Where Does Your Team Stand in the NFC West?

(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

The NFC West has generally been considered one of the weaker divisions in the league. However this division has sent three teams to the Superbowl in the last eight years. While the competition within the division is generally weak, the winner of the division generally does well in the playoffs.

The Seahawks dominated the division until the Cardinals took over last year. With three teams having losing records, no division had more coaching changes than the NFC West.

While the Rams continue to rebuild in the offseason, the Seahawks and the 49ers have focused on adding certain pieces to their teams that will allow them to retake the division crown.

St. Louis Rams

Free Agency Departures: Torry Holt, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Corey Chavous, Drew Bennett, Trent Green, Brett Romberg, Orlando Pace, Anthony Becht, Nick Leckey, Dan Kreider, Brandon Gorin, Brian Leonard

Free Agency Acquisitions: Orien Harris, Jason Brown, James Butler, Mike Karney, Billy Bajema, Kyle Boller, Laurent Robinson

Draft Picks:(1) Jason Smith, (2) James Laurinitis, (3) Bradley Fletcher, (4) Dorell Scott, (5) Brooks Foster, (6) Keith Null, (7) Chris Ogbonnaya

Team Philosophy

With new head coach Steve Spagnuolo, the Rams are faced with a rebuilding season as they cut old veterans and bring young talent from the draft.

During the free agency period, the team cut ties with veterans Torry Holt and Pisa Tinoisamoa and brought in promising youngsters like Laurent Robinson. The general manager is clearly trying to add young talent that are cheap while cutting veterans that are costing too much money or do not fit with their philosophy.

Spagnuolo will try to reimplement the 4-3 formation on defense and the Coryell philosophy on offense which is based on a strong running attack to set up the pass. In order to accomplish this, the new head coach will focus on adding offensive linemen and defensive tackles to the roster.

Draft Analysis

Jason Smith is a boom or bust prospect that will make a big difference in how effective the passing and running game will be. James Laurinitus can be an immediate contributor as a middle linebacker though he has a limited upside.

Dorell Scott was productive in college and has the exact size for a 4-3 defensive tackle; however, it will take at least one year before he can contribute to the defense since the position is difficult to learn.

Bradley Fletcher projects to be a safety and the Rams plan to pair him up with Atogwe. Fletcher has a nice build for the position and made a lot of plays at Iowa. He should be a good contributor for the Rams in the future.

Brooks Foster is an extremely fast wide receiver that needs some experience and coaching before he can become effective. Foster needs to improve on his route running and knowledge of the defensive coverages before he can become an impact player on this squad.

Keith Null is a project draft pick that should take 2-3 years to develop and evaluate. Chris Obgannaya will be lucky to make the roster.

Schedule Analysis

Five of the first eight games are away from home and two of the three home games are against playoff teams. The Rams will have to endure a brutal first half of the season. After the bye week, the Rams will have a three game home stand with only one playoff opponent.

However, the next two weeks they will face Tennessee and Chicago on the road. Finally they end the season with two home games against San Francisco and Houston with an away game in Arizona.

Overview

I see the Rams having another rebuilding season this year. Marc Bulger might have a better offensive line, but he has no dependable receiver to throw too. Despite this, I think Steven Jackson will have a good year this season and will probably reach the 1200 mark.

The team will need to add more talent to the offensive line if they want the offense to improve in the coming years.

While the defense has two productive pass rushers, it did not address the holes at defensive tackle and the cornerback position adequately. Without any notable additions, it is likely they will continue to preform poorly like they did last year. The team should focus on the defensive line and the cornerback position in free agency next year.

With a tough schedule this season, the rams will have a tough time winning consistently. From this evaluation, I think fans should realistically expect around 4-5 wins this season.

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