By Sascha Bartels
Published: July 22, 2008 PrintEmail
Hello again, welcome to the 2nd edition of this years' NFL
division previews. Last week I reviewed the AFC South, to glowing
reviews. If you missed that preview, go check it out on the front page
of the site. As all the previews, the article will debut on the PSH
radio show, then hit the website. Please tune in every Tuesday at 8pm
Eastern for the radio show, as Chris “RaidenDawg” Grewe and Rob
“Crunked” Freet review and preview the week's NFL activities.
So, the NFC West. Who will win, who will lose, and why? This
division may be the hardest to predict, as I could see any of these
teams rising to the top, or falling to the bottom. None of the four
teams are really stacked, and two of them were among the bottom 7 in
the league last year. Can the Seahawks continue to cling to the top
spot, will the Cardinals finally rise to the occasion, can the Rams
regain past glories, and will the 49ers find an offense?
First, the Seahawks. They cut loose former MVP Shaun Alexander,
whose career appears finished, and replaced him with two solid, but
very unspectacular backs in Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett. Then they
lost one of the league's best and most clutch kickers, to a division
rival no less, and replaced him with Olinda Mare. Neither of those
replacements look to be improvements if you ask me. They also lost out
to Tennessee in the Alge Crumpler sweepstakes. I'm also not impressed
by the draft picks of Lawrence Jackson and John Carlson. While there
are still some key components in place here, this team looks to be on
the decline, and could be falling fast if they don't find good young
talent soon. I don't believe this is the best team in the division
anymore. They could fall as far as 4th, but I think they'll end up
third in the division.
The Arizona Cardinals were in a playoff chase last year. That in
and of itself is newsworthy. They finished with an even record, the
first time in a decade. Despite an awful looking salary cap situation,
they were also able to find a way to hold on to both of their star
receivers. They did lose a couple big pieces in Calvin Pace and Bryant
Johnson. Rookie receiver Early Doucet should compete for the slot
receiver spot immediately, along with a couple of small school guys,
Jamaica Rector and Jerheme Urban, as well as Ahmad Merritt.
Offensively, this team should become very effective under the tutelage
of Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm. Picking up Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie and Calais Campbell in the draft will help improve
the defense, led by Darnell Dockett and Antrel Rolle. The Cardinals are
not yet ready to play with the big boys of the NFC, but they have a
chance with 4 games against the NFC East, but they are good enough to
win this division. Expect a big year from Edgerrin James and the
Cardinals, as they roll to the top of the division.
The San Francisco 49ers followed up a promising 2006 with an
abysmal 2007. While the team seems to keep making the right moves in
free agency and drafting well, they can't seem to make the puzzle
pieces fit. The biggest question mark at the moment has to be at
quarterback, were Alex Smith is going to have to prove he is worthy of
the starting spot and can hold off challenges by Shaun Hill and J.T.
O'Sullivan. The 49ers added Justin Smith and Bryant Johnson, the latter
of which can replace Darrell Jackson fairly adequately. They also
signed Isaac Bruce for a veteran presence, and drafted well, adding
Kentwan Balmer and Reggie Smith to an improving defense, and Chilo
Rachal to the offensive line. Of course, the biggest addition the team
made could arguably be offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who is going
to have to get everything he can out of Smith and company, or it's
going to be curtains for head coach Mike Nolan. The 49ers will show a
lot of signs of improvement this year, despite finishing in the cellar
of the division.
Last year, the St. Louis Rams lost Stephen Jackson and Marc
Bulger, which not only hampered the rest of their season, it also put a
toll on my fantasy team. Both should be recovered and back at 100%,
which will in and of itself fix most of their offensive woes. Then they
added Chris Long to other recent first round picks Adam Carriker and
Tye Hill, meaning that the defense is ready for the future. It looks
like the Rams are poised to make another serious run at division
dominance soon, but the Cardinals and 49ers could be giving them
competition. If Marc Bulger happens to get injured again, the team
looks to be in much better shape this year with the addition of Trent
Green. I still think that picking receiver Donnie Avery where they did
was the reach of the draft, but still like the overall product.
Generally, losing a kicker like Wilkins could hurt the team and cost
them a win or two, but by nabbing Josh Brown from the Seahawks, the
Rams will not miss a beat, and will likely be improved at the position.
The Rams won't make the playoffs, but will jump both San Francisco and
Seattle in the division standings.
9-7
7-9
6-10
6-10
