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We're Black and Blue All Over: Thursday, we broached the topic of whether the Chicago Bears would retire the number of middle linebacker Brian Urlacher. As it turns out, the team is dealing with a backlog on that issue. Almost a half-century af...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Now that we've dissected Brian Urlacher's retirement and assessed his chances at enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we should ask the next question: Will the Bears retire his No. 54? That issue might b...

Catching up around the division Wednesday after Brian Urlacher's retirement illuminated at least one curious development. Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas isn't participating in organized team activities (OTAs), and not just simply to avoid wear ...

NFC North teams added dozens of intriguing young players over the weekend. They filled glaring holes and added to already-established strengths. Some areas remain weak, of course, while other selections created new storylines we hadn't anticipated. ...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Not every arrest of an NFC North player merits a blog entry, and I haven't covered all of them this offseason. This week, however, we learned that the Detroit Lions' list of offseason arrests had grown to two, so I g...

Our 2013 #bloggermock took an early twist and left me only partially satisfied as the protector of NFC North interests. Of note: Not a single quarterback was drafted in the first round, something that hasn't happened in the real draft since 1996. We ...

What's the ideal first-round scenario for each team? Chicago Bears: There are a number of hopeful scenarios for the Bears, but we've got to keep it reasonable. The Bears would no doubt be thrilled if one of the draft's top guards, Alabama's Chance...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler began on-field work Tuesday with his fourth offensive coordinator in five years. The timing of this transition, however, is a bit more dramatic than the rest. As Michael C. Wri...

We're Black and Blue All Over: We discussed the possibility of the Minnesota Vikings drafting Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o as recently as last Friday, and over the weekend, Sports Illustrated's Peter King added a more grist to the mill. Accord...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Good morning. We're going to have not one but TWO opportunities for interaction Tuesday in various places here on ESPN.com. (For some of you, it will be two chances rather than one to complain about lack of interacti...

We're Black and Blue All Over: BRISTOL, Conn. -- Good morning from the ESPN mother ship, where I've made a quick trip to hold highly secretive talks with very important people about the future of the (blogging) universe. I won't be in position to ...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Two NFL contract agreements Monday night had NFC North implications and are worth noting here on the blog. First, the Indianapolis Colts announced a deal with free agent receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who visited t...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Good morning. Wednesday was quite the day here on the NFC North blog. During the trek back from the NFL owners meeting, I did my best to keep up with the Chicago Bears' decision to part ways with linebacker Brian Url...

We're Black and Blue All Over: PHOENIX -- The Detroit Lions drafted a left tackle in the first round of the 2012 draft. In 2013, their longtime left tackle retired. But it's apparently not as simple as connecting the dots between the retirement of...

We're Black and Blue All Over: We have more overnight news in the NFC North's free agency frenzy. Former Chicago Bears linebacker Nick Roach agreed to terms with the Oakland Raiders, leaving the Bears without a versatile player who has been a star...

We're Black and Blue All Over: So we've been sidetracked a bit with two intra-division stories: The Minnesota Vikings' cursory talks with Chicago Bears free agent linebacker Brian Urlacher, and the Vikings' decision to host Green Bay Packers recei...