As the Lions prepare to defend the NFC North, division rivals mount their assault. The Detroit Lions will go into the 2024 season as the favorite to defend their title in the NFC North, and they should have a solid chance of supplanting the San Francisco 49ers as NFC Champions.
However, despite the success they had, their first step will be fending off the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings. The Bears appear to be much improved while the Vikings have a ton of work to do after losing Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter.
Packers’ Resurgence: A Threat to Lions’ Dominance
However, the Packers appear to have a real chance of battling the Lions on even terms. Quarterback Jordan Love demonstrated great improvement throughout the season and then he put on a show in the postseason in leading Green Bay to a playoff road win over the Dallas Cowboys and nearly pulled off a major upset over the Niners in the NFC Championship Game.
The Packers bolstered their team with the addition of running back Josh Jacobs, ex of the Las Vegas Raiders. If Jacobs can stay healthy and give the Packers a consistent ground game, it should make Love’s job much easier. The Packers also added safety Xavier McKinney after signing him to a four-year, $68 million deal. The Packers have the best defense in the division and McKinney is coming into his own after delivering 9 interceptions in 46 career starts with the New York Giants.
Vikings’ Roster Overhaul: Rebuilding in the Post-Cousins Era
The Vikings clearly have been through a trauma in losing Cousins and Hunter, but it doesn’t mean they can’t recover. Actually, letting Cousins go and watching him sign a four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons shows that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah knows how to manage his roster. Yes, Cousins is a very accurate passer and was well-liked in the Vikings locker room, but he did not lead his team to victories against top opponents.
He had one postseason victory to his credit in a Vikings uniform, and that did not seem likely to change at this point in his career. He is coming off a major Achilles injury, and now the Falcons are asking him to improve at the age of 36. It seems like a longshot, at best. Losing Hunter is going to hurt. He was the best player on the Vikings defense and he is coming off a career best 16.5 sacks, and now he moves on to the Houston Texans. While the Vikings won’t have Hunter, they did not take his loss without making moves of their own. They signed former Texan Jonathan Greenard, giving the young pass rushed a four-year, $76 million deal. Greenard had 12.5 sacks, 22 quarterback hits, 15 tackles for loss, and 48 quarterback pressures last season. All of these were career highs.
They also added edge Andrew Van Ginkel from the Dolphins and linebacker Blake Cashman from the Texans, and both should be impact players. As for the quarterback position, the Vikings signed Sam Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal. That’s merely a preliminary move, as the Vikings will almost certainly draft a rookie quarterback who will have a chance to be the franchise leader for years to come.
Bears’ Bold Moves: Setting the Stage for a Turnaround
The Bears have the No. 1 pick, and it’s almost certain that they will draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams with that selection. Williams will not be walking into a situation without talent. The Bears signed running back D’Andre Swift away from the Lions and also traded for outstanding wideout Keenan Allen. The former Charger will team with D.J. Moore and tight end Cole Kmet, and suddenly the Bears have high-level players at the skill positions.
The Bears had a much-improved defense last season and they re-signed talented cornerback Jaylon Johnson to anchor their secondary. The Bears should be a much-improved team, but they will have a long way to go to keep up with the Lions and the Packers. They are moving in the right direction, but they will have to prove it next season.
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