Packers head coach Mike McCarthy made it clear to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that when it comes to the inside linebacker position, the Packers have at least one spot set:

Although contractual factors loom large at the position, the Packers enter the off-season with Bishop as the starter at one of the two inside positions and with A.J. Hawk  and Nick Barnett competing for the other berth in both the 3-4 base and 4-2 nickel defenses.

"Correct," coach Mike McCarthy  said at the NFL scouting combine. "Given the full opportunity to play, I thought Desmond had a heck of a year. You always saw it in spurts. He's probably the most instinctive guy in the defensive front seven."

Hawk is due a $10 million base salary that becomes guaranteed whenever the first day of the new league year occurs (which could be anywhere from this Thursday to sometime in September or beyond, depending on the outcome of the standoff  between the NFL and the players union over the Collective Bargaining Agreement) and the player who's injury opened the door for Bishop, Barnett, is coming off his second stint on injured reserve in the last three years.