I wanted to take a deep look into my own division to highlight the brightest spots of the NFC West and how the teams rank. I want to review the teams by position types: QB, O line, D line, etc.. I do understand this is a very early reaction as teams rosters are still in flux, so I am excited to revisit these rankings as we approach kickoff.
Offense
QB:
Rams - A+
49ers - A-
Seahawks - B
Cardinals - B
Winner: Rams. Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger are clear favorite QBs in the NFC West. Warner has a bright future in the SFL. Already showing incredible success winning the Superbowl last year.
Jeff Garcia?s veteran experience puts him next in line, but Matt Hasslebeck shows serious flashes last season. There is a lot of upside in Seattle. Carson Palmer is the newest face in the division. Palmer?s stats makes him an obvious first round talent. His throw and accuracy is elite, but he?s learning and I?m expecting mistakes that will hurt the team.
HB:
Rams - A+
Seahawks - B+
49ers - B+
Cardinals - C
Winner: Rams. Again, Marshall Faulk is the obvious top talent in this position. Faulk won the Rams games singlehanded last year and put the team on his back after Warner was injured. Expect Faulk to continue to run hard in the new season.
I put Shaun Alexander next on the list. The Seahawks best offensive weapon is expected to get a large workload. His size and ability makes him an elite starter until he retires in a Seahawk uniform. Garrison Hearst was overshadowed last year by Emitt Smith in a terrible shuffle where his talents never really shown through. With Smith out of the way, the workload will be on his shoulders and might change his outlook. The Cardinals have a lot of raw talent with no obvious running back. We?re predicting Chris Brown might get the leading role. Drafted this year, he has the size GM Richardson wants in an RB. But could also be a split between Brown and speedster Josh Scobey.
WR:
Rams: A
49ers: B+
Seahawks: C+
Cardinals: C-
Winner: Rams. Another obvious choice. Issac Bruce and Tory Holt tore up the league. It's hard to find another duo as reliable.
49er?s Terrell Owens makes him the next choice. At age 30 he still has gas in the tank. David Tyree and Bethel Johnson are the two newest names on Seattle?s roster. Their size and speed will put them in the lineup each week. Cardinals drafted Jon Olinger in the first round. We?re expecting Olinger to develop along side Carson Palmer. The future of the Cardinals offense are those two names.
Offensive Line:
Rams: A
Seahawks: B
49ers: C
Cardinals: D
Winner: Rams. Orlando Pace, Erik Williams, and Adam Timmerman leads the STL offensive line. Those three responsible of their leading offense keeping Warner protected and opening lanes for Faulk. Their success is married to the big guys up front.
Seattle Seahawks were next in rank. Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson help create the seahawks running game. San Francisco has some pieces in Ron Stone and new center Tim Ruddy, but have some work. The Cardinals have a young and undeveloped O line. RT Tony Boselli is the top talent in AZ.
Special Teams:
Rams: A-
49ers: B+
Cardinals: B-
Seahawks: C
Winner: Rams. Jeff Wilkins is the top elite kicker in the NFC West. Combination of power and accuracy makes him reliable all season.
49ers have K Jeff Chandler. His skill set is better than his statistics. Right on the verge of elite, this season Chandler should improve and get his accuracy above 90. The Cardinals and Paul Edinger is next. KAC is over 90, but Kick power might limit his range. Finally Seahawk?s Aaron Elling has moderate skill set. There is no punter in Seattle at the moment, putting them in last.
Offensive Summary:
The rams dominate the top rankings of offense in all categories. Look for this team to be at the top of the scoreboard each week giving the league another peek into who to beat come January. The 49ers and Seahawks have some bright spots on offense with the Seahawks with a brighter future than the aging 49ers. But the 49ers have enough elite talent, they could make a run for the playoffs this year. They better hurry the window is closing fast. The cardinals have a fresh new offense coming out of the draft. They?re immediately putting the team in the hands of Carson Palmer. This team might not be elite competitors now, but the foundation is being built in Arizona. They won't be going 1-15 again.
Defense
Defensive Line:
Rams - A
49ers - B
Cardinals - B
Seahawks - C+
Winner: Rams. The rams defensive line put a lot of pressure on the QB thanks to Leonard Little and Grant Winstrom. Those two are key to the Rams defensive plan and the top DE pair in the SFL.
49ers are ranked next because of DT Bryant Young. Last year playing behind Dana Suddenfeld, this year the 49ers sent Suddenfeld to Atlanta and Young will be leading the middle defensive line. The Cardinals draft pick Osi Umenyiora puts them next in ranking. Saying goodbye to Kyle Vander Bosch, Cardinals got their man in the 1st round. Excellent talent, we?re excited to see how he performs in the new season. And the Seahawks rank last with moderate talent on their D Line. All returning players, Seattle?s defensive line isn?t scaring many GMs.
LB:
Rams: B+
Cardinals: B
Seahawks: B-
49ers: C+
Winner: Rams. Jesse Armstead is the top LB in the group. GM Justin Walstead did a good job at free agency. The Rams improved their LBs with Ed McDaniel and Allen Aldridge. Their LB situation looks really decent right now.
Cardinals ranked next with veteran Ted Johnson and Chris Slade. There is room for improvement at LOLB, but those vets should give them a boost. Chad Brown is the top talent in Seattle, but I have questions about the surrounding talent. And finally the 49ers, Derek Smith is the leader of that group, but they are missing talent. Perhaps they can make some moves before kickoff.
CB:
49ers: A-
Seahawks: B
Rams: B-
Cardinals: C
Winner: 49ers. Making a trade with the STL Rams Aeneas Williams is now in a Gold uniform. Veteran talent is a huge boost from a group that gave up a lot of yards through the air. The addition has flipped the rankings in the NFC West. The 49ers are banking on Williams to make a big contribution to the team.
The Seahawks rank next thanks to Ken Lucas which lead the SFL as on of the leaders in interceptions last year. The Rams added Dexter McCleon as an addition for the traded Williams. The remaining talent in STL should do a decent job keeping them in the game. Finally the Cardinals, led by Willie Williams. They?re missing the collection of height and speed. Interested to see if they made additions before kickoff.
Safeties:
49ers: A-
Rams: B
Seahawks: C
Cardinals: D+
Winner: 49ers. Again making trades with the Redskins for veteran LeRoy Butler and signing Sammy Knight were large improvements from last years team. Trying to address a painpoint from last year the 49ers have greatly improved their defensive backs. Age will hurt them.
The Rams added Troy Polumalu in the draft as an excellent SS. Seahawks Reggie Tongue leads with 85 tackles last year, but i worry if 7th rounder Chris Crocker will start at FS for them. And finally Keith Lyle on the Cardinals has the right size but lacks speed. Expect him more to make a big play like an interception than track down for a tackle. Quentin Harris is listed as SS currently, but lacks awareness to be a starter for the team long term.
Defensive Summary:
From a defensive perspective the division seems split between Rams and 49ers with the Cardinals and Seahawks trailing behind. I?d like to think the advantage of the stronger defensive backs might have a stronger advantage in the pass heavy NFC West, but it relies on veterans staying healthy for the 49ers to really make a difference. Right now, the 49ers are in a good position to take a step forward on defense and a better opportunity to be a strong contender.
Final Rankings combining all grades:
Rams: B+
49ers: B-
Seahawks: C
Cardinals: D+
The Rams elite offense alone makes them a top favorite. Strong positions at QB, WR, HB, O line, D line and LB we are already predicting them to be one of the top teams in the SFL. Let?s hope they don?t catch the superbowl hangover.
The 49ers strengths at QB, HB, WR, CB, and SS makes then a contender for the playoffs. As the competitors went after offensive players in the draft the 49ers were reactive and brought on strong talent at defensive back to put up a fight. Some worries on the O line and LBs, we can see if they can make some additions to improve that talent.
The Seahawks future is bright. There are serious pieces developing into a competitive team. Additions on offense combined with a strong running attack make the seahawks solid underdogs to fight for a top spot in the division. Some questions on defense hurts their prediction.
The Cardinals are showing foundational pieces to build a team, but there are still holes to patch. They are a young team that will develop and given the time they will all peak together. At the moment I don?t predict the team to be competitive against the top teams in the SFL, we are seeing the future of Arizona football begin this season.
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