In all seriousness, this game is the most important game of the year so far and it goes far beyond [...]]]> Not sure if you guys have heard, but the Packers play the Vikings this week.  Sunday is only a few days away so just want to make sure you guys got that information. Got it? Good.

In all seriousness, this game is the most important game of the year so far and it goes far beyond Favre returning again to Lambeau. We have seen all the drama from afar, but to fully understand Favre and the 2010 Vikings, we reached out to Dan Zinski of the blog  The Vikings Age for our weekly Q&A. It may come to a shock to most of you, but we kept everything very civil, so make sure you check out their blog as we answered some questions for them as well.

1) What has happened to Jared Allen this season? Did he lose some of his mojo when he cut his hair?

According to Jared he’s having a good year, we all just don’t know it because he’s missing the sacks by a split-second.  I think he needs to develop some kind of a move beyond just trying to speed rush everyone.  It seems to me the tackles are just riding him past the quarterback, using his own momentum against him and taking him out of the play.  Maybe he should learn some kind of Reggie White club move or something.  I don’t want to say the guy’s overrated because I still think he’s making plays here and there, but one sack after five games for a guy who’s supposed to be one of the best pass-rushing defensive ends in the league?  It’s a head-scratcher.  At the same time, the pass defense has been pretty good this year overall, so you have to believe they are disrupting game-plans at least a little bit with their rush.  They have gotten quite a few batted balls this year and they definitely forced the Cowboys and Saints into some very conservative playcalling.  Maybe Jared’s right when he says they’re getting it done but it’s just not showing up in the sack stats.

2) Teams have been relentless on Favre this season with the pass rush. How big of a concern is the offensive line and is there any signs that it will improve?

It’s a big concern.  The main worry is center where you have inexperienced Jon Cooper starting and getting torched pretty bad at times.  Ryan Cook did a good job blocking when he was in there but there were some problems with his snaps, and that’s obviously not something Favre is going to put up with for very long.  The starter was supposed to be John Sullivan, but he’s always hurt.  If you could somehow combine those three guys into one player…well, you’d have Matt Birk.  The up-the-middle pressure was a problem last year even with Sullivan starting and it’s a problem again now.  The other big problem is the blitz pick-up.  They already benched Naufahu Tahi for missing a block a couple weeks ago, and in one game there was some pretty clear video of Favre yelling at Adrian Peterson for whiffing on a block, so you know the team is very concerned about the issue.  In the Cowboys game, where the pressure was just constant throughout the first half, I really think they altered their gameplan in the third quarter.  Favre took one hit too many and after that they completely abandoned any semblance of a deep passing game.  Moss disappeared after that and it became a Peterson/Harvin show.  It worked in that the Cowboys never hit Favre again and the Vikings got lucky and won the game, but I don’t know if you can continue winning with that kind of conservative gameplan.

3) With Cedric Griffin out for the year and rookie Chris Cook coming back from a second meniscus tear, what will be the Vikings’ game plan in the secondary against a potent passing game?

Is the Packers’ passing game potent?  It’s supposed to be I guess.  Well, the gameplan will be the same as it always is for the Vikings – play that basic Cover-2 and keep everything in front of you.  They really don’t do anything that different from week to week.  It’s all about preventing the deep pass and tackling the underneath receivers to keep them from breaking big ones.  It works for the Vikings precisely because they are such good tacklers.  And also, I think the linebackers are getting better in coverage, as evidenced by E.J. Henderson’s two interceptions last week. The great thing about the way they play is, your secondary guys don’t have to be great in coverage, they just have to be where they’re supposed to be and tackle whoever comes along.  They don’t blitz enough to create one-on-one situations where guys’ lack of cover skills might become exposed.  That being said, I am a little worried about the loss of Cedric Griffin, because it means more time for Asher Allen who is inexperienced and/or Lito Sheppard who is just over-the-hill.  I like Chris Cook because he’s tall and willing to be physical but obviously he’s a rookie too.  Maybe this is the week they get torn up, but it hasn’t happened yet so..we’ll see.

4) The Packers’ secondary is starting to get healthy and Tramon Williams is playing at a Pro Bowl-level so far this season, so even with Moss, do you expect Favre to have as much success as he did last year against the Packers and if so, why?

I don’t think Favre will have a huge game against the Packers, because I think they’ll be worried about protecting him again, which will cut down on his opportunities.  All due respect to Tramon Williams and the other people in the Packer secondary, but if the Packers don’t get after Favre, it won’t matter who is covering because he and Randy Moss/Percy Harvin will eat them for lunch.  Protect Favre and I don’t think there’s a defensive backfield in this league that would be able to contend with the Vikings’ pass game.  Unless Favre’s elbow starts hurting again and he begins spraying it all over like he did against the Jets.  But, like I said, I think the Packers present enough of an issue pass rush-wise, especially if Clay Matthews plays, that the Vikes will again be forced into a fairly conservative gameplan.  I’m sure Favre would prefer to come out flinging it all over but sometimes with crazy people you have to do what’s best for them even when they don’t like it.

5) Percy Harvin was lined up a couple times in the backfield on third down last week. Is this just a gimmick or can Harvin be a consistent third down back for the Vikings?

It was interesting to me that they lined Harvin up back there and actually tried to run a screen pass…a pretty serious indictment of Adrian Peterson’s receiving skills if you ask me.  That being said, I don’t think the plan is to install Harvin as a full-time 3rd down back.  I think they whipped those plays out against Dallas because the deep stuff wasn’t there with the pressure.  It worked because Harvin is such a great athlete.  Of course, if Harvin can block worth a damn, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea.  But no, I think the best place for Harvin is in the slot.

Bonus question!
Just have to ask with the waffling over the summer, more interceptions and bad decisions, injuries and now Danglegate, how much as the shine has rubbed off of Favre for Vikings fans this season?

I think the fans have mostly had a sense of humor about Danglegate.  I know Packer fans have used that as a club to bludgeon him with, but Viking fans have mostly been chuckling and waiting for it to blow over.  Any irritation they might have with Favre is all about him not playing up to snuff the first few games.  The summer-of-indecision stuff was, again, little more than an amusing sideline, because I think everyone knew he was coming back, no matter what he said.  The only problem with that was, I think he really did put the team in a bad spot by not showing up for camp.  The offense was brutal the first couple weeks and is only now starting to edge toward being at least adequate.  If there’s anything to rip Favre over, it’s his not being willing to come in and practice.  But, for all of that, Viking fans are still mostly on Favre’s side, and there’s one simple reason why:  Tarvaris Jackson.  The Vikings are the one team in the league who defy that old line about the back-up quarterback always being the most popular guy on the team.  We’ve seen what T-Jack can’t do, and would rather have banged-up, scandal-ridden, woefully unprepared old man Favre than him.

_____

Thanks again to Dan at The Vikings Age for joining us this week.  We’ll try to meet up with him again later in the season and maybe earlier depending on how Sunday goes.

-Adam Somers

In the meantime, [...]]]> Good morning, OBOD readers — Gene here. Chris is off fuming somewhere, so I thought I’d weigh in with a few, shall we say, more measured thoughts about last night’s loss to the Bears. Chris’s recap is coming, and I can tell you after talking to him last night, it will be colorful.

In the meantime, here are a few thoughts from my corner of the world on the game:

–The most galling part of it is not that the Packers lost. It’s the way they did it. We’ve obviously been over the penalties a dozen times, so I won’t belabor the point here, but this has been an issue all the way through Mike McCarthy’s tenure as head coach. And it took points off the board last night; without the holding call on Jermichael Finley’s touchdown, the Packers win that game. Every team in the NFL has hiccups these days; nobody is complete enough to play 16 games without slipping. But I walked away thinking the Packers were two touchdowns better than the Bears, if only they’d played a clean game.

–I know McCarthy isn’t going to run the ball much, and that’s fine, but if the Packers don’t at least give some thought to running, you’re going to see teams do exactly what the Bears did last night: drop into a deep zone, make the Packers play underneath and put the clamps down in the red zone. And teams like the Bears, who can pressure the quarterback with their front four, will be especially successful at it (hello, Jared Allen). Mark Tauscher looked jumpy, like he needed an extra half-second to prepare himself for Julius Peppers. That would explain some of the false starts, and the holding penalties came when Tauscher had no other recourse. Is this offensive line good enough to get the Packers deep into the playoffs? I don’t know, but it’s another recurring issue of the McCarthy/Thompson era.

–Here’s the thing that bugs me most: In yet another prime-time opportunity to make a statement, the Packers were ragged. This has been a theme in almost every prime-time game they’ve played under McCarthy, when emotions run a little higher and strange things tend to happen. Let’s look at the list:

2006: Lost to Philadelphia 31-9 on Monday night, got shredded by Shaun Alexander in Seattle on Monday night in a crushing loss to their playoff hopes, got a sloppy Thursday night win against the Vikings and beat a Bears team that didn’t care about the final Sunday night game of the season.

2007: Got beat at Lambeau by the Bears on Sunday night, in a game much like last night’s, slipped by the Broncos in a closer-than-it-should-have-been game on Monday night (against Jay Cutler, with Brett Favre hitting Greg Jennings for the sudden-death score), got embarrassed in the first half of a Thursday night game against Dallas before Aaron Rodgers filled in for an injured Brett Favre and nearly brought the Packers back.

2008: Beat the Vikings on Monday night in probably the best prime-time game of the McCarthy era, got undressed by Dallas on Sunday night, watched Drew Brees completely torch them on Monday night, lost to the Bears after getting a field goal blocked on Monday night (sound familiar?)

2009: Won the Sunday night opener against the Bears after falling flat in the second half and needing Rodgers-to-Jennings to bail them out in the final minute, got torched by Favre on Monday night in the Metrodome (a game McCarthy has admitted he had the Packers too jacked up for), won a sloppy Monday night game over the Ravens, during which both teams nearly set NFL records for penalties.

2010: Lost to the Bears last night.

That’s a 6-9 prime-time record under McCarthy, and I’d say exactly one of those wins (the Vikings game in 2008) was one you could feel good about afterward. And then we’ve got a 1-2 playoff record, with the Packers making crucial late-game mistakes (and I’m not just talking about the Favre pick against the Giants and the Rodgers fumble against the Cardinals) in both of them.

For a guy who prides himself on having the finger on the pulse of his team, wouldn’t you expect a few more complete performances when emotions are running highest?

If the NFC is as flawed as it appears to be – and an NFC with that team as its only unbeaten is definitely flawed – the Packers’ opportunity is still there. But it’s going to take cleaner performances than we saw last night, and it’s going to take composed efforts in big situations.

So far, we have seen the Packers deliver neither of these things. That’s why I picked them to fall short of the Super Bowl, and until they do something to change my mind, I’m sticking with that prediction.

Favre comes in on Sunday night in three weeks. The Packers travel to New York after that to face the Jets (in a game I want them to steal in a make-up for last night), and they have the Cowboys on Sunday night the week after that.

The statement games will keep coming. Let’s see it, guys.

–Gene Bosling

We at OBOD, however, love conundrums. They give us a chance to come down on one side or another of an important Green Bay Packers-related issue and, of course, stir the pot – something [...]]]> Conundrums are a pain in the you-know-what for football teams. They wreck the “keep it simple, stupid” approach that most thrive on.

We at OBOD, however, love conundrums. They give us a chance to come down on one side or another of an important Green Bay Packers-related issue and, of course, stir the pot – something we happen to think we’re pretty good at.

That said, this current Packers conundrum is a doozy even by our lofty standards: What, exactly, should Green Bay do with its left tackle situation?

Through roughly six quarters of play in 2010, mainstay Chad Clifton hasn’t been good at all. His bulky knee has been a major reason for that and some are suggesting that age has also finally caught up to the 34-year old, 11th-year warrior (not a term I use lightly, either). Clifton was pulled from Sunday’s blowout win over Buffalo during the second quarer, head coach Mike McCarthy said, because he felt Clifton’s knee simply was not right.

In his place stepped rookie Bryan Bulaga. The man many expect to take over for Clifton sooner rather than later got his first taste of regular season action. Outside of one false start call – looking like Cliffy already with that one – Bulaga was rather good. He did a nice job in pass protection and the team seemed to run the ball better with Bulaga in the game, although the running game still wasn’t very good. Perhaps just as importantly, he didn’t seem overwhelmed by any of it (well, it was the Bills).

That’s led some to suggest that Bulaga’s time is now, that he should replace Clifton as the starter going forward. McCarthy weighed in Monday, saying that when Clifton is healthy, he’ll return to the starting lineup.

After giving it some serious consideration, I have to say I agree with McCarthy. If Clifton’s 100 percent, it’s his job. I’m sorry, but there’s just something about playing the entire season with a rookie left tackle – solid performance versus Buffalo or no – that scares me to death.

Maybe that’s because I’ve checked out the Packers schedule. Over the next seven weeks, Green Bay faces some seriously talented pass rushes:

• Chicago – Julius Peppers in a nationally televised game. These are the only games he shows up for.
• Detroit – Much improved in that department. Kyle Vanden Bosch isn’t done yet and has a ton of veteran know-how.
• Washington – Despite losing to Houston, that defense bashed Matt Schaub around all day.
• Miami – We all saw what that group did to Favre, right?
• Minnesota – Jared Allen. Enough said.
• New York Jets – You don’t think Rex Ryan is going to collapse things Bulaga’s way?
• Dallas – DeMarcus Ware. Uh-oh.

Now, this is not to suggest Bulaga would be eaten alive every single time out, because I really don’t think that’s the case. He’s extremely talented and should be able to hold down the fort for a brief stretch while Clifton’s knee gets right. In time, he’ll likely become more than adequate at manning the left tackle spot and, hopefully, he can do just that for, oh, the next decade-plus.

Key words in that last graph: “A brief stretch” and “in time.”

Bulaga’s time has not come yet. 

Are you sure that a rookie who, according to most draft experts, struggled with speed rushers will be able to survive that seven-game stretch without at least a few wretched performances? What about the rest of the season? And if he can’t survive, can Aaron Rodgers? Remember, it only takes one whiff by an outmatched lineman for it to be all over.

If Bulaga plays, it should only be because Clifton’s knee is still too bothersome to go on. While I’m supporting Clifton, I’m not supporting him at anything less than 100 percent. And by “100 percent”, I mean he has to be able to practice all three days. Anything less is simply not good enough. But, when he’s healthy, he deserves one more chance. That’s not because of his status or lofty 2010 salary, either.

It’s because of his considerable knowledge of the position. Clifton has never been the most talented left tackle in the league, by any stretch, but like his running mate on the right side – Mark Tauscher – Clifton has excelled at the position because of smarts and toughness. He may be at or approaching AARP status for an NFL player and he may be held together by duct tape and chicken wire, as I’ve long suggested, but he almost always makes sure the quarterback makes it through unscathed. In a season with Super Bowl aspirations, that’s the type of player I want covering the blindside.

The playing time Bulaga sees while Clifton heals up – unknown as of now, but it sure sounds like he’ll draw Peppers next Monday – will be extremely valuable for him moving forward.

But I’m not ready to count Clifton out yet. With everything he’s been able to bounce back from, it seems silly to bet against him.

-Chris Lempesis

Facing an extremely undermanned opponent, the Packers played as though victory was all but assured – even if no actual effort was required. The result of that? A mere six-point [...]]]> To many Green Bay Packers fans, the first 30 minutes of Sunday’s home tilt with the Buffalo Bills no doubt felt like an exercise in torture.

Facing an extremely undermanned opponent, the Packers played as though victory was all but assured – even if no actual effort was required. The result of that? A mere six-point lead at the break and shades of last season’s embarassing road loss to Tampa Bay.

Luckily for us, the Packers have a coach who has no problem expressing his emotions.

Mike McCarthy reportedly tore into his team in the lockerroom for its poor performance and the Packers responded in good kind, overwhelming the lowly Bills in act two on their way to a 34-7 win at Lambeau Field. Green Bay now sits at 2-0 on the season and, perhaps just as importantly, may have finally developed a killer instinct to go along with its considerable talent.

Consider where this game was at the half. After a start that was decent, but not overly impressive, the Packers’ offense all but mailed in quarter two, racking up less than 20 total yards, no first downs and zero points. The running game was providing no help to a passing game that suddenly became out of synch, Green Bay’s receivers apparently unable to get open.

Buffalo, meanwhile, was starting to make things happen on the ground and, to use a hockey term, tilt the ice its way. A three-yard touchdown run from Fred Jackson – nice to see you taking the wrong angle yet again, Mr. Hawk – made it a 13-7 game. If you were watching thinking it was only matter of time before the Bills took the lead, you weren’t alone.

Peeling the paint off the walls after a poor first half is not a new approach, by any stretch. But McCarthy, like all good coaches, was able to say the right things – or, at least, the right combination of vulgar things - essentially giving his players no choice but to respond.

And, boy, did they ever respond.

The running game never did pick things up, but the rest of the offense caught fire and made sure to stay that way. Aaron Rodgers completed 11-of-13 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns (plus a rushing score) in the second half. As usual with Rodgers – who went 19-of-29 for 255 yards, two touchdowns and no picks on the day - it’s more than just the numbers, though.

He played with improved confidence, spread the ball around and remembered that his feet can bail him out just as quickly as his arm (he showed great awareness on his nine-yard touchdown run in the third quarer). The receivers found the open spaces and did what they do best – rack up the YAC. And the offensive line, not very good for the first six quarters of 2010, seemed to collective up its game with rookie Bryan Bulaga handling left tackle duties (much more on that Monday).

The 21 second-half points that unit provided were more than enough for the defense. And by “defense” I, of course, mean Clay Matthews. Good Lord what a show he put on.

Lining up in a variety of spots, Matthews was once again a one-man army, crashing, smashing and dashing his way past Buffalo’s weak front five. No. 52 made a home in the Bills’ backfield on his way to five tackles (four for loss), three sacks and five quarterback hits. He now has a mind-boggling six sacks already and is proving that opponents can gameplan for him however they’d like - it still won’t matter.

Matthews – unlike say, Jared Allen – is also a multi-faceted threat, capable of playing the run and covering in addition to bringing the heat. I’ve seen some special defensive talent in my time as a Packers fan – Matthews has a chance to be better than all of them. That’s right, I said it.

But, really, it was the team as a whole that took its game to another level in the second half. The Packers quit screwing around with the Bills, instead choosing to assert their will and bury them. That’s called a killer instinct, children.

That’s what good teams have. That’s what great teams have. And that’s not something Green Bay had last season.

But, much like week one against Philadelphia, we saw more signs of improved maturity and understanding from the Packers on Sunday. They – with a little boost from their coach - realized their mistakes, corrected them and let their talent take over from there. A year ago, panic may have set in, along with more mistakes and disappointing play. Not now. The trick is to keep that mindset going forward, but if they can, they should be more than fine.

And if they lose it at some point, something tells me McCarthy’s going to let them know. Just a hunch.

-Chris Lempesis

I mean, I know they signed a receiver from the CFL recently. But I’m not going to talk about it.

Lately, though, there’s been a slight flurry of activity. And with [...]]]> It’s been a minute since we’ve given our thoughts on any actual, real news surrounding the Green Bay Packers. That’s mainly because, well, there hadn’t been much.

I mean, I know they signed a receiver from the CFL recently. But I’m not going to talk about it.

Lately, though, there’s been a slight flurry of activity. And with it being Friday and all, we figured it’d be a good time to check back in.

(Side note: We’ve been having waaaay too much fun with our Twitter and newly created Facebook pages. We’ve added some new stuff to the Facebook page – some photos of us – and we’d love it if you checked it out.)

• Cushing re-wins DROY award…Matthews re-finishes third

Wednesday, the Associated Press held its unprecedented re-vote for the 2009 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing re-won the award, despite being suspended the first four games of next season for failing a test for PEDs. Green Bay’s Clay Matthews, a good friend and collegiate teammate of Cushing’s, finished third again.

I have a few thoughts on this whole saga. First, I’m not going to lie; Cushing’s failed test does raise some significant questions, at least in my mind, about Matthews. This might be a “guilt by association” situation, yes, but facts are facts: Matthews and Cushing are close friends who spent a lot of time working out together (at least while in college). You have to think they shared secrets about their respective regimens, from time-to-time, and there were questions about both before the ‘09 draft.

I’m not saying we should expect Matthews to suffer a similar fate as Cushing or anything. And, believe me, I hope he doesn’t. But if it does happen to Matthews at any point, I am saying none of us should be surprised.

Secondly, I think Cushing’s an idiot for essentially giving us the, “I don’t know how the hCG got into my system” defense. Seriously, does that work after you turn 10 years old? Didn’t think it did. Just fess up and admit to what you did, Brian. It’ll work to your favor in the longterm. We as a society hate people who lie. We hate cheaters, too, but we ultimately forgive them if they are honest.

Finally, I think the AP is stupid for what it did. That organization has now set a dangerous precedent going forward. They’ll now have to do this every single time a player tests positive for something. Slippery slope, fellas.

• Lang out until training camp

Right tackle T.J. Lang, coming off a promising rookie season, will be out until training camp as he recovers from recent surgery on his left wrist.

This is a fairly serious setback for a player like Lang. It’s good that he won’t miss any time in camp, barring any setbacks in recovery, but he’ll miss a ton of weight room time. For a young player like Lang, that’s crucial. It’s been said over-and-over that players make the most significant leap in strength from year one to year two and I believe it.

Lang can likely still work on lower body stuff, which will help. But I doubt he can do much in terms of upper body strength now and it could take him a bit longer to fully get into game shape. Just another reason why I’m glad Mark Tauscher was re-signed.

• Packers bringing in another Harrell?

Green Bay will reportedly bring in quarterback Graham Harrell for a workout next week. Harrell was a standout at Texas Tech – what QB isn’t in that system, though – but went undrafted in ‘09.

He spent last season playing in the CFL (dammit, I was hoping to avoid any CFL talk in this post), but was released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders recently.

The Packers already have a couple of young, developmental quarterbacks on the roster, as of now. But head coach Mike McCarthy apparently has interest in adding more. I have no problem with that, really, because as I’ve said repeatedly, I truly believe the team is hoping for one more good preseason out of Matt Flynn before attempting to trade him after next season. That being the case, Green Bay needs to find its next Flynn.

Maybe it’s Harrell. Hey, he couldn’t be any worse than Justin…could he??

(Oh, and for those out there who have raised the idea of bringing in JaMarcus Russell, I think it’s a fine idea. You can never have enough depth on the offensive line.)

• Finding chinks in Jared Allen’s armor

Okay, so this last one isn’t really news or anything. But, living in Minneapolis, I’m constantly reminded of how much the people here love Jared Allen. That, of course, only serves to constantly remind me of how much I hate him.

This week, I set out to find a few chinks in his armor. I think I did:

1. Did you know that, last season, Allen only had five sacks against left tackles not named Daryn Colledge, T.J. Lang or…well…whoever plays that spot for the Chicago Bears?
2. Did you know that Allen, in 2008, only had four sacks against teams not named Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay and Houston?
3. Did you know that Allen’s a disgusting redneck – make that “pretend redneck” – with a mullet? Okay, that’s not really a chink, I just wanted to say it.

Finally, if the Packers are looking to rattle Allen this season, I think this guy just showed them a way to do it.

Have a good Friday, everyone.

-Chris Lempesis

Makes sense – this is a Packers’ blog, after all.

But there are three other teams in the NFC North, of course, and we’re going to kick off our draft week coverage – seriously, [...]]]> The last few weeks at OBOD have been dedicated entirely to discussing the upcoming draft as it pertains to the Green Bay Packers.

Makes sense – this is a Packers’ blog, after all.

But there are three other teams in the NFC North, of course, and we’re going to kick off our draft week coverage – seriously, the draft is three days away…holy crap – by taking a look at what those teams could/should do Thursday through Saturday to improve themselves.

(Quick note: I’ll be rolling out a Packers version of this on Wednesday.)

Chicago Bears

Day one: Have everyone over at head coach Lovie Smith’s house to watch game four of Blackhawks/Predators. Study the Blackhawks. Take notes on how to use the draft to build a competitive team, as the Blackhawks did. Feel free to watch game three of Bulls/Cavs during the commercial breaks. Keep Jay Cutler away from the open bar, though.

Day two: During the early part of the evening (i.e., the second round), you can go with either Cubs/Brewers or White Sox/Mariners. Again, you have no picks here and baseball is a good way to pass the time. Personally, I’d go with the Cubs/Brewers game – Adam’s right, I am a closet Brewers fan - but the choice is yours. Once the third round gets rolling later in the night, get excited – you finally get to draft someone!

But who should you draft? Well, you’re lucky in the sense that you’ve got clearly defined needs (offensive line, cornerback and wide receiver). I’d go with an offensive lineman; Cutler’s your biggest asset going forward and you need to protect him much better than you did last season. Ole Miss’ John Jerry should be on the board at pick No. 75 and he’d be a nice fit. He’s an old-school mauler type at 6-feet, 5-inches and 332 pounds. He played right tackle in college, but is likely a guard in the pros. Either way, he’d provide immediate relief to that group.

Day three: I’d hold off on a wide receiver in round four. You’ve got some young talent there (Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett and Devin Aromashodu) and you should give those guys one more year to see if any of them can turn into a true No. 1 wideout. You need to snag a safety or corner. If you go the safety route, I’d look long and hard at Florida’s Major Wright. He’s raw, but his speed, recovery time and zone skills make him a nice fit for your Cover-2 scheme. As for a corner, UCLA’s Alterraun Verner would work nicely. He’s small (5-feet, 10-inches) and a bit slow, but he’s got great ball skills and knows how to play the zone.

In the fifth round, take either a corner or safety (whichever spot you didn’t address in round four). Round out your draft by taking a wide receiver in the sixth round and a developmental quarterback in the seventh.

Detroit Lions

Day one: First, let me say that – for the first time in my life, seemingly – there appears to be a legitimate plan in place in Detroit, one that doesn’t rely on drafting wide receivers. That bodes well for the future.

I’ve had you taking Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh with the No. 2 pick in each of my mock drafts and I’ll stick with that. He’s a dual-purpose difference-maker and could be a force for the next decade. Suh, Corey Williams and Sammie Hill give you a nice three-man rotation at d-tackle. Those guys, along with Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch, will give you a greatly improved d-line next season.

Day two: You have almost no corners. That must be fixed (and for God’s sake, stay away from Pacman!). Alabama’s Kareem Jackson was dominant in a pro-style defense. He brings a real swagger with him and he can play – and make an impact – right away. Take him in the second round. He’ll be around for a long time. 

Now it’s round three and your truly bad offensive line can no longer be ignored. Trading for Rob Sims cleaned things up at the left guard spot. But left tackle Jeff Backus has never been anything special and he turns 33 in September. Luckily for you, your future left tackle resides in-state: Hillsdale’s Jared Veldheer. He’s 6-feet, 8-inches, 312 pounds and boasts the athleticism of a tight end. He could cover Matthew Stafford for the rest of Stafford’s career once he steps in. Some say he needs a year; I think he could be ready by mid-season.

Day three: I like running back Kevin Smith, but more as a dual-option back. You need a true smash-mouth runner to compliment him. He’s a major gamble, no question about it, but Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount would fill that role perfectly. He’d bring great value as a fourth-rounder and I think Jim Schwartz can keep him in line.

Round out your draft with more corner and o-line depth and grab a safety somewhere in there, too, if you can.

Minnesota Vikings

Day one: Before we begin, I just want to reiterate that I hate you.

Okay, with that out of the way, I think you need a corner more than anything. Antoine Winfield is getting older and Cedric Griffin could miss the first six weeks (torn ACL). But I’m just not sure the value will be there. It’s a deep draft at that spot, anyways. Defensive tackle Pat Williams is still very good, but he turns 38 in October. You need to find his eventual replacement. Alabama’s Terrence Cody is a gamble because of his weight troubles, but when you put on the tape, this guy dominates. Cody, Kevin Williams and Jared Allen could be a scary threesome for the next eight-to-10 years.

Day two: We’ve reached the second round and it’s now time to take a corner. Wake Forest’s Brandon Ghee has tremendous speed and is an excellent tackler (he reminds me of Winfield in that sense). His ball skills are a work in progress, but could improve with good coaching.

In the third round, you must fill the void left by Chester Taylor’s departure and find a backup for Adrian Peterson. USC’s Joe McKnight would be a good fit. He’s not an every down runner, but that’s not a big deal – you’ve already got one of those. McKnight has great speed and vision (particularly outside the tackles) and is a very good pass catcher.

Day three: Left guard Steve Hutchinson is an elite player, obviously, but he turns 33 in November. Your other guard, Anthony Herrera, is average. In other words, you could use some depth there. One guy I love as a fourth-rounder is Arkansas’ Mitch Petrus. He’s raw (just converted to guard two years ago), but he’s got the athleticism of a fullback/tight end (the spots he played before his conversion). Plus, he tied the combine record with 45 bench press reps – simply astounding.

I’d round out my draft by looking for depth at safety, outside linebacker and wide receiver.

So there’s my two cents on what the other three NFC North teams should do in the draft.

I can’t wait until later in the week when they take me up on exactly none of it.

-Chris Lempesis