NFC North Has Real Problems

Bears are not the only team in the division with issues as NFL offseason begins in earnest.

The only thing you need to know about the NFC North is the defending division champion Minnesota Vikings opened at 40-1 on the betting line to win the 2024 Super Bowl at SI Sportsbook less than a month after they were in the playoffs and lost.

The defending division champ is tied for 17th best odds in the league and the only team from the division in the top 10 for odds is Detroit, tied for ninth at 25-1.

The NFC North hasn't even been represented in the Super Bowl since Aaron Rodgers survived the onslaught from Caleb Hanie to win the NFC championship at Soldier Field in 2010. The Vikings haven't been there since Grant, or is it Ulysses? The Bears have been living in their past since ... well ... the past. The Lions are surging. They  have reached .500 but not the playoffs, which shows how far back they really were.

Problems, everyone in the North has them.

Green Bay might have a bigger problem if Rodgers emerges from his four days of darkness and decides it's over, or that it's going to continue in another city.

Here are the biggest roster issues the NFC North franchises have heading into the offseason and how they'll address them, according to FanNation website publishers for the division's teams.

Chicago Bears

The Biggest Roster Needs

Defensive linemen and linebackers. They need tackles, ends and linebackers of all types. The Bears were last in sacks, were led in sacks by safety Jaquan Brisker with four, and finished 31st defending the run. So there's not much going on for them in their front seven besides defensive tackle Justin Jones and linebacker Jack Sanborn, who was an undrafted rookie and projects as a backup. They need multiple players at each position.

Draft or Free Agency to Address Them?

They'll use both free agency and the draft for each of those needs because the deficiency is so great. The only linebacker under contract among their first four is Sanborn. They had 6 1/2 sacks total from every defensive end they had on the roster last year so they'll look to fill that spot. The three-technique tackle needs to be a player more dominant in this scheme than Jones, who is fine as a backup. Jalen Carter is made for the Bears defense. Will Anderson Jr. might not be the type of edge rusher who fits the scheme.

-Gene Chamberlain, BearDigest

WOULD BEARS REALLY TRADE JUSTIN FIELDS? ONE MOCK DRAFT DID

Detroit Lions

The Biggest Roster Needs

The Detroit Lions need to focus on retooling their defense this offseason. It is expected the team will bring in 1-2 new cornerbacks to aid the secondary. While the defense overall improved in the second half of the season, the team needs to upgrade the talent in order to limit opposing wideouts in the NFC North.

Draft or Free Agency to Address Them?

Sitting with the No. 6 pick, it would not be surprising if the Lions invested a top pick in a cornerback. Several of the early mock drafts have the Lions selecting cornerback Devon Witherspoon out of Illinois. I don't see the Lions making a big splash in free agency, as they are building through the draft.

-John Maakaron, All-Lions

Green Bay Packers

The Biggest Roster Needs

The Packers have a lot of holes, which is why they went 8-9. On offense, top tight ends Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis are set to hit free agency. A strong draft class awaits at that position–a real rarity. Defensively, again, it’s the free agents, with Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry on the line and Adrian Amos and key backup Rudy Ford at safety. Rashan Gary’s torn ACL exposed the shortcomings at outside linebacker.

Draft or Free Agency to Address Them?

I’d guess quite a bit like last year, when general manager Brian Gutekunst made some real solid budget signings – Reed, Ford and cornerback/kick returner Keisean Nixon among them – but the big moves were made in the draft. There just isn’t the money to make any big splashes in free agency. Really, if the Packers are going to return to the playoffs, it’s going to be because of a promising 2022 draft class.

-Bill Huber, Packer Central

Minnesota Vikings

The Biggest Roster Needs

Defense, defense, defense. Landing Brian Flores as coordinator should help the Vikings improve their abysmal defense, but change needs to happen on the personnel side as well. Cornerback stands out as the single biggest need, as all three starters are hitting free agency and last year's top two draft picks at the position got hurt in their rookie years. The defensive line could also use reinforcements.

Draft or Free Agency to Address Them?

Both, of course! But for a team that's in win-now mode until proven otherwise, free agency is the best place to find instant contributors. A cornerback like Byron Murphy Jr. or Cameron Sutton or Jonathan Jones could really help in 2023. Offensively, Kevin O'Connell's group could use quality veterans at wide receiver and guard. The Vikings only have five current draft picks and no second-rounder because of the T.J. Hockenson trade, so there's a lot riding on their pick at No. 23 overall. That might be a corner, too.

-Will Ragatz, Inside the Vikings