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Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery was careful last month to avoid pinpointing an exact position for rookie linebacker Jon Bostic, a middle linebacker at Florida who should have the inside track to be Brian Urlacher's long-time replacement. Vet...

We're Black and Blue All Over: Mike McCarthy is going to wish he thought of this one. The Green Bay Packers' coach often unveils some sort of new technology or practice approach in his efforts to improve over the previous year, but the newest thin...

Jeffri Chadiha included former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher among 10 veteran free agents who have encountered surprising ambivalence on the open market. Perhaps that analysis prompted this exchange in Tuesday's SportsNation chat: Kris (...

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. ...

Is Jon Bostic the heir apparent to Brian Urlacher for the Chicago Bears? I think we should consider it a strong possibility, if not a certainty -- even after general manager Phil Emery refused to be pinned down on the team's plans Friday night. Bo...

So what happens if three left tackles are among the first four picks of the 2013 draft? Our friends at Scouts Inc. addressed that scenario at the top of their annual seven-round -- yes, you read that right -- mock draft . The short explanation is ...

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: 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...

If nothing else, two relatively minor decisions this week serve as an important reminder that the Chicago Bears never replaced center Olin Kreutz after his final season with them in 2010. Former guard Roberto Garza has done his best to make it wor...

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...

New Chicago Bears linebacker D.J. Williams didn't officially sign his contract until last Thursday, and I've finally gotten a look at the specifics via ESPN Stats & Information resources. The structure of Williams' one-year, $1.75 million deal furthe...

This draft season has harkened thoughts of the old days in the Black and Blue division: lots of middle linebacker talk. With half of the NFC North seeking long-term answers at the position, we've discussed some of the best-known middle/inside linebac...

How best to put into perspective the duration of Jason Hanson's career with the Detroit Lions? Here is one attempt: When his tenure began in 1992, about two-thirds of the players on the Lions' roster weren't yet in the first grade. Hanson spent 21...

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...