NFL: State of the NFC North
With this year’s draft in the books it is time to see how the divisions are stacking up. Here are some brief thoughts on the NFC North.
Chicago Bears
The Bears significant off season moves consisted of signing the biggest name on the market in DE Julius Peppers and running back Chester Taylor.
On the surface the Peppers signing seems like a big time move until one considers the fact that they probably overpaid to get Peppers and rushing the quarterback was not their biggest issue last year.
Chester Taylor is a nice player but I do not quite understand the need for him. Granted Matt Forte was disappointing last season but to be honest the running game is not going to get any better until they find someone for Jay Cutler to throw the ball to. The Bears completely ignored trying to get anyone who could potentially upgrade the passing game next season. I am sure the absence of a first or second round pick hurt their chances to do so by quite a bit. Lovie Smith will be entering camp with the same basic receiving corps he had last season.
With Orlando Pace being let go Chris Williams is being penciled in as the starting LT.
Look for Zack Bowman to take over the recently departed Nathan Vasher.
At first glance their draft class does not appear to have much by way of players who are going to contribute right away.
There was a lot of window dressing in regards to what the Bears did this spring but I am not sure there is a ton of substance to the moves they made.
Detroit Lions
The Lions continue to make strides towards respectability.
Kyle Vanden Bosch’s days as a productive pass rusher are probably over but he should still give the Lions defense some needed leadership and experience.
The Lions are hoping that the addition of Nate Burleson gives them the complimentary receiver to Calvin Johnson that they were hoping Bryant Johnson would be.
Tony Scheffler should give them another option in the passing game at TE.
Detroit also added some nice pieces via the draft. Ndamukong Suh gives them a stud tackle to rebuild the defense around while Jahvid Best gives them another dynamic play maker on offense to go along with Calvin Johnson. Third round pick Amari Spievey should compete for starting time right away in a secondary that ranked last in the league against the pass last season.
Ernie Sims was dealt to the Eagles prior to the draft so the team will need to figure out who is replacement is going to be. Landon Johnson is considered to be the early favorite heading into spring workouts.
The team still needs to find a pass rusher, I just really do not see Vanden Bosch being that big of an impact for them. He failed to make much of an impact the last couple of years in Tennessee.
Pass protection is still going to be an issue for the Lions unless Gosder Cherilus emerges as a legit left tackle this summer.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers got the offensive line upgrade they needed in Iowa’s Bryan Bulaga. The rest of their draft class looks like a lot of developmental players who will not be ready to contribute for another year or two.
James Starks is a potential sleeper pick though. If he stays healthy he could challenge for the backup job at running back behind Ryan Grant. Starks has the ability to play in the NFL he simply slipped due to being unable to stay healthy in college.
The Packers biggest question on offense will be whether they can do a better job protecting Aaron Rodgers next season. A healthy Chad Clifton and Bryan Bulaga should give them better protection next season.
On defense the Packers need to figure out who will replace Aaron Kampman at the OLB position opposite Clay Matthews. Matthews is coming off an outstanding rookie season, however he was the only player with more than 4.5 sacks last season.
The Packers are also rolling the dice on Al Harris and Charles Woodson being able to play as well as they did last season. Woodson is the reigning defensive player of the year and aside from their age there is nothing to suggest that they cannot give them another season. However, both players are entering their 14th year in the league which means next season could be their last.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings fortunes, obviously, lie in Brett Favre’s hands right now. Will he come back or won’t he. If he comes back the Vikings are obvious contenders in the NFC, if not they become just another good team. I don’t think anyone in Minneapolis believes in Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson as the team’s QB of the future.
The team was not happy with how the offensive line played at times last season and there will be a lot of new faces battling for roster spots in camp this season. There are no fewer than 8 rookie offensive lineman on the roster with a couple of young free agents in the mix as well. It seems unlikely any of them will claim a starting job but they could claim some of the backup jobs for the time being.
Second round pick Toby Gerhart does give the team the versatility in the passing game that Chester Taylor did, but he will still give them a hard nosed between the tackles guy that they can utilize in lieu of Adrian Peterson in short yardage and goal line situations.
The Vikings could be scrambling to find temporary replacements for Pat and Kevin Williams the first month of the season as a judge has recently ruled against them in their case against the league involving a suspension for using a banned diuretic. The team has been rumored to have an interest in Albert Haynesworth but there does not appear to be a lot of truth to that rumor.
With Cedric Griffin coming back from an ACL injury second round pick Chris Cook could end up with as one of the starting corner backs on opening day.
Fourth round pick Everson Griffen was considered, by some, to be a first round talent who underachieved in college. He could end up being a steal in the draft if he plays up to his potential.
