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So on the first Friday of May, we learned that not one but two former Iowa left tackles will be making their full-time NFL debuts at the position here in the NFC North. (The similarities don't end there. Both were the No. 23 overall pick of their ...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Brendon Ayanbadejo has received national attention for his stance on same-sex marriage and the New England Patriots, among other issues. Chicago Bears fans, of course, remember when he was a two-time Pro Bowl selecti...

OK. As of Monday afternoon, here is the most updated look at the election, withdrawal, addition and participation of NFC North players in Sunday's Pro Bowl game. By my count, 14 players will participate and seven will start. Four have been added b...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Good Monday morning to all of you. I snuck out the back door late last week after the Chicago Bears completed their coaching search, hiring Marc Trestman to replace Lovie Smith after a 2 1/2-week search. All is well....

Let's take a quick look through Thursday's news in the NFC North: Chicago Bears: Tailback Matt Forte (ankle) returned to practice on a limited basis, giving him a chance to play Sunday at Ford Field. Cornerback Charles Tillman (ribs/elbow) also re...

We're Black and Blue All Over: In our fantasy dramas, we expect all hands on deck for our Wild Week 17, in which two of our teams need victories to help ensure a playoff spot while a third is hoping to improve its playoff seed. But that's not the ...

Let's get inside Friday's NFC North injury report: Chicago Bears: As expected, the Bears ruled out linebacker Brian Urlacher (hamstring), cornerback Tim Jennings (shoulder) and receiver Earl Bennett (concussion) from Sunday's game against the Gree...

We're Black and Blue All Over: The Green Bay Packers are continuing to chip away at the iceberg, as we say. Earlier this month, they locked up punter Tim Masthay with a long-term contract extension. And late Monday night, they agreed to terms with...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Hopefully Thursday morning's routine change didn't throw you off your game. My request last month for feedback made clear that BBAO remains in high demand, but many of you weren't concerned if it was the first post o...

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton has theories on questions you've never thought of asking, and here is one of particular note to NFC North teams. When evaluating the future of an offensive line, Clayton writes, teams would be wise to follow the "T...

I think we're close to moving on from Thursday's debate on how typical the now-infamous speech of former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is on a relative scale. The initial reaction of many was to suggest Williams was speaking...

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith said Ndamukong Suh called him to apologize a few days after the Lions defensive lineman's infamous Thanksgiving Day stomp.

FALLING 1. Health, Chicago Bears: The Bears led a charmed life on the way to their 2010 NFC North title, losing only a handful of starts because of injury all season. But their four-game dive in 2011 has coincided with injuries to quarterback Jay...

We're Black and Blue All Over: We've had several discussions already about the extent to which Chicago Bears tailback Matt Forte should rush back to the field after suffering a second-degree sprain of the MCL in his left knee. While I'm sure Forte...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Monday, I joined the chorus of those who say the Minnesota Vikings must find a way to utilize the unique skill set of backup quarterback Joe Webb. The tricky question, of course, is how. As Chip Scoggins of the St...

Five nuggets of knowledge on Week 14: Seeking rest: Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, the Green Bay Packers will be going for their 19th consecutive victory, which would stand alone as the second-longest streak in NFL history. More important, th...