Madden NFL 16 Player Ratings: NFC West Division Revealed

The NFC West is one of the strongest divisions in football, lacking a truly weak team among the bunch. After two straight trips to the Super Bowl, however, the Seattle Seahawks remain the class of the division, which was reflected in the Madden 16 division ratings released by EA Sports on Monday.   

Here is a look at the rankings:

Team	Rating	Key Players
Seattle Seahawks	91	CB Richard Sherman (97), HB Marshawn Lynch (96), TE Jimmy Graham (95), FS Earl Thomas III (95), SS Kam Chancellor (94), QB Russell Wilson (89)
Arizona Cardinals	82	LE Calais Campbell (95), LT Jared Veldheer (90), CB Patrick Peterson (89), LG Mike Iupati (88), WR Larry Fitzgerald (87), WR Michael Floyd (83), FS Tyrann Mathieu (83), QB Carson Palmer (83)
San Francisco 49ers	78	MLB NaVorro Bowman (93), SS Antoine Bethea (91), WR Anquan Boldin (88), WR Torrey Smith (86), TE Vernon Davis (84), QB Colin Kaepernick (81), HB Carlos Hyde (77)
St. Louis Rams	78	RE Robert Quinn (94), DT Aaron Donald (92), DT Nick Fairley (86), LE William Hayes (86), LE Chris Long (84), TE Jared Cook (84), HB Todd Gurley (80), QB Nick Foles (78)

Seattle's excellent secondary will once again make them very tough to pass against, a key strategic consideration given how pass-heavy the NFL has become—and the Madden franchise by proxy. But the big difference with Seattle this year will be how much more fun they'll be to use on offense, where tight end Jimmy Graham should completely transform the passing game. 

If you love running quarterbacks, few are better than Russell Wilson, giving Seattle's offense another dimension for Madden users. Of course, pounding the rock with running back Marshawn Lynch is always fun. 

The Arizona Cardinals might have won this division in 2014-15 if they weren't devastated by injuries. But with quarterback Carson Palmer, running back Andre Ellington and wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown on offense, they'll have plenty of weapons for Madden users, while the defense continues to be a strength. 

Seattle's previous foil in the division, the San Francisco 49ers, were hit heavily by retirements, departures and roster cuts this offseason. Defensive end Justin Smith and linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland retired, running back Frank Gore signed with the Indianapolis Colts and Aldon Smith—who is on the initial Niners roster and is ranked as an 89 at LOLB—was released Friday, per Jim Trotter (via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com).

Fans of the Niners will be relying on the mobility of Colin Kaepernick at quarterback and veteran wideouts Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith while playing Madden this year.

The St. Louis Rams round out the division. With arguably the best defensive line in football, led by Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald, and an excellent defense in general, the Rams aren't going to be giving up many points. The key for the season will be the play of new quarterback Nick Foles and the health of rookie running back Todd Gurley, however.

If Foles can replicate his form from 2013 (27 touchdowns, just two interceptions) and Gurley can play the majority of the season, the Rams could sneak into the playoffs. Regardless, fans of a defensive strategy will love using the team in Madden 16.