NFC North Discussion

For the last two years, Cliff Avril has worked on one-year contracts. And while he said he was close to working out a long-term deal with the Lions last year, the soon-to-be free agent defensive end said he’s not sure how much longer he’ll be there.​

Avril told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that he’s had minimal contact with the Lions, after they decided not to use the franchise tag on him for a second straight year.​

“[This week will] give me a good idea of what’s going on, if I’ll be here or if I’ll be gone,” Avril said. “This week will definitely gauge that, I guess.”​

The lack of contact could easily be viewed as a sign, especially at a time when Avril is one of the top available options at a need position.​

Though Michael Johnson and Anthony Spencer were tagged, the 26-year-old Avril goes into a market with players such as Paul Kruger and Michael Bennett and older players such as Dwight Freeney, John Abraham and Osi Umenyiora.​

Avril had 9.5 sacks last year, a solid follow-up to his 11 the year before. And while it’s time to get paid, he also said too much was made of the suggestion he wantedMario Williams money, saying he was simply agreeing with a suggestion rather than requesting it himself.​

“I didn’t say I wanted Mario Williams money, I’m like, ‘Who wouldn’t want his money?’ ” Avril said. “The guy asked me, ‘Mario made this amount of money, is that something [you'd want]?’ I’m like, ‘Shoot, wouldn’t you want it? Who wouldn’t want that deal?’ But people take it further than that.”​

In the next week, he’ll know if the Lions want to give him Cliff Avril money, or whether he’s going to have to use part of someone else’s to move.​

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Vikings ready to go green in the middle
 

The genesis of Mike Singletary's hall of fame career came in 1981, when he became the Chicago Bears' middle linebacker for nine games of his rookie season. Over 172 regular-season (and 12 playoff) games, Singletary became the command center of the Bears' iconic defense, his eyes seemingly burning out of his helmet as he directed the "Monsters of the Midway."
 
But asked what he remembers about running the Bears' defense as a young player, Singletary simply replied, "Being very frustrated."
 
"(It was) just trying to learn it all, just trying to not make mistakes, not trying to slow the defense down," he said. "The development of the middle linebacker is really predicated on how fast he can assimilate information and get the defense going. If he slows down, it slows everybody else down. You don't want to start looking at you and saying, 'Hey, can you do this or not?' "
 
It is into that role that the Vikings could thrust a young player during the 2013 season. They re-signed Erin Henderson to play the weak-side linebacker spot, and coach Leslie Frazier said Sunday, April 7, that the Vikings will not look to move Chad Greenway from the strong side, where he has made two consecutive Pro Bowls, to the middle linebacker role.
 
Unless the Vikings, who currently have $4.4 million left under the salary cap, sign a veteran linebacker, they will head into 2013 with either a rookie or a seldom-used linebacker (Audie Cole or Marvin Mitchell) manning the middle of their defense.

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-- It’s been several weeks since an NFL game was delayed due to weather.  Another delay could be coming on Sunday.
 
According to the folks at Weather.com, the afternoon forecast for Chicago includes potentially severe storms and high winds.
 
If/when the game is paused due to arbitrary strikes of 54,000-degree electricity from above, the wind will still be a factor, and it could impact the passing games for both teams.
 
Which means that the Ravens, who have the third worst rushing offense in the league, will have to try to run the ball.  The good news for Baltimore is that the Bears have the second worst rushing defense in the league.
 
The bad news for the rest of us is that the conditions could make for an ugly game to watch.

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Mineapolis Star Tribune

If there are any rumors out there about Adrian Peterson being traded, Rick Spielman has quashed them.

The Vikings general manager was asked in an interview with Pro Football Talk host Mike Florio what might happen if the star running back asked to be dealt. Spielman wasted no time in his response.

"Adrian is not going anywhere," he said. "We have him under contract. He's the face of our franchise. He is a blue-chip player. And we have a new coaching staff in place, and (the Vikings are) very excited about what's coming ahead for us."

Peterson, 28, just finished the third year of a seven-year, $100 million contract. He had surgery Thursday on his groin, but Spielman expressed no concern.

"I never have any doubts in Adrian, and this was a minor procedure, and it was bothering him some," Spielman said. "But this is something that he'll fully recover from. And you never count Adrian out because he always has a chip on his shoulder."

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