What an offseason it's been in the NFC North. For the second year, the Bears have the first overall pick in the NFL Draft – and this year, they'll actually use it! On a quarterback! And everyone can keep laughing about the Bears' QB stuff until it changes, but there's no denying that they look about as close to a playoff contender as they have in the last, what? Half decade? I'm not sure the rest of the league is ready for Bears fans with a good quarterback.
Things in the division have been plenty outside of Chicago, too. The Packers decided to get all their moves done in, like, a span of two hours. Upgrading their roster with even more fun, ascending talents with moves that didn't even seem possible is a very Green Bay thing to do. The Vikings' entire defense will look different – and way better – next year. The Lions haven't done a whole lot, but they were three points away from the Super Bowl last season, so it's hard to blame them. It's hard to find a division that is so uniformly on the rise, which is as exciting for Bears fans as it is terrifying. So while we all wait for the first b-roll of Williams throwing to recievers at OTAs, let's take a look at the rest of the division and find the six free agent moves that should have Bears fans a little concerned.
Minnesota Vikings
1. Sign Jonathan Greenard
Losing an All-Time great franchise player like Danielle Hunter is tough, unless you're the Vikings, apparently. They more-or-less swapped out Hunter – who signed with the Texans – with Houston edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. And while Hunter has a much longer track record of elite consistency, Greenard's three years younger and coming off a breakout season of sorts: his 12.5 sacks in 2023 were a career-high. It was also the first time he's played in at least 15 games, which Vikings fans probably don't love hearing. Still, Greenard showed last year that he's an elite pass-rusher, and anytime elite pass rushers join the NFC North, Bears fans should be a little concerned.
2. Overhauling their LB room
With two signings, the Vikings suddenly have one of the scarier groups of linebackers in the division. Signing Blake Cashman was an underrated signing – he ranked as Pro Football Focus' 8th best linebacker last year, and immediately slots in as that defensive front's best run-stopper. In fact, the only player currently on the Vikings' roster who had a better overall defensive grade last year was their other free agent signing Andrew Van Grinkle, who was the 7th-highest rated linebacker last year. Casually bringing in two of the 10 best linebackers alongside Danielle Hunter is scary stuff, especially considering that 2nd-year linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. had a great rookie year in his own right.
Detroit Lions
1. Signing DJ Reader
Admittedly, there are some injury concerns with Reader – he hasn't appeared in 15 games since 2020, and consistently misses between 2-4 games each season. But when he plays, he's still a force to be reckoned with: he finished 2023 as PFF's 11th-best interior defensive line, stacking above-average grades in overall defense, pass rushing, and run stopping. Detroit had one of the worst defenses in football last year, so anything will help. Especially with Reader's contract essentially being a one-year deal for about $11 million, the decision to bring him in makes all the sense in the world. The Lions haven't had quite as flashy an offseason as other teams around the division, but if he stays healthy, Reader's going to be a headache in Chicago, Green Bay, and Minnesota next season.
2. Signing Kevin Zeitler
Losing Jonah Jackson stings a bit, but it wasn't entirely surprising to see the Lions let Jackson walk considering the type of money that Los Angeles was offering him. Bringing in Zeitler – on a one-year deal, no less – was a no-brainer: he's coming off the first Pro Bowl season, and has played in at least 15 games since 2014. He's not the run-blocker that Jackson can be, but his pass-protection was elite last season, which is crucial for an offense that goes as Jared Goff goes.
Green Bay Packers
1. Signing Xavier McKinney
Nothing against Darnell Savage, who played well at times for the Packers, but McKinney is a clear upgrade. And it's not even really close – he was PFF's 4th ranked safety last season, and finished among the top of his position in solo tackles (94 -- 3rd), interceptions (3 -- 11th), and receptions allowed (33 -- T14th). And like seemingly everyone else on the Packers' roster, McKinney hasn't even turned 25 yet. He's missed serious time with injuries in two of his four seasons so far, but when he plays, he's one of the best safeties in football. You can almost imagine it now: the Bears are marching down the field to take the lead late in the game, only for McKinney to make some insane, game-changing play off a Caleb Williams rookie mistake. It's fate.
2. Signing Josh Jacobs
Maybe Bears fans can laugh at how much money the Packers gave Jacobs, but then again, their team gave D'Andre Swift $24 million. Jacobs has quietly been the West Coast version of Saquon Barkley – in one less year, Jacobs actually has more rushing yards, touchdowns, and first downs than Barkley does. He's not the pass-catching back that Barkley is, but the Packers have like 10,000 young wide receivers and AJ Dillion; they'll be fine. At the very least, watching their fans be mad at them for an afternoon because they kinda bungled the release of Aaron Jones was fun?