NFC North: Week in Review

Dec 22, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) sits on the bench before the game against the New York Giants at Ford Field. Giants beat the Lions 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Phil Emery did it again. He extended Brandon Marshall’s contract so that he will retire a Chicago Bear. This is great news for Bears fans, not so great news for the rest of the NFC North. That is okay with me. My question is what are the Bears going to do when they have to sign Alshon Jeffery to a multi year contract. Are they going to be able to afford to have two pro bowl caliber receivers on the same roster? I guess we will have to wait until next year to find out. So what is happening around the NFC North this week?

Packers

Gregg Rosenthal predicts that Ha Ha Clinton-Dix will be a game 1 starter for the Packers. Well duh, their safeties stunk last year. Check out his projected starters for the Packers.

Mike McCarthy is entering the final year of his current contract. I think that the Packers should just let him leave. Josh McPeak thinks differently.

ESPN.com wraps-up the Packers offseason. As always, nothing too flashy, but they did what they needed to do to get better. Hopefully this is the year Ted Thompson sucks it up.

Vikings

NFL.com really likes to predict the starters for the season. Will Teddy Bridgewater be starting for the Vikings week 1? Gregg Rosenthal doesn’t thinks so. Honestly, I think he will be an upgrade over what they have now, and with a new offense being put into place, he has a good shot being the day 1 starter.

 ESPN.com wraps-up the Vikings offseason. I think the Vikings did a great job this offseason to get better. Starting with the hiring of Mike Zimmer to the drafting of Teddy Bridgewater, they made a lot of good moves. It would be nice if they turn out to be the wrong moves.

Lions

Ndamukong Suh says that he is “happy” to be in Detroit, but pointed out that he could have arranged it so that the Lions would never have drafted him in 2010. Does that sound like a guy who wants to stay in Detroit?

More projected starters, but this time it’s the Lions. You go Gregg.

Michael Williams transition to OT is going to be an interesting process.

ESPN.com wraps up the Lions offseason. No surprise here. Getting rid of their undisciplined coach and hiring Jim Caldwell was a great start. The attitude in the locker room is going to change. They didn’t address their secondary, and I think that was a huge mistake. It’s like when the Bears didn’t address their offensive line a few years ago. I have a feeling games against the Lions are going to be very high scoring for both teams. I know they are hoping that the defensive line generates enough pressure, but the Bears and Packers both get rid of the ball quickly and the Bears have some large receivers. The Vikings are going to have some issues with thier new offense. A lot of 5 step drops in Norv Turners offense. Kind of like Mike Martz.