NFC North News

As we continue to explore the dry but important implementation of the NFL's new salary cap, I point you in the direction of John Clayton's Monday morning mailbag .

I'm sure you've already the news of the day - wide receiver Randy Moss wants to make a comeback next year to the NFL .

The Super Bowl remains in the Green Bay Packers' sights, but can they reach it in 2012? Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images After an entire NFL season has come and gone, it's not hard to surmise what teams are thinking about its outcome.

Randy Moss would like to make a return to the NFL in 2012 and a reunion in Chicago with his former head coach Mike Tice makes all the sense in the world.A Before you click away from this post, hear me out.A It's not as crazy as it seems.

With the offseason in full swing, let's take a look at one major question facing each NFC North team as it begins preparations for the 2012 season: CHICAGO BEARS In last year's version of Leading Questions , we wondered when the Bears would address the depth behind their aging defensive stars.

We're Black and Blue All Over: Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune checked in with the family of Dave Duerson as the first anniversary of his suicide approaches.

To help muddle through our first weekend without football in six months, let's take a look at Mel Kiper Jr.'s NFC North-heavy analysis of the top veteran players whose eventual replacement should comprise at least a part of his team's offseason.

Brad Biggs had a pretty interesting article in the Tribune about the playing time of certain members of the team .

ESPN.com's All-NFC North team for the 2011 season was posted a few days ago. It includes five Detroit Lions players -- three on offense and two on defense.

Barring injury, the NFC North should send three teams to the playoffs in 2012; and there are players in the first round of the draft that can help ensure this happens.

George Paton had a chance to go to St. Louis and become the general manager. But rather than take that position, the long-time personnel man has elected to stay in Minnesota and accept a promotion to assistant GM under Rick Spielman.

Vikings stadium: Season ticket question* - NFC North Blog - ESPN . Nice catch by one of Kevin Seifert's readers.

The 2012 schedule for the Jaguars features five teams that qualified for the 2011 postseason: Houston, New England, Cincinnati, Detroit and Green Bay.

The NFL is a year-round endeavor, with pressing issues coming up for every team throughout the course of the offseason.

With the New York Giants having just won Super Bowl XLVI, I can't help but think back to how we got here.

We noted Thursday that NFL teams will face tight salary cap situations for the first time in years.

Iowa OT Riley Reiff is Todd McShay's prediction for the Minnesota Vikings' first-round pick David Purdy/Getty Images ESPN draft expert Todd McShay released his latest mock draft last week , projecting the first round picks that every team will make in April's NFL draft.

Just for the fun of it, I thought I would throw an addendum onto our annual All-NFC North team .

Oct 10, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; General view of the monday night football crew prior to the game between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

For many NFL fans, this Sunday is the first of many that feels wrong. You wake up, head out on your daily duties, attend church, do some house work, then it happens1:00 PM EST rolls around and you feel lost! No NFL action.