Several Surprises Head All-NFC West Team

With the NFC West on the path to respectability, I decided to have a fantasy draft of only NFC West players this season. Here are my choices for the all NFC West team.

Quarterback

Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals

Although he is 37 years old, Kurt Warner has really shown he still has what it takes to play at a high level in the NFL. He led the Arizona Cardinals to their first ever Super Bowl appearance last season.

His playoff record speaks for itself, 8-3 all time. He has appeared in three Super Bowls and had a chance to win all three; unfortunately he is only 1-2 in his career.

Kurt Warner gets the nod over Matt Hasselbeck because of Hasselbeck's injury and the difference in playoff records.

Running Back

Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams

Steven Jackson is a load. At 241 pounds it's very difficult to arm tackle this guy.  He lowers his shoulder for the extra yard and has a nose for the end zone. 

He has four straight 1,000 yard seasons and has accumulated 5,291 yards and 37 rushing touchdowns since entering the league in 2004. 

He starts over second string Frank Gore. Gore has had some injury problems in the past and struggled a bit last season.

Fullback

Justin Griffith, Seattle Seahawks

Justin Griffith is the starter on this team. He has played very well under Gregg Knapp and has blocked for several top rushing offenses.

In his career, Griffith has run for 407 yards and one touchdown. Griffith gets the nod over Mike Karney of St. Louis.

Offensive Line

Walter Jones (Seahawks), David Baas (49ers), Jason Brown (Rams), Deuce Lutui (Cardinals), Sean Locklear (Seahawks)

The two tackle positions are anchored by Walter Jones and Sean Locklear, which could open up some outside running lanes for Stephen Jackson. David Baas anchors the left guard position while Deuce Lutui starts on the right side. 

Jason Brown was signed from the Baltimore Ravens this offseason and was considered the best center in free agency.

Several rookies could supplant the starters if they have breakout seasons. Jason Smith (Rams), Max Unger (Seahawks), and Alex Boone (49ers) could raise some eyebrows.

Wide Receivers

Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Michael Crabtree (49ers), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Seahawks)

This could be a lethal matchup for any corner in the NFL. All three wide receivers stand above 6 feet tall and all have exceptional hands and route running ability.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh had 92 receptions for 904 yards last season. 

Larry Fitzgerald had the best postseason in the history of the NFL for a wide receiver, with 30 receptions for 540 yards and seven touchdowns.  Michael Crabtree in his final year at Texas Tech caught 97 passes for 1,165 yards.

Donnie Avery and Isaac Bruce were close to cracking the starting spots. Both could see action in a four or five wide receiver set.

Although another choice could be Anquan Boldin of the Cardinals, his contract situation and trade demands have left me keeping him off. 

Tight End

John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks

This was a very close battle between Vernon Davis and John Carlson. Carlson in his rookie season became a reliable target for both Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace.  He finished last season with 55 receptions for 627 yards and five touchdowns.

Davis finished last season with 31 receptions for 358 yards and two touchdowns.

Carlson is a couple years younger and has not been kicked off the field for lack of hustle, so he gets the starting job over Davis.

Defensive Tackle

Brandon Mebane (Seahawks), Colin Cole (Seahawks)

Brandon Mebane and Colin Cole both bring a wide body and potential double teams to this defense.  Mebane had 39 tackles and two forced fumbles. 

Cole, who weighs in at a whopping 330 pounds had 30 tackles in limited action for the Green Bay Packers last season.

Several other players were considered as well: Bertrand Berry (Cardinals), Cory Redding (Seahawks), Adam Carriker (Rams), and Darnell Dockett (Cardinals)

Defensive End

Patrick Kerney (Seahawks), Justin Smith (49ers)

Patrick Kerney is coming off a season ending shoulder injury and could return to his form in the previous season in which he tallied 14.5 sacks to lead the NFC.  Justin Smith also looks to improve on a sub par 2008 season in which he only had seven sacks and one forced fumble.

The tandem could be a potential nightmare for inexperienced tackles, especially if Kerney can bounce back from his offseason shoulder surgery.

Several other candidates make the roster as well:  Leonard Little (Rams), Chris Long (Rams), and Darnell Dockett (Cardinals).

Linebacker

Patrick Willis (San Francisco), Lofa Tatupu (Seahawks), Karlos Dansby (Cardinals)

This is the deepest position in the entire NFC West. With each team having a linebacker worthy of a starting position on this team it was hard to only have three.

Willis is a tackling machine, registering 141 tackles last season and totaling 315 in his only two seasons in the NFL. 

Tatupu is looking to bounce back from an injury last season that limited him to only 94 tackles last season. He had previously been to the pro bowl three years in a row before last season. 

Dansby was designated the franchise player from the Arizona Cardinals after recording 119 tackles and two forced fumbles during the regular season.  He led an underrated Cardinals defense in the playoffs to wins against Atlanta, Carolina, and Philadelphia with 31 tackles.

Other notable players include Leroy Hill (Seahawks), Will Witherspoon (Rams), Chike Okeafor (Cardinals), Manny Lawson (49ers), and Takeo Spikes (49ers).

Corner

Marcus Trufant (Seahawks), Nate Clements (49ers)

A year after registering a career high seven interceptions, Marcus Trufant rarely saw a football come his way last season. He recorded only 64 tackles and one interception last season.

Opposing him would be corner Nate Clements who is looking to have his first breakout season in the NFC West. He tallied 63 tackles and two interceptions last season.

Not too much depth at this position in the NFC West. Other notables include Josh Wilson (Seahawks), Dré Bly (49ers), and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Cardinals)

Safeties

Adrian Wilson (Cardinals), Antrel Rolle (Cardinals)

Two Cardinals’ teammates round out my defense, both are stellar safeties who tackle well in the running game. Wilson collected 75 tackles and two interceptions while teammate Antrel Rolle collected 89 tackles and one interception.

Other notables include Deon Grant (Seahawks), Dashon Goldson (49ers), and Aaron Francisco (Cardinals)

Kicker

Josh Brown, St. Louis Rams

Brown gets the nod over Neil Rackers and Olindo Mare. Brown proved he was one of the most clutch kickers in the game in 2007, kicking four game winning field goals for the Seattle Seahawks. He hit 31 of 36 field goals last season.