A sea of change in the NFC West

Seattle and Arizona have ruled the NFC West for the better part of the last six years. However, last season saw a sea of change within the division. The Los Angeles Rams topped it and although the San Francisco 49ers finished bottom, their acquisition of Jimmy Garoppolo midseason changed their fortunes, there are high hopes for Kyle Shanahan’s team in 2018.

 

Los Angeles Rams (11-5)

Draft class: Joseph Noteboom (offensive tackle), Brian Allen (center), John Franklin (defensive end), Micah Kiser (linebacker), John Kelly (running back), Jamil Denby (offensive tackle), Sebastian Joseph (defensive tackle), Trevon Young (linebacker), Travin Howard (linebacker), Justin Lawler (defensive end).

 

The Rams were active in free agency bolstering their defense with trades for Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters at cornerback, as well as signing former Packer Sam Shields, who could be a steal if he stays healthy, and signing defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Sean McVay’s offense got another weapon as they flipped their 2018 first-round pick to the New England Patriots for speedy receiver Brandin Cooks.

 

Expectations are through the roof following last year’s dramatic turnaround and the players brought in during the offseason. Their playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons highlighted their lack of experience playing January football but they should be back for more very soon.

 

Reigning Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley is the heart and soul of the offense. His presence in the huddle is a security blanket for quarterback Jared Goff. Robert Woods started to emerge as a number one receiver for McVay and former third-round pick Cooper Kupp made an excellent contribution with 62 catches for 869 yards and five touchdowns.

 

There must be concern that star defensive lineman Aaron Donald has yet to report to camp as he seeks a new contract. Once he does come back into the fold defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has the personnel to recreate the historic defense which led Denver to victory in Super Bowl 50.

 

It will be hard to improve on an 11-5 season, but General Manager Les Snead has been aggressive in pursuing an even better record in 2018. A playoff win has to be the next milestone for the Rams, they are now a team with different expectations than two years ago.

 

Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

Draft class: Rashaad Penny (running back), Rasheem Green (defensive end), Will Dissly (tight end), Shaquem Griffin (linebacker), Tre Flowers (safety), Michael Dickson (punter), Jamarco Jones (offensive tackle).

 

Seattle didn’t feature in the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Head Coach Pete Carroll and General Manager John Schneider made drastic changes to the roster. Richard Sherman was released, Michael Bennett was traded, and Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril will not be part of the team due to health issues.

Seattle still have Russell Wilson, but he may be forced to turn in his best season yet. The offensive line is still questionable, as is the running game. The Seahawks spent a first-round pick on Penny to finally end the inconsistencies at running back. Jimmy Graham was not retained but Ed Dickson was signed to fill the void left at tight end. Brandon Marshall was brought in on a low-cost deal to give Wilson another pass catching threat, especially in the red zone.

Defensively there is a sea of change. The spine of the ‘Legion of Boom’ is gone, only an unsettled Earl Thomas remains on the roster. Second-year cornerback Shaquill Griffin had an encouraging rookie season and Byron Maxwell is a veteran presence in the secondary. On the defensive line Frank Clark will need to step up, giving Seattle another marquee lineman that teams pay special attention to now Bennett is gone.

The Super Bowl is always the aim for Seattle, but under major reconstruction they may have to accept another season without postseason football until their project is finished. The roster has question marks across the board, another season of uncertainty may be instore for 2018.

 

Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

Draft class: Josh Rosen (quarterback), Christian Kirk (wide receiver), Mason Cole (center), Chase Edmonds (running back), Christian Campbell (cornerback), Korey Cunningham (offensive tackle).

 

Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer are gone, the straight-talking coach and big armed QB settled into a deserved retirement. The Cardinals season was the very definition of average if you go by their record, however their defense was playing at an elite level down the stretch of last season. Two new quarterbacks are battling it out to start the new era in the desert with new Head Coach Steve Wilks.

Larry Fitzgerald returns for yet another season and that will to the joy of Sam Bradford and Rosen, the great wide receiver will be a safety valve for both. David Johnson will be back on the field after he was lost to a wrist injury last season. The fourth-year back played just one game last season but in 2016 he had an astounding 2,118 total scrimmage yards and 20 total touchdowns. His return, paired with Fitzgerald and second-round rookie Kirk, could supercharge the offense.

Defensively they lost fan favourite Tyrann Mathieu, a loss which may sting for a while, but they still have a lockdown corner in Patrick Peterson and one of the best pass rushers in the National Football League in Chandler Jones who logged 17 sacks in 2017. Since joining the team at the start of the 2016 season the former New England Patriot has 28 QB takedowns.

Wilks is an aggressive play-caller of the defensive side of the ball, he should fit like a glove in an organisation which has been one of the most daring since Arians took charge and changed the culture. Should the QB position be stable throughout the season there is no reason why they can’t make the playoffs.

 

 

San Francisco 49ers (6-10)

Draft class: Mike McGlinchey (offensive tackle), Dante Pettis (wide receiver), Fred Warner (linebacker), Tarvarius Moore (safety), Kentavius Street (defensive end), D.J. Reed (defensive back), Marcell Harris (defensive back), Jullian Taylor (defensive tackle), Richie James (wide receiver).

 

The mid-season trade for Jimmy Garoppolo changed the fortunes of the entire organisation. Kyle Shanahan’s squad went from hapless also ran to a potential outside contender in 2018. Richard Sherman was added through free agency on a three-year deal and they drafted McGlinchey to protect the handsome face of their franchise.

Garoppolo has set a near-impossible metric of improving on a 5-0 start last season. The former New England quarterback is the third highest paid player in the league at present yet has less career completions than QBs such as Brett Hundley and E.J. Manuel. The bar is set very high for he and Shanahan, who’s innovative offensive thinking was able to come to life once ‘Jimmy G’ was under center. Marquise Goodwin inked a new three-year deal his chemistry with his new signal caller was clear from the get go. Jerick McKinnon was brought in to be the running back in Shanahan’s zone running scheme after Carlos Hyde was shipped out.

There are still questions on the defensive side of the ball, but the unit could be underrated. They need more from their pass rush, Elvis Dumervil lead the team with six and a half sacks last year and he is no longer on the roster. Solomon Thomas has high hopes entering his sophomore season and DeForest Buckner is becoming a force off the other edge. Sherman will give much needed quality and experience to the secondary.

The pieces added through free agency and the draft bring Shanahan closer to his vision of what the 49ers can be. There are early comparisons being drawn to the Los Angeles Rams of 2017, and that is certainly a possibility, and it is perhaps the expectation with several roster holes plugged.