A busy off-season is nearly through. A fresh NFL campaign is within sight. Here are five storylines you should be following this week:

Dante Culpepper is scheduled to attend a hearing Friday at the Miami Dolphins' facilities in Davie, Florida in order to determine his fate with the team. The hearing will be held as a result of a grievance filed by Culpepper and the NFL Players Association following his exclusion from team drills during the Dolphins mini-camp nearly three weeks ago. Culpepper is arguing that the Dolphins organization had an obligation to allow Culpepper to practice with the team in order to get into shape for the start of the season; if the Dolphins had no intention of letting him play, then they should have released him instead of holding him as trade collateral. Fantasy owners should take note: John Feerick, the arbitrator who ruled in favor of QB Steve McNair in a similar case last year, is handling the Culpepper hearing as well. If things go well for Culpepper, he could be joining another team within the next week. And remember, he is only two seasons removed from his 4,717-yard, 39 TD career performance with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Chicago Bears released defensive tackle Tank Johnson early Monday, citing his behavioral problems as part of the reason. Johnson's release comes three day after being pulled over and arrested by police in Arizona for driving while impaired. The NFL had already suspended Johnson for the first eight games of the season after he committed a probation violation on gun charges, but he was hoping to reduce that suspension with good behavior. Although he will only be available for half of the season, several NFL teams are reportedly interested in Johnson because of his cheap price tag and high level of competitive play. For the Bears' defense, Johnson's release is a blow, and any NFL team that picks him up will immediately benefit. With many defenses remaining on the waiver wire throughout the fantasy football season, those looking for a defensive boost week-to-week should follow Johnson's relocation closely.

Reports from training camp have Green Bay Packers starting QB Brett Favre battling a sore right shoulder that has kept him out of practices the past few weeks. Favre sat out both the June 19 and 20 workouts, though the medical staff says there is little cause for concern. "I probably could practice, but it really don't make a lot of sense to go out and make it any worse," Favre said. "I think it's probably just tendonitis or something like that." Favre was also held out of practice on May 30, and with the latest setbacks he will have taken the field for just seven out of the teams 12 on-field workouts. Still, coach Mike McCarthy was satisfied with Favre's progress during the off-season. In his 15 seasons with Green Bay, Favre has missed just one start due to injury and has traditionally been a fantasy favorite. At 37, however, Favre is nearing the end of his career, where simple injuries could keep him out of the lineup for longer periods of time. Keep an eye on his progress heading into the draft to ensure he is healthy at the start of the season.

The Philadelphia Eagles five-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Donovan McNabb, finished up the off-seasons first training camp recently. This concludes the first on-field workouts for McNabb since tearing a knee ligament mid-way through the 2006 season. Working on non-contact and passing drills, McNabb said he felt ahead of schedule: "Fatigue hasn't really kicked in, the strength is definitely there and we're going to continue to work on that and push it each day." McNabb reported experiencing no swelling or discomfort in his knee while working out, but refused to put a timetable on his full return to the field. When asked if he would be ready to start the season he was non-committal, saying that he would not take the field until he was fully confident in his health. Although McNabb appears to be ready to resume his starting job in Philadelphia, he hasn't indicated if that would be at the start of the season or at some later date. A top ten fantasy QB, McNabb's value takes a hit if not available for the full 16-game schedule. Prospective owners should monitor this situation closely and hope McNabb can make a full return to the field.

The Chicago Bears handed Pro Bowl defensive back Nathan Vashar a five-year contract extension through the 2012 season. After releasing defensive tackle Tank Johnson on Monday, it was important for the Bears to secure their defensive interests. In three seasons with the Bears, Vashar has recorded 16 interceptions, 120 tackles and two touchdowns. While the Bears were one of the top defenses for fantasy players last year, it is often hard to predict a team's repeated success. The Bears still have most of the core players from last seasons Super Bowl run, however, and could be worth a late round pick in deep drafts.