The NFC North teams might be getting ready to make a handful of aggressive moves after how competitive the division was in 2024.
The Chicago Bears were the only team from the division that didn’t make the postseason partly because of a poor offensive line. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see new coach Ben Johnson spend most of his time this offseason searching for upgrades on the offensive line.
The Green Bay Packers have excelled at building a balanced roster, but they need a wide receiver capable of doing more on the field to help quarterback Jordan Love. That’s not a problem for the Minnesota Vikings, who have Justin Jefferson. But, once again, they head into another offseason with looming decisions at quarterback.
The Detroit Lions might be all about defense after all the injuries they sustained on that side of the ball. Another star edge rusher could be what they need to finally advance to a Super Bowl.
Here’s one move each NFC North team should make this offseason.
Chicago BearsOne move they should make: Improve interior offensive line
The Bears will likely require multiple moves to fix their disastrous offensive line, but they desperately need to find a center after how poorly it went with Coleman Shelton last season.
Chicago had arguably the worst interior offensive line in the NFL, leading to an inconsistent running game and Caleb Williams getting sacked a league-high 68 times. The Bears should also look into improving the guard positions, but at least there’s some optimism with the offensive tackles. Right tackle Darnell Wright, the team’s 2023 first-round pick, drastically improved during the second half of last season. Also, left tackle Braxton Jones appears to have avoided a serious injury and should make a full recovery from his ankle injury in the offseason.
Johnson’s creative offensive play calls won’t work in Chicago unless they provide better offensive linemen for Williams.
Detroit LionsOne move they should make: Trade for Maxx Crosby
It’s tough to envision new Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll giving up Maxx Crosby, but the Lions should at least make the call in hopes of pairing Aidan Hutchinson with one of the best edge rushers in the NFL.
Crosby, a Michigan native, has said multiple times he’s tired of losing and the Raiders aren’t close to being a winning organization, especially without a franchise quarterback. Instead of wasting another prime year with Crosby, Las Vegas should be able to get a few valuable draft picks from Detroit, which needs to swing big to make the most of its Super Bowl window.
The Lions were quickly bounced from the postseason in the divisional round because of a poor defensive performance against the Washington Commanders. But if they land Crosby, the Lions would add depth and buy time for Hutchinson to make a full recovery from his severe leg injury last season.
The Packers need a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver to help Love bounce back from a rocky second season as the starting quarterback.
Green Bay has plenty of talent with a deep group of wide receivers, but it doesn't have a player who can take over games. The Packers also need to stay healthy for this approach to work on the field. Love struggled when Christian Watson, the team’s vertical threat, wasn’t on the field due to injury—the big-bodied 6’4” wideout has dealt with many injuries since being drafted in 2022. Jayden Reed provides speed, but at 5’11” and 187 pounds, he doesn’t have the size to make contested catches.
If the Packers sign Tee Higgins in free agency or execute a blockbuster trade, let’s say for DK Metcalf, that could be the move to help Love and the Packers compete with the top teams in the NFC. Last season, Green Bay went 0–6 against the Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles.
Minnesota Vikings One move they should make: Name J.J. McCarthy starting QB
The Vikings shouldn’t lose sleep over Sam Darnold possibly leaving in free agency. It wouldn’t be wise to spend north of $30 million to keep Darnold around for one more season when they have J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings.
McCarthy, the 2024 No. 10 draft pick, was viewed as a raw prospect last year, but many draft pundits considered him to have the highest ceiling among the six quarterbacks drafted in the first round. Yes, he’s never started a game in the regular season, but maybe watching from the sideline as a rookie was best for him. If McCarthy requires more time to recover from the torn meniscus he sustained in training camp, the Vikings could add a cheaper veteran option such as Daniel Jones, who joined the team last season after being released by the New York Giants.
Darnold will likely have options to cash in after a breakout 2024 season. But he showed his limitations after two rough performances to end the season, including a nightmare game in the Vikings’ playoff loss against the Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings shouldn’t hesitate to start the McCarthy era.
