NFC North Teams Throwing in the Towel

The NFL Trade Deadline was set for November 1, but a few teams decided to get the jump and starting making deals early. With teams through the first eight weeks of the season, teams now have a pretty clear view of where they stand.

The NFL odds for a few teams in the NFC North weren’t looking good, and the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears decided to start building for the future. There isn’t usually as much action at the NFL Trade Deadline as in some other leagues, but the Bears and Lions were ready to sell.

Chicago was expected to be in the middle of a rebuild in 2022, and they got off to a 3-5 start to the season. The Bears did go out and get wide receiver Chase Claypool at the deadline, but that’s a move that has an eye on the future.

Bears Helping Out Super Bowl Contenders

The Chicago Bears came into the 2022 season with some solid defensive players, and that defense has sometimes impacted NFL lines. Teams always look for an elite pass rusher or a great linebacker, and the Bears had one of each.

The first move that Bears general manager Ryan Poles made was to send Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles. That was a move made before the Week 8 game, and it gives the NFL’s only undefeated team one of the best pass rushers in the league.

After the defense gave up nearly 50 points in the Week 8 loss, Poles was at it again, but this time was able to get back a pair of draft picks. Poles sent Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens as it became clear that the Bears would not be able to re-sign the star linebacker.

Through eight weeks of the 2022 NFL season, Smith led the NFL in tackles.

The Lions Did What?

The Detroit Lions came into 2022 with plenty of optimism, and there have been some signs of growth on that team. Unfortunately, the Lions have just one win through the first eight weeks of the season, and they have also decided to make some moves.

In a shocking move, Detroit has agreed to trade tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions are sending a starting tight end to a division rival, which could ultimately impact the Lions’ postseason chances next season.

The Lions and Vikings have a history of making deals with one another, as they agreed to a pick swap in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Detroit will receive a couple of draft picks in the trade while also dealing a fourth-round pick of their own to Minnesota.

The Vikings were in need of a starting tight end after Irv Smith Jr. went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 8. Hockensen had 26 receptions and three touchdowns with the Lions, and he will now join the first-place team.

Colts Choosing Firing Over Trading

In the preseason, the Vegas NFL odds for the Indianapolis Colts had them as the betting favorites to win the AFC South Division. There is still enough time for the Colts to turn things around and get that done, but it’s been a miserable start through eight weeks.

The Colts are not in a position to make a big trade and go for it, so they have instead decided to try to make changes by firing staff. The team has fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady after two different quarterbacks have struggled to do much of anything on offense.

What makes this move even more shocking is the fact that Brady is not even responsible for calling the plays on game days, as that is the job of head coach Frank Reich. Brady was in charge of coming up with the game plan, and then he worked to ensure that everyone was ready to play on game days.

Brady has been with the franchise since 2018 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021. The Colts are not expected to hire a new offensive coordinator this season but will split up his responsibilities among the other head coaches.