So what's in a name? When it comes to the NFC North, apparently more than most people might have considered, at least until 2002 and the NFL's wholesale realignment.

Before the reshuffling, enacted to accommodate a 32-team league, the division once known as the NFC Central (or, to Chris Berman, the "Norris Division") was arguably the most competitive in the entire league. Between 1991-2001, the division champion had a margin over the second-place team of just one game on six occasions, and the division had at least two playoff entries in 10 of those 11 years. In five of those years, the division hogged three or more playoff berths and it sent four franchises to postseason play in 1994 and 1997. And then last year, the league subtracted the Tampa Bay Bucs and added a new moniker to the division, and the result was far more lopsided than anyone could have predicted.

Division champ Green Bay won just one fewer game, 12, than the other three teams combined. The Packers had more victories outside the NFC North (seven) and more road wins (four) than the cumulative totals posted by Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit in those categories. Despite their cakewalk in 2002, things should not be as easy for the Packers in 2003, it appears.

It's difficult to imagine a Bears team that won 13 games in 2001 not bouncing back a bit. Minnesota won its final three games last season, is better than it played early on, and has a slew of cap room to attract reinforcements. Steve Mariucci should be able to fashion at least incremental improvement in Detroit. In its second season of existence, the NFC North won't get back to its old NFC Central roots, but should be considerably tighter than a year ago.

Here's a look at each NFC North team (in order of finish in 2002):

	Head coach Mike Sherman
	2002 record 12-4
	2002 finish Wild-card loser

Green Bay Packers
Overview: That sour taste Green Bay players still have in their mouths is the 27-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the wild-card round of the playoffs, the first-ever postseason defeat for the team at legendary Lambeau Field, but one which really exposed a lot of warts that had been well camouflaged to that point.

In the final regular-season game, the Packers were humiliated, 42-17, by the New York Jets, and they entered the playoffs with a fragile psyche. Almost as important, Green Bay was fragile physically as well, and its players just lacked the time to recover in mind and body.

There are plenty of excuses for how the Packers concluded a season that did feature 12 victories -- a spate of injuries that left the offense without either starting tackle, and thin upfront on defense, primary among them -- but the fact is that Green Bay simply was not a team as good as its record. Despite the presence of Brett Favre, who is talking about retirement with greater frequency now, the offense was spotty and its No. 13 ranking was deceiving. Ditto the defense, which rated 12th in the league, but allowed 4.84 yards per rush, the most since 1946. The team began to develop some young standouts, like wide receiver Donald Driver, safety Marques Anderson, and defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, but still has some holes to fill in 2003.

Biggest Needs: While the Green Bay defense tied for first in the league in turnover differential (plus-17) and had the third-most interceptions (24), the unit needs a quick fix, particularly in the front seven. It would help if end Joe Johnson was able to return from a triceps injury but, at age 31, there is no guarantee he will again be the player he was during his New Orleans tenure. Free agency could strip away some of the front four depth upon which coordinator Ed Donatell relied in 2002. Even more than on the line, though, the Packers need help at linebacker. Hardy Nickerson was hardly the answer in '02, never made a meaningful play, and looks used-up. Nate Wayne on the weak side wasn't the same player he was a year earlier. A big-time playmaker at the position would be a major boost.

Biggest Decisions: This is a franchise that, thanks to cap specialist Andy Brandt, has never lost a free agent it really wanted to retain. But that could be a tough streak to continue. Given their cap situation, the Packers likely will have to choose between a pair of defensive linemen, tackle Cletidus Hunt and end Vonnie Holliday, because they probably can't afford both. And this could be the year that Packers officials are forced to deal with the reality that Favre won't play forever. There are indications Green Bay will use its first-round choice on a quarterback and the decision could be key to the team's long-term future.

Cap Room: As usual, Green Bay is snug against the cap, about $1 million-$2 million over the limit, and there will have to be some belt-tightening. The bulk of the Packers' pending free agents are role players, but Holliday and Hunt, maybe even defensive tackle Gilbert Brown, are priorities. Look for Favre (cap value: $9.158 million) to restructure his deal to create some room. Other candidates for reworked contracts are corner Tyrone Williams ($8.2 million) and safety Darren Sharper ($5.467 million).

	Head coach Mike Tice
	2002 record 6-10
	2002 finish 2nd in NFC North

Minnesota Vikings
Overview: By winning their final three games, the Vikings turned rubbish into respectability, and established themselves as a franchise with which foes will have to reckon in 2003. But even before the season-ending flurry, there were signs Minnesota could be a future playoff contender, especially if the front office and coaching staff can conjure up a way to bolster the defense.

For the first time since before the Dennis Green regime, the Vikings spent an offseason addressing the defense but, unfortunately, didn't always spend wisely on free agents. In other situations, coach Mike Tice and deposed coordinator Willie Shaw relied on threadbare, retread veterans to try to stop the bleeding, and few of those players worked out. The new coordinator, former Georgia Tech (and, briefly, Notre Dame) coach George O'Leary, has a few good youngsters, like tackle Chris Hovan, around whom to build, but his task is a daunting one.

On offense, the Vikings ranked No. 2 in overall offense and led the league in rushing, but quarterback Daunte Culpepper has to do a better job of protecting the football. Hopefully, in his second season, Tice, a popular coach with his players, will forget about the inane "Randy Ratio" and quit trying to force the ball to wideout Randy Moss. There are enough weapons on offense now, with the emergence of tailback Michael Bennett, to complement Moss' skills.

Biggest Needs: Some stability in the secondary, which might come if the Vikings can find a true cover corner in the draft or free agency, would be a good start. Minnesota started seven different secondary combinations in '02 and none were really effective. Corey Chavous needs to play somewhere, but needs to be able to settle in at one spot, and quit being asked to bounce back and forth between safety and cornerback. He at least offers some sort of foundation for the unit. The defense also needs to find a consistent pass rusher, since its 27 sacks in 2002 were the third fewest in the NFL, and has to find some linebackers who can make plays. Oh, yeah, on offense, the Vikings might need to insert a handle on the football. Culpepper, who definitely regressed in '02, was responsible for 33 of 41 turnovers.

Biggest Decisions: A longtime offensive line mentor, Tice needs to settle on a starting five, and to stick with it. In his second season, left tackle Bryant McKinnie, whose rookie year was truncated by a long holdout, could be a Pro Bowl-caliber player. The Vikings face a key decision in the draft. If there is a quality cornerback there, and a top-shelf defensive tackle or end, it will be a tough call for the personnel people.

Cap Room: With just $47.2 million committed to the '03 ceiling, the club has more than sufficient room to make a real move in free agency. Unlike a year ago, though, Minnesota needs to spend smartly, to try to attract young defenders still in ascent. Moss is really the lone big-ticket item, with a cap value of $7.89 million, and his contract can stay as it is. In fact, after Moss, there are only two other players with cap numbers higher than $2 million. Look for the Vikings to make a real run at trying to get an extension with Culpepper, who is entering the final year of his original deal.

	Head coach Dick Jauron
	2002 record 4-12
	2002 finish 3rd in NFC North

Chicago Bears
Overview: It was, and not just figuratively, a collapse for the ages. When the Bears plummeted to just four wins last season, after 13 victories in 2001, the fall literally marked one of the biggest one-season slippages in league history. Part of the meltdown, but not all of it, can be attributed to injuries. Chicago started a league-high 46 different players, with three different quarterbacks and five different cornerbacks, and the lack of stability was glaring for much of the campaign.

Beyond the injuries, the Bears were a sloppy team that didn't make as many big plays as in the magical '01 season, and there came a point when it appeared the players just figured they were snake-bit. Chicago was actually 2-0 at one point, held a 20-0 lead over New Orleans in the third game of the season, and lost that contest 29-23. That not only was the first of 12 defeats in a 14-game span, but also set a tone for the kind of futility the Bears were to experience.

Chicago rated just 29th offensively, a reflection of the unsettled quarterback situation, and defensively was No. 25, a huge dropoff from the year before. This is a team that somehow lost the resourcefulness that highlighted its '01 division championship. It isn't a team whose talent is as bad as last year's record indicates, but there remain plenty of pieces that need to be reassembled.

Biggest Needs: There is a good chance that none of the quarterbacks on the Bears' roster in 2002 will be on the roster for the start of the 2003 season. Whether through the draft or free agency, or both, general manager Jerry Angelo has to rebuild the position, not just for this year but for the future. Angelo knows you don't win in the NFL without a quality quarterback and the Bears can't afford to just settle for a stopgap. In concert with that, the Bears must alter their offensive strategy and start to stretch the field. The dink-and-dunk scheme of coordinator John Shoop is nettlesome, but does produce more 20-yard completions than its critics might realize. There has to be a middle ground, though, for the offense to grow. On defense, there has to be a more aggressive approach. Chicago had nine interceptions last season, tied for lowest in the league, and just wasn't very resourceful.

Biggest Decision: It appears that one key decision, the future of excellent outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin (10½ sacks each of the past two years) is already decided, with Chicago prepared to sacrifice him in free agency. The Bears must also look hard at the tailback position and decide whether Anthony Thomas is the "A-Train" who won offensive rookie of the year honors in 2001 or just a caboose. Angelo seems determined to have a solid running game, even if that means bringing in another tailback to challenge Thomas, a major disappointment in '02.

Salary Cap: The Bears currently have about $69 million committed to the cap so, while they aren't in dire straits, neither is there much wiggle room. The club will create some space by releasing onetime Pro Bowl wideout Marcus Robinson ($4.025 million) and the viability of defensive tackle Ted Washington ($2.63 million), who missed virtually the entire 2002 season, is also in question. Defensive end Phillip Daniels ($5.606 million) could be asked to restructure his current deal.

	Head coach Steve Mariucci
	2002 record 3-13
	2002 finish 4th in NFC North

Detroit Lions
Overview: If new head coach Steve Mariucci can cobble this ragamuffin bunch into a team that even approximates something close to respectability, he will be worth every cent of the $25 million the Ford family is paying him under his five-year contract.

When he assumed control of the San Francisco 49ers in 1997, Mariucci was more a caretaker, charged with the responsibility of maintaining an aging but still competitive squad. This time, "Mooch" had better strap on a hard hat, because the Lions certainly represent a daunting construction job. How else to describe a team that won just five games, and none on the road, over the last two seasons? The offense ranked 28th and the defense was next-to-last in the league in 2002 and, almost as bad, the front office seemed to lack direction.

Team president Matt Millen has dismissed much of his original management team, scored a huge victory in luring buddy Mariucci back to his Michigan roots, and will take more personal control of the scouting department. Well, at least two out of three isn't all that bad, huh? Thankfully, for Mariucci, there is a foundation of sorts in second-year quarterback Joey Harrington, a guy with whom the coach will enjoy working and around whom the Lions must build.

Biggest needs: Even in the nebulous world of the Internet, there might not be requisite space to detail the Detroit shopping list. The defense is a mess, especially in the "back end," at linebacker and the secondary. Most of the top defensive players are on the wrong side of 30, or soon will be, and even the younger standouts had poor 2002 outings. Second-year tackle Shaun Rogers was overweight and underachieving. Chris Claiborne also played about 20 pounds too heavy and, while Mariucci has hinted he wants to keep him, the former first-round could escape in free agency. Somewhere this team has to find a shut-down cornerback, no small feat, but probably will not take one with the second overall choice in the draft.

Biggest decision: One of the few incumbent players who fits into the West Coast offense that Mariucci will implement is standout fullback Cory Schlesinger, one of the NFL's best unknown players. Tailback James Stewart is a solid runner between the tackles, but might not be an optimum fit for the new offense. Certainly the top two wide receivers, Az-Zahir Hakim and Bill Schroeder, lack the kind of size Mariucci prefers and will be viewed through a harsher spectrum. The biggest personnel decisions could come on the defensive front. Tackle Luther Elliss and end Robert Porcher have been mainstays, but there production has dropped off, and their cap numbers are very high.

Salary Cap: The good news is that vice president Tom Lewand, who has been preoccupied the past couple years working on the Ford Field project, can get back to managing the salary cap. With about $66 million committed to the '03 limit, Detroit is in good, not great, shape. The Lions will carry big hits for departed players Charlie Batch and Herman Moore, but they drop off the books after this season. Porcher has a whopping cap value ($10.8 million) and Elliss' is high ($7.43 million) as well.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.