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MINNESOTA VIKINGS (14-4)

OPEN CAMP: July 25 (rookies) Adam Vinatieri Jersey , July 28 (veterans), Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, Eagan, Minnesota

LAST YEAR: Despite losing starting QB Sam Bradford after season opener and rookie RB Dalvin Cook in fourth game, both to knee injuries, Vikings rode backup QB Case Keenum and league-leading defense to second-most wins in franchise history. Beat Saints on last-second 61-yard TD pass from Keenum to WR Stefon Diggs in play dubbed "Minneapolis Miracle," before being trounced by Eagles in NFC championship game to miss chance of becoming NFL's first Super Bowl host to play in game.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, QB Kirk Cousins, DT Sheldon Richardson, PK Daniel Carlson, CB/KR Mike Hughes, WR Kendall Wright, OG Tom Compton, QB Trevor Siemian, OT Brian O'Neill.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: Keenum, Bradford, RB Jerick McKinnon, RG Joe Berger, WR Jarius Wright, DT Tom Johnson, DT Shamar Stephen, QB Teddy Bridgewater Jamon Brown Jersey , OL Jeremiah Sirles.

CAMP NEEDS: Cousins must continue to build chemistry with Diggs, WR Adam Thielen, TE Kyle Rudolph and rest of receivers, but even more important is establishment of healthy line in front of him. RT Rashod Hill will be in spotlight after taking most of first-team reps in spring practices while Mike Remmers moved to RG, and C Pat Elflein has catching up to do with Cousins on cadence and calls; Elflein was out of team drills all offseason in recovery from shoulder, ankle injuries. Cook looks to step back in as starting tailback 10 months after ACL surgery. First-round draft pick Hughes will have opportunity to earn jobs as primary KR and nickel CB.

EXPECTATIONS: As high as ever, with fully guaranteed contract for Cousins and under-radar signing of Richardson to supplement one of league's most stacked rosters. With Diggs, DE Danielle Hunter and LB Anthony Barr on expiring contracts and handful of defense's stars nearing, at, or over 30, time is now for team's first title. Repeating last year's record won't be easy, with questions remaining on offensive line, where Berger's retirement created opening, and stiffer schedule that includes road trips to face Rams, Eagles, Patriots and Seahawks.

DETROIT LIONS (9-7)

OPEN CAMP: July 27, Allen Park, Michigan

LAST YEAR: Early and late-season slides knocked team out of playoff contention and cost coach Jim Caldwell job. QB Matthew Stafford led pass-dependent offense with 1,000-yard WRs Marvin Jones and Golden Tate. CB Darius Slay emerged as one of league's best in coverage.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: Coach Matt Patricia, RB LeGarrette Blount, RB Kerryon Johnson, TE Luke Willson Duke Johnson Jersey , C Frank Ragnow, DT Sylvester Williams, LB Christian Jones, LB Devon Kennard.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: Coach Jim Caldwell, TE Eric Ebron, DT Haloti Ngata, LB Tahir Whitehead.

CAMP NEEDS: Developing running game with two new backs and rookie center. Learning new defense with first-year head coach and new coordinator Paul Pasqualoni.

EXPECTATIONS: Making playoffs must be goal after firing coach coming off third winning season in four years. Third-year GM Bob Quinn wants team to become tougher, especially in short yardage and near goal line.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-9)

OPEN CAMP: July 26, Green Bay, Wisconsin

LAST YEAR: Finished under .500 and out of playoffs for first time since 2008. Offense struggled with QB Aaron Rodgers sidelined for seven games with broken collarbone. Defense plagued by porous secondary and lack of consistent pass rush. Injuries ravaged cornerback position again.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: GM Brian Gutekunst, offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, QB DeShone Kizer, TE Jimmy Graham, TE Marcedes Lewis, CB Tramon Williams, rookie CBs Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson, DL Muhammad Wilkerson.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: retired GM Ted Thompson, defensive coordinator Dom Capers, S Morgan Burnett, WR Jordy Nelson, G Jahri Evans Tom Jackson Jersey , TE Richard Rodgers.

CAMP NEEDS: Find receiver to replace Nelson. Packers took three wideouts in middle rounds of draft, but returnees Geronimo Allison and Trevor Davis could have early edge. With Rodgers sidelined, Nelson's production tailed off last year, and Packers let him go in offseason and brought in Graham to provide big target over middle. At their best, Rodgers and Nelson were one of top combos in league. Packers need to develop pass-rush depth behind Clay Matthews and Nick Perry, and hope that Alexander and Jackson can learn from Williams to help in coverage.

EXPECTATIONS: Packers are always threat as long as Rodgers is healthy. Last season served as painful lesson of what team needs to shore up defensive deficiencies that could be masked by their gifted quarterback. At worst, expect return to playoffs 鈥?assuming Rodgers is healthy 鈥?following offseason full of changes in Titletown.

CHICAGO BEARS (5-11)

OPEN CAMP: July 19, Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Illinois

LAST YEAR: Bears finished last in NFC North for fourth straight year, then fired coach John Fox after three losing seasons. GM Ryan Pace got contract extension through 2021 and hired Andy Reid protege Matt Nagy as head coach, hoping he gets most out of QB Mitchell Trubisky. Wide receivers were big weakness, with Cameron Meredith (left knee) out for season and Kevin White (shoulder) missing most of it. Chicago's leading receiver was Kendall Wright 鈥?now with Minnesota 鈥?with 59 receptions for 614 yards. Bears had formidable RB tandem with Jordan Howard (1,122 yards) and Tarik Cohen (370 yards rushing, 353 receiving), though Howard struggled to catch passes. Defense ranked 10th overall despite injuries to several key players, including LB Leonard Floyd.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: Coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, WR Allen Robinson, TE Trey Burton, WR Taylor Gabriel, K Cody Parkey Denzelle Good Jersey , rookie LB Roquan Smith, rookie WR Anthony Miller, rookie G/C Jam

Much has been written and said about so-called Non-Disclosure Agreements in recent months, primarily in the realm of presidential politics. But it was the existence (and violation) of multiple NDAs that directly contributed to the decision of Panthers founder Jerry Richardson to sell the team. And it’s possible that NDAs could soon have limited use by NFL franchises.

In Thursday afternoon’s hey-its-not-Friday-so-the-media-can’t-call-it-a-bad-news-dump announcement that Richardson will surrender $2.75 million of his multi-billion-dollar windfall for selling the team as a fine, the Commissioner points out that not-really-independent investigator Mary Jo White recommends a prohibition against the future use of NDAs聽聽“to limit reporting of potential violations or cooperation in League investigations under the Personal Conduct Policy.”

In other words, civil settlement agreements between teams and current or former employees may still contain confidentiality provisions, like most settlement agreements do. But the NFL will require that exceptions be recognized to: (1) allow the team to report the incident giving rise to the settlement to the league office; and (2) permit the current or former employee to cooperate with an NFL investigation.

Frankly, there should be no need for a prohibition on the use of NDAs as it relates to the reporting of an incident because the team should report the incident well before it becomes the subject of a signed and sealed confidentiality agreement. The Personal Conduct Policy requires immediate reporting of any allegations that, if true, would result in a violation. So if the settlement agreement with the NDA targets allegations that, if true, would constitute a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy, the disclosure to the league office should be made at the moment the team first becomes aware of the allegation of workplace misconduct.

That’s the ultimate problem in this specific case. Richardson had current or former employees threaten litigation regarding alleged workplace misconduct, and he settled the claims without advising the league office of the allegations. And if the recipients of the settlement proceeds hadn’t violated the NDAs, no one would have ever known.

In big business, that’s hardly an uncommon practice. From the moment the Richardson story first broke, a fair question emerged regarding the extent to which other owners or franchises have entered over the years into similar agreements in order to resolve claims that could have resulted in litigation in open court.

Like the NFL did with the Saints’ bounty scandal (which first introduced us to not-so-independent investigator Mary Jo White), the NFL apparently has opted to fill the rabbit hole with cement in lieu of exploring how many of the other 31 rabbits are living in there. Chances are at least one or two (or more) are scurrying around down there, hoping not to be found.

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