This Given Sunday continues its division by division look around the NFL at what’s happened to date in free agency with a trip to the NFC North, where three teams are hoping for a division title and a shot at home field advantage throughout the postseason and one is just hoping to be respectable.
Green Bay Packers (15-1, NFC North Champions)
| New signings: | Retained: | Free agents lost: |
|---|---|---|
| DT Daniel Muir C Jeff Saturday |
DB Jarrett Bush |
QB Matt Flynn DB Pat Lee C Scott Wells |
Packers general manager Ted Thompson rarely makes a major splash on the free agent market, and with a very talented team, Thompson’s focus was rightly concentrated on extending players like WR Jordy Nelson before they made it to March’s super-heated market. In an ideal world, the Packers are able to franchise Matt Flynn and avoid losing him for nothing, but with Flynn’s market much softer than expected, Thompson knew better than to do that.
The Packers would have liked to retain Wells, but ultimately the gap between what he thought he should be paid and what Thompson thought he should be paid proved insurmountable. Saturday is no longer the player he once was, but should not be too much of a downgrade from Wells in the short run. Former Packers front office assistant Reggie McKenzie stole away Pat Lee, but Jarrett Bush was a useful depth and special teams re-signing.
I identified defensive line help as a major key to the Packers’ defense returning to the elite level. Daniel Muir is a body for the rotation, but not more than that. Ted Thompson should be looking for more and better help there in the draft.
Grade: B
Detroit Lions (10-6, Wild Card)
| New signings: | Retained: | Free agents lost: |
|---|---|---|
| DE Everette Brown CB Jacob Lacey |
T Jeff Backus DB Eric Coleman DT Andre Fluellen P Ben Graham TE Will Heller QB Shaun Hill LS Don Muhlbach LB Ashlee Palmer RB Kevin Smith MLB Stephen Tulloch |
QB Drew Stanton CB Eric Wright |
The Lions were a good team in 2011, but not a great one. The running game was no better than mediocre, and the secondary needed reinforcements going forward. From the perspective of addressing those needs, retaining players like Jeff Backus and Kevin Smith is neither a real step forward nor a real step back.
Did Eric Wright’s play justify the salary he received to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Perhaps not, but going from the player Wright has shown he can be to the player Jacob Lacey is is a clear step down. The safety market thinned out as a number of players, including Michael Griffin, were hit with the franchise tag, and the Lions didn’t even add a veteran there. Jim Schwartz has said nice things about Everette Brown, but he did nothing last year with the Chargers to shed his label of being a massive draft bust.
The highest profile signing the Lions made was in retaining MLB Stephen Tulloch. An excellent fit for Jim Schwartz’s defense and clearly a player Schwartz likes a lot, he was one of a number of linebackers not to be pursued as heavily as they hoped once free agency began. He ended up re-joining the Lions on a deal closer to the $6 million a year he was looking for than I expected, but needs to play consistent pass defense more commensurate with his ability than he has in the past.
Like the Packers, the Lions will be looking to the draft for answers at their position of greatest need, hoping that there’s a corner or safety they like available in the first or second round where starters at those positions are most frequently found.
GRADE: C+
Chicago Bears (8-8)
| New signings: | Retained: | Free agents lost: |
|---|---|---|
| RB Michael Bush QB Jason Campbell LB Blake Costanzo WR Eric Weems WR Brandon Marshall (via trade) |
TE Kellen Davis RB Matt Forte (extended) DE Israel Idonije CB Tim Jennings QB Josh McCown SS Craig Steltz |
DB Corey Graham QB Caleb Hanie DT Marcus Harrison FS Brandon Meriwether T Frank Omiyale |
Apparently Bears fans were not the only people who didn’t want to see Caleb Hanie ever take another snap for the Bears, as new general manager Ray Emery opted to let him depart while retaining Josh McCown. Of course, neither Emery nor Bears fans wants to see McCown or newly-acquired Jason Campbell take a meaningful snap for the Bears; if the Bears are to return to the top of the NFC North, they’ll almost certainly have to be powered by the strong right arm of Jay Cutler.
The marquee move was of course the acquisition of wideout Brandon Marshall from the Miami Dolphiins for two third-round picks, one in this year’s draft and one in next year’s. Marshall and Cutler are not the most even-tempered bases for an offense, but they worked together successfully in Denver, and the Bears got Marshall for less than the Dolphins gave the Broncos for him two years ago. Of course, right before the trade Marshall had another run-in with the law as a result of a nightclub altercation and after the trade Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said the Dolphins would have cut Marshall. Still, he fills quite nicely the vacant role of big, physical receiver for the Bears.
An intriguing under-the-radar signing was wideout Eric Weems, formerly of the Falcons. Weems is primarily a return man and it seems like he’ll take over for Devin Hester on kickoffs. Weems may also be insurance against a delayed return by Johnny Knox, though Knox’s agent indicated his rehab is proceeding on schedule.
The Sword of Damocles hanging over the Bears’ offseason remains unsigned running back Matt Forte. The Bears hit him with the franchise tag, so he won’t be going elsewhere. Still, Forte has indicated his unhappiness with the Bears’ refusal to give him a long-term deal more along the lines of what he thinks he’s worth. By signing Michael Bush in free agency, the Bears added a player who showed last year in Darren McFadden’s absence he’s capable of carrying a starter’s load for a while. Don’t be surprised to see Matt Forte become this year’s Logan Mankins, the player who displays his franchise tag unhappiness by holding out as long as possible.
GRADE: B+
Minnesota Vikings (3-13)
| New signings: | Retained: | Free agents lost: |
|---|---|---|
| TE John Carlson FB Jerome Felton FB Lex Hilliard G Geoff Schwartz |
WR Devin Aromashodu NT Fred Evans DT Letroy Guion OLB Erin Henderson QB Sage Rosenfels |
CB Cedric Griffin G Steve Hutchinson OLB Kenny Onatolu |
The Minnesota Vikings aren’t making the playoffs in 2012. I know that. You know that. General manager Rick Spielman knows that, and acted accordingly, saying goodbye to 34-year-old Steve Hutchinson and 29-year-old Cedric Griffin, neither of whom was going to be a starter in 2014.
Disappointing though it may be with some money to spend, the Vikings didn’t really add any players designed to help them achieve the best possible record in 2012. TE John Carlson was the highest-profile signing, and he’s never lived up to the promise he showed as a rookie. Consider him more or less insurance against the likely loss of Visanthe Shiancoe, who’s still on the market and very unlikely to return to the Vikings.
The Vikings know, though, that free agency is generally not the best place to find long-term starters, so they didn’t try. They have big holes on the roster at wide receiver, offensive line, and the secondary, to name perhaps the three biggest trouble spots, but they’ll look for answers there in the draft. With seven of the first 138 picks in April’s NFL draft, the Vikings are hoping they’ll actually be able to find some answers.
GRADE: B-
