There isn’t much that anybody could say to make Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers feel any better about last year’s collapse against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game and the dramatic way things fell apart. But the reality is this team is a perennial Super Bowl contender with arguably the league’s best quarterback under center and despite taking a couple of hits this offseason, they once again appear to be the obvious favorite to win another division title. The Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings have all tried to close the gap in the NFC North but it doesn’t appear they have been able to do enough so far this offseason to catch Green Bay.
Rising Team – Minnesota Vikings
Super Bowl Odds: +5000
The Packers are alone at the top, the Lions didn’t improve and the Bears appear to be an absolute mess, which leaves Minnesota as the team on the rise in the NFC North. The Vikings were impressed with Teddy Bridgewater’s poise and development in his rookie year and they upgraded their receiving core with the addition of Mike Wallace in a trade with the Miami Dolphins to help his progression and production. And as of right now, Minnesota plans to welcome back one of the league’s most dominant running backs in Adrian Peterson and that should take some of the pressure off of Bridgewater as well. The Vikings still have some work to do on both sides of the football but the addition of Wallace and return of Peterson alone are enough to consider them a team on the rise in the NFC North
Falling Team – Detroit Lions
Super Bowl Odds: +3000
The strength of the Lions defense was obliterated in free agency when Ndamukong Suh took a record-breaking deal with the Miami Dolphins and Nick Fairley signed with the St. Louis Rams to clear out the heart of a defensive line that was absolutely dominant last season. Detroit attempted to stop the bleeding with a trade for Haloti Ngata but the difference in talent in the middle of their line will be a devastating blow for the entire defense as the pass rush and run stop both take major hits. With so much money committed to Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson, the Lions largely stood pat in free agency and that can’t help their situation moving forward to next season.
Biggest Game-Changing Move – Mike Wallace
The Minnesota Vikings picked up Wallace for a late round draft pick as the Miami Dolphins simply wanted to get rid of him. That turned out fantastic for Minnesota as it allowed them to pick up an explosive weapon on the cheap. There’s no way they would get a player of Wallace’s caliber on the third day of the NFL Draft, so making the move was a no brainer.
Even though Wallace’s reputation did take a hit last season in Miami, the truth is that he was never a good fit there. The Dolphins didn’t know how to use him and he didn’t mesh well with quarterback Ryan Tannehill. That should change under the tutelage of smart offensive coordinator Norv Turner. He’s an offensive guru that should get 60 Minutes back or near his Pro Bowl level.
Post Free Agency NFC North Pick: Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl Odds: +650
The Vikings made small improvements but are nowhere near ready to contend for a division title. Meanwhile, the Lions, who lost a lot off their defense, and the Bears, who traded away Brandon Marshall, could both take steps back this coming season after disappointing offseasons. Green Bay managed to keep wide receiver Randall Cobb and right tackle Bryan Bulaga, which was their two biggest offseason concerns, and that means they shouldn’t experience a drop-off – if any. And anyone that knows that Packers know that they do most of their offseason work at the Draft, so they will get another chance to add to their roster very shortly. The NFC North clearly belongs to Rodgers and the Packers right now.
