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In recent campaigns, the Chicago Bears have tried to get return man extraordinaire Devin Hester involved in the receiving game. It makes a lot of sense -- he's dangerous in space with the ball in his hands, so getting him involved in the offense is just another way of leveraging his talents. However, it hasn't really worked out, and they've moved on to other players at the WR position, trading for Brandon Marshall and using a high draft pick on Alshon Jeffery last offseason. Earlier this offseason, Hester was displeased with Lovie Smith's firing, and wasn't sure he wanted to continue playing for the Bears; as it stands now, he may get his wish.

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The injury to San Francisco 49ers No. 1 WR Michael Crabtree has given us something to talk about in regards to the team aside from how terrific they're going to be in the first full year of the Colin Kaepernick Experience. The Niners' acquisition of Anquan Boldin for pennies on the dollar has proven doubly wise following the injury to Crabtree, but we continue to keep an eye on who the team is going to position as the other starter on the outside.

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UPDATE: More buzz on the battle for the Seahawks' QB2 slot as another week of the offseason gets rolling.

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Some have installed the Seattle Seahawks or the San Francisco 49ers as their offseason Super Bowl favorites, while others like the chances of the Denver Broncos, seeing as they had the AFC's best record in 2012 and have added some key pieces. But they do have a pretty big issue on their offensive line: namely, two of the five starters have not been present for any of the offseason work on the field yet.

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The link between the Atlanta Falcons and veteran FA D-lineman Richard Seymour was strong enough that there was talk that the former Patriot and Raider would be a member of the team at some point this offseason, and certainly after the club's June 1-designated release of Tyson Clabo came off the books. But no, there's been nothing signed thus far, with some believing that Seymour's camp is interested in more money than the Falcons are willing to offer. However, as many NFL teams break for the summer, there is new information that indicates Seymour may join up with Atlanta when they re-convene for camp in late July.

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Lost amid all the questions regarding new starting safety Ed Reed -- and when, exactly, he'll be back in action -- as well as the optimism surrounding the club's first-round draft pick DeAndre Hopkins, the Houston Texans actually have a pretty important position on the roster that has yet to be resolved: the starting right tackle.

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As one of the players to be designated with the franchise tag this offseason, the immediate future for Chicago Bears DT Henry Melton isn't so bad. If nothing else happens between now and the regular season, he'll earn $8.45 million for his work during the 2013 campaign. But as with any of his fellow taggees, he'd prefer to have more long-term security.

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The New Orleans Saints are one of a handful of NFL teams that doesn't need to worry about their starting QB position -- they've got themselves a franchise QB in Drew Brees, and they're paying him in line with the expectations that he'll continue to deliver top-flight production. But, in the event that he gets hurt, they no longer have Chase Daniel on the roster as the understudy. And therein the problem may lie.

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The presence of a full-time blocking fullback is on the decline (or completely gone already) in the offensive systems of some NFL teams, so the question of whether a club has one of these players has become less of an issue compared to previous seasons. However, one team that still seems to have an unsettled situation in that role is the Cleveland Browns.

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When healthy, DeMarco Murray has the talent to be one of the elite RBs in the NFL. However, that "when healthy" qualifier comes into play a lot, and as we look ahead to 2013, the Dallas Cowboys no longer have Felix Jones to serve as Murray's understudy if and when he succumbs to another injury. But there is another plan.

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Over the past two seasons of New York Jets football, there was a sense that the team moved away from the aggressive, blitz-heavy style that was their trademark in Rex Ryan's first two campaigns running the show. Furthermore, some believe that this was directed by now-departed DC Mike Pettine, who left this offseason for the same position with Buffalo. Now that Pettine is out of the mix, therefore, some believe that we could be seeing a return to the aggressive nature of Rex's D.

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Generally speaking, NFL teams like to reach contract extensions with their key personnel during the offseason prior to the player's final contract year; a number of factors can derail this train, including the player believing he's worth more than the team believes (as was the case with Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens last offseason). Another factor that can affect these negotiations is if the player has gone through a significant injury recently, and such is the case with Washington Redskins OLB Brian Orakpo. So what's the latest?

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It's rare that a team can lose its starting QB -- especially one that has invested a huge chunk of the salary cap in its starter -- and go on to big success that season, the notable recent exception being the New England Patriots continuing to roll with Matt Cassel after Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 of 2008. As a result, the question of the need for a strong backup QB may be deemed moot -- after all, the ship might be sunk unless this player is truly a special player (and if he is, why would he be a backup in the first place?). However, this need is more important for short-term injuries, so the situation for the Dallas Cowboys behind Tony Romo is a little disconcerting.

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Within the past week, news made the rounds that free agent TE Kellen Winslow was going to be working out for the New York Jets, then he had his workout, then the early buzz was positive enough that some believe he'll be their starter at the position this fall. Sure, it could happen, but there's reason for some concern based upon what we've seen from him in recent campaigns from an injury standpoint.

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