Grades for all 4 teams in the NFC North this offseason
To say it has been an interesting couple of months when it comes to the NFC North would be a bit of an understatement. It’s a division that for the most part had been dominated by the Packers, until the past two seasons. In fact, all four clubs have finished in first place at least once dating back to 2018.
Matt Lafleur made his Green Bay debut in 2019 and the team went on to win three consecutive NFC North titles. The Pack reached the conference title game his first two seasons and was the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021. However, each time the club failed to reach the Super Bowl.
The Minnesota Vikings owned the top spot in the NFC North in 2022 and this past season, the Detroit Lions won their first division title since 1993. Hence, three years and three different division champions. The exception are the Bears, who haven’t managed this feat since 2018. Matt Eberflus’ club has finished in the NFC North basement each of the past two seasons, but this team actually won seven of its final 13 games after a 0-4 start.
What’s ahead is a synopsis of the last few months for the Bears, Lions, Packers, and Vikings, with a letter grade attached.
What grades have the teams in the NFC North earned in 2024?
Chicago Bears
The team that dealt away the first overall pick in 2023 has the top overall selection this year. Who would have thought that the Chicago Bears’ deal with the Carolina Panthers would result in the latter finishing with the worst record in the NFL this past season?
Hence general manager Ryan Poles figures to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams on Thursday night in Detroit. Meanwhile, in preparation of a revamped offense under new coordinator Shane Waldron (late of the Seahawks), the Bears have brought in some new weapons.
Running back D’Andre Swift returns to the NFC North after one season with the Eagles. Chicago sent a fourth-round pick this year to the Chargers for veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen. Tight end Gerald Everett also comes over from the Bolts.
Before free agency began, Chicago parted ways with safety Eddie Jackson and offensive lineman Cody Whitehair. Poles also dealt quarterback Justin Fields to the Steelers, while running back D’Onta Foreman and wideout Darnell Mooney signed with the Browns and Falcons, respectively.
The Bears needed to do their due diligence in free agency because as of this writing, the team had an NFL-low four selections in this year’s draft. By all accounts, their three key offensive additions were solid moves.
Grade: B+
Detroit Lions
The last time the Lions entered a season as defending division champions was 1994. General manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have put together a solid club that has a superior offensive line and an offensive capable of scoring points on any defense. Then again, stopping the other team from doing the same slowly but surely became a problem as 2023 unfolded.
While only the rival Bears allowed fewer yards per game on the ground this past season, Detroit was a disastrous 27th in the NFL vs. the pass. Still, Holmes did add run-stopper D.J. Reader (Bengals) in free agency, as well as defensive end Marcus Davenport (Saints). Speaking of the trenches, guard Jonah Jackson signed with the Rams, while an already formidable offensive front just got even better with the addition of reliable Kevin Zeitler – late of the Ravens.
On the other hand, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s secondary will have a lot of new looks. Veteran safety Tracy Walker was released, as was slot corner Cameron Sutton – the latter for off-the-field issues. After a season in the Motor City, versatile Chauncey Gardner-Johnson returned to Philadelphia. The newcomers include cornerbacks Carlton Davis, acquired via trade from the Buccaneers, and Amik Robertson (Raiders).
It's a team that appears on the verge of some big things, but the Lions still need to shore up that defense.
Grade: B
Green Bay Packers
It took a few months, but the Green Bay Packers saved their best for the second half of 2023. When the smoke cleared, Matt LaFleur’s club had overcome a 3-6 start by winning six of their final eight games. The club was in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, and opened some eyes with a 48-32 thrashing of the NFC East champion Cowboys at Dallas in the wild card round. The season ended a week later with a tough 24-21 loss at San Francisco in the divisional round.
Oh, how things have changed since then. Veteran runner Aaron Jones was released by the club and latched on with the rival Vikings. The Pack also cut loose LB De’Vondre Campbell, who signed with the Niners. General manager Brian Gutekunst recently parted ways with left tackle David Bakhtiari, while standouts such as right guard Jon Runyan (Giants) and safeties Darnell Savage (Jaguars) and Jonathan Owens (Bears) all moved on. There’s also a new defensive coordinator in Jeff Hafley.
The offseason wasn’t all about departures. In fact, the Packers signed 2022 NFL rushing leader Josh Jacobs away from the Raiders, and also added standout strong safety Xavier McKinney. The team also managed to pilfer quality kicker Greg Joseph, who spent the past three seasons in Minnesota. Green Bay just signed erratic tackle Andre Dillard, however keep in mind that this is a team with 11 picks in this month’s draft.
Grade: B
Minnesota Vikings
This is a pivotal year for the club, which fell hard after a 13-4 showing and NFC North title in 2022. The Purple Gang was in salary cap purgatory early in this offseason, and it wound up being costly when it came to losing two of the team's best players – one on each side of the football.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins (off an Achilles’ injury that cost him the final 9 games of ’23) got big money to join the Atlanta Falcons after six seasons in Minnesota. Four-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher Danielle Hunter is now a member of the Houston Texans.
To offset the departure of Cousins, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added journeyman signal-caller Sam Darnold, late of the 49ers. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Brian Flores welcomes a slew of veterans and hopes to build on last year’s improvement. The numerous new faces include former Texans in end Jonathan Greenard and linebacker Blake Cashman, as well as cornerback Shaquill Griffin (Panthers) and outside linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel (Dolphins) and Kamu Grugier-Hill (Panthers)
Keep in mind that this team has a pair of first-round draft choices this year thanks to a deal with (who else) the Houston Texans. Minnesota owns the 11th and 23rd overall selections. It will be interesting to see what Adofo-Mensah actually does. The club has nine overall picks, but none in both the second and third rounds.