2022 NFC North training camp preview: Storylines for the Bears, Lions, Packers and Vikings

Players report: July 23 (rookies); July 26 (veterans)

First practice: July 27 (full schedule)

Location: PNC Center at Halas Hall | Lake Forest, Illinois

Notable acquisitions/re-signings:

• QB Trevor Siemian
• WR N'Keal Harry
• WR Byron Pringle
• WR Equanimeous St. Brown
• TE Ryan Griffin
• OL Lucas Patrick
• DT Justin Jones
• LB Nicholas Morrow
• CB Tavon Young

Notable departures:

• QB Andy Dalton* (No. 101; Saints)
• QB Nick Foles (Colts)
• WR Marquise Goodwin (Seahawks)
• WR Jakeem Grant (Browns)
• WR Allen Robinson* (No. 8; Rams)
• OT Germain Ifedi (Falcons)
• OG James Daniels* (No. 23; Steelers)
• DT Akiem Hicks* (No. 34; Buccaneers)
• DT Bilal Nichols* (No. 52; Raiders)
• NT Eddie Goldman (Falcons)
• LB Khalil Mack (traded to Chargers)

Subplots to track:

1. It's all about Justin Fields. The quarterback is coming off a bumpy rookie campaign in which he dealt with injuries, inconsistency and a coaching staff that didn't seem to know how to best use his skill set. Fields owns a cannon and can be dynamic with his legs. Any hope the Bears have of making a quick rebuild under the new regime comes down to Fields proving he's a legit face-of-the-franchise force.
2. How will the offense look under Luke Getsy? Much of Fields' success or failure will come down to the new offensive coordinator putting him in better positions than the last coaching staff. Getsy spent the past three seasons in Green Bay working with Aaron Rodgers. In Getsy's first OC role in the pros, training camp and the preseason will be the start of seeing his vision for Fields and the Bears' offense.
3. Besides Darnell Mooney, who will Fields be throwing to? Mooney is a stud, but the rest of the receiving corps is full of question marks. Can Byron Pringle be more than a third fiddle? Might Velus Jones Jr. be the latest rookie WR to shine? Could the tight end crew of Cole Kmet, Ryan Griffin and James O'Shaughnessy provide playmaking ability? There are more questions than answers at this stage. (UPDATE: The New England Patriots traded N'Keal Harry to the Bears in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.)
4. How will the Robert Quinn situation unfold? Quinn skipped mandatory minicamp, and despite coach Matt Eberflus downplaying the situation, rumors have swirled. Quinn is still productive at 32 years old, coming off an 18.5-sack season. With the Bears already trading Khalil Mack this offseason, edge rusher is a major question mark even if Quinn reports to camp and plays. If he's shipped out of town in the coming weeks, the Bears will be uber thin on the edge.
5. Is cornerback Jaylon Johnson back in the starting rotation to stay? Earlier this spring, there was a big hullabaloo over Johnson taking reps with the second team. Eberflus brushed off the issue, but it bears tracking. Based on talent, Johnson projects as the clear choice opposite second-round draft pick Kyler Gordon. But we've seen new coaching staffs shake things up in the past with players who shined under previous regimes.

Players report: July 23 (rookies); July 26 (veterans)

First practice: July 27 (full schedule)

Location: Detroit Lions Training Facility | Allen Park, Michigan

Notable acquisitions/re-signings:

• QB David Blough
• QB Tim Boyle
• WR D.J. Chark* (No. 57)
• WR Josh Reynolds
• DE Charles Harris
• LB Alex Anzalone
• LB Jarrad Davis
• S DeShon Elliott* (No. 59)
• S Tracy Walker* (No. 87)

Notable departures:

• WR KhaDarel Hodge (Falcons)
• LB Trey Flowers* (No. 44)
• LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (Texans)
• S Dean Marlowe (Falcons)

Subplots to track:

1. How high can hometown kid Aidan Hutchinson soar as a rookie? If the Lions are to turn it around in Year 2 under Dan Campbell, the defense must improve by leaps and bounds. That starts with pressuring the quarterback. Detroit, which ranked 30th in the league in sacks in 2021, hasn't had a consistent, relentless edge rusher who demands the offense's attention since the days of Robert Porcher. If Hutchinson is that man, it'll help the entire process, including a secondary that was better than its numbers last year but got no help from a toothless pass rush.
2. The Lions injected firepower into the offense in the form of D.J. Chark and (eventually) rookie Jameson Williams. With Amon-Ra St. Brown flummoxing cover men before and after the catch and T.J. Hockenson primed to really break out, there are weapons for the offense to move the ball. The question heading into training camp is what sort of offensive scheme will we see under new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and how much control will Campbell retain over the unit? The Lions have heaped a ton of praise on Jared Goff, suggesting he's a different player than he was in his first year in Detroit. We'll see if that ends up being offseason smoke, or if Goff can get closer to his ceiling in 2022.
3. Beginning with former No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah, the Lions have several young players worth monitoring as they come back from serious injuries. Okudah has played in just 10 games in two years. The Lions' secondary would be much improved if he can stay healthy and finally live up to his draft standing. How much (if anything) will Jameson Williams (ACL) and defensive end Romeo Okwara (Achilles) do in camp?
4. How will the Lions plan to utilize RB duo D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams? If healthy, Swift provides more home run ability, but Williams is a dual-threat back who keeps the offense in good down-and-distance situations. RBs coach Duce Staley challenged Swift this offseason, suggesting Detroit wants the RB to take on a bigger role. While we expect both backs to share duties, it's a position worth watching, especially if Swift shows a lot of pop this camp.
5. Hard Knocks, baby. The inside look at the Lions during training camp should offer insight into a team that usually keeps things close to the vest. Of course, Campbell will give us a few good bite-their-kneecap-type quotes here and there. Still, I'm interested in seeing how the rest of the coaching staff full of former players -- the likes of Aaron Glenn, Aubrey Pleasant, Mark Brunell, Antwaan Randle El, Duce Staley, etc. -- interacts with and teaches players.

Players report: July 22 (rookies); July 26 (veterans)

First practice: July 27 (full schedule)

Location: Nitschke Field | Green Bay, Wisconsin

Notable acquisitions/re-signings:

• QB Aaron Rodgers (extension)
• WR Allen Lazard
• WR Sammy Watkins
• DT Jarran Reed
• LB De'Vondre Campbell* (No. 20)
• LB Preston Smith (extension)
• CB Jaire Alexander (extension)
• CB Rasul Douglas* (No. 53)

Notable departures:

• WR Davante Adams (traded to Raiders)
• WR Equanimeous St. Brown (Bears)
• WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling* (No. 61; Chiefs)
• OL Billy Turner (Broncos)
• OG Lucas Patrick (Bears)
• DE Whitney Mercilus (retired)
• LB Za'Darius Smith* (No. 21, Vikings)
• CB Kevin King* (No. 92)

Subplots to track:

1. Who will replace the production of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling? It's the No. 1 question in all of Wisconsin this summer. The truth is that the Packers aren't even exactly sure yet. Will second-rounder Christian Watson be a stud out of the gate? Can Sammy Watkins recapture his early-career form after years of injuries? Is Allen Lazard more than a second fiddle? Can Amari Rodgers develop into a playmaker? Is Romeo Doubs better than his fourth-round draft pedigree? Is Randall Cobb more than a teacher's pet? We'll begin to see how the Packers answer those questions in a few weeks.
2. Will the losses to the offensive coaching staff have any effect on the field? Losing two key members in former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and passing game coordinator Luke Getsy takes away trusted talent for Matt LaFleur. Adam Stenavich is in as OC, and we'll see if Tom Clements can slide seamlessly back into his QB coach role and mesh again with Rodgers immediately. How might those changes affect LaFleur's game-planning? We'll get our first glimpses at camp.
3. How do the two first-round rookies look? The Packers' defense was already stingy. Former Georgia Bulldogs Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt could make it even tougher. If one or both push their way into a load of snaps early, it could mean big things for a Packers defense poised to be among the best in the NFL.
4. How healthy will the offensive line be? LaFleur said this offseason the hope is that David Bakhtiari will be ready for training camp. How close to 100 percent is the former All-Pro? Elgton Jenkins, a key cog, played just eight games last year due to a torn ACL. If both are healthy in 2022, the Packers' O-line could be among the best in the league.
5. Rashan Gary received rave reviews this offseason. Will those carry through camp and into the season? The edge rusher bullied opposing blockers last year, even if he came up shy of the double-digit sack mark with 9.5. All indications are he's poised for a true breakout campaign.

Players report: July 24 (rookies); July 26 (veterans)

First practice: July 27 (full schedule)

Location: TCO Performance Center | Eagan, Minnesota

Notable acquisitions/re-signings:

• QB Kirk Cousins (extension)
• OG Jesse Davis
• OG Chris Reed
• DT Harrison Phillips
• LB Jordan Hicks
• LB Za'Darius Smith* (No. 21)
• CB Patrick Peterson* (No. 81)
• CB Chandon Sullivan

Notable departures:

• TE Tyler Conklin (Jets)
• OL Mason Cole (Steelers)
• DE Everson Griffen
• DT Michael Pierce (Ravens)
• DT Sheldon Richardson* (No. 79)
• LB Anthony Barr* (No. 60)
• LB Nick Vigil (Cardinals)
• S Xavier Woods* (No. 91; Panthers)

Subplots to track:

1. The Vikings are evolving from a ground-and-pound offense to a more pass-happy unit under Kevin O'Connell. How will that transition look for Kirk Cousins? Third-year pro Justin Jefferson is poised to be among the league leaders in catches and yards. With Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn rounding out the top three WR spots, how will the competition for the No. 4 role shake out?
2. Dalvin Cook talked this offseason about being more involved in the passing game. It will be interesting to see how O'Connell utilizes the workhorse back. Will the three-time Pro Bowler, who's averaged 314 touches per year since 2019, get the ball in space more to help keep his body from wearing down while not totally curtailing his touches?
3. If healthy, Za'Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter could be the top pass-rushing tandem in the NFL. But they played a combined eight regular-season games last year. Their health will be key to the Vikings' defense recapturing form under new coordinator Ed Donatell. Elsewhere on defense, how will the corner crew stack up in the new system after last year's struggles under Mike Zimmer? 
4. Who will win the battle at right guard? Jesse Davis, Chris Reed and second-round rookie Ed Ingram are vying for the gig. Last year, the position was an Achilles' heel for the Vikings. Solidifying that spot up the middle would be huge for Cousins.
5. How does Kellen Mond improve under the new staff? The second-year quarterback might start camp behind veteran Sean Mannion, but I'm interested to see if Mond improves after being in Zimmer's dog house all of last season and weathering a bout with COVID-19, which put him behind. Can the Texans A&M product show enough improvement with his opportunities to at least win the backup job?