2008 NFL Sneak Peek – NFC North

2008 NFL Sneak Peek – NFC East
Posted on Thursday, May 8^th

 Welcome the third edition of your 8-week series taking an off-season look at the National Football League. This week follow the trail of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox through the Great Lakes region to check out what has been shaking in the NFC North other than the locals this unseasonably cool spring in the Midwest. This is our back yard so bundle up, leave your Big City troubles at the door, and we’ll throw a couple extra brats on the grill!

Green Bay (13-3 regular season, 1-1 playoffs) The Packers lose just 2 starters from a squad that came within a field goal of the Super Bowl in Brett Favre’s final season and begin the Aaron Rogers (20 of 28 for 218 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) era with a cupboard stocked deep. The young line (19 sacks allowed, 4.1 yards per rush) of the league’s 2^nd ranked offense (378.2 yards and 27.2 points per game) returns with another year of experience, joined by T Joe Toledo (FA-Mia) plus 4^th and 5^th round draft selections G/T Josh Sitton and T Breno Giacomini. WR’s Driver (82 for 1048 and 2 TD), Jennings (53 for 920 and 12 TD), and Jones (47 for 656 and 2 TD) plus TE Donald Lee (48 for 575 and 6 TD) – who seized the starting job from Bubba Franks (cut) – all return to welcome 2^nd round Kansas State draft pick WR Jordy Nelson (Big 12 records 122 catches for 1606 yards and 10 TD in 2007) who’s arrival likely ends the comeback of WR/KR Koren Robinson’s with the Green and Gold. Backs Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn are healthy again to share the load with RB Ryan Grant (188 for 956 yards and 8 TD) while quarterbacks Brian Brohm (2^nd round, Louisville) and Matt Flynn (7^th round, LSU) bring big time college football experience to the depth chart. Coach Mike McCarthy loses only DT Corey Williams (trade, Cleveland) from a defense that posted 36 sacks, 19 picks, and 22 fumble recoveries while allowing 18.2 points per game and added St. Louis free agent SLB Brandon Chillar (41 starts) to compete with Brady Poppinga alongside studs Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk (combined 236 T, 4 ½ S, 3 INT). Aging corners Charles Woodson (37 T, 4 INT) and Al Harris (63 T, 2 INT) get help from 3^rd round Auburn CB Patrick Lee while future Pro Bowler and lethal hitter S Atari Bigby (86 T, 5 INT) has been re-signed. Only 6 of Green Bay’s games this year will be against 2007 playoff teams.

Minnesota (8-8 regular season, missed playoffs) Brad Childress’s crew lost their final pair to end 2007, eliminating them from the post-season…to the relief of NFC contenders. No one was excited to face the #1 ranked team in both rushing offense (164.6 yards per game at 5.3 yards per) and defense (74.1 yards per game at 3.1 yards per) while banking 8 defensive scores. Backs Adrian Peterson (1341 yards/12 TD rushing) and Chester Taylor (844 yards/7 TD rushing) pounding behind the right side of McKinnie, Huchinson, and Birk will again be the plan of attack but don’t completely discount the Viking passing game this season. Minnesota swapped out Kelly Holcomb for Gus Ferrotte at the backup trigger and threw away a 5^th round pick on John David Booty (my finger, elbow, wrist, back, etc. hurts!) but we still think QB Tavaris Jackson (1911 yards, 9 TD, 12 INT) can succeed with his 6 top targets returning plus Chicago free agent WR Bernard Berrian. Even the remarkable job against both the run and pass (38 sacks) done last season by the Viking front seven – which adds Pro Bowl free agent DE Jared Allen (15 ½ S in 14 games) to backers E.J Henderson and Chad Greenway plus tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams – couldn’t hide their coverage liabilities. At safety Mike Doss, Dwight Smith, and Tank Johnson are gone while FS Madieu Williams (FA-CIN) is a major upgrade alongside Darren Sharper, Texan free agent Michael Boulware will be a valuable backup, and 2^nd round pick/tackle machine FS Tyrell Johnson (363 T and 13 INT in 41 college starts) from Arkansas State was a fine grab but little has changed at the corners. CB’s Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin, who combined for just 1 pick while opponents piled up a league worst 281.2 yards passing per contest, will again get the call. The Vikings are not a complete team but they are tough enough to grab a Wildcard spot.

Detroit (7-9 regular season, missed playoffs) The Lions collapsed under the league’s worst defense (393.6 yards per game) with a 1-8 finish, but Matt Millen has made the most of the off-season. Starters CB Fernando Bryant and SS Kennoy Kennedy are gone from a secondary that was toasted for 274.2 yards per game and 32 TD passing, joining LB Boss Bailey and DE Kalimba Edwards in getting cut. DT Shaun Rogers was traded to Cleveland for CB Leigh Bodden (88 T, 6 INT) who becomes Detroit’s #1 corner opposite the re-signed Stanley Wilson, backed up by Fisher (re-signed), Smith (re-signed), and Brain Kelly (FA-TB). Free agent SS pickups Dwight Smith (MN) and Kalvin Peterson (TB) are upgrades plus all this depth improves the Lions’ not so special teams coverage (12.1 yards per punt, 26.9 per kick). Quality draft day attention to the stoppers added blazing OLBs Jordan Dizon (2^nd round, Colorado) and Cliff Avril (3^rd round, Purdue) plus 3^rd and 7^th round DT’s Andre Fluellen (Florid State) and Landon Cohen (Ohio) add depth as does Seattle free agent DT Chuck Darby. Coach Marinelli’s explosive passing game returns starting QB John Kitna (63.3% for 4068 yards, 18 TD, 20 INT), backups Stanton and Orlovsky, plus all 4 top receiving targets but didn’t greatly help the league’s 2^nd-worst rushing attack (80.5 yards per). Top backs Kevin Jones (cut) and T.J. Duckett (FA-SEA) and their combined 916 yards and 11 TD rushing are gone, leaving Tatum Bell (44 for 182 and TD) and 3^rd round pick Kevin Smith (2576 rush yards for Central Florida in 2007) but the bigger problem is an offensive line that surrendered 56 sacks in 2007. Subtract free agent G/T Damien Woody to the Jets and add 1^st round pick Boston College RT Gosder Cherilus who struggled his senior season (7 penalties, 5 ½ sacks) while playing out of position. Much has been done and much needs to be done for this squad.

Chicago (7-9 regular season, missed playoffs) With 12 draft the Bears chose to largely sit free agency out, grabbing only WR’s Marty Booker (Miami) and Brandon Lloyd (Washington) to replace Muhsin Muhammad (cut) and Bernard Berrian (FA-MIN). Offensive line was the major need (43 sacks, 3.1 yards per rush) for Coach Lovie Smith, resulting in the release of RT Fred Miller (if you can’t block, can you at least stay onside?) and LG Reuben Brown with help coming from the college ranks. The 14^th overall pick snatched Vanderbilt LT Chris Williams (2 sacks last 1558 snaps) – allowing John Tait to move back to RT – while a pair of 7^th round steals purloined Georgia G Chester Adams and All-Big 10 Michigan T Kirk Barton. RG Garza and C Kreutz stay put while Terrence Metcalf, Josh Beekman, and John St. Claire battle for LG. Behind the upgraded line will again be QB Rex Grossman and backup Kyle Orton with Brian Griese traded to Tampa Bay for a second round pick that adds 6’2” 222 Tulane RB Matt Forte who rushed for 2127 yards and 23 TD for Tulane in 2007 and may take the top job from Cedric Benson (DUI arrest) and Adrian Peterson. 3-time All-SEC WR Earl Bennett (3^rd round, Vanderbilt) and 6’6” 218 WR Marcus Monk (7^th round, Arkansas) add firepower while TE’s Desmond Clark (re-signed) and Greg Olsen will get plenty of downfield grabs. The Bear 29^th ranked defense (247.1 pass, 122.9 rush) got less attention with DT Walker (cut), S Archuleta (cut), and LB Ayanbadejo (FA-BAL) gone while starters LB Lance Briggs and FS Brandon McGowan re-signed but their is hope for this group. SS Mike Brown returns from injury to help CB’s Tillman and Vasher plus 3^rd round Arkansas DT Marcus Harrison is a huge addition to a line that racked up 41 sacks last season. PR/KR Devin Hester (6 return TD in 2007) can’t carry this team again…can he?