Intro: For each team, for the next month or so, we’re going to look at the key offseason moves each team has made via trade, free agency, coaching and GM changes, and their NFL Draft to see if we scout/analyze these teams have improved or regressed or stayed flat, essentially – looking at it from a 2024 impact only...not long-term, just what could impact this season’s results.
We’ll judge these teams two at a time, pitting them against each other head-to-head to determine a ‘winner’ (which team we think impacted 2024 the best), and the winning teams will move on to the next round and compete until we get to the finals/Super Bowl.
We’re going division-by-division, seeded by 2023 order of finish.
Today we have an AFC North matchup of #2 GB and #3 MIN...
MINNESOTA
Key Adds: DE Jonathan Greenard (from HOU), LB Blake Cashman (from HOU), LB Andrew Van Ginkel (from MIA), QB Sam Darnold (from SF), RB Aaron Jones (from GB), CB Shaq Griffin (from CAR)
Key Losses: QB Kirk Cousins (to ATL), Danielle Hunter (to HOU), DE D.J. Wonnum (to CAR), LB Jordan Hicks (to CLE), DE Marcus Davenport (to DET) DL Dean Lowry (to PIT), WR K.J. Osborn (to NE), OG Austin Schlottmann (to NYG)
Key Draft Adds: QB J.J. McCarthy, LB Dallas Turner, CB Khyree Jackson, PK Will Reichard
Key Coaching Changes: None
Outlook: I look at the Vikings offseason and I can’t help but fixate on the talent downgrade/collapse that happened.
The move FROM Kirk Cousins to Darnold/McCarthy is lethal for 2024...it really kills them off for the season. And QB is everything, so all the other moves pale in comparison.
But we see them also losing Danielle Hunter, who is about as good a pass rusher as there is...they attempt to replace him with Jon Greenard, but that’s a downgrade. Dallas Turner and Van Ginkel added also helps, but they also lost Marcus Davenport and Dean Lowry as well.
It just feels like the Vikings are in a full rebuild, but they won’t say it – and what they’re trying to do on defense to ‘stay viable’ is a bunch of shuffling around getting back to the same spot or declining in talent.
It’s almost like D-C Brian Flores is running this team with the GM...and the GM may be the single worst GM in the game right now – to me, he’s battling Bears GM Ryan Poles for that honor. A lot of defensive maneuvering trying to figure things out...give Flores ‘things’, but then the offense is on a perpetual downgrade it seems.
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GREEN BAY
Key Adds: SAF Xavier McKinney (from NYG), RB Josh Jacobs (from LV)
Key Losses: OG Jon Runyan (to NYG), SAF Darnell Savage (to JAX), OT Yosh Nijman (to CAR), RB Aaron Jones (to MIN), SAF Jon Owens (to CHI)
Key Draft Adds: OL Jordan Morgan, LB Edgerrin Cooper, DB Javon Bullard, RB Mar’Shawn Lloyd, LB Ty’Ron Hopper, SAF Evan Williams, QB Michael Pratt
Key Coaching Changes: New D-C Jeff Hafley
Outlook: Free agency wasn’t much either way...RBs and SAFs in/out, and GB probably comes out ahead in both situations, but RB and SAF are two of the least impactful ‘things’ in the big picture NFL.
Their draft wasn’t terrible but wasn’t transformative. Overall, they got better...definitely didn’t get worse.
Additionally, the change at D-C is big...just to get away from the Joe Barry era. Anything is likely an upgrade, in theory.
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Winner (most improved for 2024)...
Green Bay wins, mostly by virtue of how bad the Vikings offseason was...arguably the worst offseason on its impact to 2024 only of any team. But the Packers got incrementally better for 2024 as well, so easy win to GB.
The Pack will take on the Lions for NFC North title in the next round.
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Next Round Matchups...
AFC East: NE v. NYJ
AFC North: BAL v. PIT
AFC South: TEN v. IND
AFC West: LAC v. LV
NFC East: WSH v. PHI
NFC North: DET v. GB
