With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror, the focus is on the off-season – and initially on the Free Agency. Which storylines will accompany the teams in the short or medium term? What needs to be taken into account and what tasks have to be performed? SPOX glances at the 32 NFL-teams at the start of the off-season, and off we go with the NFC.
Disclaimer: We have packed the off-season preview for the 32 teams in two parts: Today we’ll have the NFC teams, tomorrow Friday we’ll have the AFC.
The story: The NFL is facing a highly interesting quarterback carousel at the Free Agency – and the vikings are one of the central teams. All three quarterbacks (Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford) have expiring contracts, all three have different arguments for and against each other. Was Keenum’s glossy season due to an anomaly and Pat Shurmur’s glossy designs? Or can he hold that level? Will Bridgewater ever come back to 100 percent? And can you trust Bradford’s knee? Shurmur is already gone, so the Vikes have to decide how exactly their Offense 2018 should look like – and which quarterback they will implement.
The prognosis: Bradford seems to be out of the picture, a stay of Bridgewater is conceivable – if he is willing to agree to a short-term deal. Keenum is today’s best quarterback option for the Vikes, but also the most expensive. Tip: Minnesota manages to hold Bridgewater and Keenum for 2018 and postpone the quarterback decision.
Main Free Agent: Quarterback Case Keenum
The story: The upheaval in Detroit is in full swing, at least defensively might look quite different – the new head coach Matt Patricia will see to that. With players such as Darius Slay and Glover Quin, talent is available, but especially in the pass rush, the Lions shoe has once again been a big hit this season. On the other side of the ball there are two central questions: Will offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter remain? And if so, how does he fix the Run Game, Lions’ most glaring weakness since the beginning of the Matthew Stafford era.
The forecast: Lions will stabilize defensively under Patricia – but that will take time. Cooter, who obviously has a good connection to Stafford, is allowed to stay and Detroit invests in his Run Game in the Draft early on in the form of a first or second round pick for a running back.
Main Free Agent: Defensive End Ziggy Ansah
The story: For Packers, it’s already a turbulent off-season: Shortly after the end of the regular season, defensive coordinator Dom Capers was dismissed, while longstanding managing director Ted Thompson was given a different role within the franchise. And the offensive coordinator has also been replaced, so that Green Bay at least has a new face. Joe Philbin, who held this position from 2007 to 2011, will take over Offense and the new managing director Brian Gutekunst has been working for Packers since 2002. Only the new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has no stable smell. One thing is clear: it’s the highest railroad in the world to get more out of Aaron Rodgers’ prime, who recently showed himself once again publicly dissatisfied.
The forecast: Defense was once again desolate under Capers 2017, especially in the critical moments (Third Down, Fourth Down, Red Zone), the packers will continue to invest resources in the Cornerbacks and the Defensive Line, and stabilize in Pettine’s flexible, more aggressive 3-4 Defense. With the return of Rodgers, there will again be more of the old-fashioned schemes, although Philbin, even though he comes from the same Offense school, brings along one or two new ideas. The Packers build on their good run game of the Hundley games and are a serious contender again in 2018.
Major Free Agent: Safety Morgan Burnett
The story: John Fox is out, and the new coach could hardly be any different from Fox. Ex-Chief Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy and Ex-Oregon Head Coach Mark Helfrich have been recruited to give the offense a completely different face – it is likely to go in the direction of West Coast Option-Offense. The development of Mitchell Trubisky is at the top of the to-do list in Windy City, and the new coaching staff should make this possible. Additional advantage: Nagy managed to retain defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
The forecast: Bears are investing heavily in their wide-receiver corps, just as they should. Watkins, Robinson, Landry, the draft – there are more than enough possibilities. The new, much more creative and quarterback-friendly scheme in Chicago helps Trubisky take the next step – and the defense is already in the upper half. The Bears are on the right track.
Main Free Agent: Cornerback Kyle Fuller
Page 1: The NFC North
Page 2: The NFC East
Page 3: The NFC South
Page 4: The NFC West