With the draft over and the offseason moving into a lull, we’ll continue to assess the state of NFL rosters league-wide and look at every team’s most glaring need. Next up is the NFC North, starting with the Chicago Bears.
Chicago Bears: EDGE
The Bears walked into the offseason with a clear goal: accumulate a treasure chest of assets by trading the No. 1 pick. They achieved that by flipping the pick to the Panthers, getting the necessary picks to build for the future while also adding a top end receiver in D.J. Moore. They used their first-round pick to draft right tackle Darnell Wright before adding further depth in the trenches, as well as standout corner Tyrique Stevenson among others.
However, the Bears elected not to add an edge rusher, arguably their weakest spot on the roster, outside of some undrafted free agents. That leaves Trevis Gipson, DeMarcus Walker, Rasheem Green, and Dominique Robinson as their edge rotation. It doesn’t whet the appetite, especially as the core of that unit is the same one that had only 20 sacks in the 2022 season, the worst total in the NFL.
Their bolstered interior with the additions of Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens could help boost the Bears meagre pass rush, but adding another edge rusher is still on the front office’s shopping list.
Detroit Lions: An outside receiver
The Lions depth at receiver was muddied by the news that Jameson Williams will be suspended for the first six games of the season for betting on non-NFL games in the Lions facility. Whatever you think of the rule, the punishment has been handed out and there’s likely no going back. However, the Lions needed a receiver even before Williams was suspended.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is a true star, but most of his work is done inside as a slot receiver. Per PFF, 57 percent of St. Brown’s targets came in the slot in 2022 and only three players were targeted in the slot more. He’ll get work outside, but St. Brown is just so good in space and in creating space in tight windows. Beyond him, the Lions don’t have much going on at wide out. Williams can be an excellent Z receiver, but his development will take another hit while he’s on the sidelines, and that leaves Marvin Jones Jr. and Josh Reynolds as clean-up.
Both are fine as complementary pieces, and the plan is for Jahmyr Gibbs to move around on offense, but there’s still a need here.
Green Bay Packers: Safety
Things will look quite different in Green Bay this year. Aaron Rodgers is gone and Jordan Love is stepping up to the plate four seasons after being drafted. How he’ll fare is dependent on multiple factors, but the Packers certainly didn’t scrimp on putting the weapons around him. So, receiver and tight end aren’t a necessity right now – even if the rooms are young.
The defense has some talented players, but the hole at safety is glaring. The Packers might yet bring back Adrian Amos, who is currently a free agent after spending the last four years in Green Bay. Right now, the starters are Darnell Savage, who was benched at the back end of last season, and Rudy Ford. If the Packers were real contenders, that simply wouldn’t be good enough. But they’re not, so there’s a little wiggle room. However, it’s clear where the weaknesses lie on the roster.
Minnesota Vikings: Interior Offensive Line
Another year of Kirk Cousins is on the agenda – and it could potentially be his last in Minnesota. Sooner or later, the Vikings will have to address the quarterback situation. They drafted Jaren Hall in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he isn’t someone who projects as more than a backup. Of course, we’re not counting potential quarterback needs so let’s look elsewhere.
The Vikings offensive line has been a sore spot on the roster for a few seasons now. The offensive tackle positions are set with Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw – one of the best duos in the NFL – but the interior is weak. Per PFF, 72 percent of the allowed pressures of Kirk Cousins came from the interior offensive line. That’s a huge problem. The Vikings interior, especially at the right guard position, is in need of a desperate upgrade. Cousins can’t afford to be sacked 46 times again in 2023.
The issue is the free agent market for guards is spread pretty thin. The solution may have to come in-house.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.