Latest Nfc North Stories
Posted: Jul 11th 2009 6:30PM ET by Bruce Ciskie (RSS feed)
Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFC North
Greg Jennings spent his first two years in the NFL catching passes from legendary quarterback
Brett Favre. During the second of those seasons, he began to blossom into one of the top playmakers in the NFL. Favre started finding Jennings with the deep ball, and Jennings responded by averaging 17 yards per catch and scoring 12 times.
Now that Favre is (maybe) on the verge of signing with division rival Minnesota, Jennings doesn't seem too concerned about the matter.
Posted: Jul 9th 2009 3:30PM ET by Matt Snyder (RSS feed)
Filed under: Vikings, NFC North

The back-and-forth between the courts and the NFL continues regarding the four-game suspension of the Minnesota Vikings' two gargantuan defensive tackles,
Kevin and
Pat Williams. Thursday, Hennepin County District Court
granted the players' request for a temporary restraining order, which means the players cannot be suspended at this time.
Late last season, Williams and Wiliams -- All-Pro defensive tackles -- were slapped with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's drug policy. They had tested positive over the previous summer for bumetanide, a diuretic which is considered a masking agent for steroids. Neither ever have tested positive for any steroid, and it's easy to see why they'd be taking something to control their weight. This is what they say they were doing.
Posted: Jul 8th 2009 10:17PM ET by JJ Cooper (RSS feed)
Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFC North, NFL Rumors

There's a feeling of inevitability that
Brett Favre will be coming to Minnesota anytime now. But it's not hard to find people who are wondering why he's doing it. Add
Jerry Rice to the list of naysayers, as the future Hall of Famer thinks that the Vikings would be
better off sticking with the status quo.
"If they feel like bringing him in is going to get them to the next level, I think they should. But to be honest with you, I think the two guys with the team right now should be the two guys that they should be focusing on."
Posted: Jul 6th 2009 12:50PM ET by Bruce Ciskie (RSS feed)
Filed under: Vikings, NFC North

Whether or not the Minnesota Vikings sign
Brett Favre, the core of the football team is not going to change much.
Right now, they're built around running back Adrian Peterson and their strong, energetic defense. A huge piece of that defense is stalwart cornerback
Antoine Winfield. About to enter the final year of his contract, Winfield has been working out on his own this offseason as he waits for the Vikings to
work out a new deal for him. Still without a contract beyond this coming season, Winfield is
speaking out on his frustration.
Posted: Jul 3rd 2009 1:30PM ET by Calvin Watkins (RSS feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers, Lions, NFC North, FanHouse Exclusive

What possess a man to leave one team that finished third in its division for another that didn't win a game the previous year?
Well, we asked cornerback
Phillip Buchanon the other day why he left the Bucs, who finished third in the NFC South, for the Lions, and his answer was simple.
"I did want to stay in Florida," Buchanon said. "Tampa was going in a different direction and I truly feel like I'm still a starter, and Detroit was one of the teams that was actually there. There were a few other teams, but Tampa was taking their time and I didn't want to wait. You either want me or you don't."
Posted: Jul 2nd 2009 1:00PM ET by Dan Graziano (RSS feed)
Filed under: AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West, NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West, NFL Mailbag
Send your NFL questions (along with your name and location) to NFLFanHouse@gmail.com.
Each Thursday, we'll answer the best -- or, if nothing else, most entertaining -- in our NFL Mailbag.Excluding Brett Favre, which remaining free agent can play the biggest role in 2009?The easy answer (INCLUDING Brett Favre!!) is
Plaxico Burress. He's a high-ceiling, high-impact wide receiver. You saw the way the Giants' offense missed him at the end of 2008, and we've seen a handful of teams express interest in him -- even though nobody knows if he's going to play in 2009. If he is allowed to play, he's your answer. But it looks increasingly likely that he'll be suspended for at least part of the season, if not all. So in the non-Burress division, I have three veterans who could make an interesting impact in the right situation:
Posted: Jun 29th 2009 8:09PM ET by JJ Cooper (RSS feed)
Filed under: Vikings, NFC North

For the second time this offseason,
Percy Harvin has had to skip out on a required function because he's been too sick to participate.
The first time, Harvin landed in an Atlanta hospital with severe dehydration that forced him to miss a Vikings minicamp. This time
he was sent home from the NFL's rookie symposium. In both cases, Harvin did everything right -- he notified everyone who needed to be told and was excused --- but it's a little worrisome that the Vikings' first-round pick seems to be felled by the sniffles multiple times during the spring and summer. The ex-Florida Gator hasn't even started to see what a flu season during a Minnesota winter can be like.
Harvin apparently is the only NFL draftee who's not at the rookie camp, although he did report before being sent home.
Posted: Jun 27th 2009 9:52PM ET by JJ Cooper (RSS feed)
Filed under: Vikings, NFC North

Back when
Tarvaris Jackson was assumed to be the long-term quarterback of the Vikings, his teammates talked around any question of whether Jackson was the right man for the job.
But now that we're just waiting for
Brett Favre to make it official that he's going to be a Viking, and
Sage Rosenfels is set to be the backup, it's pretty much open season for players (or player's dads) to explain what it's been like in recent years.
Posted: Jun 25th 2009 4:30PM ET by Bruce Ciskie (RSS feed)
Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFC North

Yes, it's Brett Favre again. You know you can't live without him.
As more rumors circulate, and the vision of
Brett Favre wearing purple gets closer and closer to becoming a reality, it stands to reason that current members of the Green Bay Packers will be asked for their thoughts on the matter. It's not likely that you'll hear many words of dissent towards Favre. That's just not the way most athletes speak nowadays. Instead, you can expect to see many guys
take the high road, ala
Aaron Rodgers, and others showing some love for their former teammate.
Posted: Jun 23rd 2009 8:55PM ET by Bruce Ciskie (RSS feed)
Filed under: Packers, NFC North
Update (June 24): Jennings' extension is officially done, according to a press release issued this afternoon by the Packers. No terms were released, other than that the deal is a "long-term" one.The Green Bay Packers have developed a bit of a reputation. While general manager
Ted Thompson has made clear through his actions (or lack thereof) that he doesn't like overpaying for free agents, he does like to reward his homegrown players with contract extensions.
While
Nick Collins waits for his, wide receiver
Greg Jennings is reportedly
set to cash in.