Dang and Doc continue their pre-season preview of all the divisions in the NFL by moving North to evaluate the prospects of the Bears, Lions, Packers and Vikings. Thankfully the off-season hasn't been overly dominated by the annual Brett Favre-athon. The Bears have loaded up through free agency, but will they be able to muscle in at the top as the Packers and Vikings look to stay on top? And then there's poor old Detroit what does 2010 hold for them?
Chicago Bears Last season 7-9 Key additions Julius Peppers (DE Carolina), Chester Taylor (RB Minnesota), Chris Harris (SS Carolina), Brandon Manumaleuna (TE San Diego) Key losses Nathan Vasher (CB San Diego), Alex Brown (DE New Orleans), Jamar Williams (LB Carolina) Draft picks include R3 Major Wright (S, Florida)
DOC: After trading everything away for the franchise quarterback in Jay Cutler the Bears were always going to be bit-part players in the draft. This left their man focus to be on free agency and they most definitely made a splash with their cash, acquiring a slew of players to improve the young side. Chester Taylor should bolster the running game that suffered a little bit last year. Matt Forte had such an outstanding rookie campaign, but he didn't really set the world alight last year and with the struggles Jay Cutler experienced, the offence never really got started. Cutler has, as we've both sounds countless times all the physical tools to be truly among the best in the game. But he doesn't seem to have the mental application to go with it. His first season in the Windy City wasn't particularly good but he's far too good to be given up on yet. But he needs to knuckle down, and now he's got Mike Martz calling his plays you know the Bears are going to be looking to utilise that cannon arm and stretch the field. But Martz needs to understand (and hopefully he will) that the Bears remain first and foremost a running team. How he manages to integrate the two talented backs he has with his instinct to allow Cutler to open it out will determine how far the Bears go. Defensively, they undoubtedly missed Brian Urlacher last season and his return will make a difference, even if it is just in the role of inspirational leader. Adding Julius Peppers who, if motivated will make a big difference was a bold but necessary move for the team. Despite this sad to say I really don't think all this will make a difference. They're better and will do better than their 7-9 record of last year but they won't make the playoffs. I believe the Vikings and the Packers are just better than them.
DANG: You had to feel sorry for Bears fans during the draft, still, at least they were productive in their Free Agency adding some much needed cogs to their faltering engine. I look at the Bears roster and I see average, all the way through, nothing outstanding in any one place and no real player or playmaker that is going to make the impact needed to break the top two teams in this division. Chester Taylor, despite his age, has plenty to offer and will be a welcome addition to the Bears running game which faltered last year following Matt Forte's impressive rookie year. Tight End Greg Olsen must be sweating on what role remains for him with Mike Martz installed as the new Offensive Coordinator and I'm a little surprised the Bears didn't trade him away for an extra pick or two over the Draft weekend. Brian Urlacher returns to a defence that looked like it missed its leader last year, whilst Free Agent Julius Pepper is a big gamble, particularly at $84million but I question just how much he really can add now at this stage of their careers.
I just don't see enough in the Bears this year to see anything else than an average season and 3rd place in the NFC North.
Detroit Lions Last season 2-14 Key additions Kyle vanden Bosch (DE Tennessee), Chris Houston (CB Atlanta), Shaun Hill (QB San Francisco), Rob Sims (LG Seattle), Tony Sheffler (TE Denver), Nate Burleson (WR Seattle) Key losses Grady Jackson (DT), Robert Henderson (DE Seattle), Ernie Sims (LB Philadelphia) Draft picks include R1 Ndamukong Suh (DT, Nebraska), R1 Jahvid Best (RB, California), R3 Amari Spievey (CB, Iowa)
DOC: Despite only getting two wins compared to the previous year's epic zero wins, I sensed that things were finally (albeit very slowly) moving in a forward gear for the Lions. Steve Schwartz, if he didn't have a real idea of the challenge he faced certainly does now. And they've continued to rebuild. And I'm impressed. Impressed with his ability to draw the calibre of player that he is now getting to come to Detroit. The likes of Scheffler and vanden Bosch have character and probably the right kind of character to help the turnaround continue. But let's get real about it though. They're still the Lions and in the NFL they're light years behind the rest of the division they find themselves in. The progression continues. But they'll still be bottom of the North by a distance.
DANG: I loved Detroit's Round 1 draft. I really loved Detroit's Round 1 draft. Ndamukong Suh AND Jahvid Best; if I was a Lions fan; that would get me sexually aroused just by thinking about the two of them playing for my franchise! If you look at what they've put together in the last 3 drafts, how can you not start to get excited offensively about what's unearthing in Detroit? Calvin Johnson, Matt Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, Jahvid Best, add in this year's Free Agents, Nate Burleson and Tony Sheffler and you have to like the numbers that could get amounted. There is, however, something the Lions have failed to look at properly, again. Its Offensive line. Rob Sims was acquired from Seattle who will be an upgrade in the middle, but failure to land a tackle that can replace or push either Gosder Cherilus or Jeff Backus could hurt the Lions in 2010. Sims can help Backus improve on the blind side, but I have large reservations about this unit s a whole. The Lions defensively, are still not great. Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch will certainly cause some problems for O lines, because if they don't, then they only really have Louis Delmas who can cause teams any problems in their secondary. No pressure from the Lions Front 7 and this team will continue to struggle to put any results together. They'll improve once again from the last two years, but I don't see it being much more than 4, 5 wins tops.
Green Bay Packers Last season 11-5 lost in Wild Card Playoff to Arizona Key losses Aaron Kampman (DE Jacksonville), Johnny Jolly (DT Season long suspension) Draft picks include R1 Brian Bulaga (OT, Iowa), R2 Mike Neal (DT, Purdue), R3 Morgan Burnett (S, Georgia Tech)
DOC: The Packers will win the NFC North this year. That's my prediction. They've got a wealth of talent at all positions and after a year or two where they've gelled as a team and gained some experience they look read for lift off. Aaron Rodgers is ready to step into the top echelon of NFL Quarterbacks, they can run the ball, they've got a lot of weapons across the passing game and the defence remains strong. Exposed by the Vikings twice in their division last year, I just don't see that happening this time around. Pride simply stops that from happening. This could be the NFC's Superbowl contender in February.
DANG: Green Bay's time has arrived again. It's hard to pick many holes in this Packers team. This is a team I will be picking to get to at least the NFC Championship game, but despite the lack of flaws in the side, they very well may do it the hard way if Favre sticks around in Minnesota. Something tells me that Favre IS going to be back and he WILL prove to be a thorn in Green Bay's side at some point in 2010. If Favre retires, then he'll be loved once again in Wisconsin, as he's affectively handing the division to Green Bay on a plate of he does. The F word aside, Offensive Tackle Bryan Bulaga fell right into their laps during the draft. He should go a long way to keeping Jared Allen and Co at bay throughout the year allowing the continued development of Aaron Rodgers into one of the best Quarterbacks in the league. Dom Capers new 3-4 Defense looked outstanding at times last year, so I'm anticipating only improvement as far as they're concerned. Everything is pointing in the right direction, Top drawer Quarterback, good running game, excellent group of receivers and Tight Ends, improved Offensive line, impressive Defence with a group of young players who are only going to get better, the NFC and more really is Green Bay's to chuck away in 2010.
Minnesota Vikings Last season 12-4 lost in NFC Championship to New Orleans Key additions Lito Sheppard (CB New York Jets) Key losses Brett Favre (QB Retired), Chester Taylor (RB Chicago), Ryan Moats (RB Houston) Draft picks include R2 Chris Cook (CB, Virginia), R2 Toby Gerhart (RB, Stanford)
DOC: Well at least we've been spared the 'will he, won't he, does anyone really buy into this anymore?' soap opera that has been the norm over the past 2,562 years (or so it feels). Favre has, in theory still been making his mind up and now it seems that he's decided for now his ankle can't take the weight. I'll hold fire for now given his inability to stick to a decision, with my deep suspicion that he'll be tempted to play the season. And if the Vikings as a team buy into this and accept that their 40 year old leader can skip camp and pre-season to preserve the wear and tear on his body then good for them. He certainly makes them better than any other options on their roster. The Vikings remain one of the strongest sides in the league and in any of the other divisions are probably a strong favourite to clinch the title. But as I said above, I'm riding the Packers bandwagon this time around, and should indecisive Brett stick to his decision then I'm even more convinced of this. Even if he does play, as much as he is Superman, he can't last forever. Jackson is average most of the time as is Rosenfels. Most of the burden then falls on Adrian Peterson, who remains brilliant but gets the dropsies far too often. Toby Gerhart is a player I'm looking forward to watching, such is the intrigue. Whether he'll be an upgrade on the under-rated Chester Taylor however, remains to be seen. The Vikings remain one of the potent sides in the league and I would never back against them, but I just fear for them that their big chance went last year in the Superdome. If Favre plays we see the Vikings and Packers face off in the NFC Championship. I certainly wouldn't back against it.
DANG: Continuing the slight sexual undertone going through my NFC North preview; Rich Eisen, Mooch and the rest of the NFL Network crew must be positively creaming themselves, whilst offering reach-arounds with the developments that Brett Favre is considering retiring, again. I'm sure the FOX helicopter's are in the air, beaming back pictures to America of Favre's farm, Minnesota's training ground and anywhere in between, looking for a grey haired Grandad on a tractor with a dodgy ankle. There's one thing for sure, NFL Network will be pretty hideous viewing over the next few days. A lot rides on his decision, because I think the Packers will take maximum advantage of it if he does retire, but if he stays, and more importantly, if he stays fit, then there's nothing to say that they can't still win this division. It might well come down to head-to-head. A lot of people seem to be thinking the Packers are going to coast this division this year, but I just don't think they will if Favre stays as I touched on above. Should Tavaris Jackson be the starter, then I can buy into the Packers comfortably theory, but still see the Vikings managing double figure wins come January and a place in the post-season. There are simply too many options on the field with too much talent to not make it happen; Peterson, Harvin, Berrian, Sidney Rice, Toby Gerhart, Shiancoe. The Offensive line is decent enough to buy him some pass protection to find them all. IF he does retire, again, then the timing of this Favre fiasco sucks for the Vikings, but I'll extend my Olive branch to Favre in the hope that the timing is now, because his ankle has finally said no more, and he's given it the maximum time to heal. Defensively, the secondary has been upgraded through both Free Agency and the draft so Favre apart there's no reason why this team can't make it all the way in 2010. With Favre, I still believe, despite my gushing appraisal of the Packers, that by hook or by crook, the Vikings can take this Division. With Jackson, the Vikings make a Wild Card and his weaknesses will be exposed in the playoffs.
DOC: The Packers will win the NFC North this year. That's my prediction. They've got a wealth of talent at all positions and after a year or two where they've gelled as a team and gained some experience they look read for lift off. Aaron Rodgers is ready to step into the top echelon of NFL Quarterbacks, they can run the ball, they've got a lot of weapons across the passing game and the defence remains strong. Exposed by the Vikings twice in their division last year, I just don't see that happening this time around. Pride simply stops that from happening. This could be the NFC's Superbowl contender in February.