The other members of the NFC North division have been having their difficulties.  Below are a few things I have noticed, mostly with some glee.

Chicago Bears:

Back in March (just prior to the legal tampering period), Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace decided to convert $13 million of Khalil Mack's 2019 base salary to a signing bonus.  That freed up $10.4 million in cap space.  The Bears also converted $3 million of Eddie Goldman's base salary to free up $2.25 million in cap space around the same time. 

Many observers assumed that the Bears were going to make a big move or two in free agency.  However, the Bears allowed Bryce Callahan leave and replaced him with Buster Skrine, even though the savings was just $1.5 million per year.  GM Pace also let Adrian Amos walk, but did manage to replace him for a lot less by signing Clinton-Dix.  For reasons that elude me, Pace also signed Cordarelle Patter for $5 million AAV.  Time will tell how that works out.

Many observers suggested that signing Mack would strain the team's cap.  At the moment, the Bears have over $17 million in cap space per Overthecap, but are estimated to have a negative $4.4 million in cap space for 2020.  However, Chicago figures to roll over in excess of $13 million into 2020 since Pace has not spent heavily in 2019.  So far.

The decision on Mack, while it frees up space this year, puts his cap hits firmly in quarterback territory going forward: $26, $26.6, and $27.15 million from 2020 to 2022.  2023 is the first year Mack's dead money hit drops below $12 million, although due to his enormous cap hits, there are some cap savings. 

Minnesota Vikings:

There were reports that the Vikings were interested in extending Kyle Rudolph, but I suspect that is a euphmism for lowering his $7.625 million cap number.  It might well actually mean that the team wants him to take a straight paycut since he has no dead money and his compensation is all cash this year. 

At any rate, as one astute reader recently noted, the Vikings have just $664,266 in cap space (per the NFLPA) and thus cannot sign its first round pick until the team generates some cap space.  Nothing like giving a mediocre quarterback top money and then 100 percent guaranteeing it to boot, while also overpaying for Anthony Barr. 

2020 looks even worse.with a negative $3.2 million in estimated cap space, per OTC, and with no prospect of any rollover from 2019.

Detroit Lions:

Lots of interesting things are happening in Detroit.  Last year there were grumblings from unnamed veterans about Matt Patricia's stricter rules and how intense his practices were.  The Lions responded by bringing in four players with ties to New England: Trey Flowers, Danny Amendola, Justin Coleman, and Rashaan Melvin.  Lions GM Bob Quinn even mentioned as a plus the experience these four former Patriots have with the "demands of the program," meaning Patricia's program.

Detroit's plan with its free agents is also odd.  Trey Flowers ($18M AAV) has a $6.4 million cap number for 2019.  That decision means that he will still have a large negative cap savings number (-$6.85 million) in the third year of his contract.  Quinn also signed Justin Coleman ($9 million AAV) but assigned just a $2.84 million 2019 cap hit.  The Lions signed Jesse James ($5.65 million AAV) but assigned just a $2.28 million first year cap number. 

Even more bizarrely, the contracts of both James and Coleman have fifth years that void automatically. That allows the Lions to spread the signing bonuses over five years instead of four (also leaving built-in dead money), but to what purpose?

The three newly signed free agents have a combined first year cap hit of $11.54 million.  Their combined 2020 cap hit balloons to $31.05 million.  Their combined cap hit comes in at $37.45 million in 2021 and $41.45 in 2022.

It looks to me like Detroit is in "win-now" mode based on these contract structures.  While I like several players they drafted and these free agent signings seem okay if a little pricey in the case of Flowers and Coleman (who is described as the highest paid nickel back in the NFL), I do not think the team is a legitimate contender.

The Lions are not in any cap trouble.  According to Overthecap, the Lions have a comfortable $23 million in 2019 cap space, and over $20 million for 2020 (which should be increased by a sizeable rollover of unused cap space from 2019). 

Perhaps the GM is contemplating another move or two this season.  Time will tell if it works out for Detroit, but it sure seems odd.