NFL Offseason Grades: NFC West... Tipping the Scales

The NFC West had been a division of change and realignment most of the 90's, being that major sports leagues (just like America in the days of the settlers) have generally expanded West as they have grown. The division was never really based that far West though (on average), until the realignment in 2002. The younger football fan will think of these four teams as the only teams associated with this division, but things were very different before '02, and seem to be pretty locked in since (the only change being the Rams move from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016). This modern West has been one of balance. Seahawks fans may argue dominance, winning eight division titles in 17 years (nearly half), but watching this division play out in my lifetime, it's usually a tight race and most seasons at least three of the four franchises have a legitimate chance at supremacy. Not many divisions in the NFL have shown this much equal opportunity. The 49'ers, Cardinals, and Rams have all had their ups and downs, and have each taken three division titles.

Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo warms up before a game. Photo Credit: SFGate

I believe the most interesting team and possibly the team to watch out for in the NFC West going into 2019 is the San Francisco 49'ers. An organization built for a run in 2018 by general manager, John Lynch, and head coach, Kyle Shanahan (before getting buried by catastrophic injuries), is now raring to go. I picture Lynch and Shanahan foaming at the mouth after the last couple of seasons the partnership has endured. I wouldn't say their jobs are even close to being on the line either way (being that they both were given massive long term deals in 2017 to correct the direction of the team), but the fan base could use some reassurances that this duo is the one that will lead them back to the promised land. Remember, this storied franchise once had one of the great NFL dynasties in the history of the sport. In 14 seasons from 1981 to 1994, the Niners appeared in five Superbowls and won all of them. Four of the championship runs were led by Joe Montana (three under coach Bill Walsh and one with George Seifert), and then his replacement Steve Young eventually won with Seifert again in '94. Most NFL experts would probably rank this either second or third as far as dynasties go in this sport, behind the present day New England Patriots and possibly Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers in the 60's (Chuck Noll's Steelers are in the conversation for top three also). Yet since the realignment, the Bay Area has only seen one lone Superbowl appearance (the Harbaugh Bowl of 2012, which they lost) out of four playoff berths (21 playoff berths and 16 division titles before 2002). The drought has hit San Fran hard, and lately nothing has gone right.

Lightning can't strike this team three straight seasons though, can it? Considering how well they have remodeled this roster, no, one would think... but football is a fickle league often impossible to predict. Jimmy G (pictured above) was a big time move a couple seasons ago, Patriot golden boy traded to golden city, the headlines wrote themselves. Not only that, in his first half season as the starter he did nothing but win, no literally they didn't lose a single game. Then in year two, the unthinkable, a torn ACL and the team was back to square-one. NFL ownership might try to sell their fans differently when it actually happens, but the plain truth is that teams can rarely overcome a season-ending injury to their quarterback. That's what made Foles' recent runs and value as a backup in Philly so significant. The Niners did not overcome, and suffered another horrid season, but now Garoppolo is set to return. It's not exactly an addition via free agency or trade, but it's still easily the most crucial change from the end of last season to now. You only pray the injury hasn't changed the player. Besides that, the Niners got healthy at many other positions too and didn't lose much. Running back Jerick McKinnon (remember him?) never played a single game for the team after a big contract before 2018, he hopes to this year. A healthy offensive and defensive line will look to be paramount to their success. Alfred Morris was cut along with defensive stand-ins Brock Coyle and Dekoda Watson, big whoop. The guys coming to San Fran are a lot more significant. Dee Ford (former Chiefs edge rusher) was acquired via trade and Nick Bosa (edge rusher out of Ohio State and brother of Joey Bosa) was drafted number two overall, immediately transforming the pass rush. Unfortunately, Bosa's already picked up a nagging injury, but the word is he should be ready for week one if all goes well in recovery (this family scares me though, Joey has missed a lot of time for the Chargers already and they seem to be sit-first players at any sign of trouble). Kwon Alexander was also brought in to captain a linebacker unit completed by Fred Warner and Malcolm Smith, and the Niners take a flier on injury prone cornerback Jason Verrett to supplement Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon in the secondary. Health will be key here too, but this defense already looks much improved. On the offensive side of the ball, RB Tevin Coleman was poached from Atlanta, giving the 49'ers a three-headed rushing attack (McKinnon and Matt Breida). The line stays intact, adding some depth with Ben Garland and Wesley Johnson, as well as blocking tight end Levine Toilolo (another former Shanahan guy), and the receiving core gets deeper with rookies Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd, as well as veteran Jordan Matthews.

Offseason Grade: B... the Niners didn't do too much this year, but they didn't really need to being that their main issue the last couple seasons has been injury-related. The key additions were on defense, and I would give them an A on that side of the ball, but on offense they didn't do enough for me. The running back and wide receiver rooms are both crowded with potential, but potential doesn't necessarily win championships and besides Kittle I see no definite star power. Let's see if the "brilliant Kyle Shanahan" now has the pieces he needs to move the ball as fans were promised.

LA Rams wide receiver Robert Woods shakes his head as the Rams are defeated by the Patriots in last year's Superbowl. Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times

The Rams new Los Angeles era began with Jared Goff when they traded up to select him first overall in the 2016 draft, a Cal graduate who was also born and raised in the state, so it was only fitting he helped bring them to their first Superbowl representing the City of Angels again. Whether or not the credit should go to Goff, prodigy head coach Sean McVay, Aaron Donald's sheer might, or the NFL referees who blew the call that lost the Saints the NFC Championship, the Rams were back on top of their conference. The offense was prolific last season, reminiscent of the St. Louis Rams "greatest show on turf." The veteran led defense went for big plays and turnovers and had success behind Wade Phillips (D-coordinator). Everything broke right for LA until they ran into the New England guillotine in the big game. Goff looked like a nervous puppy, McVay was out-coached by Belichick, Gurley was shut down in an injured state, and aside from the defense which played well, the Rams fire was extinguished in an uncommonly low scoring final. So what did the Rams decide to do to take their team to the next level?

The answer is not much, if anything they have lost key pieces this offseason and have struggled to account for them. The Rams seem to have decided that they'll just try again with what they got, except this year they had less money to throw around. The first hit came to the offensive line (which by the way was one of the best in the NFL last season) when LA let guard Rodger Saffold walk, and had center John Sullivan call it quits. This line not only blocked well for Goff, a pocket QB who doesn't do great under pressure, they bullied defensive fronts on rushing downs helping Todd Gurley and CJ Anderson rack up monster stat-lines. Replacing the sturdy veterans will be youngsters Brian Allen and Joseph Noteboom (both o-linemen were drafted last year). Sullivan was past his prime, but Saffold was just coming into his as one of the top guards in football, he'll be harder to follow. As expected, CJ Anderson used his late-season success to springboard a contract (with Detroit), but the Rams did draft running back Darrell Henderson to fill the hole. Similarly, safety Lamarcus Joyner and his backup Isaiah Johnson will both be playing for new teams, and were quickly accounted for with the intelligent and hard-hitting Eric Weddle, as well as draft pick Taylor Rapp (Weddle's eventual replacement in a couple years?). They brought back Dante Fowler and brought in Clay Matthews (over Matt Longacre) to play on each edge, but lost a lot up the middle of the defense. It was always unlikely, but Ndamukong Suh's recent signing with Tampa finally ended any chance of the star D-tackle's return. With middle linebackers Mark Barron and Ramik Wilson departing as well and only Cory Littleton remaining, the middle might be left to players like Tanzel Smart, Micah Kiser, and Dakota Allen (the appropriate reaction is, who?).

Oh by the way, Barstool Sports legend Blake Bortles just scored the sweetest backup QB job in football, paging Alex Moran?

Offseason Grade: C-... yes the Rams still have an incredibly deep offensive unit, but with fill-ins asked to take over for major stars at other positions like Suh, Saffold, Sullivan, and more, as well as a general lack of depth on o-line and defense, I foresee a lot more problems this year. The window won't stay open forever for the current Rams squad and I feel they are missing an opportunity to really go for it again in 2019... imagine if LT Andrew Whitworth retired too? Sheesh!

Head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. Photo Credit: CBS Sports

The Seattle Seahawks were supposed to regress last season, they were supposed to miss the playoffs, and some even said they were supposed to finish under .500. None of those things happened. The run game was awesome, Pete Carroll proved that the Legion of Boom may have been more about his culture than the figureheads who embodied the nickname, and Russell Wilson did what he does best... became the magician. As his moniker suggests, Wilson has proven year after year to be one of the most creative, odd-defying, exciting, and downright incredible quarterbacks of our time. The stats may not always show it, but if you watch this guy play it is really a sight to behold. Seattle's main order of business was to keep Russ there the rest of his career, and on April 16th they compromised with four more years, making him the new highest paid player in the NFL at $140 million till 2023. Before we get to the general transactions, there are two that hold more controversy than the others. Earl Thomas was very vocal on deserving an extension last year, prior to the start of the season, he never got it. Unlike Le'Veon Bell whose hold out became a season long vacation, Thomas gave in and played for his team, but was ultimately punished for it. An unfortunate re-fracture of his leg and a middle finger gesture ended any chance of Thomas ever suiting up for the Hawks again. The loss should be detrimental to the secondary, but Carroll seemed to get by without him last season, safety Marquis Blair was drafted to help with the task. The other is Mychal Kendricks, influential linebacker that faces possible jail time. After being cut by the Browns following an insider trading scandal, Kendricks latched on with Seattle and had an impact when he played, so much so that the Seahawks resigned him (even with the threat of jail still a reality). It is a low risk gamble for GM John Schneider with little guaranteed in the contract, but if a late sentencing occurs, the Seahawks might have wasted a roster spot and a chance at signing someone else.

The other big headline in Seattle was Doug Baldwin. The undrafted receiver became a Superbowl champion, consistent pro bowl quality player, and fan favorite in his long tenure with the team. This year Baldwin decided to hang up the cleats, age finally catching up with him. Seattle hasn't been known for their passing game the last couple years with Baldwin, so without him they'll need someone to step up. Top candidates will be Tyler Lockett, David Moore, Jaron Brown, and big time college wide out and 2019 draft pick, DK Metcalf. Mike Davis will leave a crowded running back crew (no real loss there) and underwhelming tight end Jacob Hollister comes over from the Pats to round out the skill position ins and outs. The line remains mostly the same with experienced players like Duane Brown, Justin Britt, DJ Fluker, Germain Ifedi, and Mike Iupati coming in to replace JR Sweezy. On the defensive side, DT Al Woods is a straight swap for the loss of Shamar Stephen and Ziggy Ansah is brought on as a cheap high-reward candidate to take over for breakout edge rusher Frank Clark. The Hawks decided to trade Clark to the Chiefs, rather than give him a massive deal. They also spent their first round draft pick on LJ Collier, who resembles Clark in many ways. Another swap move took place in the secondary at nickle corner, Justin Coleman out, Jamar Taylor in. Lastly, the Seahawks improved the special teams, although they lost DJ Alexander (popular for his work in this regard), they gained Nick Bellore (multi-tooled fullback/former linebacker/special teamer) and signed Jason Myers off a pro bowl kicking season for the Jets. I don't necessarily think Myers will repeat the numbers from last year, as kickers generally don't after career seasons, but Janikowksi looked awful in 2018 and rightfully so, he retired.

Offseason Grade: C+... similar to the Rams, the Seahawks mostly spent the offseason plugging holes and cutting cap where they could afford to, butchering some relationships and cultivating others. I do think they did a slightly better job at bringing in the right young talent, but championship runs are always going to result in free agent payouts and Seattle has been losing guys from those SB teams one by one the last few years. Re-signing Wilson and not having to pay the franchise tag was a win though. With quality coaching, a tough run-first offense (Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny), leaders like Russell and Bobby Wagner still there, and a dominant home-field record, I doubt this team will be bad anytime soon. Competitive rebuilds are challenging to accomplish, but Seattle has done well so far, there's something to be said for that.

Kyler Murray (left), 2019 Cardinals 1st overall draft pick. Josh Rosen (right), former Cardinal and 2018 1st round pick. Photo Credit: New York Post

The Arizona Cardinals made its first Superbowl in 2008 (the first playoff appearance in Arizona), and had three playoff berths since then. Their best record was in 2015, a division-winning 13-3 under Bruce Arians. Arians, and those glory days have been gone for a few years now, and last year was rock bottom. The silver lining was that the Cardinals were awarded the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but if anything this just made things more complicated. You see in 2018, the Cardinals spent a first rounder on Josh Rosen, a top quarterback prospect at the time. Rosen would eventually start for a rebuilding Cardinal team coached by Steve Wilks, but apparently general manager Steve Keim was unhappy with the results of his own choices. After just one season of Wilks and Rosen, Keim fired his head coach (again) and alienated his rookie quarterback by putting him on the trade block. This move still baffles me. I get that new head coach Kliff Kingsbury was enamored by Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma, I even get that Rosen wasn't his guy and had no place on the team, but what I don't understand is the way they went about it all. By basically leaking that they had zero interest keeping Rosen (who played okay his first season considering the roster he had around him, but still less impressive than the other rookie QBs of 2018), his value plummeted. They managed the 62nd overall pick from the Dolphins, plus a late rounder, for a former number 10 overall. How Keim still has his job boggles my mind, I mean isn't this the ultimate mistake a GM can make? For a team that needed a lot of things, Keim has wasted a couple years of rebuild with this blunder. Either way, in steps 5'10" (actual height probably shorter) Kyler Murray, Heisman Trophy winner and the man who holds both Keim and Kingsbury's life in his throwing hand.

We'll assume Murray starts most of the games this season, but if for some reason Kingsbury doesn't think he's ready week one, the Cardinals have signed Brett Hundley to back him up (a purposefully similar style QB to Murray) and possibly start a couple games. The Cardinals offensive line was a disaster of injuries and poor performances last season, which hurt Rosen's chances and stifled the comeback of David Johnson. They attempted to correct this in the offseason a bit, trading for Marcus Gilbert (long-time Steelers right tackle) and adding interior depth with JR Sweezy and Max Garcia. The two should battle to start at left guard next to DJ Humphries. A healthy season from RG Justin Pugh would help too, the former Big Blue pro bowler has been a bust since moving to Arizona. The receiving targets weren't great last year either (another reason the rookie QB got shafted), Larry Fitzgerald finally slowed and Christian Kirk took awhile getting accustomed to the league. JJ Nelson, who had a forgettable year in 2018 will depart, but the Cards add Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler through the draft, as well as Bears bust Kevin White through free agency. Charles Clay and Maxx Williams will be upgrades at tight end this season, as Jermaine Gresham was finally let go. The defense will switch back to a 3-4 (after one horrid season in 4-3) under coordinator Vance Joseph. You might remember him from the Broncos defense that won a Superbowl. Personal changes are very common whenever the scheme changes, and Joseph has made plenty already. On the line, Benson Mayowa and Olsen Pierre were sent packing with bigger bodied Darius Philon and Terrell McClain coming over in their place. Philon is coming off a surprisingly good campaign with the LA Chargers, progressing well after going undrafted years ago. DL Zach Allen was also drafted and should be involved. The linebacker crew has a new look to it too. Deone Bucannon and Markus Golden (both with Arizona a long time) will not be coming back. Jordan Hicks will be a key addition in the middle (former Eagle), calling the plays beside Haason Reddick. The Red Birds also bring in veterans Terrell Suggs and Brooks Reed to spell on the edges. They will elect not to resign Antoine Bethea or Tre Boston at safety being that they have plenty of depth with Budda Baker, DJ Swearinger, and more, however they do add some corners with Robert Alford, Tramaine Brock, and draft pick Byron Murphy. A recent suspension to Patrick Peterson really hurts to start the year. So what to make of all this? The Cardinals were proactive after a disaster season under Wilks. They pretty much admitted that they did everything wrong in 2018 and 180'ed back to the things they had success with. I guess in some ways I have respect for that, although I'm not sure how Keim survived such failures. Will the drastic measures be enough to improve in 2019 and become a contender again? A lot of pressure will fall onto first year coach and quarterback, and how they work as a team.

Offseason Grade: B... there is still a long long way to go, and Keim deserved an F last year, but I guess his track record saved him and so far he seems to be back on track. I like the decisions to strengthen the O-line (especially important when you have young quarterbacks) and switch the defense back to 3-4 under a top-notch coordinator's direction. They had a ton of draft picks this year and will hope that most of them hit... Kyler Murray cannot be a bust, otherwise all is lost.

So which way will the Western scales tip in 2019? To me, the Rams are still the clear favorite going in after a dominate season. However, I do believe they will regress after losing some irreplaceable parts, and I will actually be picking the underdog San Francisco 49'ers to win in a gritty battle. The Seahawks will be the third dog in the fight, stealing wins throughout the year, and should finish near .500 with a chance at the playoffs. I don't think they'll make it in 2019, but believe the Niners and Rams both can if things shake out right with other divisions. The Cardinals were no quick fix, but should improve so long as Kingsbury and Murray aren't complete hacks. If they are, you might see Kyler pick up the phone and call back the Oakland A's. After all, baseball has always been the patient man's game...