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

Chicago Bears

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

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

Detroit Lions

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

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

Green Bay Packers

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

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

Minnesota Vikings

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

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

Chicago Bears: To no one's surprise, left tackle Chris Williams (hamstring) and safety Major Wright (hamstring) were ruled out of Sunday night's game against the New York Giants. Left guard Roberto Garza (knee) returned to practice and will play. Meanwhile, the Bears caught one and maybe two breaks on the Giants' report. First, defensive end Matthias Kiwanuka (bulging disk) was ruled out. Secondly, defensive end Osi Umenyiora reported a swollen knee and was listed as questionable.

Detroit Lions: Running back Jahvid Best (toe) practiced Friday and was listed as questionable for Sunday's game at the Green Bay Packers, but coach Jim Schwartz said: "I think he's on the right track." Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (neck) sat out practice but is probable for the game. That's the good news. The bad news: Receiver Nate Burleson (ankle) and middle linebacker DeAndre Levy (groin) are doubtful after sitting out the entire week of practice. It seems highly unlikely that either will play, meaning Bryant Johnson will start at receiver and either Landon Johnson or Spencer Havner will start at middle linebacker.

Green Bay Packers: It appears that two prominent players will miss Sunday's game. Linebacker Brandon Chillar (shoulder) has been ruled out, while nickel cornerback Sam Shields (calf) is doubtful. It's likely that Brandon Underwood will play in most nickel situations Sunday.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Some important pregame notes here at the Metrodome:

• The Minnesota Vikings have gone from three healthy cornerbacks to five. Both Cedric Griffin and Chris Cook are active for this game after missing the first two games of the season with knee injuries. Griffin will start in place of Lito Sheppard at right cornerback. I'm guessing Cook could serve in some or all nickel packages.
• The Detroit Lions will start what amounts to their third-string weak-side linebacker, Ashlee Palmer. Starter Zack Follett has a concussion, and presumed replacement Landon Johnson suffered a neck injury late last week and is inactive.
• Notable deactivated players include Vikings safety Tyrell Johnson, Lions receiver Nate Burleson (ankle) and Lions running back Kevin Smith. Bryant Johnson will start in Burleson's place, with Derrick Williams the presumed No. 3 receiver.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Carolina Panthers have fielded several trade inquiries about linebacker Dan Connor this offseason, according to league sources. But the sources say the Panthers have made it clear to other teams that they’re not letting Connor go.

Although Connor has been mostly a backup and special-teams player in his first two seasons, he is expected to compete for a starting job this season. The Panthers released veteran linebackers Na'il Diggs and Landon Johnson last season.

In recent days, coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney specifically have mentioned Connor as a player they expect to step up this season. They also have mentioned linebacker James Anderson as another player who has a chance to earn more playing time this season.

A friend of mine from Charlotte just called and asked me what I thought about the “fire sale’’ the Panthers are having today.

I’m going to tell you the same thing I told him. This is not a fire sale. Call the release of Jake Delhomme, Maake Kemoeatu, Damione Lewis, Na’il Diggs and Landon Johnson and the fact Julius Peppers and (maybe) Muhsin Muhammad are walking out the door as free agents a lot of things. But don’t call it a fire sale.

A true fire sale is when you’re getting rid of good players in their prime. Aside from Peppers, none of these guys is in his prime. Delhomme was old and, after his dismal play last season, this decision shouldn’t seem as shocking as many are making it out to be. Muhammad’s also old, but I’m not totally ruling out the possibility of him re-signing with the Panthers.

Kemoeatu, Lewis, Diggs and Johnson? They were role players, who were at the back end of their contracts. They were due salaries that were higher than their actual value.

The Panthers still have their core -- Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, Jordan Gross, Chris Gamble, Steve Smith, Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams in place -- and that’s not a bad core to work with. Besides, some of those guys are coming up on long-term contracts.

If the Panthers start getting rid of those guys, then you’ve got a real fire sale on your hands. But these were pretty basic football decisions (although the Peppers situation was much more complicated). The Panthers have some young guys like Dan Connor, Everette Brown and Charles Johnson that they have high hopes for and that they want to get on the field.

I also believe owner Jerry Richardson has a hand in all this. In part, I think this is a message to players about the uncertain labor situation. Like many owners, Richardson, is worried about the possibility of a lockout in 2011. In an uncapped year, Richardson is slashing costs. These moves aren’t much different than what the Panthers would do in a capped year.

Richardson is showing the rest of his players the oil/water/money well, while not dry, isn’t flowing freely these days.

John Fox and Marty Hurney just met with the Carolina media to discuss the release of quarterback Jake Delhomme. We’ll have more on what they had to say in a bit.

It’s already been reported the Panthers also were cutting defensive tackles Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis. But Fox and Hurney revealed that linebackers Na’il Diggs and Landon Johnson also were part of the purge.

Suddenly, Carolina’s roster looks a lot younger and a lot cheaper. It also doesn’t look very good, but we’ll have to see what the flip side to all these moves turns out to be.

As we wait for Thursday night’s game between the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins, here are some thoughts to ponder.

All indications out of Carolina are that running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will be playing. But I’m very curious to see if having both of these guys banged up will take a toll on Carolina’s running game. It’s tough -- more like impossible -- to get injury information out of coach John Fox. So we’ll have to wait and see just how injured Williams and Stewart are. They’ve been a large part of the reason the Panthers suddenly are playing good football, and I’m thinking Fox finally has learned the lesson that it’s best not to put the game in the hands of Jake Delhomme. Keep it on the ground and let Williams and Stewart do their thing -- if they’re able.

When All-Pro tackle Jordan Gross went out with a season-ending injury on Sunday, the Panthers shifted left guard Travelle Wharton to left tackle and inserted Mackenzy Bernadeau at left guard. They got through the rest of the Atlanta game without any major problems. I’m guessing the Panthers will go with that same alignment tonight. Wharton played left tackle earlier in his career and was serviceable at that spot. The bigger question is Bernadeau. He doesn’t have much experience and I’m sure the Dolphins will try to test him.

I wish I could be in Charlotte for the game because I’d like to see what happens on the field before the game. I’m real curious to see if Fox and Miami offensive coordinator Dan Henning shake hands or talk at all. Fox fired Henning after the 2006 season and I don’t think there’s a lot of love remaining between the two.

I know it’s a short week and I know Fox is a creature of habit, but I wonder if he might make a little move at linebacker. The absence of the injured Thomas Davis was very apparent against Atlanta. Landon Johnson and James Anderson both have experience, but they’re just not that good. With Davis gone for the season, I wonder if Fox has considered sliding backup middle linebacker Dan Connor to the outside.

I’ll be watching the game from home and will be checking in with observations during and after the game, so keep checking the NFC South blog.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

ATLANTA -- Carolina linebacker Na'il Diggs has left the game with a rib injury. The team is saying his return is questionable.

This could be interesting. Landon Johnson is listed as the backup on the strong side. But Dan Connor, whose primary position is middle linebacker, is Carolina’s best reserve linebacker and some people in the organization think his future could be on the outside.

The door for that might have just opened.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

When faced with injuries in the past, Carolina coach John Fox usually tells his team that a rescue isn't coming from the outside.

The Panthers better hope their coach takes a different route this time around. The thing that was most obvious in Carolina's preseason debut on Monday Night Football against the Giants was that there's a gaping hole in the middle of the defensive line. We've known that since starting tackle Maake Kemoeatu went down with a season-ending injury on the first day of training camp.

Second-year pro Nick Hayden got the start in Kemoeatu's place Monday night. Let's face it, Hayden's a player the Panthers think can be a nice backup, but he's not the answer as a starter right now. The Giants ran right over the Panthers and they didn't even game plan for this one. Imagine what they would have done if this were the regular season and they wanted to exploit Carolina's problem?

Hayden's not a run stuffer and neither is fellow starter Damione Lewis. There aren't any other viable options on the roster, although the Panthers do believe rookie Corvey Irvin can develop into a decent player in a year or two.

If nothing else, Monday night provided final evidence that the Panthers need to go out and get a big body to put next to Lewis. They're not going to find a superstar this time of year, but Kemoeatu didn't fit that profile. He was just a very ordinary tackle who could take up a lot of space at 350 pounds.

The Panthers still can come out of this as good or better than they were before the Kemoeatu injury. They just need to go out and find somebody to rescue them.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

Gross

Peppers

If all goes according to plan, the Carolina Panthers will re-sign offensive tackle Jordan Gross and place the franchise tag on Julius Peppers sometime in the next 24 hours. Then, things could get really interesting.

Making Gross one of the league's top paid tackles likely will cost about $9 million a year and tagging Peppers will cost an immediate $17 million against the salary cap. Assuming Gross' deal gets finalized, the Panthers are going to have to make a series of moves to get under the salary cap.

They are about $10 million under the cap right now, but signing Gross and tagging Peppers would put them more than $20 million over the cap. That's going to lead to some cap-cutting moves and it could get painful.

The most obvious target is cornerback Ken Lucas, who didn't play well the second half of last season and could be getting closer to the end of his career. Cutting Lucas would free up $3.3 million in cap room. Some other potential targets could include offensive lineman Jeremy Bridges, receiver D.J. Hackett, linebacker Landon Johnson and running back Nick Goings.

The Panthers also are likely to restructure the contracts of several veterans to get under the cap.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

It's been (so far anyway) a very quiet news day in the NFC South. No major headlines, but a couple of interesting items in the local coverage.

• For all those Tampa Bay fans drooling at the possibility of adding Julius Peppers, Albert Haynesworth, Anquan Boldin or anybody else that's available, remember one thing. While it's true, the Bucs have more than $40 million in cap space right now, some of that's going to go to keep the guys already on the roster. It's believed the Bucs want to re-sign receiver Antonio Bryant before he becomes a free agent and they also are looking into locking up left tackle Donald Penn for the long term.

• If the Falcons aren't able to work out a long-term deal with punter Michael Koenen very soon, they're reportedly prepared to place the franchise tag on him. The cost would be a relatively reasonable $2.48 million in 2009.

• Linebacker Landon Johnson is still hurt, so the Panthers might not be able to cut him as quickly as they would like (and they really want to erase this mistake from last year's free-agent class). But there's an easy way around this. It's called an injury settlement.

• The Saints and Louisiana officials continue to work on a deal that would make sure the team stays in the city for the long term. They might want to hurry a bit because there's an April 1 deadline to submit bids to host the 2013 Super Bowl, which seems to be something everyone involved wants to do.