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The NFC North was arguably the most stacked division in football last season, and it got even better this offseason. Last year, the Detroit Lions were the league's darlings. They were tied for the best record in football at 15-2, and they boasted the NFL's best offense (564 points for). The Minnesota Vikings only trailed them in the standings by one game. Had it not been for their Week 18 loss to Detroit, the Vikings would have been the number one seed in the NFC heading into the postseason. The Green Bay Packers were an impressive 11-6 in their own right, and although the Chicago Bears faded late, they started off strong and looked like a team with tons of potential going forward.
The Lions, Vikings, and Bears have all had some of the best starts to the offseason so far, particularly in free agency. The Packers, though, have been one of the biggest losers of the free agent period so far. In this article, we will explain why.
Minnesota Vikings add free agent talent
The Vikings have been one of the biggest winners of free agency so far, and this is despite losing the highest-paid free agent player in terms of average annual value. That was, of course, Sam Darnold, who signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks. The quarterback had a Pro Bowl year with the Vikings in what was his breakout season, but Minnesota was clearly not sold.
Prior to his big year, Darnold was looked at as one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory. A lot of experts credit his success to Kevin O'Connell's system, and he even struggled late in the season. Plus, the Vikings have former first-rounder J.J. McCarthy waiting in the midst to take over the starting quarterback job. Such a big contract for a potential one-hit wonder was a big risk by the Seahawks, and the Vikings were smart to allocate resources elsewhere.
They invested heavily into the offensive line, which is a position group that has often troubled them over the years. The Vikings signed both the top guard (Will Fries) on the open market, as well as one of the top centers (Ryan Kelly) available. They beefed up in the trenches on defense, too. Jonathan Allen, who signed for three years and $60 million, has long been one of the best defensive tackles in football. He will pair with the newly signed Javon Hargrave.
Hargrave came at a discount (two-years, $30 million) after suffering a season-ending injury, but he was one of the prized possessions from the 2023 free agent class after his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. Football games are won on the line, and the Vikings drastically improved on both sides of the ball in that regard.
The Vikings brought in some winning experience as well. Super Bowl winning players are always coveted in free agency, but Minnesota didn't have to pay too much to sign Isaiah Rodgers (two years, $15 million). The team also re-signed Byron Murphy, who was their best internal free agent on defense, as well as Aaron Jones, the running back who had a resurgence with the team last year.
Detroit Lions make a splashy move
The Detroit Lions haven't done a lot in free agency yet, but they didn't have to do much, considering how dominant they were last year. Even so, they still made one of the best free agent moves in the league so far. The team signed D.J. Reed to a three-year, $48 million deal. That is one of the best value signings in all of free agency.
The cornerback was our number three-ranked free agent this year. While he was often overshadowed by Sauce Gardner on the New York Jets, Reed is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and he comes as both an upgrade and a cheaper replacement for the departing Carlton Davis.
Davis was the only big-name player the team lost in the offseason, so the two-loss team will be running things back for the most part. They were able to re-sign players, including Derrick Barnes, Levi Onwuzurike, and Marcus Davenport, all for fair prices. Now, the Lions can again be looked at as Super Bowl contenders.
Chicago Bears make the NFC North even scarier
Of all of the NFC North teams, the Chicago Bears have had arguably the best offseason so far. They have primarily used the trade market to improve their roster, though. Last offseason, the team drafted Caleb Williams first overall. They then surrounded him with a bunch of weapons. DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and D'Andre Swift were all on the roster last season.
Chicago won four of their first six games and looked like they could compete with the rest of the NFC North. Then, after their bye week, the team lost 10 straight before winning in Week 18. The team was better than their record showed, as some of their losses were competitive battles that came down to late-game blunders. Still, the areas in which they needed to improve were obvious.
The main problem spot was the offensive line. While Williams certainly held onto the ball too long, his ability to make plays happen outside of script is part of the reason he was viewed as one of the most generational prospects in recent memory. The Bears' offensive line definitely did not give him enough time in the pocket, which is part of the reason he was so frequently sacked.
Williams' rookie season was solid, but it was a disappointment in comparison to expectations for some. His potential is still sky-high, and a revamped offensive line will go a long way in helping him reach his potential. The Bears signed Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million deal. Dalman was not only the best center on the open market, but he is one of the best players at his position overall. Chicago also traded for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson from the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, respectively.
Thuney, a four-time Super Bowl champion, was forced into action at left tackle last season, but he is best at guard. Jackson is a guard as well, so Chicago will be really beefed up on the interior of their offensive line. That should help in both the running and passing attacks.
The team added to their defensive front as well. Dayo Odeyingbo was signed to a $48 million deal, and the Bears also added Grady Jarrett for $43.5 million. Their biggest move might be the addition of head coach Ben Johnson. The ex-Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator was arguably the most coveted coach this offseason, and he should help evolve the Bears offense. All of these moves should allow the Bears to take the next step forward, and they could contend for championships sooner than you may expect.
Green Bay Packers come out on bottom in NFC North
With such an influx of talent in the NFC North, you would have expected the Packers to utilize free agency to boost their own roster. While they've made a couple of moves, the team has left plenty to be desired during the offseason so far. The team's two biggest additions were for Aaron Banks and Nate Hobbs.
However, both of those contracts look like overpays. Banks is signing for $77 million over four years, and Hobbs' deal is for $48 million over four years. Additionally, neither of those players really add to what was missing from the team last year. Instead, they are both just replacements: Banks for Josh Myers and Hobbs for Eric Stokes and potentially Jaire Alexander.
The rest of the NFC North got noticeably better, while the Packers seemingly stayed stagnant. In such a loaded division, that could come back to haunt the team.
