Most Improved Team: Minnesota Vikings

After slipping into the wild card game in 2012, the Vikings came crashing down this past season in part due to injuries and just not having enough talent on both sides of the ball. Quarterback play was again a problem for Minnesota. Adrian Peterson missed two games and saw his rushing yard total drop by 800 yards. While the Vikings’ defense was horrendous against the pass ranking 31st in the league, and just 6th against the run.

But General Manager Rick Spielman has made some outstanding moves this offseason that can help turn this team around very quickly. Minnesota hired Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer as their new head coach. Zimmer is an outstanding players’ coach and defensive genius, who will now get his first taste of being an NFL head coach. They also hired one of the best offensive minds in the game in Norv Turner, who will offer an excellent balance to Zimmer. Two outstanding coaching hires that match with a very good free agency period for the Vikings as well.

Minnesota quickly went to work in free agency; first they re-signed Matt Cassel who can start if a rookie quarterback isn’t ready or can be an excellent backup that can come in at a moment’s notice. They also re-signed defensive end Everson Griffen who turned his life and career around and has shown enough promise to be the Vikings starter next season and be given a five-year, $42.5 million contract.

But the best signings were clearly bringing in cornerback Captain Munnerlyn and defensive tackle Linval Joseph. The 25-year-old Munnerlyn had a breakout year in 2013 with the Carolina Panthers, and has already established himself as one of the top slot corners. He will especially help against guys like Randall Cobb and Golden Tate, helping improve this Vikings’ secondary. But the best deal of all and one of the steals of free agency was their five-year, $31.5 million contract with Joseph, who shined the past two years with the New York Giants. Joseph can put interior pressure on the quarterback as demonstrated by his seven sacks in a two-year span. He is equally impressive against the run, and paired with Griffen, Sharrif Floyd and Brian Robinson, make an excellent front-four for Zimmer’s new defense.

Minnesota is still fighting their way up back into being contenders with the rest of the NFC North but this is the type of offseason that helps you become an “Executive of the Year” candidate. The Vikings will soon be on the rise once again as they try and take Peterson’s last years of greatness as far as they possibly can.

Least Improved Team: Green Bay Packers

Ted Thompson has once gain been relatively quiet to start the offseason, though he did pull off a notable signing by bringing in former Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers. Thompson brought back many of his own guys resigning Sam Shields, B.J. Raji, Andrew Quarless and Mike Neal. All were quality signings by the Packers, but still below moves made by the Vikings, Bears and Detroit Lions.

While the Peppers’ signing brings in another veteran for this young defense, something Tramon Williams and Clay Matthews have been seeking in the past. Peppers’ still knows how to get after the quarterback and while he doesn’t have the blazing speed he used to, he is a smarter player who knows how to get into the backfield. All that said, Peppers is now 34 and showed last season his effort and all-around ability just isn’t there anymore. Green Bay can opt out after the first year of his three-year, $30 million deal with a small cap hit, but they shouldn’t expect anything more than him being a good situational pass rusher.

Green Bay overpaid for Shields on a four-year, $39 million deal especially when you consider Alterraun Verner received for just $26.5 million. But they locked up their top corner and brought back Neal, who has the versatility to play defensive end, defensive tackle or outside linebacker. Quarless showed promise when Jermichael Finley went down but is a below-average starting tight end.

It’s been a quiet season for the Packers, which is just how Thompson likes to run things and it works for them. The Packers are still the clear team to beat in the NFC North especially with a healthy Aaron Rodgers and Eddie Lacy, but as of now this is the least improved team in the NFC North.