BroncoTalk Offseason Award – Least Improved Division

The BroncoTalk Offseason Awards continue! I’ve gone through the best and worst coaching moves, drafts, trades, free agent signings, and cuts as we approach the “big” BOAs over the next few weeks. This week I explore how the divisions have changed across the NFL – it almost seems to tie right into BroncoTalk’s new Pick ‘Em Monday segment, where I predict the winners of each division. It’s almost like I plan this stuff in advance!

Anyway… year after year, a division or two in the NFL gets turned completely upside down. Last year the NFC South went from the order of TB > CAR > ATL > NO – then last year, New Orleans, who had the second to worst record in the entire league, advanced to the NFC Championship game in likely the biggest Cinderella story of the year. In the process, the entire division got flipped upside down, with Tampa Bay pulling up the rear. Similar situations occured with our own AFC West, where third-ranked Chargers flip-flopped with the reigning champion Broncos, and in the AFC North.

If a division became more competitive during the offseason, I consider it improved. If the division consisted of unimpressive teams, and those teams did little to improve, then it is a candidate for today’s award of least improved division.

The BOA for Least Improved Division goes to…

The NFC North for getting worse, nearly all around
HONORABLE MENTION: The AFC South

One team in the dreadful NFC North bettered itself this offseason, and as Siruis NFL Radio’s Adam Schein would say, it’s the rebuilding-since-1957 Detroit Lions. The Vikings are a serious contender for Worst Offseason later in July, the granddaddy of insults that BroncoTalk can give a team for their offseason insufferability. The Packers had to go through more Brett Favre drama, even after he announced early he would return for another go. And the Bears lost several key players, including Terry “Tank” Johnson to suspension, and the ongoing drama involving Lance Briggs. Not to mention they did little to address their quarterback situation; but as I’ve said during last season, I think people are calling for Rex Grossman‘s head way too quickly – after all, he’s yet to start a full two seasons and already has a Super Bowl under his belt.

But the main gripe falls between the Vikings and Packers, who both had opportunities (and the need) to make a big splash in free agency but failed to do so. While the Broncos did everything they could to insulate Jay Cutler with talent, Minnesota did little to help their young, struggling quarterback in Travaris Jackson. (I find it ironic that there isn’t a real need for quarterback among most teams in the NFL – except Minnesota – and that the big fish out there, Daunte Culpepper, would rather get trampled by 6 defensive tackles than go back to wearing purple). Meanwhile, the Packers pissed off their veteran future Hall of Famer by doing little in free agency themselves.

The only light in the division – and it’s a dim one – are the Lions, who weren’t afraid to draft Calvin Johnson after picking receivers in the first round three out of the four years previous, and who weren’t afraid to deal for Tatum Bell and George Foster when needed. I expect the Lions to be more competitive than they have been since… well… 1957.

Tomorrow I’ll run down the Most Improved Division – then you can look forward to the last 3 BOA weeks, where I determine the Most and Least Improved Defense, Offense, and finally the Best and Worst Offseason overall.