In the weeks since the NFL draft, we’ve taken some big-picture looks at the NFC North. We’ve made a run at naming a preseason division favorite, tried to identify a preseason rookie of the year and examined some faulty assumptions.



Through it all, I’ve struggled to incorporate a gold mine of statistical analysis forwarded by ESPN’s Stats & Information, a series of numbers that help illustrate some of the division’s most notable areas of concern entering the offseason. So with the help of ESPN.com editor Brett Longdin, I want to use some of that information to open a unique window into whether NFC North teams have responsibly shored up their weaknesses over the past months.



Chicago Bears



Issue: The short-yardage running game

Stats & Information revelation: The Bears had the NFL’s worst per-carry average (1.5 yards) on third-and-2 or less last season.

How the Bears responded: Hiring offensive line coach Mike Tice, who brings a power-running sensibility to Mike Martz’s passing offense. Moving left guard Frank Omiyale to right tackle. Signing free agent tailback Chester Taylor.

Seifert analysis: Much of the Bears’ hopes rest on Tice’s shoulders to make over this group; as many as four 2009 starters will remain in their positions. Starting tailback Matt Forte is known more for shiftiness than power, opening an opportunity for Taylor to take over some of those opportunities. But effective power running, especially in short-yardage situations, requires frequency in play calling. Martz isn’t known for his patience in the run game.



Issue: Pass defense in obvious passing situations

Stats & Information revelation: The Bears ranked near the bottom of the NFL when defending against third-and-8 or more.

How the Bears responded: Overhauling their pass rush by signing free-agent defensive end Julius Peppers and jettisoning incumbents Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye (for now). The safety position is also in transition after the re-acquisition of safety Chris Harris and the drafting of Major Wright.

Seifert analysis: That’s about as much personnel change as you’ll see generated in one offseason from an incumbent coaching staff/front office. (Unless you’re in Detroit.) The Peppers acquisition speaks for itself. He’ll cause more havoc than Brown or Ogunleye, and new defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli isn’t expected to be a heavy blitzer. Harris is no world-beater, but even mediocre play would be an improvement. If nothing else, the Bears get an A for effort in addressing this issue.



Detroit Lions



Issue: Explosive running plays, or lack thereof

Stats & Information revelation: The Lions had five running plays of 20 or more yards last season, the second-fewest in the NFL.

How the Lions responded: Trading up to draft Cal tailback Jahvid Best, who runs the 40 in 4.35 seconds and averaged 7.3 yards per carry in his college career.

Seifert analysis: Best was widely considered the most explosive runner in the draft. The Lions did take a step to shore up their offensive line, trading for Seattle guard Rob Sims, but they’re hoping Best will be the kind of player who can make big plays on his own. That would make a huge difference for a team that had to work too hard to score touchdowns last season. The Lions ranked No. 29 in the NFL last season in yards per play (4.6) and tied for No. 27 with 28 total touchdowns. To keep up in their division, they need to be able to score quicker and easier.



Issue: Historically horrible pass defense, especially on downfield throws

Stats & Information revelation: The Lions were the only NFL team to allow opponents better than 50 percent completion percentage on passes that traveled 21 or more yards in the air last season.

How the Lions responded: Overhauling their personnel on the defensive line and secondary. Of the eight combined starters in those two units, at least five will be new. Depending on how competition plays out, safety Louis Delmas might be the only returning starter among the eight.

Seifert analysis: The defensive line is far ahead of the secondary in terms of credibility and potential to impact games. At different points in their careers, defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and defensive tackle Corey Williams have been dominant pass-rushers relative to their positions. The sky is the limit for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The Lions’ pass defense will go as far as their pass rush takes them. It stands to reason they should at least cut down on opponents’ downfield percentage; more pass rush equals less time to let long passes develop. As for coverage, it probably couldn’t be much worse than last season.



Green Bay Packers



Issue: Although it settled in the second half of the season, the Packers’ pass protection allowed NFL-high sack levels.

Stats & Information revelation: The Packers allowed 31 sacks against defensive formations of four or fewer pass-rushers, tied for the league lead. That rate speaks to consistent 1-on-1 defeats.

How the Packers responded: Re-signing both veteran tackles, Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher. Drafting tackle Bryan Bulaga at No. 23 overall.

Seifert analysis: Some might question the wisdom of bringing back a pair of 30-something tackles. But the Packers at least have smoothed out the cliff they started last season on. They have a more reliable safety net should Clifton or Tauscher falter or get injured, and Bulaga promises a solid future at one of the tackle positions. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers also has agreed there are times he should throw the ball quicker. The combination of better depth and Rodgers’ experience should minimize the issues Green Bay suffered through last season.



Issue: Elite quarterbacks scorched the Packers’ pass defense last season.

Stats & Information revelation: Despite disappointing performances against Minnesota, Pittsburgh and — in the playoffs — Arizona, the Packers led the NFL in defense against four-receiver sets.

How the Packers responded: They took only one aggressive step to address their personnel here: Trading up to draft safety Morgan Burnett. Otherwise, they are counting on the healthy return of cornerbacks Al Harris, Will Blackmon, Pat Lee and Brandon Underwood. They also are hoping Brad Jones can provide consistent pass rush as an outside linebacker.

Seifert analysis: Although this statistic is culled from a relatively small sample of the Packers’ defensive plays, it might help explain why they are not as worked up about this situation as some of us are. Like it or not, they have chosen not to overreact to some disappointing games against Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks. They’re trusting their developmental system to give them the personnel reinforcements they need. It should also be re-emphasized that they’ll take on “elite” quarterbacks in only three games this season: Twice against Minnesota’s Brett Favre, assuming he doesn’t retire, and once against New England’s Tom Brady.



Minnesota Vikings



Issue: Minnesota’s running game was less effective in 2009.

Stats & Information revelation: Nearly 27 percent of the Vikings’ rushing attempts went for no gain or a loss, the second-highest rate in the NFL.

How the Vikings responded: Allowing Taylor to depart via free agency. Trading up to draft Toby Gerhart, a 231-pound tailback.

Seifert analysis: The Taylor-Gerhart swap will be secondary to the larger issues Minnesota must address. First, they’ll need more even-handed performances from an offensive line that introduced two new starters in center John Sullivan and right tackle Phil Loadholt. Second, tailback Adrian Peterson must continue his career-long efforts to contain his aggressiveness long enough to allow the hole to develop. It’s an especially important task in a zone-blocking scheme.



Issue: Minnesota nose tackle Pat Williams has flirted with retirement, and both he and teammates Kevin Williams might have to serve a four-game suspension after testing positive for a diuretic.

Stats & Information revelation: Even with Williams’ advancing age, the Vikings’ up-the-gut defense still led the NFL by allowing 3.0 yards per carry last season.

How the Vikings responded: Re-signed backup Jimmy Kennedy and issued a high tender to fellow backup Fred Evans, a restricted free agent.

Seifert analysis: The Vikings are satisfied with their depth at both defensive tackle positions and have long groomed Evans to replace Pat Williams. No matter whom they acquire, there will be a drop-off if their two starters are suspended concurrently. The bigger issue is finding a long-term replacement for Pat Williams. Is Evans the guy? He’ll get his chance to prove it should the suspensions stand.

Should an NFC North rookie replace the suspended Brian Cushing to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award?



Cushing, the Houston linebacker who violated the league’s steroid policy last fall, remains on the ballot for an unprecedented re-vote set to be completed Wednesday. As we noted Monday, Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews finished third in the original balloting and could benefit from those who withdraw their support from Cushing. After all, only 10 players finished the 2009 season with more than Matthews’ 10 sacks, which was also a Packers rookie record.



But there is another Black and Blue player who deserves to be in the discussion, and I wonder if at least a few voters will take this opportunity to re-focus their views on Detroit safety Louis Delmas.



Delmas didn’t receive a vote in the original balloting, and it’s difficult for anyone to get national recognition while playing for a defense that performed as poorly as the Lions’ last season. But don’t forget that Delmas became the first rookie in NFL history to record a safety as well as fumble and interception returns for touchdowns. His 101-yard return of an interception against Arizona, moreover, was the longest by an NFL rookie since 1926. That’s the definition of a playmaking safety.



We’re really in uncharted territory here. This vote isn’t as simple as re-shuffling the original deck. The balloting usually happens in the final days of the regular season. Delmas’ reputation has grown since then, and whether they admit or not, voters now have an entire offseason’s worth of analysis to work from. They also have the comments of people like Lions coach Jim Schwartz, who in February called Delmas the Lions’ best defensive player.



I don’t think Delmas will win the award, and he might not get a vote. But if nothing else, this instance provides an opportunity to remind everyone of his historic rookie season.

While hashing through the demise of Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell, AFC West colleague Bill Williamson revisited the first round of the 2007 draft. Perhaps this is always the case three years later, but I was struck at the disparate impact that draft had on the NFC North.



Two teams drafted the player now considered the best on their roster. Another team totally whiffed. And a fourth has put its first-rounder into a transition phase of his career.



Take a look at the chart below. Detroit drafted receiver Calvin Johnson and Minnesota gobbled up tailback Adrian Peterson. Green Bay, meanwhile, has gotten 13 games, 28 tackles and no sacks from oft-injured defensive lineman Justin Harrell. Chicago had tight end Greg Olsen on an ascending ladder until shifting to an offense this year that will require more blocking than he is used to.



Wow. I think I just decided that the draft is a crapshoot. Take that to the house.

This week’s Have at It might not have drawn a clear distinction between candidates for league-wide Rookie of the Year awards and the topic we were focused on: Your nomination for the best rookie in the NFC North for 2010.



We had two national contenders last season in Minnesota receiver Percy Harvin and Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews, and I agree it’s going to be difficult to match that number this year. But by rule, one of our rookies will play better than the rest of his divisional competitors, and that’s what I want to concentrate on.



Much of the debate centered around Detroit’s pair of first-round draft picks, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and running back Jahvid Best. The general consensus was that it might be difficult to gauge Suh’s success from a statistical perspective, which will make it harder to judge his impact. “D-linemen generally take a year to get up to speed, and even if Suh is great, he’s not likely to be a sack machine,” wrote EveryoneNeedsASmile. (And yes, everyone does.)



Ranial_Cheddar doesn’t trust Best to stay healthy for 16 games, given his frightening concussion last year, but Liqourish wants us to avoid overthinking the obvious:

I think Jahvid Best has the best chance. Jahvid will be the Lions’ featured back right out of the gate. Jim Schwartz has talked about using Jahvid in a variety of ways in the offense. All RBs need to do is have a lot of all-purpose yards and they are among the top candidates. If Best is used enough, it should be his for the taking.

More people talked up Minnesota’s Toby Gerhart than I anticipated. Cmwernick320 envisions a high ceiling for success in the Vikings’ established offense:

He’s in the best position to have the most success and have a role-defined impact for the Vikings. The fact that he’s entering an environment that has already produced two ROY’s in the last three years says a lot about the doors this team can open for him.

Nabicus, meanwhile, believes the fumble problems of Vikings starter Adrian Peterson will allow Gerhart to “steal goal-line carries and score 10 TD’s this year.” Peterson had 18 rushing touchdowns in 2009.



Finally, I saw a few too many pleas for Minnesota’s sixth-round pick, Joe Webb. Stringer1211 thinks Webb “will make an impact at WR/RB/Wildcat QB,” and a number of you agreed.



I don’t want to dash anyone’s hopes, but let’s consider the reality of what he’s attempting: A transition from quarterback to receiver on the pro level. If body type and jumping ability were the only attributes necessary for success, we would have a much bigger pool from which to choose NFL receivers. Webb has some definite tools, but I think we need to tone down the excitement for a bit.



My take? First, let’s assume everyone gets into training camp relatively on time and without any kind of contract dispute that impacts conditioning or preparation. If that’s the case, I believe Suh is going to be the best rookie player in the NFC North this season. I’m not sure if we will have a statistical basis for that claim, but we don’t need 1,000 yards or 10 touchdowns or eight interceptions to bestow our version of this award.



I’m not down on Best at all and believe he will lead the Lions in rushing. But the value Suh brings, even if it’s not double-digit sacks, will be far-reaching for Detroit’s weakest area of 2009. We discussed those attributes last month during the draft, but in short I think Suh will be a player opponents will have to account for — and ultimately avoid — on every play. That will help the rest of the Lions’ defensive line, along with their linebackers and defensive backs as well.

You are off the hook, Ryan Leaf.



Now that he has been cut by Oakland, quarterback JaMarcus Russell has to be considered the biggest all-time NFL draft bust. Here is my list of the five greatest busts in draft history:



1. JaMarcus Russell: He is 7-18 as an NFL starter, which is the worst record by a quarterback who was a No. 1 overall pick. He is the fastest quarterback who was a top pick to be released by his drafting team. Russell, 24, lasted three years in Oakland. He cost the Raiders $39 million.



2. Ryan Leaf: Leaf was the No. 2 pick in 1998, being taken one pick after the great Peyton Manning. Leaf was a disaster on and off the field in San Diego. He lasted three injury- and controversy-plagued seasons with the Chargers. He won four games with the Chargers. Still, Russell is a bigger bust because he was a top pick and he was much more expensive than Leaf.



3. Charles Rogers: The Lions took Rogers with the No. 2 pick, one slot ahead of when Houston took Andre Johnson. Rogers lasted three seasons in Detroit. His stay there was marred by injuries and off-field issues.



4. Tim Couch: Cleveland picked him with the first pick in 1999 over No. 2 pick Donovan McNabb. Couch lasted four horrible seasons in Cleveland.



5. Tony Mandarich: The Packers took the tackle No. 2 in 1989, ahead of the likes of Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders. He lasted three years in Green Bay and never made an impact.

Falling



Minnesota’s bottom line: Vikings officials told state legislators that the team is losing money during testimony for their stadium bill. Many roll their eyes at a statement like that, especially when financial books are closed. But I can tell you this: Owner Zygi Wilf and his investment partners have funneled at least $50 million in personal cash into the team’s coffers in order to pay its bills since buying the team in 2005. From a practical sense, if not accounting rules, that adds up to a negative cash position to me. But the imminent demise of this year’s stadium effort means at least one more year of deficit spending to run the team.



Rising



Character in Detroit’s locker room: Cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones appears on the verge of signing with Cincinnati, a development that by default should help the Lions. Yes, you read that correctly. Although Jones would no doubt be the most-talented cornerback on the Lions’ roster, he would also be the least reliable. I understand the allure of bringing him in to bridge the rebuilding process, but the Lions would have been counting on a player who has never answered the bell consistently in his NFL career. Lions coach Jim Schwartz had a front-row seat to Jones’ act in Tennessee, and to anyone’s knowledge, the Lions didn’t pursue Jones beyond attending a workout in New Orleans. The Lions are better off in the long run looking elsewhere for cornerback help.

Preseason predictions are a lot like flying lessons. You can practice and study and anticipate as much as you want while sitting in a simulator. The reality, however, is no one knows if you can fly a plane until you get up in the (real) air.



That’s a pretentious, Minnesota cake-eating way of acknowledging the limited value of predicting in May who will sit atop the NFC North on the night of Jan. 2, 2011. But to the extent that it matters, and following up on our “faulty assumptions” discussion from last week, I think we are erring in assuming that Minnesota should be the preseason favorite to repeat as division champions.



In fact, if I had to pick a winner right now — and I don’t, and it doesn’t matter, but I’m doing it anyway — I would go with Green Bay. (Audience: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.)



I’ll state my case in a bit. But first, let’s consider the most quantitative way I’m aware of to make these predictions. We first introduced you to AccuScore last summer as Brett Favre was moving closer to joining the Vikings. The AccuScore people develop variables to create digital profiles for NFL coaches and players. Those profiles are used to create “teams” that are then run through a computer simulation to play out a “season” based on each team’s actual NFL schedule.



Using 10,000 such simulated seasons last year, AccuScore correctly predicted the NFC North’s final standings. This year, as you can see in the charts below, AccuScore is picking Minnesota to win the division if Favre returns and the Packers if he doesn’t.





ESPN.com’s Spring Power Rankings also pick Minnesota to finish ahead of Green Bay, presumably based on similar expectations for Favre. But I think we should at least question whether Favre’s presence automatically will give the Vikings a division title. These are two teams, after all, that finished within a game of each other last season, primarily as a result of Minnesota’s season sweep.



(Sorry, Chicago and Detroit. My head isn’t big enough to consider more than two division contenders right now.)



Here’s where I’m coming from:

1. Favre made an undeniable impact on the Vikings last season, but let’s not forget it came as a result of arguably the best season of his career. He threw seven interceptions in 2009 after throwing at least twice that many in 14 of his previous 17 full seasons. To be fair, we can’t rule out a repeat performance. But what do you think is more likely: A 2010 season closer to his career averages or another precedent-setter? If a modest slip accounts for even one additional loss, it could be enough for the Packers to leapfrog them in the standings.
2. If Favre is less effective in 2010, it stands to reason he’ll be less dangerous to the Packers’ biggest weakness of last season: Pass defense against elite quarterbacks. When you look at Green Bay’s schedule, you see eight games in which they will face a quarterback who has played in a Pro Bowl. But I would only consider three of those games — two against Favre and one against New England’s Tom Brady — to feature the kind of elite passers who ravaged the Packers last season. And this doesn’t take into account the possibility that the Packers’ pass defense will improve independently of Favre’s potential slide. I have my doubts about the Packers’ potential for improvement, but it’s conceivable the Vikings will be less equipped to exploit it.
3. There are some areas in which Green Bay unquestionably has improved and Minnesota appears to have weakened since the start of last season. The Packers, for one, have a more balanced passing attack following the emergence of tight end Jermichael Finley. As long as 35-year-old receiver Donald Driver can provide another productive season, Green Bay has a yin-and-yang passing tree that will be much more difficult to defend than it was in the first half of 2009.
4. The Packers also appear to have a better plan at offensive line than they had entering the 2009 season. They have a veteran starter locked in at both tackle positions with skilled younger players set to back up both of them. First-round draft pick Bryan Bulaga will play behind left tackle Chad Clifton and T.J. Lang likely will be behind right tackle Mark Tauscher. This scenario minimizes the chance of jailbreak pass “protection” that set back the Packers early last season.
5. Minnesota’s pass rush shouldn’t miss a beat as long as defensive end Ray Edwards returns to complement Jared Allen and Kevin Williams. But the back seven is in an underdiscussed transition mode as spring practice begins. It’s uncertain whether longtime middle linebacker E.J. Henderson will make a full return from a fractured leg, and the drop-off to second-year player Jasper Brinkley is notable. Starting cornerback Cedric Griffin will need several more months to rehabilitate a torn anterior cruciate ligament, leaving veterans Lito Sheppard and Benny Sapp to man his position. No NFL team seemed willing to give Sheppard or Sapp a starting job in free agency this year. And the Vikings only can hope that 33-year-old cornerback Antoine Winfield is fully recovered from a fractured foot that limited him last season.
6. Green Bay’s schedule gives the team a better chance to jump to an early division lead than the Vikings’. With games against Buffalo, Detroit, Washington and Miami, the Packers have a decent chance to be 5-1 or 6-0 heading into an Oct. 24 showdown against the Vikings at Lambeau Field. The Vikings, meanwhile, face difficult games at New Orleans and at the New York Jets. They’ll have done well to be 4-2 at that point. But the bottom line is that there is a decent chance the Packers could establish a three-game lead in the division before November starts.

This is just one early-May take. I’m sure you have your own. Remember: We’re still in the simulator. Nothing more. Let’s take pleasure from a consequence-free environment.

What NFC North assistant coach will make the biggest impact in 2010?



I started wondering about that question while reading about the career and death of longtime NFL assistant Bob Karmelowicz, who coached Detroit’s defensive line last season and carried a well-deserved reputation for improving established players. A number of candidates come to mind, but I can’t think of any who sits in the position of Chicago offensive line coach Mike Tice.



Tice has assumed responsibility for a group that admittedly underperformed in 2009 but will still return four of its starters. Center Olin Kreutz hopes that offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his ankle will help him return to form. But for the most part, the Bears are counting on Tice to elevate this group based on technical adjustments and a new brand of motivation.



The arrival of new offensive coordinator Mike Martz has been heavily discussed. But for the Bears’ offense to improve in 2010, Tice will have to find a way to make Frank Omiyale a productive player at right tackle. He’ll have to develop a left guard, be it Josh Beekman or Lance Louis or even journeyman tackle Kevin Shaffer. And he’ll have to do it in an offense that typically favors the passing game.



Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen remembered Karmelowicz as a coach who taught him how to use his natural abilities to play at an elite level. The Bears are hoping for a similar impact from Tice.

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesJoe Cullen is back in the NFL, bringing energy and high-decibel levels to the defensive coaching staff.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The volume’s been turned up to 11 over at the defensive line area of the Jaguars’ practice.



Joe Cullen prowls and hollers, prods and hoorays as he pushes a revamped group that’s expected to revitalize Jacksonville’s defense.



Last year’s 14 sacks were the fifth-worst total in the league since it started keeping sack stats in 1982. Enter Cullen, a once successful coach in Detroit who made national headlines for passing through a drive-through naked, a stunt that ultimately landed him out of the league.



Now he’s been given a second chance as well as the first four picks of the Jaguars’ draft and a veteran rusher in free-agent addition Aaron Kampman.



The Jaguars didn’t do much behind that line. Veteran linebacker Kirk Morrison, acquired in a trade with Oakland, is the only real notable addition. A better pass rush, they say repeatedly, will do much to cure other ills like those at safety.



As Cullen had each lineman weave through four tackling dummies at minicamp practices that wrap up Monday, clubbing and ripping each one before turning left and flattening a fake quarterback, he left little unsaid.



“It’s time to get double-digit sacks around here Harv,” he bellowed to end Derrick Harvey, the team’s top draft pick in 2008. “Not four sacks. That’s what you were brought here to do: Rush.”



He urged “tempo, tempo” and his assistant, Ben Albert reminded the troops: “We’ve got to reclaim the line of scrimmage.”



“I think this is a great group they’ve given me to work with,” Cullen said. “…It all starts up front. Basically the organization and the team is depending on us to lead the team, to lead the troops.”



Two veteran linemen, newcomer Kampman and Reggie Hayward who came here in 2005, both love Cullen so far.



“I love his passion,” said Kampman, the former Green Bay star. “The position is so much about relentlessness, tenacity and obviously those are some of his strong characteristics as a coach. He knows a lot about rushing the quarterback. He’s learned from a lot of great guys in his career and one thing I’ve learned is you always look at the pedigree.”



Those influences include Chicago defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and Indianapolis defensive line coach John Teerlinck.



Said Hayward: “[Cullen’s] whole motto is to work hard, to go after it. He’s an intense little guy from upper New York or Jersey or somewhere. He says ‘tonic’ and not ‘soda’ and he’s a little fireball. That’s what you need, man. I think he’s perfect for what we’ve got going on.”



“The identity of the D-line is going to be hard work. We may not be as big as John Henderson or Marcus Stroud. But most of the time making plays is just effort. Do you give up? Or do you continue to work?”



The Jaguars hired Cullen in January with the blessing of commissioner Roger Goodell.



The quick recap of his fall: Cullen drove through a suburban Detroit Wendy’s naked in 2006 — a scene later revisited through a Jon Kitna Halloween costume. Cullen was arrested for that and separately for a DUI, incidents that led to a suspension for one game by the team, another game by the league and a fine of $20,000 for conduct detrimental to the league.



The two cases resulted in fines and 10 days of community service as well as a judge’s order to attend outpatient treatment and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.



“Motivated guys are great, right?” asked head coach Jack Del Rio. “Players or coaches, that’s what you want… I know Joe’s very hungry for an opportunity, when he’s been in the league and the line’s he’s worked with he’s done a nice job with and I think he’s very thankful for a second shot.”



“All I know is that there isn’t a single one of us that’s perfect, I know I’m not,” Kampman said. “This profession obviously puts you in a fishbowl and the great thing is that I know he’s addressed it with the group and is moving forward. Each and every one of us needs to be about redemption.”



Cullen started off our chat with an emphasis on how grateful he is to owner Wayne Weaver, GM Gene Smith and Del Rio for the second chance.



In three seasons in the same post in Detroit, he had pretty good line play on pretty bad teams. In 2007 the Lions jumped from 24th to ninth in the NFL in sacks, and the defensive line accounted for 28.5, seventh-most in the league.



But he was exiled in 2009 when the Lions started over with a new coaching staff. He spent the year as an assistant at Idaho State.



He and his 2010 draft class will get a lot of attention this year. His rookie pupils include tackle Tyson Alualu, the 10th overall pick from Cal, third-round tackle D’Anthony Smith and fifth-round ends Larry Hart and Austen Lane.



“They’re very talented, they’re very gifted,” Hayward said. “This is the time for someone to say, ‘Hey, we’ve got a lot at stake here. Now do you want to mess it up by being a goof off or do something special?’”



Cullen isn’t so much worried about quantity as quality in the sack department. He said he craves “impact sacks,” the kind that come with strips or turn field position at a crucial spot in a game.



The defensive line won’t be judged on sacks and can affect games in many more ways, Smith said.



“I think it’s about making the quarterback move,” Smith said. “You’d like to get him down a lot. But you make him move, most quarterbacks who can’t set their feet to throw, cannot throw the ball accurately. So you get opportunities for more pass break-ups, for interceptions and you certainly get opportunities to get off the field with an incompletion.”



Cullen’s hardly set modest goals, especially considering it’s a team with one very big star in running back Maurice Jones-Drew.



“We’re going to be the face of the organization and really be the group that creates a relentless attitude about getting to where we want to be,” he said. “So we’ve got to not just be good, we’ve got to be great in everything we do.”

The post-draft power rankings are out, and I’ve got one of the four ballots.



Keep in mind we’re building off rankings at the conclusion of the regular season. While we didn’t have official rankings after the playoffs, I did a ballot then which you can find here.



Teams from the AFC South ranked highest on average, same as they did to close last season (although their average ranking fell from 13.6 to 14.3). Teams from the NFC West ranked 21.5 on average, lower than teams from any other division.



Here’s how I voted in this round of rankings, with a note on each. (The parenthetical number is where I ranked the team in the last official vote):



1) New Orleans (1) – The champs stay on top until they prove unworthy of it.



2) Indianapolis (2) – I expect they pick up where they left off, but have O-line questions.



3) Minnesota (3) – Vikings were far better late in ‘09 than I expected, so they get their due now.



4) Baltimore (9) – I firmly believe the Ravens have had the best offseason of anyone.



5) N.Y. Jets (5) – Trip to the AFC title game moved them a lot in my eyes.



6) Green Bay (6) – I probably like Packers more than I should.



7) Dallas (7) – Will lose attention to Saints and Vikes in the NFC, and that may be a good thing.



Atlanta (15) – The Falcons were my preseason Super Bowl pick last year, and may be again.



9) San Diego (8) – It’s getting tiring rating them high, and then being disappointed every year.



10) Arizona (4) – Life post-Kurt Warner is going to be a bigger test for them than some think.



11) New England (11) – The Patriots need to prove themselves again to me.



12) Philadelphia (10) – Eagles have lots of turnover, but that’s not necessarily bad.



13) Cincinnati (12) – Can’t see a repeat of last year and Bengals were bypassed by Baltimore.



14) Houston (13) – Big question remains: Can they win in the division?



15) San Francisco (21) – Huge opportunity in wide-open division; going to be a popular dark horse.



16) Tennessee (16) – Replacing a ton of leadership and could have a holdout situation with Johnson.



17) Pittsburgh (14) – Too much turmoil thanks to Big Ben, not enough offensive line.



18) N.Y. Giants (19) – Too many question in the secondary and at linebacker.



19) Denver (17) – Not a fan of the tear down of everything Shanahan, firing of Nolan.



20) Carolina (18) – Not nearly as excited about Matt Moore at QB as they are.



21) Miami (20) – Probably on the rise in a tough division with Brandon Marshall in the fold.



22) Chicago (22) – I just don’t see Mike Martz and Jay Cutler as a good marriage.



23) Jacksonville (23) – Stuck with an average QB, young team in a strong division.



24) Oakland (24) – Going to be moving up this list and messing things up for a lot of opponents.



25) Seattle (25) – While Seahawks have done well, Carroll has a lot of roster rebuilding still ahead.



26) Buffalo (26) – Hard to find anything to get excited about here, unfortunately.



27) Cleveland (27) – Just don’t see them close to Baltimore’s level; Holmgren needs time.



28) Washington (28) – Mishmash of old running backs among my chief concerns.



29) Kansas City (29) – I don’t have big faith in Matt Cassell yet; new coordinators are intriguing.



30) Tampa Bay (30) – Still wonder if Morris is in over his head.



31) Detroit (31) – Bad division to make a lot of progress in.



32) St. Louis (32) – Sam Bradford is a start, but finish is a long way off.