Fantasy Football Draft Guide

NFC North Division Preview

June 17, 2008 @ 13:46:04

By Herija C. Green
Edited by Richard Garcia

Chicago Bears

2007 Record: 7-9

Offseason changes

Key Additions	Pos	Acquire via	Key Losses	Pos	Status
Matt Forte	RB	Draft	Bernard Berrian	WR	UFA
Chris Williams	OT	Draft	Cedric Benson	RB	Released
Marty Booker	WR	Signing	Muhsin Muhammad	WR	Released
Brandon Lloyd	WR	Signing	Fred Miller	OL	Released
Earl Bennett	WR	Draft	Ruben Brown	OL	UFA
			Brian Griese	QB	Traded
			Adam Archuleta	S	Released

Worth keeping an eye on

Positional battles

The release of halfback Cedric Benson leaves running backs Matt Forte and Adrian N. Peterson to fight it out for the No. 1 job.

Quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton are set to compete to be the team's field general in 2008. Grossman made seven starts in 2007 to Orton's three.

Wideout Marty Booker appears entrenched as the No. 1 option, but after him it is a free-for-all involving receivers Brandon Lloyd, Earl Bennett, Devin Hester and Mark Bradley.

Left guard is up for grabs after the team elected not to re-sign guard Ruben Brown. Seventh-year offensive lineman Terrence Metcalf appears to have the inside track.

Safeties Brandon McGowan and Craig Steltz (a 2008 fourth-round pick) are both in the mix at strong safety entering training camp while oft-injured free safety Mike Brown figures to maintain his starting job, if healthy. Defensive back Danieal Manning could also be a factor at both spots.

Fading fast

Booker returns to Chicago after four seasons with the Miami Dolphins. However, he is a mere shell of the player that tallied 197 receptions in 2001-02. He averaged just 48.5 catches and 657 yards per season without a true No. 1 quarterback in Miami. He appears woefully miscast as a No. 1 receiver.

Coming on strong

Last year's first-round pick, tight end Greg Olsen, enjoyed a solid rookie season with 39 receptions for 391 yards and two touchdowns despite being slowed by a preseason knee injury. Look for bigger things from Olsen as arguably the team's most dangerous weapon in the passing game.

On the rebound

Bothered by Chicago's reluctance to offer him a long-term contract, linebacker Lance Briggs wasn't the same player in 2007 that he was from 2004-06. He recorded 28 fewer tackles from '06 to '07 and failed to register an interception. Now that he received a new six-year deal, expect Briggs to bounce back in 2008.

Injury prone

Grossman started all 16 games during Chicago's run to the Super Bowl in 2006. Unfortunately, he has made a total of 14 starts during his other four seasons combined. Poor play led to a benching early in 2007, while a knee injury ended his season in Week 14.

Offensive/defensive scheme changes

None

Detroit Lions

2007 Record: 7-9

Offseason changes

Key Additions	Pos	Acquire via	Key Losses	Pos	Status
Kevin Smith	RB	Draft	Kevin Jones	RB	Released
Leigh Bodden	CB	Trade	Shaun Rogers	DT	Traded
Dwight Smith	S	Signing	Kenoy Kennedy	S	Released
Brian Kelly	CB	Signing	Fernando Bryant	CB	Released
Gosder Cherilus	OL	Draft	Damien Woody	G	UFA
Chuck Darby	DT	Signing	Kalimba Edwards	DE	Released
Jordon Dizon	LB	Draft	Boss Bailey	LB	UFA
Michael Gaines	TE	Signing	T.J. Duckett	RB	UFA
Jim Colletto	OC	Promoted	Teddy Lehman	LB	UFA
			J.T. O'Sullivan	QB	UFA
			Mike Martz	OC	Fired

Worth keeping an eye on

Positional battles

After electing to part ways with injury-prone tailback Kevin Jones, running backs Tatum Bell and Kevin Smith should compete for the starting job.

Receivers Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams will likely start, but veteran wideouts Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey are set to compete for the team's No. 3 spot. The loser of the competition could see very little action with Jim Colletto now the team's offensive coordinator.

Tight end Michael Gaines joins a non-descript group that includes tight ends Dan Campbell, Casey FitzSimmons, John Owens and Sean McHugh, who worked more exclusively with the fullbacks during minicamp. Gaines and Campbell appear to be competing for the starting role, while Owens and FitzSimmons could battle for the No. 3 spot.

The trade of defensive tackle Shaun Rogers (Cleveland Browns) opens up a starting spot on the interior of the defensive line. Defensive tackles Shaun Cody and Chuck Darby should vie for the starting role, though both figure to see significant playing time.

Rookie linebacker Jordon Dizon should push for a starting role in the middle, which may leave linebackers Paris Lenon and Alex Lewis to compete on the strong side.

Safety Daniel Bullocks (knee) is coming off a torn ACL that caused him to miss all of 2007. He will look to reclaim the starting role from second-year safety Gerald Alexander, who started all 16 games as a rookie.

Fading fast

Quarterback Jon Kitna, who turns 36 in September, put up big numbers in the past two years but took a physical beating in the process. The firing of offensive coordinator Mike Martz (San Francisco 49ers) should mean a lot less passing in 2007, which doesn't bode well for Kitna's stats.

Coming on strong

Johnson showed flashes of brilliance during his debut campaign but was plagued by inconsistency and a back injury. With receivers McDonald and Furrey likely facing reduced roles this season, the onus will be on Johnson to raise his game, which is something he has the requisite tools to do.

On the rebound

Detroit traded for Bell to give them coverage for Jones' injury-prone ways prior to the 2007 season. However, he fell out of favor with the former coaching regime and endured a dismal '07. With Jones gone and a new offensive philosophy in place, Bell could be in for a productive season.

Injury prone

With Jones monopolizing this section for the past several years, Williams has largely received a free pass for some shaky health during his four-year career. He has played 16 games just once, missing at least two games in each of his other three seasons.

Offensive/defensive scheme changes

The promotion of Jim Colletto to offensive coordinator signals a significant departure from the pass-happy approach of Martz. Look for Colletto to build around the running game and not subject Kitna to the hits he took under Martz, which should mean fewer multiple-receiver sets.

Green Bay Packers

2007 Record: 13-3

Offseason changes

Key Additions	Pos	Acquire via	Key Losses	Pos	Status
Jordy Nelson	WR	Draft	Brett Favre	QB	Retired
Brandon Chillar	LB	Signing	Corey Williams	DT	Traded
Brian Brohm	QB	Draft	Bubba Franks	TE	Released
Patrick Lee	CB	Draft	Frank Walker	CB	UFA
			Koren Robinson	WR	Released

Worth keeping an eye on

Positional battles

Green Bay's only free-agent signing of note, linebacker Brandon Chillar, should challenge incumbent linebacker Brady Poppinga on the strong side.

Offensive linemen Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Junius Coston and Allen Barbre could all compete for starting jobs at the guard spots, though Colledge and Spitz seem like the frontrunners.

Rookie cornerback Patrick Lee should be in mix at nickel back with holdover defensive backs Tramon Williams and Jarrett Bush.

Look for rookie punter Ken DeBauche to get a legitimate shot at unseating punter Jon Ryan, who struggled badly at times in 2007.

Fading fast

Cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris receive a lot of run as one of the league's premier tandems, but both are getting a little long in the tooth. Harris, 33, was victimized in the NFC Championship Game while Woodson, 31, was nicked up for much of the season.

Coming on strong

The retirement of quarterback Brett Favre opens things up for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to take over the reins of one of the NFL's top offenses. The fourth-year pro is surrounded with talent at every position and an improving defense ensures he shouldn't be asked to carry the team very often.

On the rebound

Inked to a four-year extension before the 2007 season, defensive end Cullen Jenkins disappointed as a full-time starter. He was plagued by nagging injuries throughout the year and managed just one sack after registering 6 1/2 in 2006. When healthy, Jenkins is an excellent complement opposite defensive end Aaron Kampman.

Injury prone

Unquestionably the biggest concern about the switch to Rodgers at the quarterback position is his perceived frailty. Despite very limited action in 2006 and 2007, Rodgers sustained serious injuries that kept him out for multiple weeks. He needs to prove he can stay on the field in 2008 to shed the label.

Offensive/defensive scheme changes

While the team hasn't made any fundamental changes, the switch from Favre to Rodgers will almost certainly necessitate some tweaking offensively. Look for the team to feature the running game and short passes a bit more in 2008 with a potential deemphasizing of deeper routes.

Minnesota Vikings

2007 Record: 8-8

Offseason changes

Key Additions	Pos	Acquire via	Key Losses	Pos	Status
Jared Allen	DE	Trade	Dwight Smith	S	Released
Bernard Berrian	WR	Signing	Troy Williamson	WR	Traded
Madieu Williams	S	Signing	Darrion Scott	DE	UFA
Tyrell Johnson	S	Draft	Tony Richardson	FB	UFA
Maurice Hicks	RB	Signing	Mike Doss	S	UFA
John David Booty	QB	Draft	Mewelde Moore	RB	UFA
Benny Sapp	CB	Signing	Kelly Holcomb	QB	Released
Gus Frerotte	QB	Signing

Worth keeping an eye on

Positional battles

Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson enters 2008 as the expected starter, but with the team looking like a playoff contender his leash doesn't figure to be especially long. That makes the competition between veteran quarterbacks Gus Frerotte, Brooks Bollinger and rookie quarterback John David Booty for the backup role an interesting one.

Wideout Bernard Berrian was signed to be the team's top option at the position, but the No. 2 job is up for grabs with receivers Bobby Wade and Sidney Rice the most likely candidates. However, Rice appears to be the likely option with Wade better suited as a No. 3 slot receiver.

Rookie safety Tyrell Johnson has an outside chance of pushing free-agent signee, defensive back Madieu Williams, for one of the safety spots. Williams is the favorite, but he has had injury woes in two of the last three years.

Fading fast

Running back Chester Taylor was the team's starter in 2007, but it's obvious that halfback Adrian Peterson is the future at the position. In Minnesota's run-heavy offense there's still room for quite a few touches for Taylor, but look for the workload to tip more in Peterson's favor this season.

Coming on strong

While Peterson is an obvious choice here, we'll go with second-year receiver Rice. As a rookie, Rice flashed big-time ability with some highlight-reel receptions. If he can overtake veteran wideout Bobby Wade for a starting spot, which is likely the case, he could surprise some people.

On the rebound

Defensive tackle Kevin Williams absorbed a lot of double teams in 2007, but he posted his second straight season with fewer than 40 tackles and a career-low three sacks. The arrival of defensive end Jared Allen should help free up Williams, which might allow him to approach his 2003-04 production.

Injury prone

Peterson was considered an injury risk entering the 2007 draft because of ankle and collarbone injuries he sustained in college. He missed two games with a knee injury last year, but it clearly lingered beyond that as he averaged two fewer yards per carry after the injury.

Offensive/defensive scheme changes

None