'll use at least one of their 12 picks on a center while also continuing to pursue pass-rushers.

Minnesota Vikings

Key additions: Cornerback Zack Bowman, tight end John Carlson, running back Jerome Felton and offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz.

Key losses: Nose tackle Remi Ayodele (release), guards Anthony Herrera (release) and Steve Hutchinson (release), tight end Jim Kleinsasser (retire), running back Jerome Felton.

Methodical methodology: The Vikings made one big-money signing, bringing in Carlson as a new weapon for quarterback Christian Ponder, and otherwise have spent their offseason getting younger and signing complementary players. General manager Rick Spielman wants to end a cycle of seeking blue-chip players via free agency and instead count on the drafts for his difference-makers.

What's next: One way or the other, the Vikings need to find a deep threat for Ponder. The draft would seem the most likely place for that will happen. They are also midway through a rebuild of the secondary that could use at least one more cornerback and perhaps two safeties.

» AFC Free-Agency Primer: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Free agency begins Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET

Chicago Bears

Key free agents: Tight end Kellen Davis, running back Matt Forte (franchise), cornerback Corey Graham, quarterback Caleb Hanie, defensive end Israel Idonije, cornerback Tim Jennings, quarterback Josh McCown, safety Brandon Meriweather and receiver Roy Williams.

Where they stand: The Bears will have the most salary-cap space among NFC North teams, upwards of $30 million, and have plenty of potential uses for it. Quarterback Jay Cutler needs more targets in the downfield passing game, whether it's at the receiver or tight end position. And new general manager Phil Emery must start restocking a defense led by four players more than 30 years old: Linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, defensive end Julius Peppers and cornerback Charles Tillman.

What to expect: It's widely believed the Bears will be in the running for free-agent receiver Vincent Jackson. But Jackson's price tag could be steep and no one knows if Emery will prove to be a big spender. It seems likely he will re-sign Davis, and Emery should also save some of his cap space to extend Forte's contract. Secondary receiver targets could include Marques Colston. Bears fans are hoping the team will pursue defensive end Mario Williams, but it's hard to imagine the Bears budgeting for Williams two years after breaking their bank on Peppers.

Detroit Lions

Key free agents: Defensive end Cliff Avril (franchise), left tackle Jeff Backus, safety Chris Harris, quarterback Shaun Hill, linebacker DeAndre Levy (restricted), running back Maurice Morris, running back Kevin Smith, quarterback Drew Stanton, linebacker Stephen Tulloch and cornerback Eric Wright.

Where they stand: The Lions are tight against the salary cap after franchising Avril and aren't likely to be big spenders on the free-agent market. They could relieve the situation by reaching long-term agreements with Avril and/or receiver Calvin Johnson, who has a $22 million cap figure for 2012. Tulloch made a big impact last season after signing a one-year deal, but so far the Lions' attention has turned elsewhere.

What to expect: The Lions' best-case scenario is to keep their 2011 core together without mortgaging their future relative to the salary cap. That would mean getting Tulloch re-signed to preserve the linebacker group they upgraded last season by signing him and veteran Justin Durant, moves that allowed Levy to play on the outside. Hill seems likely to re-sign as Matthew Stafford's backup, while Stanton might test the free-agent waters to see if he has a chance to do better than third on a team's depth chart.

Green Bay Packers

Key free agents: Cornerback Jarrett Bush, quarterback Matt Flynn, running back Ryan Grant and center Scott Wells.

Where they stand: The Packers took care of a big challenge by signing tight end Jermichael Finley to a two-year contract last month. They will let Flynn depart for a possible starting job elsewhere and it appears Grant will test the free-agent market. Discussions with Wells haven't led to an agreement, but the Packers often go to the final moments before reaching a deal. There are no obvious internal replacements for Wells, making his return a priority.

What to expect: The Packers will have some flexibility with the salary cap, but general manager Ted Thompson's aversion to veteran free agency is well known. It's been three years since he signed a veteran unrestricted free agent in the offseason. The Packers have needs at defensive line, outside linebacker and possibly at center if Wells leaves. But let's put it this way: Thompson's strong preference is to find depth and future replacements in the draft, not on other teams' rosters.

Minnesota Vikings

Key free agents: Safety Husain Abdullah, receiver Devin Aromashodu, receiver Greg Camarillo, defensive lineman Fred Evans, defensive lineman Letroy Guion, linebacker E.J. Henderson, linebacker Erin Henderson, safety Tyrell Johnson, quarterback Sage Rosenfels, cornerback Benny Sapp and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

Where they stand: The Vikings seem poised for a major roster overhaul in their first offseason since Rick Spielman was promoted to general manager. Players like Shiancoe, E.J. Henderson, Camarillo and Johnson all seem poised to move on. There aren't many positions on the team that appear secure.

What to expect: If the Vikings don't plan to draft USC left tackle Matt Kalil at No. 3 overall next month, the first clue will be if they pursue a free-agent left tackle. That seems unlikely. But they'll need to combine their draft with at least a few veteran free agents if they intend to compete for a playoff spot in 2012. Cornerback could be a point of focus, where Brandon Carr and Cortland Finnegan are among those available. Another could be receiver. The Vikings had major interest in Jackson two years ago.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley just skipped through Lucas Oil Stadium, stopping to speak with a handful of reporters before meeting with general manager Ted Thompson here to finalize his new two-year contract.

Finley made clear that he didn't want to test the open market and couldn't envision a better situation for his future growth -- and another payday -- than Green Bay. As we discussed earlier Thursday, Finley could put himself in prime position in 2014, when the NFL's salary cap is expected to rise and two of the NFL's best tight ends, Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski, probably will have signed lucrative extensions.

"It was a no-brainer to sign a two-year deal," Finley said, "and come back to the table at 26 when Jimmy Graham done hit it and Gronkowski done hit it and raised the market. I'm going to be back then, knocking on the door."

As a blog community, I think we can all say we're looking forward to it.

Jermichael Finley's recent $15 million contract with the Green Bay Packers may not seem like much on the surface. But his $7.5 million salary per season should be a cause for concern for the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots.

Finley, who caught 55 receptions for 767 yards in 2011, is setting the bar pretty high to keep quality tight ends. The Patriots have two dynamic tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, and both had more catches and more yards than Finely last season.

If Finley is worth $7.5 million per season, how much are New England's tight ends worth?

Is Hernandez (79 receptions, 910 yards) worth $8 million per year? Is Gronkowski (90 receptions, 1,327 yards) worth $9 or $10 million per year? There is very little chance the Patriots can pay two players that kind of money at the same position. They wouldn't have enough cap room to be strong in other areas.

The good news is New England doesn't have to worry about this problem for at least two more years. Gronkowski and Hernandez were drafted together in 2010 and have two seasons remaining on their rookie contracts.

But at some point, the Patriots have to pay up. New England will need to choose between their two great tight ends -- and both will be deserving of at least the annual salary Finley just received.

INDIANAPOLIS -- We're scheduled to start speaking with NFL coaches and general mangers later Thursday morning. So while we have a few minutes, let's consider a secondary consequence of the two-year contract agreement the Green Bay Packers struck with tight end Jermichael Finley.

In all likelihood, Finley won't be a realistic candidate for the franchise tag when the deal expires after the 2013 season -- for reasons similar to why the Detroit Lions almost certainly can't franchise receiver Calvin Johnson after the 2012 season. And it means the Packers will be motivated to pursue a long-term deal at a time when the NFL's new television contract will kick in and presumably raise every team's salary-cap surplus.

As we discussed last month, franchise tags numbers are determined by the higher of these two values:

• The average of the five highest salary-cap figures at the player's position over the past five years.
• A figure equal to 120 percent of his prior year's cap number.

Finley and agent Blake Baratz structured this deal so that about $10 million of the $15 million in this deal will come in the second league year of the deal. That will give Finley a high cap figure for 2013, around $10.5 million, and 120 percent of it would be about $12.5 million. (Likewise, Johnson's 2012 cap number of $22 million means his 2013 franchise number would be about $26 million.)

The franchise tag for other tight ends won't be anywhere close to $12.5 million in 2014. So would the Packers franchise Finley at $12.5 million in 2014 or pursue a long-term contract? I'm guessing the latter. So while Finley has taken a calculated risk with his 2012 compensation, this deal has set him up to have more flexibility moving forward.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Our Franchise Focus series last week accounted for the possibility, but I'm not sure if anyone considered it a likely scenario. Namely: Would the Green Bay Packers use their franchise tag on anyone other than tight end Jermichael Finley?

Our clearly-flawed assumption was that the sides wouldn't agree on a long-term contract extension, forcing the Packers to use their tag to retain the 24-year-old tight end. But Wednesday's two-year agreement represented an unexpected compromise from both sides and opened the possibility of using the tag on another player. The two candidates would seem to be quarterback Matt Flynn and center Scott Wells, in that order.

Conventional wisdom suggests that the Packers wouldn't commit to paying Wells a 2012 salary upwards of $8 million, the projected value of the franchise tag for offensive linemen. But we've now learned our lesson about assuming the Packers' likely path this offseason, and it's only fair to point out that the franchise tag sometimes serves as a temporary stop for teams on the way to a long-term agreement.

That's what happened with Ryan Kalil and the Carolina Panthers last summer. The Panthers first tagged Kalil at $10.1 million before the sides agreed in August to a six-year deal worth $49 million, which made him the highest-paid center in the NFL.

The more intriguing scenario, of course, is tagging Flynn and then trading him for a high draft choice in a sign-and-trade deal. That would net the Packers at least an extra second-round draft pick for a player who projects as a starter elsewhere and thus would never have agreed to return as their backup.

The move would temporarily consume about $14 million in 2012 salary cap space, and a trade couldn't be executed until after free agency begins March 13. The Packers would also have to be confident that they will be able to find a trade partner, a tricky proposition given tampering rules in effect through March 12. It's true that NFL teams can rescind franchise tags, but not if the player signs the offer sheet -- which Flynn almost certainly would do to force the trade and ensure he isn't a late arrival to the free agent market.

Those are all reasons why franchising Flynn has seemed unlikely. But we've already had one unlikely occurrence Wednesday, and the Packers are now dealing from a position of strength with Finley now under contract. So stay tuned. I'll be roaming the scouting combine for the next three days. Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy are both scheduled to speak with reporters Friday. We'll see what we turn up.

INDIANAPOLIS -- If you just saw the blur of a blue parka sprinting down the streets of downtown Indianapolis, well, don't worry. That was just me hustling back to my laptop, slobbering and panting all the way, in an effort to start blogging the surprising news of the Green Bay Packers' two-year contract agreement with tight end Jermichael Finley.

Finley's status as a pending free agent had drawn widespread debate on this blog. Some of you were nervous about making a huge commitment, both in cash and cap space, to a player who could politely be called a young 24. Others were worried how he might react to receiving a relatively cheap franchise tag assignment of $5.5 million, and many of you were concerned about a key part of the Packers' offensive success in recent seasons bolting to another team.

My educated guess is that you could find members of the Packers organization with similarly split viewpoints. So in the end, it made sense to offer Finley a deal that averages about $7.5 million per year -- the annual market rate for top-flight tight ends -- but falls way short of the long-term commitment that the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL have received. (It's worth noting that $7.5 million is about the midpoint of the franchise figures for tight ends and receivers. We discussed earlier Wednesday the possibility of the sides compromising on the issue of what position Finley truly plays.)

Why would Finley take this deal rather than seek one that paid him the way the Seattle Seahawks paid Zach Miller (five years, $34 million with $17 million guaranteed) or the San Francisco 49ers paid Vernon Davis (five years, $37 million with $23 million guaranteed) in the past year? Finley might not have gotten that kind of money elsewhere, but Finley didn't give himself a chance to find out. In the end, his decision represents a calculated bet. Finley is thinking that two more years of putting up big numbers for the Packers will put him in that position. After the 2013 season, remember, Finley will still only be 26 years old.

I don't blame the Packers for stopping short of the kind of deal Miller and Davis got. A player's second contract is typically his most lucrative payday, but Finley has not had a typical career. If all goes well, the Packers -- or someone else -- will pay him his market-adjusted Miller/Davis deal in the spring of 2014.

I'll be back in a bit with a discussion of what the Packers might do, if anything, with their franchise tag.

The NFL's annual scouting combine opens Wednesday and will conclude next Tuesday. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Media interviews begin Thursday morning and continue through Sunday, and I'll be on hand for an access schedule that should net us time with the general manager and/or coach of every NFC North team over the next few days.

Although we don't have access to most of the workouts themselves, dozens of players should be available for interviews. I'll feed the blog with zeal, of course, but to help sharpen our focus, let's consider a few important NFC North storylines to follow. If you have other ideas, hit the mailbag.

The value of the No. 3 position: Historically, the combine has helped solidify the top of the draft. We don't always leave Indianapolis knowing the order of the top few picks, but we generally know which players will comprise that pool -- knowledge that should help the Minnesota Vikings determine who they'll have to choose from at No. 3 and how intense trade interest will be.

We should know, for example, if USC's Matt Kalil is unquestionably the draft's top left tackle, or if there are any lingering doubts about his status. Is Kalil good enough that the St. Louis Rams will consider him at No. 2 overall? We'll get a better idea of interest in Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. Would the Rams trade out of No. 2 with a Griffin-infatuated team?

Finally, what other options would the Vikings have if they neither draft Kalil nor trade out of the spot? Is LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne a top-3 pick? What about Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon or Alabama running back Trent Richardson?

That Mega-contract: The Detroit Lions' tight salary cap situation has been one of our top offseason storylines, and presumed relief would begin with extending the contract of receiver Calvin Johnson. As it stands, Johnson is scheduled to have a cap number of around $22 million in 2012 and, if unaddressed, would be eligible for a franchise tag of around $26 million in 2013. The proximity of agents and team executives at the combine often fosters productive negotiations, and it's safe to assume that Lions president Tom Lewand will have some talks with Johnson's agent, Bus Cook.

The Lions aren't yet in crunch time with Johnson, but reducing his cap number by March 5 would make it easier for them to use the franchise tag on defensive end Cliff Avril, as they reportedly plan to do. Johnson has most of the leverage in this situation and figures to emerge, eventually, as the NFL's highest-paid receiver and possibly the best-paid non-quarterback in the league.

Second-tier pass rushers: The Green Bay Packers certainly will spend time negotiating with their free agents, from tight end Jermichael Finley to center Scott Wells to special teams ace Jarrett Bush. But it's also safe to assume they'll focus on prioritizing the pool of pass rushers who could be available to them at the bottom of the first round, or possibly in a trade to move up in the second round.

Elite pass rushers usually don't get past the top half of the first round, putting the Packers in a race to find the next Brooks Reed, the Houston Texans' second-round pick in 2011 who started 11 games and had six sacks as a rookie. Scouts Inc. currently has two defensive ends with grades that would give them value at the end of the first round: Syracuse's Chandler Jones and USC's Nick Perry.

Secondary help: To varying degrees, all four NFC North teams could use an influx of defensive backs. Given the league-wide passing explosion in recent years, it's fair to say there are plenty of other teams on that list as well. That means searching far and wide for talent, and to that end, Scouts Inc.'s Kevin Weidl offers a list of 12 small-school defensive backs who should get attention.

You'll need an Insider subscription to see the entire list, but it's topped by former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who spent last season at North Alabama. It also includes Montana cornerback Trumaine Johnson and Coastal Carolina cornerback Josh Norman.

WR depth: If new Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery takes to heart a suggestion from his quarterback, he'll have an interesting group of big receivers to evaluate this week. "Anyone really over 6-2 at this point is going to look good," Jay Cutler said this week on ESPN 1000.

It's safe to assume that Blackmon won't be available when the Bears draft at No. 19 overall. The rest of ESPN anlayst Mel Kiper's list top five receivers looks like this: Baylor's Kendall Wright, Notre Dame's Michael Floyd, LSU's Rueben Randle and South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery. Wright is a 5-10 speedster, so if the Bears truly focus on big receivers, our combine focus will be on Floyd (6-3), Randle (6-4) and Jeffery (6-4).

Related: For those interested, here is a comprehensive schedule for the players invited to Indianapolis, beginning with medical testing for three position groups who will arrive Wednesday.

KC Joyner is ESPN.com's resident contrarian, and in this week's column he took a provocative look at whether Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley is worth a premium multi-year contract as he approaches free agency. The column requires an Insider subscription, but I can tell you that Joyner suggests Finley was better in 2009 than he was in 2011 and that the Packers don't gain nearly the amount of yards on their average attempt to Finley as other teams do with their tight ends.

Joyner: "Until Finley shows he is capable of performing at a top level on a consistent basis, or unless a team is in dire need of a tight end (as could be the case with the Giants if they decide to address their tight end issue in free agency rather than through the draft), it would be folly to pay him top dollar in a multi-year deal as a free agent based on what he's done. It would be more of a leap of faith."

I've argued that some of Finley's value lies in the attention he draws away from his teammates, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers has never wavered from his belief in how important Finley is to the Packers' offense. But there are two sides to every story, and Joyner provides us a well-argued counterpoint.

In the end, the debate could be moot. The Packers have little motivation to give Finley an elite-level deal when they can secure his services for 2012 with a relatively affordable $5.5 million franchise tag.

Another in a daily series on NFC North players who are candidates to receive their team's franchise tag. The window for tagging players opens Monday and closes March 5.

As we've moved through the Franchise Focus series, several of you have asked whether the Green Bay Packers could pull off a surprise -- or at least make a move counter to the prevailing (media) sentiment. It was only two years ago, after all, that they surprised many by using their tag on defensive lineman Ryan Pickett, who ultimately signed a four-year contract worth about $25 million.

We've already discussed the Packers' likeliest target for a franchise tag: Tight end Jermichael Finley. But two other prominent players are approaching free agency as well: Center Scott Wells and quarterback Matt Flynn. Let's briefly hit on why there hasn't been much discussion about franchising either player.

All offensive linemen are assigned the same franchise tag number, even though contract values differ significantly between tackles, guards and centers. It's not unheard of for a team to franchise a center -- the Carolina Panthers did it with Ryan Kalil last year -- but it means they would be guaranteed the same kind of one-year salary as, say, a left tackle. In 2012, Brian McIntyre projects the franchise tag for offensive linemen to be around $9.5 million, via Football Outsiders.

The Packers currently have an estimated $10 million in salary cap room and could squeeze in Wells at that number if necessary. Wells earned his first Pro Bowl berth last season, but the Packers probably don't need to commit that kind of money to keep him. Kalil, considered the NFL's top center, ultimately signed a seven-year contract that averaged $7 million per season and included $28 million in guarantees.

Finding common ground on a reasonable long-term deal is the likeliest tool for retaining Wells. As for Flynn, the Packers probably need to accept his departure via free agency and accept a 2013 compensatory draft pick as a result.

It's conceivable for the Packers to franchise Flynn and then trade him to another team. It's a tempting scenario considering the possibility of getting a high draft choice in return. But even if temporary, that move would consume $14 million of the Packers' salary cap and, more importantly, eliminate the possibility using the tag on Finley or even Wells. In short, that's why it's unlikely -- but not impossible -- that the Packers will pull off a franchise tag surprise.

First in a daily series on NFC North players who are candidates to receive their team's franchise tag. The window for tagging players opens Monday and closes March 5.

The Green Bay Packers have several candidates for their franchise tag, but most public discussion has centered around tight end Jermichael Finley. He is part of a Packers free agent class that also includes quarterback Matt Flynn and center Scott Wells, but the price tag for quarterbacks (projected to be $14 million) makes Flynn a less likely franchise target. Conventional wisdom, meanwhile, suggests the Packers should be able to reach an amicable long-term agreement with Wells.

Finley's case is interesting on several levels. As we noted during the regular season, the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement changed the calculations for franchise tags in a way that makes it a more attractive tool for the Packers to retain Finley's rights. The franchise tag is no longer the average of the five highest-paid players at a given position. Instead, it is the average of the highest salaries at the position over the past five seasons.

Franchise numbers for 2012 haven't been announced, but it's expected to be around $5.5 million for tight ends. From a team standpoint, that figure is quite reasonable for a 24-year-old tight end who caught a career-high eight touchdown passes in the first 16-game season of his career in 2011. From a financial standpoint, most NFL teams would be happy to lock up an ascending free agent tight end for $5.5 million in cash and salary-cap commitment.

Is there anything Finley can do to fight that eventuality, short of holding out? Although neither Finley nor his agent have spoken publicly about it, several media outlets have suggested the possibility that he could declare himself a wide receiver, based on how often the Packers use him in the slot or split wide. That designation would qualify Finley for a significantly higher franchise number, perhaps double the one for tight ends, and give him more leverage in a long-term negotiation.

There is some precedent for appealing the position classification for franchise players. In 2008, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs spurred the NFL and NFL Players Association to create a new defensive end-linebacker position for the 3-4 scheme. The change elevated his franchise value by about $500,000.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Finley lined up as a receiver on a little less than half of his total snaps in 2011 (roughly 409 of 883). I'm not sure if he could argue he is a wide receiver, but you wonder if the recent trend toward receiving tight ends -- led by the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski and the New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham -- might eventually lead to a new hybrid franchise tag.

In the end, Finley's value lies in his production relative to his position. He had one of the better seasons for a tight end in the NFL last season, catching 55 passes for 767 yards to go along with the eight touchdowns. But if you applied those numbers to a receiver, they would hardly be considered elite.

It's usually a better situation for all parties to find common ground on a long-term contract. But unless the franchise tag for tight ends turns out to be much higher than projected, the Packers are in a fine spot with one of their best players.

The NFL's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has brought an issue we haven't faced in a number of years: Tight salary-cap situations.

After jumping considerably in the final few years of the old CBA, the league's cap limit isn't expected to rise much, if any, for the 2012 season. That means teams will have roughly $120 million to work with as they assemble the top 51 players on their training camp roster.

Based on the numbers I've been able to dig up, it appears that three of our four NFC North teams are going to be relatively tight against that number, especially considering they need to save room for signing a draft class. All teams must be in compliance when the new league year opens, and free agency begins, on March 13.

The following is how much each team currently has committed to its 2012 cap. Keep in mind that the numbers probably will change between now and March 13 as teams re-sign, re-negotiate and release players from their rosters.

• Chicago Bears: $101.8 million
• Detroit Lions: $122.8 million
• Green Bay Packers: $115.3 million
• Minnesota Vikings: $115.3 million

A few thoughts:

1. We've already discussed the Lions' situation at some length. Simple math tells us they're going to have to adjust some current salaries just to get under $120 million, and the first candidate is receiver Calvin Johnson, who is projected to count about $22 million against the cap alone. As we've noted, four players -- Johnson, quarterback Matthew Stafford, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch -- account for nearly half of their total cap projection.
2. There are tricks available for teams like the Lions who want to keep or re-sign their players in a tight environment. They come with risks and the potential for future problems, but there is always a way to squeeze players into a given year's cap. The new CBA has a provision that allows teams to borrow against future caps, providing another option.
3. One positive bi-product of the Bears' decision to trade for quarterback Jay Cutler in 2009: It relieved them of the cap commitment associated with two first-round draft picks. That's one of the reasons new general manager Phil Emery has some $18 million to work with if he wants to sign veteran free agents and/or use his franchise tag on tailback Matt Forte.
4. The Packers have a number of veterans they want to re-sign, including tight end Jermichael Finley and center Scott Wells. With about $5 million in wiggle room, based on these numbers, they'll need to make some adjustments to fit both players in. As Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has already suggested, the Packers could carve out some space by either releasing receiver Donald Driver or renegotiating his contract. The same could happen for left tackle Chad Clifton.
5. Still, it should be clear why it seems unlikely that the Packers would place their franchise tag on quarterback Matt Flynn for the purposes of trading him after March 13. Doing so would require a $14 million cap commitment, require more cap maneuvering than would be comfortable and likely exposing either Finley or Wells to the free agent market.