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EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- I joined a number of reporters Wednesday afternoon at the Minnesota Vikings' practice facility, where tailback Adrian Petersonwas scheduled to discuss the rehabilitation of his surgically-repaired left knee. On cue, Peterson popped his head through the door. With athletic trainer Eric Sugarman at his side, Peterson motioned for us to join him at the far end of the practice field.

For the next 15 minutes, Peterson demonstrated the extent of his progress by running two sets of sideline-to-sideline sprints. He performed a series of box jumps, moved laterally to catch a rolling soccer ball and ran tight circles around a wide hula hoop.

The scene was impressive for a player 19 weeks removed from tearing two ligaments in his knee. As he caught his breath afterwards, Peterson reiterated his intent to be ready for the Vikings' Week 1 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, by far the early side of the typical range for injuries as significant as his.

"People can say what they want to say," he said. "I've got my goals."

I felt conflicted watching Peterson work out and listening to his optimism. Part of me admired his intense desire to return ahead of schedule. The other part kept flashing back to the end of "Fargo."

And for what?

If it wasn't clear before, it should be obvious now. The Vikings have launched a full-scale roster rebuild that should better position them for the long-term but will almost certainly sacrifice the short-term to do it. The latest evidence was this week's decision to jettison still-reliable place-kicker Ryan Longwell for rookie Blair Walsh, perhaps the most extreme example of the team's systematic effort to make its roster younger.

A cynic might say the Vikings know they won't compete for an NFC North title in 2012, making this season as good of a time as any to break in a new place-kicker. Here's what general manager Rick Spielman said Wednesday:

"I think our emphasis has always been trying to get our team better, get it younger, and that's the direction we kind of went. It just fits in with everything else we’re kind of honed in on this offseason."

It's hard to argue with that approach after a 9-23 record over the past two seasons. But as we first discussed last fall, it threatens to nullify the prime of one of the NFL's best players.

Peterson is 27 and has taken the pounding of five professional seasons. By the standards of NFL running backs, at least, the clock on his career is already ticking. It's more than reasonable to wonder what type of performer he will be when the Vikings see the fruit of their rebuilding project.

I asked Peterson what he thought of the Vikings' offseason approach, and he focused mostly on praising Spielman's draft. Peterson also admitted that "the biggest part of my motivation" to return in Week 1 is because "I know how much I mean to this organization." He added: "I want to be out there helping my team and organization accomplish the ultimate goal."

Even with Peterson in the starting lineup, the Vikings figure to have new starters at 11 positions in 2012 in addition to an unproven second-year quarterback in Christian Ponder. In all likelihood, it will be a year measured by progress, not playoff contention.

I'm not going to suggest the Vikings should hold Peterson out of the lineup once he's medically cleared. But in the big picture, there seems to be every reason to take it as slow as possible. If Peterson can avoid some wear and tear during a rebuilding season, wouldn't that help the Vikings in the long-term?

That's a cold and calculated analysis that isn't likely to apply in this case. Neither the Vikings nor Peterson should time his rehabilitation progress based on the projected competitiveness of the team. NFL teams are expected to compete with all available resources at all times. It's not for Peterson to "save" himself for future seasons. The timing is what it is.

The best thing Peterson can do in the short-term is help this team squeeze out a few more victories than it appears capable of while imposing his fanatical work ethic on others. He seems to understand that as well. During rehabilitation a few weeks ago, Peterson noticed some teammates running sprints. Sugarman gave him permission to join them. He wiped out the field.

"Those guys got an understanding of 'Hey, he's really pushing hard to get back out to a level better than he played at before' and it was even more motivation for those guys," Peterson said. "It was like, 'Hey he's out here four months and he's beating us.' Maybe we need to do something different."

Knowing Adrian Peterson, he'll do everything he can to will the Vikings to more success than expected in 2012. It's reasonable to question whether it will be enough, and to wonder how long it will take the rest of this roster to catch up. Will Adrian Peterson be this generation's Barry Sanders? Is he a Hall of Fame player whose career window doesn't match up with his team's window for winning? That's what it feels like at the moment.

Decisions in the sixth round don't usually have much immediate impact on prominent veterans, but this one is worth noting: The Minnesota Vikings drafted Georgia place-kicker Blair Walsh with the fifth pick of the round and No. 175 overall.

Traditionally, teams don't draft placekickers unless they're ready to make a change or at least seriously consider an alternative to the incumbent. Veteran Ryan Longwell received a $3.5 million signing bonus last summer, suggesting the Vikings were committed to him for several years, but Longwell missed more field goals -- six -- than he did in the previous two seasons combined. He'll turn 38 in August.

It makes sense to begin a succession plan for an aging veteran, but most teams don't keep a backup place-kicker and kickoff specialists are less valuable than ever given changes to kickoff rules. Some of you have suggested that the Vikings' extra picks this season makes it easier to take a flyer here, but to me it's a wasted pick unless you're at least considering a change. So to me, no matter how the Vikings might spin this move, you would think that Longwell is on notice for 2012.

Forget the feud between Warren Sapp and Jeremy Shockey. That’s old news.

It’s time for a new chapter in the sad saga that is the fallout from the New Orleans Saints bounty program. Now, it’s Minnesota punter Chris Kluwe telling a Minnesota radio station he believes New Orleans middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma should be banned from the NFL.

"My position has always been that I think Vilma and [former New Orleans defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams should be banned for life and then [coach Sean] Payton should get a year, their GM [Mickey Loomis] should get a year and anyone who knowingly took money after a hit that injured someone should get a year as well,’’ Kluwe said.

Vilma was specifically named in the NFL’s report for putting up $10,000 of his own money to anyone who injured Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre in a Jan. 24, 2010 playoff game in New Orleans. Kluwe recalled it was obvious something out of the ordinary was going on.

"Me and [kicker] Ryan [Longwell] were kind of looking at each other on the bench going, 'Are they really going after Brett?'" Kluwe said. "Like, 'Is this really what they're doing?' But you don't want to believe that something like that is happening because you think better of the other players.

"You don't want to think that they're doing something like that. I think that was part of the thing that the league was looking at [in its investigation] was like, 'OK, we've really got to make sure that this is true because otherwise it's going to make the sport look really bad.'"

Payton has been suspended for a year and Williams has been suspended indefinitely. There has been no disciplinary action taken against Vilma yet. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to first meet with representatives from the NFL Players Association before issuing any punishment for players involved.

Monday night's embarrassment at Lambeau Field has changed the conversation surrounding the Minnesota Vikings. Whereas they once seemed a team in transition from one quarterback era to another, it's now fair to question whether they have deeper and more difficult problems to solve.

Nowhere is that more evident, at least to me, than in the Vikings' counterintuitive turnover numbers. As the chart shows, no team has committed fewer turnovers than the Vikings this season. They are one of four teams with less than 10, but the Vikings are 2-7 while the other three teams are a combined 24-4.

Turnovers don't always have a direct correlation to winning and losing, but it's worth noting that the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers have all committed an NFL-high 21 turnovers. Their combined record is 10-17.

Generally speaking, we can say the Vikings haven't handed their opponents many extra opportunities to beat them. Quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Christian Ponder have combined for five interceptions in 267 attempts, tied for the third-fewest in the NFL. Tailback Adrian Peterson, meanwhile, hasn't lost a fumble in 196 touches.

It would be much easier to dissect the Vikings' 2-7 record this season, and install a fix, if they could attribute it to something as straightforward as turnovers and/or mistakes. Absent that, you simply have to wonder if their team -- its collection of talent and the structure upon which it sits -- is good enough to forge a consistent winner.

The Vikings have hardly played mistake-free this season. They had 10 penalties accepted against them Monday night, and their 66 accepted penalties this season is the eighth-highest total in the NFL. Monday, coach Leslie Frazier said: "It's hard to overcome when you play a good team and then you do some things like we did in crucial situations with penalties that really set you back, and that’s something that we’ll have to address."

Some of those penalties were particularly harmful, most notably a false start on Fred Evans that tacked an extra five yards onto a Ryan Longwell field goal attempt in the first quarter. Longwell was short from 52 yards. But 10 penalties can't account for a 38-point loss, and I don't think anyone who has watched the Vikings this season would suggest that 66 penalties accounts for a 2-7 record.

Instead, over the final seven games of the season, the Vikings will need to make an honest assessment of what they do and do not have. If their hope was to manage the transition from the Brett Favre Era to the Ponder Era while continuing to compete for a playoff spot, they have failed.

I suggested Tuesday that the Vikings might be more in need of a rebuild than the remodel they were hoping to achieve. If you're not giving away the games you lose, there is only one alternative explanation: You're just not as good, from the top of the organization to the 53rd man on the roster. There is plenty of season left to change that perception, but that's where the Vikings are as they head into Week 11.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge on Week 6:

Stopping Gore: The San Francisco 49ers are 18-7 when running back Frank Gore surpasses 100 yards. That will put the Detroit Lions' rush defense in the spotlight Sunday at Ford Field after a year spent discussing their offensive firepower. Lions opponents are averaging 4.8 yards per carry, tied for the eighth-highest mark in the NFL. But defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, for one, isn't worried. Suh, who made a key fourth-down stop Monday night against the Chicago Bears, had this to say in his blog on the Lions' website: "The 49ers are a very conservative offense. They don't take very many risks and that's something that I think is good for us when we shut down what they want to do, which is their run game, and force them into long-yardage situations, get them behind the eight ball and having them have to come back because our offense is putting points on the board and putting points on their defense. That puts them in situations that they don't want to be in. I think that's something great for us to have, it's just a matter of us going out and executing and putting them in those tough situations."

Peterson's chance: Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson had one of the best games of his life at Soldier Field in 2007, rushing for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Peterson probably won't eclipse the 200-yard mark Sunday night against the Chicago Bears, but he has a chance for a big game nonetheless. The Bears are uncharacteristically allowing 135.8 rushing yards per game this season, the fifth-worst mark in the NFL, and a league-high 5.7 yards per carry. Peterson hasn't hit 100 yards in his past three outings against the Bears, but he appears more determined than ever to carry the Vikings' offense. The Bears have swapped out both of their starting safeties, presumably hoping that Major Wright and Chris Conte can provide better open-field tackling if Peterson breaks into the secondary. The Vikings' pass offense isn't good enough to necessitate wholesale lineup changes. But Wright, for one, didn't generate much confidence in his tackling ability during the preseason.

Slim pickins: We've spent plenty of time discussing the Bears' presumed advantage at Soldier Field, and nowhere is it more apparent than in their recent games against the Vikings. The Bears have won nine of their last 10 home games against them, including a 2002 matchup in Champaign, Ill. The only Vikings victory over that period came in 2007, a 34-31 game that required that 224-yard rushing effort from Peterson as well as a 54-yard field goal from place-kicker Ryan Longwell as time expired. I suppose there are a number of possible explanations, but here's the simplest: The Vikings, who have played at least half their games indoors and on artificial turf since 1982, don't make a good adjustment to painted dirt/torn-up grass.

Field day: ESPN's analytics team better warm up its Total Quarterback Rating computers. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is gearing up to face a St. Louis Rams team that has already lost its top three cornerbacks for the season. Two Packers castoffs, Al Harris and Josh Gordy, could be among the Rams' top three cornerbacks in Sunday's game. The Rams have tried to make up for their personnel deficiencies by blitzing defensive backs on an NFL-high 27.5 percent of opponents drop backs, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Good luck with that strategy against Rodgers, who is completing a league-high 80 percent of his passes against blitzes from defensive backs this season. His QBR on those plays is 96.0, also an NFL best. Sometimes the NFL offers surprises just when you think one team has another completely out-classed, but I don't know that Sunday at Lambeau Field will be one of those times.

Matthews breakout? Everyone has a right to their own opinion about the one-sack season of Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. But I think we'll be able to cast a more critical eye if Matthews doesn't make an impact Sunday against the Rams' hapless pass protection. Quarterback Sam Bradford has been sacked 18 times, tied for the NFL high even though the Rams have played only four games. And when under duress, based on the definition of ESPN Stats & Information, Bradford has completed only four of 35 passes. A lot goes into getting a sack, but porous pass protection is a pretty good start.

Reviewing Saturday's action at the Metrodome:

Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 17

Preseason record: 1-2

Of interest: The Vikings first-team offense converted a touchdown for the first time this preseason when Donovan McNabb found receiver Bernard Berrian behind the defense for a 49-yard touchdown pass on their first possession. Berrian later caught a 15-yard pass in showing his first signs of life in more than a year. ... Most important for the offense: It controlled the line of scrimmage for a good portion of its stint against the Cowboys' first-team defense. Tailback Adrian Peterson rushed for 81 yards on 14 carries, possibly coinciding with the return of right guard Anthony Herrera. ... McNabb also connected on another nice downfield pass to receiver Michael Jenkins (26 yards). ... Defensively, the Vikings looked pretty vulnerable against Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who completed 15 of his 20 passes. Cornerback Antoine Winfield's right shoulder stinger was a scary, but apparently not long-term, sight. At this point, depth is a big concern. ... Place-kicker Ryan Longwell hit a 44-yard field goal, but was short from 52 and had a 47-yard attempt blocked and returned for a touchdown. ... No. 2 quarterback Joe Webb had a 36-yard scramble and also a 10-yard touchdown run, showing again why the Vikings should make room for him somewhere in their offense. But the flip side was that rookie Christian Ponder didn't get much work. Perhaps he will start the preseason finale Thursday.

Local coverage: Winfield and cornerback Chris Cook (hamstring) will be "fine," coach Leslie Frazier told reporters, according to Mark Craig of the Star Tribune. ... Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "The Vikings may have to put a 'help wanted' sign out on I-494 in front of Winter Park. 'Defensive Backs Inquire Within.'" ... Frazier on the Vikings' secondary, via Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com: "What I was encouraged by was when Chris was out there, when Cedric [Griffin] was out there, when 'Toine was out there, we held our own. That is really encouraging for our defense and for our team, because we're going to need those three guys to really play at a high level in order for our defense to play well. When they were there, I thought we held them in check." ... McNabb on the pass to Berrian, via Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com: "I know everyone kind of thought we were going to kind of stay intermediate and kind of play it safe. But we've been trying to open up the offense. It really depends on what the defense is dictating for us." ... The Vikings worked hard to develop a rapport between McNabb and Berrian in practice last week, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave told Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.

Up next: Thursday against Houston Texans

Reviewing Saturday's action at CenturyLink Field:

Minnesota Vikings 20, Seattle Seahawks 7

Preseason record: 1-1

Of interest: A fumbled punt return and a defensive touchdown left the Vikings' first-team offense with one possession, a three-out and-out, in the first quarter. Its second drive was more encouraging, an 82-yard jaunt that began at the Vikings' 1-yard line and ended with Ryan Longwell's 36-yard field goal. Starters have produced three points in two games for the Vikings, but quarterback Donovan McNabb without question got in a groove in Saturday's second possession. His 20-yard timing pass to receiver Michael Jenkins was especially noteworthy. ... Second-year cornerback Marcus Sherels fumbled the aforementioned punt return, but he made up for it by intercepting a tipped Tarvaris Jackson pass and dashing 64 yards for a touchdown. ... One concern: Seahawks defensive end Raheem Brock got a free lane to sack McNabb when left tackle Charlie Johnson missed his assignment. ... The same thing happened to Vikings defensive end Jared Allen in the first quarter, but he missed a free shot on Jackson. ... Other than that, the starting defense had a nice night. Jackson was under pressure and couldn't establish any timing even when running his usual plate of bootlegs and screens. ... The second-team defense also had a powerful goal-line stand in the second quarter, stuffing four consecutive goal-to-goal runs. ... Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder played it pretty carefully during a 2-minute drill to end the first half, focusing mostly on checkdowns.

Local coverage: Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com: "For all of the questions surrounding the Vikings' offense entering camp, the one that lingers most prominently at the preseason's midpoint remains along the line. Look no further than coordinator Bill Musgrave's heavy reliance on the short passing game for evidence he knows which unit needs protecting." Sherels on the fumble/interception, via Pelissero: "I felt like I let my team down. Everyone was just saying, 'Just forget about it and play the next play.' I felt I had to make a play. Got a lucky bounce and happened to score." Cornerback Cedric Griffin made his first start since his second ACL injury last October, notes Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Vikings coach Leslie Frazier was eager to watch the film of what he thought was an encouraging outing, writes Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune.

Up next: Saturday vs. Dallas Cowboys

In case you haven't heard, the NFL has mandated all kickoffs be marked at the 35-yard line this season (and preseason). But we spent so much time dissecting the Chicago Bears' mistake/miscommunication/passive protest earlier this week that I think we missed the opportunity to examine both the larger picture and how this mess will affect the NFC North later this season.

Based on my unofficial review of play-by-plays from Week 1 of the preseason, 11 of the NFC North's 12 kickoffs from the 35-yard line traveled into the end zone. The other landed at the 1-yard line. Here is how it broke down:

There are a couple of interesting points to make here. Most notably, we saw some divergent strategies already starting to emerge.

For the most part, Green Bay Packers place-kicker Mason Crosby aired out his strong leg. But if the Packers thought that kicks deep into the end zone would automatically result in touchbacks, they found out otherwise Saturday night. The Cleveland Browns brought back all four kickoffs, returning them twice to the 20-yard line, once to the 21 and once to the 15.

Because some teams don't want to surrender the potential for a big kick return, it's quite possible we'll see many more kickoffs returned from previously too-deep spots in the end zone. Speaking generally this week, Minnesota Vikings place-kicker Ryan Longwell said: "I really do think that. I really think when they can judge the hang time of it, and you've got a lower kick that is 7 or 8 yards deep, I think that will come out a lot more often this year than it has in the past."

On the other hand, Longwell and the Vikings appeared to pursue an alternate goal. The strategy calls for putting high kickoffs short of the goal line in hopes of tackling the returner shy of the 20, where a touchback would be marked. It didn't work too well on Longwell's first kickoff against the Tennessee Titans, which landed 1 yard deep in the end zone and was returned to the 27-yard line. But his second kickoff generated more than four seconds of hang time, according to Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, and resulted in a return to the 11-yard line.

Said Longwell: "I think that you're going to see a lot of the coaches saying, 'If there is a touchback potential, why do we give them the 20 when we can hang it high inside and the 5, and tackle them inside the 20?' I think it's actually going to flip the other way, from just banging it out and giving them the 20, to 'Hey, let's stuff them inside the 20.' I think there will be a big movement [toward] that as well."

Meanwhile, there are a number of kickers and special teams coaches in the NFC North who are convinced this dynamic will diminish once the weather turns colder. Bears place-kicker Robbie Gould cited the weather issue as a reason he wanted to kick off from the 30 Saturday night against the Buffalo Bills, hoping it would give coverage teams a chance to cover a live return the way they presumably will need to in November and December.

"As the weather changes," Longwell said, "the ball just doesn't fly as far. It's a fact. I think those [deep] numbers will come down."

The Bears have four games at Soldier Field and the Packers have five at Lambeau Field after Nov. 1. We probably won't see many touchbacks, at least in those games. But I'm not convinced we'll see as many touchbacks as we think we might in the first two months of the season. Strategies and skills are still evolving. Stay tuned.

In 2007, the Minnesota Vikings drafted tailback Adrian Peterson in the first round and receiver Sidney Rice in the second. The two became fast friends, both on and off the field, and planned to be cornerstones of an explosive offense for years to come.

So as Peterson enters the final year of his contract, it's worth noting his reaction to Rice's departure on Wednesday. Not long after Rice agreed to a five-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, Peterson said via Twitter:

From the outside, Rice's decision to leave was hardly surprising. The Vikings did not offer an extension after his Pro Bowl season in 2009, and as we discussed Wednesday, an obvious frost had developed between the player and the team. My understanding is that the Vikings were competitive on the financial side of this deal in recent days, but I wonder if Peterson is referring to the Vikings' unwillingness to offer an extension last year -- as well as their decision this winter to use the franchise tag on linebacker Chad Greenway instead of Rice.

I'm sure Peterson is disappointed on a personal level. Will it impact his attitude toward re-signing with the Vikings? I'm pretty sure the Vikings intend to add at least one veteran receiver in the coming days. ESPN's John Clayton suggests it could be free agent Braylon Edwards.

As for Peterson? In the end, I think, money talks.

Recent Vikings posts: The best way to view the acquisition of quarterback Donovan McNabb is as (expensive) insurance for rookie Christian Ponder. Rice wanted a fresh start. The Vikings made the right call in bringing back place-kicker Ryan Longwell. Receiver Percy Harvin plans to play at about 10 pounds lighter this season. The Vikings have a tough decision on Peterson's contract.

In March, we wondered whether the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears were really prepared to part ways with a pair of aging but reliable specialists who appear to have several years remaining in their careers. We've now gotten our answer.

The Bears did indeed inform punter Brad Maynard that he won't return in 2011. And on Wednesday, the Vikings agreed to terms with place-kicker Ryan Longwell on what ESPN's Adam Schefter reported is a four-year contract extension worth $12 million, including $3.5 million guaranteed.

The timing of the deal made sense; earlier in the day, the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers helped set the market for placekickers. The Packers agreed with Mason Crosby on a five-year deal that included $3 million guaranteed, while the Panthers will soon sign Olindo Mare to a four-year deal that includes $4 million guaranteed.

What never made sense was why the Vikings might replace a kicker who has converted 43 of 46 attempts over the past two seasons. Longwell will turn 37 next month, but age is of moderate relevance when it comes to place-kickers. The Vikings clearly agreed, even if it took longer than expected for them to show it.

NFL teams tend to think they can replace specialists somewhat easily.

Often, they are right.

When they're wrong, the money they saved seems trivial in retrospect.

The Seattle Seahawks went through quite a few punters and snappers after letting Jeff Feagles and J.P. Darche get away years ago. They're taking a risk this offseason after watching kicker Olindo Mare agree to terms with Carolina on Wednesday. Mare set a franchise record for consecutive field-goal attempts without a miss after then-coach Jim Mora ripped him for an "unacceptable" performance against Chicago.

Mare has made 88.0 percent of his field-goal attempts over the last three seasons, the third-highest percentage among players with at least 20 attempts. Only Neil Rackers (90.7) and Ryan Longwell (90.0) have higher conversion rates during that time, according to Pro Football Reference.

Rackers' appearance atop that list affirms the first sentence of this blog entry. The Cardinals parted with Rackers and came out just fine with Jay Feely.

One other consideration: Mare has been strong on kickoffs, but strong legs might carry less value now that the league has moved up kickoffs to the 35. As Mare told Dave Mahler of Sports Radio 950 AM in Seattle via Brian McIntyre, the change should extend careers for kickers.

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

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

Chicago Bears

1. Assemble a starting offensive line: As we've noted many times, the Bears have held off any public discussion about their five linemen pending the results of free agency. Well, we're here. It's time for the dominoes to start falling. The first will be whether center Olin Kreutz re-signs. It's generally expected, but nothing is guaranteed. Then, the Bears need to decide whether to pursue any starting-caliber guards or tackles. You would think they'll seek at least one new starter. Will they raid the Atlanta Falcons' glut of linemen? Might they take a 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.

It's been difficult to focus on any details of NFL free agency during the lockout; even with progress reported daily toward a new collective bargaining agreement, we still don't have a good sense for how player movement will be administered.

With that said, we do know a few things. One is that longtime NFC North place-kicker Ryan Longwell, who spent five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings after a nine-year tenure with the Green Bay Packers, almost certainly will be an unrestricted free agent whenever the market opens. Longwell will be 37 in August, but his last two seasons were the most accurate of his career and it's a mystery (to me) why the Vikings didn't re-sign him before the lockout began.

Appearing Friday morning on ESPNMilwaukee.com, Longwell made clear he intends to play in 2011 and said he "wouldn't mind going back" to the Vikings. Asked if he would consider returning to Green Bay if Packers place-kicker Mason Crosby moves on in free agency, Longwell laughed and said: "You never say never. You just don't know."

It's much more likely that the Packers will re-sign Crosby, to whom they issued a restricted free-agent tender under the NFL's previous offseason rules. The Vikings, however, have yet to reveal their plan for filling Longwell's job if in fact they have decided to move on.

In theory, I can understand the thought of shopping for a kicker younger than 37. And there is no doubt that Longwell's kickoffs have been shorter than the NFL average in recent years.

But age is less relevant for kickers than any other position in football, and the league's decision to move kickoffs up five yards should mitigate any concerns about Longwell's kickoff distance. To me, it is so difficult to find a reliable place-kicker that it doesn't make sense to discard one until you've squeezed every last kick out of him.

Perhaps the Vikings will pursue Longwell once free agency begins. But no matter what condition your franchise is in, why not continue employing a kicker who drilled 43 of 46 attempts over the past two seasons?

"I still feel like I'm very strong and very accurate," Longwell said. "And I still feel like I'm a definite asset in the locker room after what we've been through in Minnesota the last few years."

It's well-known that Longwell was and remains close friends with quarterback Brett Favre. I hope Longwell doesn't fall victim to that connection. The Vikings' eagerness to move past the Favre/Brad Childress era shouldn't impact their decision on a place-kicker.

Longwell will be kicking somewhere in 2011. The Vikings would be hard-pressed to find a more accurate or reliable option.

"I'm not closing any doors to free agency," Longwell said, "because you just don't know who needs a veteran experienced kicker. We've had fun in Minnesota and certainly think there is legitimate chance to go back there and succeed."

Each spring, the NFL's competition committee proposes a series of rule changes that typically reside in the periphery of an actual game's flow. You might see a proposal for streamlined clock operation, or the elimination of a rarely called penalty, or if the committee is feeling crazy, a new definition for "down by contact."

This year, however, at least one of the proposals could dramatically impact the game if approved as written. Not only could it eliminate the kickoff return as we know it, but it will impose a considerable change of thinking within the NFC North.

As explained by committee chairman Rich McKay, who is also the Atlanta Falcons' president, the rule would impose these primary changes:

1. Moving the kickoff 5 yards, from the 30-yard line to the 35.
2. Eliminating wedge blocking
3. Limit the head start that kickoff coverage men can take to 5 yards.
4. Moving touchback placement from the 20-yard line to the 25

McKay acknowledged the rules would be "a pretty major change." Aaron Schatz, who closely follows special-teams play for his work at Football Outsiders, wrote: "It would be a huge transformation of the way the NFL plays special teams."

Three-quarters of NFL teams must approve the proposal in order for it to be enacted, but that seems likely given the NFL's current emphasis of health and safety. (Injury rates on kickoffs are traditionally high.)

I realize that many of you might not consider the kickoff a key factor in wins and losses. After all, the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV with a pretty pedestrian kickoff return game and the second-worst kickoff coverage in the NFL, based on average drive starts after kickoffs.

But I don't think anyone would argue how critical kickoff returns were to the Chicago Bears' NFC North title last season, and beyond that, this rule could impact our division in a number of ways.

First, it would relieve all four teams from substantively addressing a 2010 weak area if they don't want to. Take a look at the charts to the right. The Bears, Packers and Minnesota Vikings had three of the worst five kickoff coverage teams last season as measured by the average drive start of opponents. The Detroit Lions were the division "leaders" at No. 19.

We've discussed the Vikings' reluctance to re-sign place-kicker Ryan Longwell, and it's also a fact that the Packers haven't done anything but tender place-kicker Mason Crosby. This rule change should lower the need to factor in kickoff distance into roster decisions for place-kickers.

Last season, for example, Longwell's average kickoff traveled about 63 yards in the air. A 63-yard kickoff from the 35-yard line puts the ball at the opponents' 2-yard line. And even if cover men can't get their usual 15-yard head start, they still have 5 less yards of field to cover.

And on the occasion when a kickoff sails into the end zone, returners will have even less incentive to bring it out. The risk would now be 5 yards greater than in previous seasons. McKay said that portion of the rule was implemented to balance out the advantage it gives to the kickoff team, but I'll be fascinated to see if more kickoffs into the end zone result in touchbacks. Or, as Schatz points out, kickoffs could turn into long punts, with teams trying to pop them up and then cover to pin opponents close to their goal line.

"Our feeling is that we want to change the entire play," McKay said "And this is one way we think we change the entire play."

Meanwhile, you wonder whether the Bears will lose what was a valuable weapon for them last season. No NFL team started their drives after kickoffs in better position than the Bears, thanks to the return duo of Danieal Manning and Devin Hester, along with the blocking schemes of coordinator Dave Toub.

McKay suggested the net result of the rule will likely leave the league's average drive starting point in a similar range, but I wonder if outliers will be brought to the middle. In other words, can the Bears still stand out if they can't wedge block, if they have a shorter field and tighter confines? If their production is pulled back to the middle, and the threat of a long return is lowered, it's a net loss for the Bears.

The same could be true for the Lions, who found a valuable weapon last season in kick returner Stefan Logan, whose 26.8-yard average helped the Lions to an average drive start of the 27.1-yard line after kickoffs . The Vikings and Packers, meanwhile, both had good drive starts after kickoffs, but neither entered the offseason with an established returner.

Does either team have that position ranked high on its draft/free-agent priority list? Some of you have suggested the Packers target a returner the same way the Bears did with Hester in 2006, making the commitment of a high draft choice if necessary to secure a game-breaker. But would that be necessary under the new rule? Part of me wants to say no, but I also wonder if more restrictive rules would in fact put a higher premium on finding a player with the rare abilities to stand out from the new paradigm.

Because, in the end, no one knows where this will go for sure. Those of us who are interested in special-teams play will find a bit of a wild west atmosphere whenever NFL games resume this fall (or this winter).

"We want to see what these changes will bring," McKay said. "But I couldn't tell you that I can predict for you because there are a lot of smart special teams coaches who will come up with ways [to combat it]."

I was concerned about 2010 fatigue this week when I asked for some help in compiling our All-NFC North team. It's been almost six weeks since the end of the regular season, and I figured many of you had moved on to offseason mode.

More than 800 responses later -- via the comments, Twitter and the mailbag -- I am glad to admit my concerns were unwarranted. There was great interest in putting this team together, and you can see the results in the chart to your right. Below, I've offered explanations and context for the final decisions.

From the top, many of you were surprised that I didn't make Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson a "lock." Wrote kprugger2010: "I will consume my first born child ... if you don't immediately make Adrian Peterson the undisputed/unanimous/worship-worthy RB on this list."

I realize Peterson led the division with 1,298 yards and 12 touchdowns despite missing one game. But I thought Chicago Bears tailback Matt Forte had an exceptional second half of the season, and I wanted to see where that conversation went. In the last six weeks of the season, during which the Bears locked up their NFC North title, Forte had the third-most yards from scrimmage (718) in the NFL.

In arguing Forte's case, drhodes77 wrote: "Forte for RB. No other real RB's in the league that did anything consistently. And by league I mean NFCN. Peterson had another standard year for him but in terms of being all important to his team, his team [stunk]."

In the end, I cheated a little and converted the TE/FB category to "RB." I thought both Peterson and Forte were among the top players in the division. Both were deserving of inclusion.

Offensive line was a struggle for me and many of you as well. The only position I felt certain about was right guard, which the Green Bay Packers' Josh Sitton manned consistently all season. The other four? Let's just say this wasn't the best year for NFC North offensive lines.

Although Packers left tackle Chad Clifton was named to the Pro Bowl, I went with the Detroit Lions' Jeff Backus. @JohnWayne506th pointed me in the direction of these STATS Inc. analyses for Clifton and Backus. By STATS' measure, Backus gave up half as many sacks as Clifton over the course of the season. Sack responsibility is open to interpretation, but others have shared in this opinion as well.

For the rest of the line, I went with Vikings left guard Steve Hutchinson, Packers center Scott Wells and Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga.

While Hutchinson's play slipped in 2010, I don't think any of us could argue that the Lions' Rob Sims, the Packers' Daryn Colledge or the Bears' Chris Williams was better. At center, it was pretty much a toss-up between Wells, the Lions' Dominic Raiola and the Bears' Olin Kreutz. I went with Wells because several Packers coaches and players said at the Super Bowl that he had his best-ever NFL season in 2010.

Right tackle was particularly challenging. I chose Bulaga because he had an uneventful year after making the conversion from left tackle. For offensive linemen, "uneventful" often equals "successful." I'll admit that isn't the most scientific explanation, and the Lions' Gosder Cherilus had a case here. But as hendrix197731 noted, the Lions' offensive line was ranked No. 32 in the NFL by Football Outsiders, whose methods I trust. In a close decision, that ranking pushed me in the other direction.

Moving over to defense, I picked the Vikings' Jared Allen over the Packers' Cullen Jenkins and the Lions' Kyle Vanden Bosch. Allen had more sacks (11) and was the only one among that trio who played in all 16 games.

Levy50613 pushed to have Bears linebacker Lance Briggs removed and replaced by the Vikings' Chad Greenway, a move I considered. Wrote Levy50613: "He had 20 more solo tackles than Briggs had total tackles! 144 total tackles for Greenway. About 20 DB's had more tackles than Briggs (89)."

Ultimately, I wasn't going to downgrade Briggs based on tackles, an unofficial statistic. Greenway had a really good season, but I'm good with Briggs on this list.

There was some discussion about making the Vikings' Antoine Winfield the second cornerback, but I agreed with LamboLeak's observation of the Super Bowl: "We saw what happened when [Woodson] went out of the game Sunday: 21-3 turned into a game." Woodson had a quieter season in 2010 than he did in 2009, but that doesn't mean his play slipped beyond that of All-NFC North status.

As for safety, I flipped several times between the Bears' Chris Harris and the Lions' Louis Delmas to pair with the Packers' Nick Collins. I think we can agree that Harris -- like Forte -- was exceptional during the Bears' division title push. Harris had all five of his interceptions after the Bears' Week 8 bye.

Finally, special teams provided an opportunity to let flow my Vikings bias. (SARCASM ALERT.) Place-kicker Ryan Longwell missed only one field goal all season and punter Chris Kluwe led the division in net average (38.9) and punts downed inside the 20-yard line (32). I realize that Kluwe punted 12 more times than the candidate many of you pushed for, the Packers' Tim Masthay, but I didn't consider that difference large enough to make up for their respective production disparity.

Again, thanks to everyone for participating. Hopefully, the NFL's looming labor strife won't disrupt our plans to do it all over again next year.