2009 NFL Preview: NFC North

It's that time of year. Teams are starting to go to their respective sites to begin the tenuous task that is NFL training camp. As a part of a virtual tour around the NFL, let's take a look at what teams have done over the off-season to improve their odds in 2009. Today's division of choice? The NFC North.

Minnesota Vikings

This team has gone through a lot this off-season, and yet they have done far less than they have talked about doing. They lost Matt Birk to free agency, and in their heavy and empty pursuit of Brett Favre, there are many questions facing this Vikings offense. First and foremost, who will lineup under center if Favre doesn't come rescue this team? Will it be Tarvaris Jackson, who can't hit the backside of a barn, or is it Sage Rosenfels who can't really complete passes of 40 yards or more? It's a dilemma for them, one that wasn't answered by acquiring Percy Harvin in the draft. No one is sure where in the world he will line up for this team. Will he steal carries from Adrian Peterson, or can he be enough of a pure receiver to really warrant respect from other teams when flexed outside?

The defense doesn't have nearly as many questions. The Williams boys will hold it down at the tackle position now that their suspensions appear to have been revoked. And replacing Darren Sharper at safety with Tyrell Johnson may be a loss of experience, but will bring some more athleticism to their defensive backfield.

Detroit Lions

Hmmm...what was the big off-season move for the Lions? Oh yeah, that Matthew Stafford guy! Stafford hopes he can be a saving grace for this franchise. The expectations are big for him, especially in a season following one where last year's two most coveted college quarterbacks helped lead their team to the playoffs and immediately turned around the fortunes of their respective teams. And while some may say that what Stafford is facing in Detroit is much worse, don't forget the kind of added off-field issues the Falcons had in a post-Mike Vick era just the season before Matt Ryan arrived. That being said, the Lions are devoid of a lot of talent, but Stafford does have some key players at his disposal in Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith.

However, with new head coach Jim Schwartz now in Detroit, expect Daunte Culpepper to start the season. He'll have some new weapons this year, as Bryant Johnson comes over from the 49ers and Ronal Curry arrives from Oakland. Both are very capable receivers when at their best, and they could prove to be considerable options if the can take some of the attention away from Calvin Johnson.

Schwartz is a defensive guy, which is why he immediately realized that Cory Redding should have never became the highest paid defensive tackle and then traded him to Seattle for Julian Peterson. Peterson, in his prime, was one of the most versatile defensive players in the NFL, and expect Schwartz to utilize every bit of the versatility he can get out of Peterson's veteran body. That will leave weakside linebacker Ernie Sims free to do his thing against the run. Detroit also drafted rookie safety Louis Delmas out of Western Michigan-a little home cooking if you ask me.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers had a very disappointing season in their first year without Brett Favre, but it wasn't because of Aaron Rodgers. He had a very good season, and right now he has to be considered one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL. He should have yet another good season, as nothing around him on offense has changed, as every key piece to last year's offensive attack is back for 2009.

On the defensive side of things, there will be a lot of changes with new defensive coordinator Dom Capers coming to town. The team will now employ a 3-4 scheme, which should be a big switch for defensive end Pro Bowler Aaron Kampman, who will now line up as an outside linebacker. Ryan Pickett and Cullen Jenkins will play the two defensive end spots on the team, however, switching to 2-gapping linemen might prove to be a rough transition for them, and the entire defense. But it won't be a problem for first round pick BJ Raji, who will probably start at nose tackle for this year and many years to come. But he's still a rookie, and this whole defense is getting overhauled, so something tells me that this front seven will have to heavily rely on their secondary to back them up, which is asking a lot from old men Charles Woodson and Al Harris.

Chicago Bears

Well, the Bears finally have a quarterback-for real this time. The acquisition of Jay Cutler is not Chris Chandler or Rex Grossman, this is a proven, explosive throwing quarterback, and Cutler brings physical tools to the position that this franchise hasn't seen in over 20 years. Of course, it will be hard for Cutler to throw the ball if he is on back and doesn't have any receivers, as the Bears lost both starting tackles this past offseason. Also, Cutler doesn't exactly have a #1 wide receiver in Devin Hester. An aging Orlando Pace and second-year man Chris Williams are expected to fill those tackle positions. The wide receiver issue, however, remains unaddressed.

Defensively, the Bears might start to show some decline. Yes, they still have their man in Brian Urlacher, but the less heralded safety Mike Brown was let go this off-season, and the team decided to replace him with Josh Bullocks, a former safety for the New Orleans Saints-and well, you see how the Saints secondary has performed over the years.