During the 2013-2014 NFL season, the NFC North was possibly the weakest division in the league, with poor defenses, key injuries, and overall mediocre play. But, despite these issues, all of these teams have a chance to significantly improve from last season's slight disappointments. So without wasting any more time, here is what to expect from the NFC North teams this free agency period.
Green Bay Packers: Finished 8-7-1
With some notable players such as B.J Raji, John Kuhn, James Jones, and Sam Shields heading toward free agency, there could be a large rebuilding project in Green Bay, especially on defense. The Packers' defense was near the bottom ten in the NFL last year, especially in the passing game. Their secondary and defensive line needs some revamping, and I'm expecting this to be the first priority this off-season. Along with some defensive reloading, the Green Bay Packers could also use some depth along the offensive line and at the tight end position, to help an outstanding quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Despite these needs, Green Bay has a talented group of players to build around, a solid front office, and around $35 million in total cap space. This will give General Manager Ted Thompson a large amount of room to work with to revamp this defensive line and secondary. Do not be surprised if Green Bay goes out to pick up a good defensive back or lineman during the free agent period. If they can do this, the Green Bay Packers could easily take a fourth straight division title.
Chicago Bears: Finished 8-8
Although the Bears' offense was very impressive last year with Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, and Matt Forte, their defense was average at best. Chicago's passing defense wasn't awful, but was nowhere near great, and their rushing defense was by far the worst in the league last year. When adding this to an expected 14 free agents on defense, including four defensive tackles, it is clear to see that Chicago will be going mostly in the defensive direction during free agency. Luckily, Chicago has a very solid core of players on offense, leaving almost no concerns on the offensive side of the ball. I'm expecting the Chicago Bears to sign a few defensive lineman for a cheap price, to fill up some of the holes by this awful run defense. As if these factors were not pessimistic enough, the Bears' front office only has a meager $8 million in cap space, making free agency a very daunting task for this front office. If the Chicago Bears can survive this off-season and add some good players, I believe that Chicago can make a serious run for the NFC North division title.
Detroit Lions: Finished 7-9
After the Detroit Lions defeated the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field during Week 10, almost the entire country thought that the Lions would be able to win the NFC North for the first time in 20 years. But, to Lions' fans dismay, the team collapsed due to being undisciplined. This team is only a few pieces away from being a playoff contender, and their biggest problem is their average-at-best secondary. A new addition at cornerback and safety would greatly improve this passing defense. Along with this, the passing game on the other side of the ball was also a slight issue. Detroit is expected to lose 5 pass-catchers to free agency this year. And if Detroit can put another talented receiver next to Calvin Johnson, this offense will be one to reckoned with. During the 2014 free agency period, I would expect the Detroit Lions to sign multiple defensive backs to help an average pass defense, as well as adding depth to the wide receiver position. Unfortunately for the Lions, they only have an estimated $10 million in cap space, making it even more difficult to add talent in the passing game. But, if Detroit can manage to add some talent on the edges of the field, they could definitely compete for a playoff berth.
Minnesota Vikings: Finished 5-10-1
During the 2013 season, the Minnesota Vikings simply played bad football. Their passing game was awful and inconsistent, and the Josh Freeman debacle only made matters worse. Between the three quarterbacks to start for the Vikings this season, only 18 touchdown passes were thrown. On the other side of the football, the Vikings' defense was arguably the worst in pro football last year, especially in the passing game. The Vikings' passing defense was ranked in the bottom three for touchdowns allowed (37), yards per game allowed (287), and opposing quarterback rating (98.6). Adding this with a mediocre linebacker group and losses in the defensive line to free agency, the Minnesota Vikings obviously have several holes to fill during free agency. Clearly quarterback is the biggest issue in this organization, but I think that might wait until the NFL draft. I would expect Rick Spielman, the Minnesota Vikings' General Manager, to improve on defense across the board, to improve an awful defense last year. But, do not be surprised if the Vikings pick up a quarterback or two, as this is clearly the #1 problem on this team. Fortunately for Vikings' fans, the organization has a whopping $35 million in cap space to play with during free agency. I believe that if the Minnesota Vikings have a good free agency period, then they can easily move out of the bottom ten teams in the NFL.
No comments:
Post a Comment