NFC North Rundown: Bears, with tricky roster decisions upcoming, begin GM and coaching searches

It was a quiet week around the NFC North as the postseason began. With the Green Bay Packers on a first-round bye, the entire division was able to sit back and watch the playoffs unfold from the comfort of their own couches.

However, not everyone was relaxing. With general manager and head coaching searches being conducted in Minnesota and Chicago, things were far from quiet for those teams’ front offices. While the two Vikings jobs may be among the more appealing across the league, the same might not be able to be said for the Bears, who will have difficult roster moves awaiting the next organizational leaders.

Today’s rundown examines the interviews that are scheduled to take place for both teams, while also taking a brief look at every upcoming free agent on the Detroit Lions’ roster.

Chicago Bears

The State of the Bears: Commentary

The current 2022 roster of players under contract can be found in this article, as well as a synopsis of the Bears’ draft resources, their void-year contract considerations, and an overall summary of where Chicago stands as it awaits a new general manager.

Examining our top candidates for next Bears general manager

Four writers each share their top three candidates for the Bears’ managerial position.

Bears 2022 head coach tracker: Chicago interviews Brian Daboll, Jim Caldwell; request meeting with Bills DC

In reverse chronological order, this article breaks down the scheduled and conducted interviews for the Bears’ head coaching job to date, even if Chicago aims to hire a GM first.

Detroit Lions

Lions among 3 teams shut out of All-Pro voting; 6 former players jettisoned by Quinntricia earned votes

In an ultimate slap in the face to Lions’ fans, no Detroit players were voted All-Pro, yet two former Lion defensive backs received votes for their newest teams, among others.

Alex Anzalone: ‘It Was a Privilege to Play for the Lions’

Even in a disappointing season, one free agent inside linebacker called it a “privilege” and “fun” to play for the Lions this past year.

Ranking 19 Detroit Lions Restricted and Unrestricted Free Agents

All of the Lions’ free agents are broken down here, including a short case for why they will either return to or leave the Lions heading into the 2022 season.

Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings General Manager Interviews: The Complete Schedule

A mix of player personnel and football operations associates make up the current list of GM interviews coming up for Minnesota.

Vikings Head Coach Interview Tracker: Kellen Moore, Nathaniel Hackett, Dan Quinn, More

While the list may continue to grow, here are the requested head coaching interviews thus far for the Vikings.

Mike Zimmer and the Vikings marriage of mediocrity

Zimmer faced adversity many times as Vikings head coach, “but that does not mean it was handled well.” This article breaks down some of those key moments in which Zimmer and the Vikings failed to get over the hump, particularly with Kirk Cousins at quarterback.