Who Stands Tall in the North?

In the constantly evolving NFL, it's commonplace for teams to do some minor tweaking of their roster every year before training camp begins. The NFC North is certainly no exception. From the top to the bottom, all four teams made significant noise this offseason.

The Lions were rewarded for their futility with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft. They chose Georgia QB Matthew Stafford to lead the team up from out of the gutter. My math tells me that the Lions can't possibly win fewer games this season, with a new coach in place, there's nowhere for the Lions to go but up.

The Green Bay Packers had a disappointing season last year. Ryan Grant took a step back, but the offense under Aaron Rodgers was more than capable. The Packers' biggest problems came on defense and special teams. Dom Capers was brought in to overhaul the defense. He's already shifted from a base 4-3 defense into his patented 3-4 scheme. They got their nose tackle of the present and future in Boston College standout B.J. Raji. If the defense is up to the challenge, you have to figure that Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings will put enough points on the board to help the Pack improve on last season's record.

Breaking news out of Chicago: The Bears finally appear to have a competent quarterback. The Bears have gone through a dozen different options at QB this decade.  They paid a hefty ransom to the Denver Broncos for disgruntled Jay Cutler, but in the end, I think he'll be worth it...if only he had some good wide receivers to throw to.  Wonder if Willie Gault's still a burner?

Last, but certainly not least, are the Minnesota Vikings. You may have heard some rumblings about a certain retired/un-retired/retired quarterback who may or may not have been exploring options to surgically repair his bicep. If Brett Favre plays for the Vikings this year, and he's remotely healthy, I think it's safe to cement the Vikings as the prohibitive favorite in the NFC North. If not, it really appears that this division is anyone's for the taking. Okay, probably not the Lions just yet.