NFL Off-Season Preview: NFC North

The NFC North used to be the the NFC Central, except with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was known as the black and blue division because every team was physical and they would just beat each other up. This year, with the exception of the Packers, no one in the NFC North was doing much beating of anyone. The Chicago Bears played inconsistently all year and really the only quality games they played were against the Packers. The Lions started out playing extremely well, but their weak early schedule and soft nature proved they were the same old Lions. The Vikings may have found the next star in Adrian Peterson, but their passing offense is pathetic and their pass defense isn't much better. The Green Bay Packers were essentially the only respectable team in the division, but lost at home to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants. This young, but talented division was one of 3 in the NFC to have only one team finish above .500. With the AFC South on the schedule this year, don't expect out of division games to be any easier. Each team has some weaknesses, many of them glaring, that will need to be filled this off-season. Here is a look at how each team will likely attack the next few months.


Chicago Bears 7-9
Needs: QB,OL,RB,WR,S
Offense: The year after making it to the Super Bowl, the Chicago Bears failed to get to .500, missed the playoffs, played pathetic offense while underachieving on defense. And oh wait, and they don't have a quarterback. To make matters worse the Bears could lose their best skill position player and their best offensive lineman (not to mention their best defensive player) in free agency. WR Bernard Berrian, G Ruben Brown are unrestricted free agents, and they expect both to command top dollar on the open market. Chicago's scouting department was looking closely at receivers in the Senior Bowl and a first day pick on a receiver is not out of the questions. The Bears desperately need some life at quarterback, but Lovie Smith has animately denied his team would draft one in the first round. Chad Henne, Joe Flacco, or John David Booty could all still be possibilities in the 2-4th roundss. Don't forget about the offensive line, which is getting older and could lose Ruben Brown. Also, Cedric Benson...Enough said.

Defense: OLB Lance Briggs will be the best defensive player in free agency and teams will be lining up to sign him up. A number of teams have already expressed interest in both Berrian and Briggs, which means the Bears could have a tough time retaining either. Brian Urlacher had off-season neck surgery and seems to be deteriorating faster than he should for his age. The defense vastly underachieved this past season and the blame cannot be solely laid on injuries. Tommie Harris is one of the best DT's in football, and the defense can create pressure with their front four. However, they were susceptible to the run much of the year and must inject some youth and athleticism, particularly at linebacker and defensive end. The Bears need to rebuild through the draft so expect them to look at linebackers, defensive ends, wide receivers and quarterbacks come April.

Projected 1st Round Draft Pick: #14 OLB Keith Rivers USC

Detroit Lions 7-9
Needs: OL,CB,TE,LB,S
Offense: Matt Millen really cannot afford to screw this up again. Coming off a promising first half, the Lions collapsed. Luckily, their flaws are clear and potentially correctable. The Lions stand to lose T.J. Duckett from an offense that has serious potential, but didn't always play up to abilities. The Lions have gotten rid of Mike Martz and that should bring more cohesion to the team. Head Coach Rod Marinelli wants to pound the football and in order to do that, the Lions will need an upgrade along the offensive line. The Lions couldn't protect Kitna at all, which lead to errant throws and picks. A tackle like Chris Williams in the first round is certainly possible, but Marinelli is apparently not sold on Kevin Jones as a feature back and could look to one of the blue chip running backs in the first round to find his guy.

Defense: The Lions defense was proficient at creating turnovers last season, but strangely, the cornerbacks are mediocre at best and need to be upgraded. The Lions could also lose LB Boss Bailey in free agency, and are reportedly shopping Shaun Rodgers as well. The Lions disparately need a corner who can cover someone, anyone. Leodis McKelvin, Aqib Talib, and Mike Jenkins are crowded at the top of draft boards and we may not have a clear pecking order until after the combine. Matt Millen does deserve some credit for putting together a viable NFL team this past season for the first time in ages. Hopefully with the cracks so easy to see, he will be able to fill them.

Projected 1st Round Draft Pick: #15 Aqib Talib CB Kansas

Green Bay Packers 13-3
Needs: CB,OL,S,TE,RB
Offense: Anyone who said Green Bay would be one of the top two teams in NFC at the beginning of the year would have been called a lunatic. However, Mike McCarthy's team proved Brett Favre was right when he called this team extremely talented. 2008 should bring added depth and continued improvement to a team loaded at a number of positions. Wide Receiver represents the strongest and deepest unit in the NFC. With the emergence of Ryan Grant and the progress of second year man Brandon Jackson, the Pack should be set in the backfield. Clearly, Brett Favre's future is in doubt, but Green Bay feels good about Aaron Rodgers. To help ensure the success of whoever is behind center, the Green and Gold must add depth to their offensive line at both guard and tackle. A second tight end behind Donald Lee would also be a huge lift as Bubba Franks' skill has diminished considerably.

Defense:The Packers only major potential free agent loss would be Corey Williams. They are hoping not to overpay for Williams and will likely refrain from doing so with Justin Harrell waiting. Green Bay did not play well against Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer in the NFC Championship game so depth and corner will likely be a top priority in the draft. Safety was another possible weakness coming into '07, but Nick Collins was a Pro Bowl alternate and Atari Bigby came up huge down the stretch, particularly in the playoffs. Depth at linebacker seems to be the other relevant need as the Packers D could use an explosive 3rd LB to run with Nick Barnett and AJ Hawk.

Projected 1st Round Draft Pick: #30 Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee State

Minnesota Vikings 8-8
Needs: QB,WR,DE,CB,RT
Offense: It seems fate intervened to prevent any team lead by Tavaris Jackson from making the playoffs. Fate happened to be in the form of a hot Washington Redskins team, but fate takes many forms. The Vikings will need fate on their side in '08 with a more experienced Packer team, an improving Lions team, and a Bears team that is only one season removed from the Super Bowl in the division. The Vikings could lose FB Tony Richardson and back-up RB Mewelde Moore in free agency, something that clearly concerns the Vikes. Minnesota was scouting mid to late round running backs to add depth and insurance if/when Chester Taylor leaves. Head Coach Brad Childress has fallen in love with Tavaris Jackson for whatever reason, but don't be surprised if he's pushed from the top to go in a different direction at QB. Regardless of who is throwing the ball, he will need someone on the other end. The Vikings have a hapless group of retreads and failed high draft picks and will look to upgrade. If DeSean Jackson or Malcolm Kelly are there when the Vikings pick, they will not hesitate to snatch up either. DeSean Jackson would be an ideal fit, adding explosiveness to the passing game as well as giving the Vikes a much needed boost on special teams.

Defense: Despite the struggles of first round picks Kenechi Udeze and Erasmus James, word out of Minneapolis is they're targeting yet another first round pass rusher. Inside, the Williams brothers are arguably the best tandem in football, but creating pressure has been a problem. The lack of pressure has been compounded with inconsistent play in the secondary. Teams regularly founds seams in the Cover 2 shell and the Vikes pass defense could use help at corner and safety. The Vikings draft in the first three to four rounds will likely consist of a WR,CB, and DE in any order. If they can find the right pieces to fix the pass defense, the Vikings will be a tough team to beat in 2008.

Projected 1st Round Pick: #17 DeSean Jackson WR Cal