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David Bakhtiari: Potential landing spots if he returns

Training camp is set to begin next month, and yet there are surprisingly several teams who could use an upgrade at left tackle. Former Green Bay Packers LT David Bakhtiari is a name that has floated around for over a year, but his status remains up in the air after missing all of the 2024 season and most of 2023 due to injury.

With that in mind, our guy Wendell Ferreira tossed together a list of five teams that could be good fits for the 33-year-old big man:

5. Houston Texans: “The Texans went in free agency and signed Cam Robinson after trading Laremy Tunsil. While it's important to have a viable starting left tackle after the team had so many issues last year, Robinson is also a limited player — and the Minnesota Vikings' offensive line significantly regressed when they had to trade for him after Christian Darrisaw got hurt. Bakhtiari would be a major upgrade in terms of ceiling, and Robinson could move to right tackle if needed. The big problem is that Bakhtiari doesn't like to play on turf.”

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: “The Jaguars seem comfortable with Walker Little at left tackle, and that's why they traded Cam Robinson away. However, he's a good, not great player as well. Little has NFL experience playing right tackle and left guard too, which is helpful to have flexibility with Bakhtiari on the roster — and security if he gets hurt again. Making sure that Trevor Lawrence has the best chance to succeed is a top priority for the new leadership structure with general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen.”

3. New England Patriots: “Nothing is more important for the Patriots than making sure Drake Maye will stay alive. Seriously, last year's offensive line was a complete disaster. Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf was in the front office when the Packers drafted Bakhtiari 11 years ago, so there's an obvious connection. New England drafted Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick, but a high-level veteran presence there would allow the Patriots to develop Campbell more slowly, or maybe even give him the chance to play guard while he fully learns how the NFL world is.“

2. Miami Dolphins: “The Dolphins don't have money to spend, and right now second-year second-rounder Patrick Paul is slated to start at left tackle after Terron Armstead retired. As a rookie, Paul had some tough performances playing both at left and right tackle on a part-time basis, so it would be smart to make a low-priced veteran addition with a high potential. If it doesn't pan out, the Dolphins will not be worse than they are now. Moreover, Mike McDaniel runs a system that has similarities with what Matt LaFleur does in Green Bay, and the familiarity would help the transition.“

1. Pittsburgh Steelers: “Everyone knows how close Aaron Rodgers and David Bakhtiari are, so it's natural to put the Steelers here — especially considering there's a real need at the position in Pittsburgh. Right now, the projected starting left tackle is Broderick Jones, who had an average at best season at right tackle in 2024 and is moving to the left side. Former first-rounder Troy Fautanu, who barely played as a rookie, gets in as a right tackle. Bakhtiari could give the entire offensive line some time to develop and adapt. If the veteran could play as long as Rodgers, that would be a solid outcome for everyone involved.“

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NFC North roundtable: Underrated players, division winner, MVP

A few of our NFC North beat writers got together for an NFC North roundtable, discussing the division’s most underrated players, predicting the division winner and naming the division’s most valuable player. Here are some notes from each discussion:

Which NFC North players are underrated?

Lions LB Alex Anzalone: “When you’re talking about the best linebackers in the NFL, you never hear the name Alex Anzalone come up, and it’s understandable because he never makes the big SportsCenter type plays like Fred Warner or Roquan Smith, but in 2024, we learned how important Anzalone is to the Lions’ defense. There’s a very clear correlation between the Lions' defense being really good when he was healthy and then struggling after he broke his forearm. Then getting better again when he came back from the injury in the final weeks. He might never make a Pro Bowl or be an All-Pro, but he’s a key player in Detroit and nobody outside of the fanbase really seems to know that.“ —Mike Payton

Vikings WR Jordan Addison: “Addison has been hyper productive in his first two seasons with the Vikings, including outscoring Jefferson 19 touchdowns to 15. From a raw stats perspective, he's been excellent with two very productive seasons. Addison is often the third option on his own team, not because of his talent, but rather the Vikings have an embarrassment of riches. He thrives in multiple areas for the Vikings, as his play style is very similar to that of Jefferson. Addison has proven to be a lethal deep threat, along with thriving in the red zone. Oh, and Addison has caught passes from five different quarterbacks in his first two seasons.“ —Tyler Forness

Who will win the NFC North?

Minnesota Vikings: “This is a tough one because the Detroit Lions lost both coordinators, so I'm projecting some level of regression. J.J. McCarthy may also bring some level of regression to the Vikings offense, which would put the Packers in a great position to win the NFC North for the first time since 2021. However, I still think the Vikings have too good of an environment for a decent quarterback to fail. So, unless McCarthy is a disaster, head coach Kevin O'Connell will build a strong offense around him.“ —Wendell Ferreira

Green Bay Packers: “At some point Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love have to prove they can retake the NFC North AND be a legit threat in the playoffs or some tough decisions will have to be made. Green Bay seemingly has the fewest question marks now that Jordan Love is fully healthy and Jeff Hafley has a full year under his belt to iron out the defensive scheme. There are just too many unknowns for Detroit, Chicago, and Minnesota on offense to justify putting them above each other. No one knows how this division will truly look until we see those three teams in action, which gives the Packers a slight edge going into the year.“ —Kole Noble

Detroit Lions: “The Detroit Lions win a third straight division title. Everyone will want to tell that they couldn’t possibly do that because they lost their coordinators, but they still have the best roster in the division, and that defense, which was second defensive DVOA even without Aidan Hutchinson, only got better this offseason. The schedule also really plays to their favor in the second half of the year when they have the most rest and only have to play in cold weather once.“ —Mike Payton

Chicago Bears: None of the four writers picked the Bears to win the division. Tyler Forness’ pick was, naturally, the Vikings. It’s not surprising to see the Bears shorted considering they finished 5-12 last year while the rest of the division won double-digit games. But maybe we shouldn’t overlook Chicago, which improved its offense immensely (on paper) with major additions at receiver and offensive line. The defense has some underrated talent as well, so the biggest question will be whether Caleb Williams is good enough to take the team to the next level.

Who’s the division’s MVP?

Packers QB Jordan Love: While Mike Payton chose Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, the other three writers chose Love. Here’s what Wendell had to say about this choice: “Justin Jefferson and Penei Sewell are better players than Love in a vacuum, but the NFL is not a vacuum. Quarterbacks are simply more valuable, and Jordan Love has proven he can elevate an offense. Even with questionable weaponry around him and handling injuries, Love was able to make the Packers be the third offense by DVOA last season. When Love is healthy, he showed down the stretch in 2023 and during a relatively short period in 2024 that he can be an elite quarterback.“

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