NFC North pre-draft roster grades for the 2022 NFL offseason
Most of the major offseason moves are behind us, as teams turn their focus to the NFL Draft. Let’s grade the free agency periods for the NFC North.
In what might be a semi-competitive NFC North, all four teams made substantial moves during this past offseason free agency period. Two teams are in the middle of a massive rebuild, while two other teams tried to improve their roster to compete in the wide-open NFC.
The NFC North is filled with new coaching staffs and management. The Vikings and Bears both welcomed new leadership, in the form of general managers and head coaches.
The Lions are entering year two with their new crew, and the Packers are set to enter year four of the Matt LaFleur era.
It’s a pretty safe bet to peg the Packers as the early favorites to win the division, but I would not be surprised if the Vikings gave them a run for their money.
While Green Bay is trying one last time to win a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers, both the Lions and Bears are attempting to work through a massive rebuild. It’s not known if the Lions would be willing to build around Jared Goff, and virtually the entire team around Bears’ Justin Fields stinks.
So, let’s give out some draft grades for the NFC North.
NFC North pre-draft roster grades
1. Green Bay Packers – B-
While the Packers saw the return of Aaron Rodgers, their team did get a bit worse overall. They were able to retain key pieces like Preston Smith, Allen Lazard, Rasul Douglas, and De’Vondre Campbell, among others, but their two most notable losses were Davante Adams and Za’Darius Smith.
Adams is on the Raiders now, and Smith ended up in Minnesota.
Green Bay also lost utility-offensive linemen Billy Turner to the Denver Broncos.
It was a decent period for Green Bay overall. They did keep the core of their roster together and did receive a 2022 first-round pick in the deal for Adams, so they’ll have two first-rounders to work with in a couple of weeks.
The team is plenty good enough to win double-digit games and run away with the NFC North title yet again.
Losing Adams is going to hurt, as Rodgers’ top targets are now Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard. I’d look for the Packers to add a cheap receiver in free agency and use one of their two first-rounders on another offensive weapon.
I also think adding an offensive lineman would have been smart. Both Billy Turner and Lucas Patrick are no longer with the club, so that unit has some holes.
Overall, though, it wasn’t a disaster.