NFC North Roster Updates

A few personnel moves have happened—or are rumored to happen soon—around the NFC North. Let's take a look at what everyone's been talking about recently.

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers left tackle Chad Clifton recently underwent back surgery but the team plans to evaluate him first before making a final decision about his future, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. 

Clifton spent much of the 2011 season dealing with injuries, including a partially-torn hamstring in Week 5. It was healed by November, however Clifton had to miss another month when his lower back began bothering him.

This is the final year of Clifton's three-year, $19.39 million deal he signed in 2010; he is owed $5.25 million in base salary and a $250,000 roster bonus, which will count against the Packers' salary cap when the league year starts, but he won't be paid it until the start of the season.

That means there's still a chance that Clifton will remain on the roster despite the team's desire to free up cap space. However, that all depends on the Packers' medical staff's evaluation of Clifton's back as well as the team's ultimate cap situation as March 13 approaches.

In other Packers roster news, the team apparently met with Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Houston Texans center Chris Myers, at this weekend's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Current Green Bay center Scott Wells is set to be a free agent come March and may not get a new deal. If he gets a satisfactory offer elsewhere, the Packers will need to replace him.

Myers is considered the top free agent center this year, and though the Texans want to come to an agreement with him, he could still hit the open market.

Chicago Bears

According to ESPNChicago.com, the Chicago Bears will be releasing nine-year veteran defensive tackle Anthony Adams.

Adams missed five of the team's final seven games with a series of injuries and lost his roster spot to Matt Toeaina and Henry Melton.

Adams would have been on the final year of a two-year deal; he was set to make $1.9 million in salary and would have counted for $2.65 million against the team's cap with bonuses included.

Adams ended the 2011 without a sack for the first time since 2008.

Detroit Lions

Both Detroit Lions backup quarterbacks Drew Stanton and Shaun Hill are set to become free agents in March, and it's likely the team will be unable to retain both of them.

The 28-year-old Stanton would love an opportunity to compete for a starting role somewhere, but the Michigan native appears to prefer staying with the Lions, according to MLive.com's Philip Zaroo.

Hill was starter Matthew Stafford's backup in 2011. Stanton was the third quarterback on the roster and spent the entire season inactive. However, Stafford was healthy for a full season for the first time in his career.

It's possible that the Lions could retain just Stanton and not bring on a third quarterback in 2012, saving them as much as $2 million in the upcoming season for a team that's quite close to the projected salary cap.

Hill made $1.5 million more than Stanton in 2011 and would presumably trump him in pay again this season should both men be re-signed.

Right now, the two quarterbacks' futures rest on how much interest they generate in the free agency market. Then, the Lions can make a counter-offer or choose to part ways with one of them.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings won't owe the Washington Redskins a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft, because quarterback Donovan McNabb didn't play enough snaps to warrant it, according to Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN in Minnesota. 

McNabb, who was traded to the Vikings in the 2011 offseason, was benched in Week 6 and ultimately released by the team on December 1.

The Vikings gave the Redskins their sixth round 2012 pick, but have an additional sixth and seventh round pick thanks to other offseason trades. Pelissero also adds that the Vikings should receive two fourth-round supplemental draft picks, but that the details won't be finalized until March.

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