The NFC West is a very tough division to follow and understand. Are the 49ers the best team in that division with a healthy and stable quarterback or can the Seahawks redo what they did last year and make the postseason again with Geno Smith at the helm? Plus, what about the Rams and Cardinals? Can they have bounce-back seasons with the moves they have made in the offseason so far? Here are my grades of every team’s move in the NFC West so far.
San Francisco 49ers: B+:
The 49ers are already stacked on both sides of the football so it made sense that they did not make a ton of moves. If there was any significant move, they signed former Eagles defensive end Javon Hargrave on a four-year deal adding him to an already stacked 49ers defense.
And with the quarterback position still a question with Trey Lance and Brock Purdy recovering from injuries, the Niners brought in some depth by signing former first-round pick Sam Darnold. They also hired Steve Wilks to be their defensive coordinator after former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans left to become the Texans head coach. Again, the Niners did not make a ton of moves but they made enough in my mind to again be the best team in the division which is why a “B+” is a fair grade.
Seattle Seahawks: B-
Not a ton of moves by the Seahawks will blow you away. They did however decide to bring back quarterback Geno Smith on a new three-year deal who shocked the NFL world last year passing for a career high 30 touchdowns and leading the Seahawks to the postseason. Seattle also did add some more depth to their defense signing linebacker Devin Bush and safety Julian Love. So, some pretty decent offseason signings, it will be interesting to see what they do for the rest of the offseason and in the draft when they pick fifth overall. A “B-” seems like the right grade.
Los Angeles Rams: D
It seems like the LA Rams are heading towards a rebuild, which is crazy to say after they won a Super Bowl not too long ago. They traded away pro-bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, parted ways with linebacker Bobby Wagner after one season, and are also hinting at the idea of trading away star wideout Cooper Kupp. The Rams are not going to be good this season I don’t think and with all the moves they have made this offseason makes me give them a “D.”
Arizona Cardinals: D
Just like the Rams, I’m giving the Cardinals a “D” so far this offseason. They have been relatively quiet in making moves and just like the Rams, seem to be heading toward a rebuild. Arizona began their offseason by hiring former Eagles defensive coordinator Johnathan Gannon to be their next head coach but that’s been the only significant thing that’s happened so far. There are rumors that they might trade away pro-bowl wideout DeAndre Hopkins which would only move your team back and they let go of many star players on both sides of the ball in free agency. I don’t know what the Cardinals will do next and it will be interesting to see who they take at number three in the NFL Draft but this offseason has not been good so far for Arizona.
