NFL
Cutler acquisition allows Bears to pass competition in division
This is the sixth of an eight-part series on the offseason moves in the NFL. Today’s installment covers the NFC North.
The balance of power in the NFC North shifted overnight in April when the Chicago Bears traded for quarterback Jay Cutler.
The Bears went from an ordinary team to a serious title contender. Chicago has had 12 different starting quarterbacks the past decade. Now the Bears have a Pro Bowl caliber passer in the 26-year-old Cutler. The Bears have ranked in the bottom 10 in the NFL in offense eight of the last nine years. They haven’t ranked higher than 14th in passing yards this decade.
Last season Chicago finished 9-7 despite an offense that ranked 26th in the NFL in yards gained. Cutler makes the Bears the team to watch in the NFC North this season.
Here’s a roundup of the offseason moves in the NFL’s Black and Blue division:
| Minnesota: QB situation is a soap opera. |
| Chicago: Jay Cutler to the rescue. |
| Green Bay: Capers aims to fix defense. |
| Detroit: There's nowhere to go but up. |
Minnesota Vikings
Key gains: WR Percy Harvin (Florida), QB Sage Rosenfels (Texans), OT Phil Loadholt (Oklahoma), CB Asher Allen (Georgia), CB Karl Paymah (Broncos).
Key losses: C Matt Birk (Ravens), S Darren Sharper (Saints).
Breakdown: Rosenfels was 6-4 as a starter the past two years and was acquired for a fourth-round draft pick. He is the favorite to beat out incumbent Tarvaris Jackson. Harvin is a speedster to complement Bernard Berrian. The Vikings are great at running and stopping the run, so they will be in contention.
Questions: The big question is will the Vikes’ courtship of Brett Favre continue? If not, are Rosenfels or Jackson the answer? Will character issues derail Harvin? Can John Sullivan or Artis Hicks take over for Birk? Will DTs Pat Williams and Kevin Williams be suspended? Can the Vikes shore up a special teams unit that gave up four punt returns for TDs in 2008?
Chicago Bears
Key gains: QB Jay Cutler (Broncos), OT Orlando Pace (Rams), S Josh Bullocks (Saints), DT Jarron Gilbert (San Jose State), LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (Rams), OT Kevin Shaffer (Browns),WR Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma).
Key losses: QB Kyle Orton (Broncos), S Mike Brown (unsigned), OT John Tait (retired),WR Marty Booker (cut).
Breakdown: Cutler looks like the kind of playmaker who can complement Lovie Smith’s defense. The offensive line needed an overhaul. Last year’s top pick, Chris Williams, becomes a starter. But the Bears took pressure off him by signing Pace to play left tackle. Shaffer is insurance. Iglesias fills the need for a possession receiver. Matt Forte is a good runner. The pass rush ranked 29th last year.
Questions: Does Cutler have enough passing weapons? Can Devin Hester continue to develop at WR?Can Gilbert contribute to the pass rush? The safety position looks unsettled, since Bullocks lost his job in New Orleans.
Green Bay Packers
Key gains: DT B. J. Raji (Boston College), LB Clay Matthews (USC), defensive coordinator Dom Capers (Pats), OT T. J. Lang (Eastern Michigan), OT Jamon Meredith (South Carolina), C Duke Preston (Bills), S Anthony Smith (Steelers).
Key losses: DT Colin Cole (Seahawks).
Breakdown: The cloud of Brett Favre hung over the franchise all last season. So this year is a fresh start. The defense fell from 11th to 20th last year. Enter Capers, who will switch to a 3-4 scheme. The front seven could be good, with Raji and Matthews joining Ryan Pickett, A. J. Hawk, Nick Barnett and Aaron Kampman.
Questions: What about the O-line? Left tackle Chad Clifton will be 33 and had a down year. Mark Tauscher, a year younger than Clifton, is a free agent who tore his ACL in December. Can Kampman adjust to rush linebacker in the new defense? CBs Charles Woodson and Al Harris have a combined age of 68. Can CB Tramon Williams come on?
Detroit Lions
Key gains: Coach Jim Schwartz (Titans), QB Matthew Stafford (Georgia), LB Julian Peterson (Seahawks), TE Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma State), S Louis Delmas (Western Michigan), CB Philip Buchanon (Bucs), RB Maurice Morris (Seahawks),WR Will Franklin (Chiefs),WR Bryant Johnson (49ers),WR Ronald Curry (Raiders), OT Daniel Loper (Titans), DT Grady Jackson (Falcons), CB/S Anthony Henry (Cowboys).
Key losses: DT Cory Redding (Seahawks), CB Leigh Bodden (Pats), CB Travis Fisher (cut), QB Jon Kitna (Cowboys),WR Shaun McDonald (Steelers).
Breakdown: It’s a total rebuilding job. Schwartz has had great mentors (Jeff Fisher, Bill Belichick). A lot of work must be done to overhaul the trenches on offense and defense. The Lions ranked last in 12 of 18 defensive categories last season.
Questions: Did the Lions make a mistake by passing up a tackle with the 20th or 33rd overall picks?How soon should Stafford take over for Daunte Culpepper at QB? Can Jeff Backus still help the O-line? Can the defense stop anybody?
Next: NFC South.
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