NFC North News

Detroit Lions quarterbacks, from left, Kellen Moore, Shaun Hill and Matthew Stafford throw during practice in Allen Park on June 4, 2013.

NFL.com: Divisional challengers - Elliot Harrison runs through the NFL to find potential challengers to last season's eight division champions, and lists the Bears for the NFC North.

While the NFC West and NFC North look like the divisions most likely to produce a playoff opponent for the Dallas Cowboys , the NFC South appears to be headed for a down year despite the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers off-season improvements.

If there's one thing Matthew Mulligan learned during his journey through five NFL cities in five years, he said, it's that a little team bonding can go a long way to build camaraderie.

We're Black and Blue All Over: Former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice has resurfaced publicly for the first time since the team overhauled its coaching staff, agreeing to interviews with both the Chicago Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press .

In taking a week off midway through July, I missed minicamps in Detroit and Chicago along with a few other news stories, all of which served as another reminder that the NFL has become a 12-month affair.

We have some thoughts on the NFL, so be sure to let us know what you think about our thoughts.

Minicamps and OTAs are in the books and we're 5 1/2 weeks from the start of training camp.

Resilience is the mark of any good team, and if the Detroit Lions are to rebound from a 4-12 record in 2012, they'll have to show more than a little of it.

Oct 23, 2011; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop against the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome.

As expected, the Green Bay Packers parted ways with linebacker Desmond Bishop as the former Super Bowl Champion will hit the waiver wire this week.

The Green Bay Packers are undergoing some upheaval at the wide receiver position this season after the retirement of Donald Driver and with Greg Jennings now in Minnesota.

One word comes to mind when I think about the NFC North: firepower. The offenses of this division are arguably the best four, when put together with any other division's offenses, in the league.

Big changes in 2014 unavoidable for Bears - Brad Biggs: Aging roster, big money decisions and expiring contracts mean GM will have a lot of flexibility as he remakes the Bears.

Did you happen to hear that the New England Patriots signed a new third-string quarterback last week? There is simply no denying that the NFL has become a "365 days a year" news-making machine.

John "Moon" Mullin wrote a few comments about the direction of the franchise, and Lance Briggs spoke about Brian Urlacher during an ESPN luncheon.

With a second-year general manager and first-year coach, the Bears have undergone surprisingly low turnover but they probably will look much different in another season or two.

Tim Twentyman looks at second-year players for the Bears, Lions, Packers and Vikings who are poised for a breakout season in 2013 The four teams in the NFC North drafted 32 combined players in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Minnesota Vikings have had a revolving door at quarterback for quite a few years.

James Jones made an interesting remark about former teammate Greg Jennings this week.