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The NFC West is going to be hard to predict. There's teams on the rise, teams with hopes of winning, and teams that....well, don't know where they are anymore. The one common theme is a coaching change. Every team in the West has made atleast one coaching change within the last year, and three of the four were head coaches.
The Arizona Cardinals are coming off a miraculous season, after making it to the Super Bowl, but lost their offensive coordinator Todd Haley. The 49ers made a significant coaching, and attitude adjustment by hiring pantsless head coach Mike Singletary. The Seahawks are currently going through a coaching change of their own with Jim Mora. Finally, the Rams....the Rams are still trying to find their jock straps after last season.
Nothing seemed to go right for the St. Louis Rams who were in a squabble for the worst record in the league, and couldn't even manage to win that battle. The off season has been promising for the Rams, and started when they hired former Giants Defensive Coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo. Spagnuolo was the mastermind of the New York Giants Super Bowl winning defense.
The Rams had key injuries last year, and couldn't muster enough to pull of a respectable season. If Steven Jackson can stay healthy, the Rams should have a good start with a solid running game, behind recent draft pick and offensive tackle, Jason Smith. Spagnuolo is probably licking his chops at the chance to mold a young Chris Long, and develop another stellar defense. I look for the Rams to be on the rise, since, there's really nowhere else to go.
The 49ers are an interesting team to me, and could develop some momentum mid season. Head coach Mike Singletary took the reigns with full steam, and cracked whips. It seemed to be the kick in the pants the team needed. With some key additions in free agency and the draft, the 49ers have a shot.
Michael Crabtree fell into their lap when the Raiders did what they do best. The niners also got two picks that could really help develop their team, in my opinion. The first is Glen Coffee, running back out of Alabama. While he's not a superstar, he is definitely a solid backup to Frank Gore, and can help establish the run game. The second is Nate Davis, the quarterback out of Ball State. Davis is a winner, and with the quarterback position a relative unknown, he could provide some competition the 49ers are hoping for. I doubt they'll have a spectacular season, but they are definitely headed in the right direction.
The last two teams in the division are the teams that will duke it out to the finish. The Seahawks and the Cardinals. Both teams have challenges to face, but the positives outweigh the negatives here.
The Seahawks have a new head coach, but it's not a complete overhaul, since Mora has been there under Mike Holmgren getting himself comfortable for the hot seat. The Cardinals on the other hand have lost their offensive coordinator, and will have to familiarize themselves with a whole new face. Point goes to Seattle.
Wide receiver was an issue with both teams, and one so far has prevailed. The Seahawks added one of the best free agent wide receivers in TJ Houshmandzadeh. Housh (I'm not typing that again) chose the Seahawks over several different suitors, and should make an immediate impact on Seattle's offense with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck.
The Cardinals on the other hand have been handed the circus known as Anquan Boldin. Boldin recently fired his agent Drew Rosenhaus, which could possibly benefit the Cardinals. Arizona is also dealing with an aging Kurt Warner, and what could develop into a quarterback controversy if the season doesn't go as planned. Point goes to Seattle.
Finally, the off season additions and draft results could play a huge role in both teams season. The Seahawks scored big when the Detroit Lions chose Matt Stafford, leaving possibly the safest pick in the draft, Aaron Curry, on the board. Curry will help fill the loss of Julian Peterson, who of course went to the Lions. Seattle addressed a plethora of needs with Center Max Unger, speed at the wide receiver position with Deon Butler, and of course defense in the aforementioned Curry.
The Cardinals addressed a glaring need at running back by selecting Chris "Beanie" Wells out of Ohio State. The first round draft choice will certainly help the ground attack with Edgerrin James' departure. Wells seems to be a great fit for what the Cardinals need him to do. Arizona's second and third round choices in Cody Brown and Rashad Johnson were solid picks, but the jury is out on whether or not they will be solid contributors. Point goes to Seattle, again.
The points don't lie, and they have Seattle winning the division. With their off season additions, and health issues resolved, the Seahawks are in great position to not only win the division, but contend to go deep into the playoffs. The division is definitely on the rise, and within the next couple years should boast some healthy competition.
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