The Green Bay Packers are the class of the NFC North, but there is plenty of talent elsewhere in the division. Detroit is one of the best young teams in the league, and even Chicago was likely a couple of injuries away from making a playoff push.
Each team is going to have some work to do to catch up with mighty Green Bay. What positions will they be targeting during their offseason?
Chicago Bears
Offensive Guard
It’s not a stretch to say that with a solid offensive line, the Bears would be a playoff team. Jay Cutler was battered all season long, and when he was finally seriously injured it torpedoed their season. Right guard is probably the biggest weakness at first glance, but they could use an upgrade at left tackle as well.
Linebacker
Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs have been studs for years, but they’re approaching the twilight of their careers. While they both have a couple of years left to play, Chicago needs to be proactive and start finding replacements sooner rather than later.
Free Safety
Brandon Merriweather isn’t going to be the answer at free safety. There aren’t a ton of enticing safety prospects in the draft, so the Bears may look to free agency to address this hole in their lineup.
Detroit Lions
Offensive Tackle
It’s tough to find a true weakness on the Detroit roster. They’ve done a great job rebuilding the team. A logical next step in the process would be drafting a young tackle to replace Jeff Backus, who tore his bicep in the Lions’ loss to New Orleans in the wild card round.
Cornerback
It’s not that the Lions have a ton of bad corners, it’s just that they don’t have anyone that stands out as being really good. They proved against the Saints that they need some help in the secondary, as they were outmanned the entire game.
Outside Linebacker
The Lions have invested a lot in the defensive line, but they can’t afford to overlook the linebackers, either. Stephen Tulloch is great in the middle, but he could use some help on the outside.
Green Bay Packers
Outside Linebacker
Clay Matthews has one side of the defense on lockdown, but Green Bay could use another playmaking linebacker opposite him. It’s been a weak spot on a defense that has had its fair share of struggles in 2011.
Defensive End
Offsetting the loss of Cullen Jenkins was a big concern heading into 2011, and those concerns have been proven legitimate. The Packers will have to find someone who can generate some sort of pass rush from the end in order to improve their defense.
Quarterback
It seems odd listing quarterback as a position of need for Green Bay, but it could shape up to be a key area to be addressed. Matt Flynn is likely headed for a starting gig elsewhere, and Green Bay will have to either draft a new back up or find a free agent that they like to lead their offense in the even that Aaron Rodgers goes down.
Minnesota Vikings
Offensive Tackle
The Vikings were unable to find a suitable replacement for Bryant McKinnie after releasing him, and it hurt the development of Christian Ponder. They’ll need to find someone who can protect him in 2012.
Safety
The play of the entire Minnesota secondary was pretty abysmal in 2011, and it all started with extremely poor play by both safeties. Their cornerbacks need to be addressed as well, but they’re probably worse at safety than corner for the time being.
Defensive Tackle
The Vikings struggled to find a good replacement for Pat Williams on the inside. The defense is bound to struggle until they can find an anchor for the defensive line.
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