We're Black and Blue All Over:
Good morning everyone. I hope you all had a great week.
The lights in NFC North blog headquarters are back on and we're humming along at full strength. But I can't say the same for three of our division teams, who are packed up and scattered across the country until the start of training camp next month.
The Minnesota Vikings have a three-day minicamp starting Tuesday, which will be the last football activity we'll see in a while. Before hitting that, I'll do my best to catch us up from last week in the event you were waiting on me to do that.
First, a morning tour of weekend coverage around the division:
Offseason hype is closer to hope, former NFL player Matt Bowen writes for the Chicago Tribune. There are no guarantees the Chicago Bears' new offense will hit the ground running, Bowen writes.
Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times takes a look at the Bears' leftover offseason issues.
Detroit Lions running back Mikel Leshoure is looking for consistency in his third season, writes Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
Knee rehabilitation is easier for Lions receiver Ryan Broyles the second time around, according to Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News.
Justin Rogers of Mlive.com writes about the relationship between Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and a boy who suffers from a rare auto-inflammatory disease.
Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com profiles the off-field endeavors of Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy has found a balance between life and football, writes Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Retired Packers receiver Donald Driver said at his charity golf event that teams have called him about playing in 2013 but that he would only play for the Packers, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He did say he would be in shape if the Packers called him at midseason.
Mark Craig of the Star Tribune speaks with Minnesota Vikings receiver Greg Childs, who is attempting to return to the game after tearing the patellar tendons in both knees last summer.
Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press goes one-on-one with Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes.