|
From an enemy camp comes this report, that there only seems to be one team within the NFC North that is significantly improving this free agent season: the Minnesota Vikings. Definitely good news if a foe thinks so.
Saturday, March 8, 2008 Mike O'Hara  By a process of addition and subtraction -- what they've gained, what other teams have lost, and what one team has failed to do -- the Minnesota Vikings have jumped to the top of the NFC North after the first week of free agency. It all could change in another week, if the trade market keeps percolating and another big deal is made in the division. But for the first eight days of the free-agent and trading period, the Vikings have gotten more help and less harm than the Lions, Packers and Bears. Here's my breakdown: 1. Vikings: They traded 2005 draft flop receiver Troy Williamson to Jacksonville and replaced him in free-agency with Bernard Berrian of division rival Chicago. That's addition and subtraction in one set of moves. - OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1'); //-->  They signed safety Madieu Williams of Cincinnati after releasing Dwight Smith, who has signed with Detroit. In another position swap, they signed fullback Thomas Tapeh, who turns 37 on March 28, and lost 37-year-old Tony Richardson. One loss was running back Mwelde Moore, an effective backup who got only 20 carries behind Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. The biggest upgrade was at receiver. Berrian caught 71 passes last season, with Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton and Brian Griese throwing the ball. Just playing indoors instead of at Soldier Field, with a strong running game should make Berrian more effective. However, he has to prove he is a legitimate No. 1 receiver. Williamson had 18 catches in 2007 and 79 in three seasons since the Vikings drafted him seventh overall in 2005 -- three picks before the Lions took bigger -- and heavier -- receiver flop Mike Williams. Outlook: They finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs by losing their last two games. They can get to 10 victories, but have to count on Green Bay falling from 13-3 to win the North. 2. Packers: The big loss is Brett Favre's retirement. The Packers also traded defensive tackle Corey Williams to Cleveland for a second-round pick in the April draft. Williams is a good player. He had seven sacks last season. But Favre was the face of the franchise -- the face of the NFC North, actually -- and he cannot be replaced. Aaron Rodgers moves in as the starting quarterback with 59 career pass attempts -- two fewer than Favre's single-game, career high of 61, set against San Francisco. The Packers had a good, young contending team last year. It was one of the surprise teams in the league, going from 8-8 in 2006 to 13-3 to win the North. The loss of Favre makes it likely the Packers will be closer to 8-8 than to 13-3 in 2008. 3. Lions: They did not throw money around in the first week of free agency. Their big deal was the trade of nose tackle Shaun Rogers to Cleveland. They helped the secondary by getting starting cornerback Leigh Bodden, and they helped the draft by getting a third-round pick in the deal. They do not have a player who can replace Rogers when he's at his best. They got solid help from three signings. Dwight Smith helps the secondary rotation. Michael Gaines adds blocking consistency at tight end. Defensive Chuck Darby, signed Friday, will bring leadership, but he doesn't have Rogers' talent. Running back is a major concern. T.J. Duckett signed with Seattle. The Lions were considering Julius Jones of Dallas, who visited last week and wound up signing with Seattle. Unless Kevin Jones recovers from a season-ending knee injury, the Lions' top back could be in the draft. If nothing else, the Lions lost depth at linebacker when Boss Bailey signed with Denver and Teddy Lehman signed with Tampa Bay. The major areas of need are running back, offensive right tackle and middle linebacker. The draft is strong in two areas where the Lions need help -- tackle and running back. It is weak at linebacker. 4. Chicago Bears: The nose dive continues, from a Super Bowl spot in 2006 to 7-9 and out of the playoffs last year. The Bears have declined in the last week. They released wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad before the start of free-agency. He signed with Carolina, his former team. Bernard Berrian, the leading receiver last year, signed with the Vikings. Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, a special-teams demon, signed with Baltimore. They did keep linebacker Lance Briggs by re-signing him to a long-term contract. Other problems either haven't been addressed or got worse -- primarily on offense. The quarterback position was solidified for the short term. Rex Grossman re-signed to a one-year contract. Kyle Orton also re-signed. And Brian Griese, who replaced Grossman briefly as the starter last year, was traded to Tampa Bay. Chicago's quarterback of the future probably is in the draft -- this year or next. Whoever throws the ball will have problems at receiver and running back. Chicago's near-term future is a second straight fourth-place finish. You can reach Mike O'Hara at (313) 982-3810 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. |
