Assessing The NFL Draft: NFC North
This is one of the more intriguing divisions heading into the 2009 season: An 0-16 team with the number one overall pick, a new coach and slightly modified uniforms, the best 6-10 team ever to play in the NFL in the 2008 Green Bay Packers, probably the most talented team in the NFL if quarterback doesn’t factor into the equation and the main beneficiary of the biggest trade in the off-season. Needless to say, if I’m a fan of a NFC North team, I’m on pins and needles waiting for the season to start (countdown: only four months and a half months to go). Two of these teams are on borrowed time (or at least it’s starting to feel that way) and two of them are just getting started, I’ll let you figure out which is which.
The future of Bears football loves him some Jack Daniels and drunkenly blubbering companionship.
Who they drafted: Giving away all first day picks for Jay Cutler, the Bears drafted three receivers I’ve never heard of in a draft loaded with day two prospects at the position, an offensive lineman in the seventh round that won’t make the roster and five defensive players.
Prognostication: As underwhelmed as I am by their incoming crop of rookies, their off-season was all about getting Jay Cutler. As a result the offensive should look noticeably improved. Greg Olson will catch more passes, Matt Forte will gain more yards and Devin Hester now has a quarterback whose passes he can’t out run. But still the Bears look mightily desperate taking all these shots at unnamed receivers. They’re basically throwing a jump ball in the hopes that someone will rise to the occasion. Methinks they regret letting Berrian and Muhammad leave.
Who they drafted: Good golly do I like what they did with their draft. In the first round they managed to get the two best prospects at two different positions in Matt Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew, they took one of our dark horses in the third round with Derrick Williams and were practical by waiting until the sixth round to take a running back in Aaron Brown out of TCU, and in the seventh they took another tight end and a Nebraskan offensive lineman.
Prognostication: I still say I would have taken Jason Smith with that first overall pick, but judging by what they did with the rest of their draft they obviously see something in their current line that they like. Stafford will be on his back more often than not, but when he isn’t they know they have a guy capable of getting Pettigrew, Derrick Williams and Calvin and Bryant Johnson the ball, not to mention a defense that has only one available direction to go in, Detroit (right along with Philadelphia) might be the most improved NFL team for fantasy considerations.
Who they drafted: An offensive lineman in the fourth and fifth rounds, a fullback in the fourth and five defensive players that opened and closed their drafts.
Prognostication: This team was absolutely loaded last year for fantasy and I think that will be the case this year. Aaron Rodgers should be just as effective this season minus the excessive interceptions, Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson will probably have a 60/40 split on carries, and while they’re a little thin at receiving options (Driver has to be close to entering his forties), Greg Jennings and Donald Lee are both viable fantasy options. So while I would have taken a receiver, I can understand the urgency on defense, where they seem to have a plethora of names but never clicked (Note: Their defense was pretty solid for fantasy purposes, as they led the league in defensive touchdowns, so you know they have potential). Plus, Boldin, Burress and Edwards are still very much on the trading block.
Who they drafted: Percy Harvin, which was easily the most discussed draft pick after Stafford, an offensive lineman out of Oklahoma and three defensive players with the remaining picks they managed to salvage from the Jason Allen trade last season.
Prognostication: With all the rumors floating about that Brett Favre is contemplating signing with Minnesota, it’s tough to say. I’m not big on the Favre bandwagon (haven’t been for the past nine years), but with the potential they now have at receiver with Shiancoe, Harvin and Berrian, they need someone who can actually get them the ball, and I think Favre is still capable of doing just that. At least more so than Rosenfels or Tavaris Jackson. On the other end of the equation, you’re looking at considerably more turnovers if you bring in Favre, is the increased explosiveness worth all the errant passes you are destined to see? If I’m a Vikings fan/front office overlord, I’m going to say no; but it would really improve everyone’s fantasy prospects. Can you imagine the numbers Peterson puts up if they acquire Favre, a quarterback that defensives have to take seriously. It did wonders for Thomas Jones’ numbers, what it could do for AP is beyond my comprehension.
Back tomorrow with the AFC East.
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