Turn on some creepy music and flashing lights, and you’ve got yourself a full blown Merry Go ‘Round in the NFC North, with free agent players hopping from one division foe to the next.  Former Bears defensive end Julius Peppers started things off by taking his pro bowl resume to the Packers where he will be asked to switch to an outside linebacker role in Dom Cappers 3-4 defense.  The Packers were in desperate need of a capable pass rusher opposite of Clay Matthews, which was evident in the hefty three-year 30 million dollar contract they rewarded Peppers with.  

As if that blow wasn’t enough to a Bears defense that had more holes than swiss cheese, they also let not one, but two starting defensive lineman walk when defensive tackle Henry Melton left for Dallas, and defensive end Corey Wootton signed with the Vikings.  The loss of three starters on the defensive line is a punch to the gut for a team that was already in an identity crisis on that side of the ball.  One key free agent they were able to attain however, was veteran cornerback and pro-bowler Charles Tillman.  Although creeping up in age, Tillman is still one of the most productive players at his respective position, and will be the Bears best cornerback on their roster come week one. 

With the addition of Wootton the Vikings also locked up Everson Griffen to a monster deal, giving him 20 million in guaranteed money.  Next to the both of them will be former Giants defensive tackle Linval Joseph.  Joseph, a true nose tackle, will give the Vikings the talent and potential to form a highly productive defensive line under new head coach Mike Zimmer.  Minnesota was also able to steal cornerback Captain Munnerlyn away from the Panthers.  Munnerlyn is another solid player for the Vikings, continuing with their theme of staying young and affordable in free agency.  He will start opposite of Xavier Rhodes on the outside, until nickel situations, where he will slide inside to man up on the slot receiver, where he is at his best.  

Finally, it took arguably the best of them all to finish the Merry Go ‘Round in full circle.  All-Pro Jared Allen bull rode his way down to Chicago, where he lassoed up a a big contract.  Allen, who has the most sacks in the NFL since 2008, was no longer wanted in Minnesota after the Griffen signing, and took his services close to home.  He will help give air to a defense that is suffocating for talent.  After a shoulder injury slowed him down last season, it was apparent Allen isn’t what he once was. However, he is still one of the best at getting after the quarterbacks, and will add a spark and veteran pretense to the team.  

The first big wave of free agent splashes have come and gone, and has now set the final stage for each teams biggest draft needs.  Here is a post free agency look at each NFC North teams biggest draft needs. 

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings did a good job of signing young capable talent at an affordable price, specifically at positions of needs.  Their starters on the defensive line are taking care of, so they will likely only add someone in the draft for depth purposes.

The given situation at the linebacker position is all dependent on who you ask.  Chad Greenway has enough left in the tank for a few more good years at the weak-side linebacker spot, but from their its gets tough to predict.  7th round pick Audie Cole filled in admirably at the middle linebacker position last year and will likely get the first crack to retain the starting job, with Jasper Brinkley behind him waiting for him to hiccup.  All the while Gerald Hodges, Michael Mauti, and Desmond Bishop will compete for the strong-side position.  Two things to remember here; one being in a passing league, two adequate linebackers is all you need, with teams moving into the nickel more than ever.  Two, new head coach Mike Zimmer turned dust into gold with his linebacking corps with undrafted free agents and no namers.  Given his history, its hard to think Zimmer will use a premium pick on that position, especially with young talent already there.  

Owning the embarrassing mark of having the worst passing defense in almost every category known to man, its clear the Vikings need to add even more youth and talent into the secondary.  With good foundation already in place, with Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota needs to put another top-tier talent at the second outside cornerback position, allowing the newly acquired Munnerlyn to slide inside.  Oh ya, did I mention, none of this matters without a long term quarterback.    

1. Quarterback 

2.  Cornerback 

3.  Safety 

4.  Guard

5.  Linebacker        

Green Bay Packers

The Packers most important acquisition this off season was finding a compliment opposite of Clay Matthews that would command some pass rush attention.  Stealing Peppers away from the Bears did exactly that, and was a huge win for Ted Thompson.  The resigning of nose tackle B.J. Raji was another key signing as he is an important piece to their 3-4 defense.  Behind him they snatched former Vikings Letroy Guion for depth purposes and removed any idea of the Packers need for a defensive tackle in the first round next May.  

The Packers have a slew of tight ends on the roster, but none can be considered true number one receivers.  With a handful of top-tier tight ends in the draft including Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro, this position becomes a real possibility in the first two days to help replace the weapon that was Jermichael Finely.  

When you look at the Packers current safeties on their roster you can’t help but get a feeling of mediocrity.  With names like Ha-Ha Clinton Dix and Calvin Pryor possible falling in Ted Thompson’s lap, you’d be hard pressed to imagine him thinking there was a better value for a prospect that fits such a high need.  

Finally, the offensive line is the biggest wield card of the bunch.  A position that could be tweaked on day one or easily be forgotten about until the later rounds on day three.  Personally the combination of not having a big name of the bunch and watching your prized possession Aaron Rodgers limp to the sidelines for the second half of the year would have me jumping all over the chance to add a Zach Martin type talent.  In the end though its all what Ted Thompson thinks of this bunch and his personal evaluation of them.  

1.  Safety 

2.  Tight End

3.  Offensive Line

4.  Linebacker 

5.  Defensive Line 

Chicago Bears

If you know anything about the Bears then this one is pretty simple.  Defense, defense, defense.  With an offense shooting off fireworks like Fourth of July, the other side of the ball was equally as bad last season.  To make matters worse, the Bears lost defensive lineman Julius Peppers, Corey Wootton, and Henry Melton.  Sure, they added Jared Allen, who will help off the edge, however looking at the long term, this defense is a mess. So grab your broom because theres plenty of spring cleaning to do.  With the resigning of Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings, you could make a case that cornerback is the position of least need, however both players are past their prime and will need to be replaced sooner than later.  Looking at the now however, the defensive line and linebacker position are both of equal priority. 

Last years rookie Jon Bostic played solid enough to hand him a starting role, but finding someone to play next to him won’t be that easy.  If a guy like C.J. Mosley were to fall to the Bears I would scoop him up in a heartbeat, as he would help bring talent and solidify at least one level of the defense.  Ra’ Shede Hageman is the sexy pick for the Bears and rightfully so.  Hageman can play anywhere on the line of scrimmage giving the team a huge advantage with his versatility from running to passing plays.  Out of it all though, the safety position is the worse off, and its not even close.  The Bears starting safeties were the worst tandem in the league, and need to be upgraded immediately in a passing league and a division with Rodgers and Stafford.

1.  Safety 

2.  Defensive Tackle

3. Linebacker

4. Defensive End

5. Safety (Yes, both of them)

Detroit Lions 

The strength of this team is clearly the offense.  With Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Reggie Bush forming a three-headed monster making things difficult to say the least for opposing defenses.  Golden Tate was brought in to elevate some pressure of Calvin in hopes to eliminate the double and triple teams.  Tight end was also solidified after Brandon Pettigrew was locked up and resigned to play opposite of Joseph Fauria.  

Defense, as always, seems to be the missing piece here in Detroit, as they can’t seem to get over the hump.  The Lions have arguably the best core of defensive lineman in the league with Ezekiel Ansah, Nick Fairley, and Ndamukong Suh.  However, they still lack an outside pass rusher on the opposite side of Ansah and will likely look to the draft one at some point.  

The bigger pressing needs are found in the back half of the defense at the linebacker, corner , and safety position.  Although the linebacker position could be argued they are adequate enough, there lacks a true dominant presence at that level.  Cornerback opposite of Darius Slay will need to be addressed as well as filling the void left by safety Louis Delmas, who was released because of horrible play.  

1.  Safety

2.  Cornerback 

3.  Defensive End

4.  Linebacker

5.  Wide Receiver