Favorite Offseason Additions: NFC North

Offseason workouts are winding down across the NFL. The “long” wait for the start of training camp is about to begin. That makes this a fine time to take a look at some of my favorite offseason additions for each of the league’s 32 teams. First up is, of course, the NFC North.

Favorite Offseason Additions: NFC North

Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy, QB, first-round pick

This is pretty much a toss-up between free agent outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, J.J. McCarthy, and first-round outside linebacker Dallas Turner. I’m going with the quarterback. I’ve gotta go with the quarterback. It’s always the quarterback. The Vikings have been looking for their long-term, franchise since Fran Tarkenton retired. That was 1978. Nearly 50 years ago. It’s been a long, frustrating, painful search. From re-treads to no-treads, it’s been a revolving door of quarterbacks. Over the nearly fifty years, the Vikings have taken five swings at a quarterback in the first round. There’s been a variety of reasons for that small number. They’ve rarely been bad enough to select that high in the draft. When they’ve been near the top of a draft, there wasn’t a deserving quarterback to be had. That’s why the Vikings have so often had to dust off old-timers like Jim McMahon, Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, Brad Johnson, Gus Frerotte, and Brett Favre. A couple of those brought some magic to Minnesota but more often than they brought a bit better than mediocrity. In 1978, 1999, 2011, 2014, and 2024, the Vikings took first-round swings at finding a long-term heir to Fran Tarkenton. 

Tommy Kramer

Daunte Culpepper

Christian Ponder

Teddy Bridgwater

J.J. McCarthy

J.J. McCarthy is the only one selected among the top 10 picks in a draft. Tommy Kramer was a fun, exciting, talented quarterback. If he’d managed to dodge the many injuries that peppered his career, he would’ve been a wildly successful heir to Tarkenton. Daunte Culpepper was great for a handful of years until a knee injury essentially ended his career. Christian Ponder was ridiculously overdrafted. Teddy Bridgewater was about to take off when a knee injury ended his time in Minnesota. Injuries kept Kramer, Culpepper, and Bridgewater from becoming the quarterback they the talent to be. Ponder never should’ve been selected in the first round. McCarthy has the talent and intangibles to be special. 

Chicago Bears

Rome Odunze, WR, first-round pick

With D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze, the Bears have prioritized surrounding rookie quarterback Caleb Williams with capable receivers. With Allen inching toward the end of his career, Odunze might already be the best of the trio. He’s the sort of receiver that I hoped would go to a team outside the NFC North.

Detroit Lions

D.J. Reader, DT, free agent

D.J. Reader will pair nicely with emerging Alim McNeill on the interior of the Lions defensive line. Reader will immediately make the Lions more stout against the run. He’ll also help keep offensive linemen off of linebackers Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, and Derrick Barnes.

Green Bay Packers

MarShawn Lloyd, RB, third-round pick

The Packers added Josh Jacobs in free agency. He tops the team’s running back depth chart. I believe that MarShawn Lloyd will soon have that role.