NFC North 2017 Moves To Make | Ticket King Green Bay

In our first “Around The NFC North” off season update, we take a look at some off season questions for each team, beginning with the Packers.

The Packers already answered two questions with the releases of Sam Shields and James Starks. The offensive line will be one of the many parts of the team to focus on. Here are the rest of the notable questions they have to answer.

Who will play running back next season? Eddie Lacy's time in Green Bay might very well appear to be over. He has had plenty of chances to keep his weight down, and he has yet to prove himself. It’s time for the Packers to move on. Ty Montgomery is going to move to running back full time next season, and that's a start. Christine Michael is should be re-signed as well. Still, they will need one more running back, and that will probably come via the draft. Several boards have them taking Christian McCaffery in round one, but that is unlikely. Instead, that running back will come out of the later rounds.

The Packers biggest off season need by a large margin, is the cornerback position. They will need two of them. One of them will come via the free agent market, although I expect that Thompson will focus on players cut from other teams, instead of throwing stupid money at free agents and possibly giving up a compensatory draft choice in the future. Perhaps the recently cut Leodis McElvin would fit in Green Bay. Still, even with a signing, their top draft priority should be cornerback.

Should T.J. Lang stay in Green Bay? The Packers have one of the best offensive lines in the league, and T.J. Lang is coming off of his first Pro Bowl. However, he is 30, and injuries will become a concern.

Vikings
Adrian Peterson: The Vikings are stalling on Adrian Peterson. The whole world agrees they need to move on from Peterson because they are better off without him. Perhaps the Vikings are stalling on Peterson because they are making one last ditch effort to get him to take the pay cut they want him to take. They have nine days to make a decision.

Will Teddy Bridgewater be ready for week one: The Vikings traded for Sam Bradford before the start of the season last year following Teddy Bridgewater's ACL injury. Now, they have two quarterbacks. It is likely that neither one will get moved, but if Teddy Bridgewater is ready to go, he will start. Thing is, I don't see how that is plausible.

Should Sharrif Floyd remain a Viking: Defensive Tackle Sharrif Floyd was the Vikings first round draft choice in 2013. At this point, it is safe to say he has been a borderline bust. At this point, it might be time for the Vikings to simply cut bait, and move on.

Bears
Jay Cutler: The Bears biggest off season decision is the status of long time starting quarterback Jay Cutler. The bears are expected to cut him in the next nine days, and move on. Do they have a replacement? It’s probably not going to be found in the upcoming NFL draft.

Alshon Jeffery: Yes, Alshon Jeffery is super talented. However, at this point, he is one bad drug test away from a one year suspension. He does have value on the trade market right now, and that should be the Bears course of action.

Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford: Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off his best season as a pro to date. Now it is time to cash in as he is due for a contract extension. NFL contracts are 10 times more complicated than baseball contracts, so it is hard to figure out exactly what it will look like. Reports have been in the 25 million dollar a year range, which might be a little high.

Linebacker: It is safe to say the Lions had one of the worst units in the league last season. Unlike the Packers, they will go into free agency to solve this question. Expect them to sign a big name free agent, plus a high draft choice.

Five Packers to Watch in 2017 | Ticket King Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers season came to an end this week in Atlanta, as they lost the NFC championship game 44-21. Before we begin the offseason, let's preview the Packers offseason

Who's the GM? None other than Ted Thompson. He has been the man in charge in Green Bay for a long time now. However, Thompson isn't getting any younger, and the Packers have a super-talented prodigy in 34-year-old Eliot Wolf, the son of Ron Wolf. Don't let the age bother you, Eliot Wolf has been actively involved in the Packers front office since he was a child, literally. It would be wise for Thompson to retire, and let Wolf assume the role.

Sam Shields- The former un-

drafted free agent out of Miami rose all the way to the top of the Packers cornerback depth chart, and for a short time, was an All-Pro caliber player and a defensive player of the year candidate on several occasions. However, concussions have derailed his career, and no reasonable doctor alive will ever clear him to play football again. If he does not retire, the Packers will have no choice but to release him.

Julius Peppers- The Packers rarely ever go into the free agent market, and when they do, it usually comes with success. Three years ago, Peppers was released by the Bears, and the Packers swooped him up, converting him to a rush linebacker. Peppers had success his first two years in the role, but showed signs of age the second half of the season. It might be time to let him go, if he does not choose to retire.

Jordy Nelson- Despite his numbers this season, one could tell that Jordy Nelson was simply not the same player he was before the torn ACL. These fractured ribs are going to suck even more talent out of him. Aaron Rodgers has this strange obsession with throwing the ball to Nelson these days whenever he is in the lineup. The Packers proved against the Giants and Cowboys they don't need him anymore. It may be time to release Jordy Nelson, if he chooses not to except a secondary role.

Clay Matthews- Linebackers, like running backs tend to burn out pretty quickly, and the twists and turns of his current career have showed flash and crash. The first half of his career, Matthews was the best defensive player in the league, and is the only player in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons. Injuries have derailed the second half of his career though. Matthews is one of the highest paid players in the game, and might be overpaid for a player who is only on the field half the time. When he is on the field, his disappears from the game at times. He isn't going anywhere, but the Packers need to ask him to take a pay cut, and expect more out of him in 2017.

Jared Cook- This one is a no brainer. Cook had had best season ever, and he only played half the season. Think about what he can do in a full season next year. Cook will be re-signed.