NFC NORTH - HELP WANTED

The subheading for this week’s column could easily have been: NFC North-Where It’s Brett Favre All the Time. If you read the major media outlets, you would think that there is only one team in the NFC North division: The Packers. Unfortunately, he has infected this column as well, even in unexpected ways. You will notice that there is only a Top 4 this week, instead of the usual Top 5. The Minnesota Vikings have been left out. There are two very good reasons for this, one non-Favre and one Favre-related.

The non-Favre is simply that the Vikings have done an excellent job filling the holes they had coming into the offseason. They were weak at wide receiver; they picked up Bernard Berrian. They needed a second defensive end; they traded for Jared Allen. They have the projected number one defense in all of football. They returned all-world running back, Adrian Peterson, and Chester Taylor returns as well to split-time with Peterson again. For better (or for worse), they have turned the reigns over to Tavaris Jackson, and have told the young man that there won’t be any competition. He’s the quarterback. As strange as it sounds to write, the Vikings have no real position battles entering Training Camp.

Seriously, I’m not kidding.

The Favre related reason is that even if there was a position battle on the Vikes squad to cover, you wouldn’t find any information on it. The mass media, as well as the Vikings team website, has nothing but stories relating to the recent tampering charge that that Packers filed regarding, you guessed it, one Brett Favre. Even “Help Wanted” can’t hide from Favre these days.

1. QB1 position—Green Bay Packers

Candidates: Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre

The Shakedown: Three weeks ago this position with Green Bay wouldn’t have come anywhere close to being mentioned in this column. But we all know why it is now. If I took the time here in this column to list the entire, sordid recent history of “As the Favre Turns” soap opera, you would still be sitting on the toilet reading this when the season begins. Yes, I know that’s where you end up reading this column; you can’t fool me. Suffice it to say, the bottom line is that Favre wants to play again. Green Bay is ready to move on.

The forgotten man in this melodrama is Rogers. He’s a guy that has stood behind the legend that is Favre for three full seasons now, patiently waiting for his turn. Now he’s got it, or so he thought. He has performed admirably in the very limited amount of time he’s been given on the field; most notably completing 69% of his passes for 200 yards and a touchdown in a November 29^th game last season in Dallas, when Favre got hurt right before halftime. Favre will file for reinstatement. The Packers have already said they will not release him outright (the smart move). And Brett will not come back just to hold a clipboard. So Favre will play again this season. But it won’t be in the frozen tundra.

Prediction: Rodgers

’08 Fantasy Implication: 6 out of 10. Rodgers still has to prove himself, but you could end up doing a lot worse as your second QB. Speaking of doing worse at QB…

2. QB1—Chicago Bears

Candidates: “Sexy” Rex Grossman, Kyle “The Party Animal” Orton

The Shakedown: First, let me just say that in giving these guys nicknames, I realize it sounds like the undercard for Wrestlemania, instead of a quarterback competition. But if you end up with either of these guys as your quarterback, you’ll need Jim Ross’ voice in your head to make things interesting. Otherwise, you might want to die.

The competition (for lack of a better word) between these two is about as even as you can get. Coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator, Ron Turner, have both said that each QB will alternate with the first stringers when training camp begins. Orton will take day one, Grossman will take two, etc. However, both newspapers out of Chicago are reporting that Orton has the slight edge. Count me in that group. Grossman has had more than enough opportunity to take hold of the reigns and never let go; yet he hasn’t been able to do it. At some point, you have to give someone else a shot. Even if that someone else is a hard-partying, liquor-it-up guy like Orton. We can only hope that “Party Animal” keeps the beard when he wins the job. The unintentional comedy on that is off-the-charts.

Prediction: Orton

’08 Fantasy Implication: 2 out of 10. You want no part of either of these guys.

3. RB1—Chicago Bears

Candidates: Kevin Jones, Matt Forte, Adrian “No, not that Adrian” Peterson

The Shakedown: As if Chicago didn’t have enough problems under center, they’ve also created a complete mess in their backfield. Two years ago, they let Thomas Jones walk out the door in favor of Cedric Benson, even though it was Jones that the players favored. Then Benson turned out to be an alcoholic, and worse, a terrible NFL running back. Having graduated from the University of Texas, you don’t know how hard that was to write. They cut Benson after his second DUI arrest this offseason. They drafted Matt Forte to take over, and all looked to have calmed down and sorted itself out. But they just couldn’t keep from muddling the situation again, by signing the recently released Kevin Jones.

Guess they figured having a Jones in the backfield might bring back the mojo.

Forte is a guy that most don’t know about, seeing as he played his college days at Tulane. Not exactly a football program that comes to mind when thinking about top college football, that Green Wave. But when a guy rushes for 120 yards and a touchdown in his final game, and it’s considered a subpar performance, you know you’ve got something. Peterson is more suited to catching passes out of the backfield (420 yards receiving in 2007), than an every down back. Jones only signed a one-year deal. It is now being reported out of ‘The Windy City’ that he might end up starting the season on the PUP list. He’s only seven months removed from reconstructive knee surgery, and doctors have already told him he can’t have contact for the first week of Training Camp.

Prediction: Forte

’08 Fantasy Implication: 5 out of 10. Usually this would be ranked higher (fantasy lifeblood thing), but any RB from Chicago is going to face extra guys in the box until the Bears’ QB and WR’s prove they can make plays. That will mute Forte’s performance a bit.

4. RB1—Detroit Lions

Candidates: Tatum Bell, Kevin Smith, Artose Pinner, Avion Cason, Brian Calhoun

The Shakedown: So if Kevin Jones was released and landed in Chi-town, who replaces him in the ‘Motor City’, you ask? That’s what “Help Wanted” is here for. The Lions have opened the barn door and announced a bona-fide open competition for their starting tailback. Motor City madness, indeed.

Cason is in his eighth year in the league, and is more of a return specialist. He had over 1,000 return yards last season for the Lions. With no real replacement in the return department, the Lions will probably keep him in that role.

Calhoun is entering his third season, and has yet to play. No really. He was IR’d seven games into his rookie season (2006) with a knee injury. He had surgery, then tried to return too early last season, which led to yet another IR stint. He can’t seriously be considered until he proves he can stay on the field.

Pinner is the dreaded age 30, is on his second stint with Detroit and has never been anything more than a backup (and he’s had his chances). But he is a terrific special teams player. He should end up joining Cason on special teams.

That leaves Smith and Bell. Smith has the better long-term upside. But when your coach is quoted as saying, “…but, obviously, he’s a rookie back and he has a lot to learn and a long way to go”, you’re probably fighting an uphill battle. Bell is a fifth-year vet, and has been a 1,000-yard rusher before (Denver 2006). New offensive coordinator, Jim Colleto, is installing more run plays in the offense that will be based on the zone-blocking scheme. It’s a scheme that Bell has run since college, and is familiar with from his days in Denver.

Prediction: Bell. But keep a close eye on Smith.

’08 Fantasy Implication: 7 out of 10. This could be a much improved running team.

(Quick Note: This ends the division-by-division breakdown of open positions. Training Camps have begun to open. So beginning next week, “Help Wanted” will be taking a look at open positions, and the changes in them, without regard to divisions.)

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