Not all franchise-tag situations have quite the harsh adversarial undercurrent that Matt Fortes does with the Bears. Cliff Avril, tagged by the Detroit Lions in part to ward off a possible run by the Bears, is still at loggerheads with the team over a long-term deal (sound familiar) but is impressed by what else his team is doing.
The Lions were expected to address a woeful cornerback situation with a first- or second-round pick in last months draft but didnt until they took ones in the third, fifth and sixth rounds. Not a problem for Avril.
Avril told Carlos Monarrez at the Detroit Free Press that he trusted GM Martin Mayhew to bring in the right guys and they definitely have a plan.
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Forte thought the Bears did for him going back as far as last training camp. Not sure he would say the same nowor perhaps he would, like Avril, but with reservations about what the plan is for himself.
The Minnesota Vikings seem to have a thing for ex-Bears.
Wide receivers Bernard Berrian, Marcus Robinson and Bobby Wade all made their ways north after Chicago. Last week the Vikings signed pass rusher Nick Reed, who was with the Bears into November last year.
And after drafting USC tackle Matt Kalil with the No. 3 pick last month, the Vikings snapped up tackle Levi Horn, released earlier last week, as potential depth behind Kalil and right tackle Phil Loadholt.
Horn spent most of the last two seasons on the practice squad before moving onto the regular roster late last season, but he did not play in a game.