Grades for all 4 teams in the NFC West this offseason
Let’s go back and look at the last 13 seasons. Dating back to 2011, the NFC Championship Game has featured at least one NFC West team 10 times. The San Francisco 49ers lead the way over that span with a total of seven appearances, followed by the Seattle Seahawks (2), Los Angeles Rams (2), and Arizona Cardinals (1).
The Seahawks knocked off the 49ers in 2013, and the Rams edged the Niners in 2021. The division has been represented on Super Sunday seven times over that span. Seattle rolled the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, 43-8, and the Rams rallied to be the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, in Super Bowl LVI. All told, the NFC West has sent at least two clubs to the playoffs in each of the last six seasons.
What stands out the most about the offseason for this foursome are the changes on one side of the ball. The Rams (Chris Shula), 49ers (Nick Sorensen), and Seahawks (Aden Durde) all have new defensive coordinators.
All of these franchises were extremely proactive, most notably the defending NFC champions. Meanwhile, the fun is just beginning in this division as Seattle is the only team that enters Thursday night without at least 10 draft choices.
That’s for later. So how have the Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks graded out this offseason to date?
What grades have the NFC West teams earned in 2024?
Arizona Cardinals
A year ago, new head coach Jonathan Gannon and new general manager Monti Ossenfort didn’t appear to have a plan. The Arizona Cardinals signed their share of players in search of answers when it came to fixing a 4-13 team. To their credit, the team played very hard despite being undermanned for most of the season as quarterback Kyler Murray finally returned to the field with eight games to play.
Arizona went 3-5 with Murray after a 1-8 start. However, the bottom line is that the club finished dead last in the NFC West with the same record as in 2022. Murray still has productive tight end Trey McBride, however speedy Marquise Brown signed with the Chiefs and fellow wideout Rondale Moore was sent to Atlanta in a deal that saw Arizona acquire quarterback Desmond Ridder. Murray has a new left tackles in Jonah Williams (Bengals), who takes over for jettisoned D.J. Humphries.
A team that allowed the second-most points in the league, and a defense that gave up the most rushing yards in the NFL has a new starting front-three in ends Justin Jones (Bears) and Bilal Nichols (Raiders), as well as interior presence Khyiris Tonga (Vikings). Linebacker Mack Wilson (Patriots) and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (Titans) are the other defensive newcomers.
The work continues on both sides of the ball. Keep in mind that the Cardinals have 11 selections in this week’s draft.
Grade: C
Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay’s team entered 2022 as defending NFL champions and finished with a 5-12 record, the most losses ever by a defending Super Bowl titlist. As the Los Angeles Rams entered 2023, there were plenty of questions surrounding their roster and just how much talent the team had. General manager Les Snead wound up selecting 14 players, one short of the NFL record (2020 Vikings) for the most players drafted by a team in the seventh-round format.
Youth figures to be served once again. Along with the division-rival Cardinals and Green Bay Packers, Snead has 11 picks at his disposal entering this draft. Can the Rams find another Aaron Donald, who announced his retirement after 10 seasons? That’s an almost impossible order, but this team will continue to get younger.
As for veteran additions, adding cornerback Tre’Davious White was a low-risk move, inking him to a one- year, $4.25 million deal (via Spotrac) that could wind up being worth a whole lot more if he can regain his Pro Bowl form and stay healthy. The latter has been a problem the past three seasons and one factor in why the Bills cut him loose.
The Rams also added quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to their quarterback room, although he will start the season with a two-game suspension. Adding guard Jonah Jackson (Lions) was a solid move as well. Snead’s most important work will come over the next three days.
Grade: B
San Francisco 49ers
It’s been a pretty nice run as of late for San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan. His first two seasons with the club resulted in a combined 10-22 mark. Since 2019, the club has reached the playoffs four times in five seasons. The Niners reached the NFC title game each time and made appearances in Super Bowls LIV and LVIII. Both of those contests resulted in tough losses to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The thing that stands out the most about the Niners’ offseason are the number of defensive players who have left the team, either by their choice or the organization. Defensive end Chase Young was picked up at midseason, but now he’s a member of the New Orleans Saints. Veteran Arik Armstead was released by the Niners and signed with the Jaguars. Defensive tackles Javon Kinlaw (Jets) and Sebastian Joseph-Day (Titans) left via free agency, as did cornerback Isaiah Oliver (Jets).
There’s little reason to panic as GM John Lynch added the likes of pass-rusher Leonard Floyd and former All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. The Niners’ new defensive coordinator is Nick Sorensen, who takes over for Steve Wilks.
San Francisco has 10 picks in this year’s draft. Lynch’s best work may be ahead of him.
Grade: B+
Seattle Seahawks
What a difference one year makes? In 2022, the Seattle Seahawks rebounded from a last-place finish in the NFC West to finish 9-8. They wound up reaching the playoffs, but were knocked out early by the San Francisco 49ers.
This past season, Pete Carroll’s club once again finished 9-8, only this time around it wasn’t enough to capture a wild card berth. It also was enough to prevent the organization from parting ways with Carroll, who in 14 seasons with the organization amassed 147 overall wins and led the franchise to back-to-back Super Bowls (winning XLVIII and losing XLIX).
The new head coach is Mike Macdonald, who ran the Baltimore Ravens’ defense the past two seasons. General manager John Schneider’s focus in free agency proved to be the offensive line, adding performers such as guard Laken Tomlinson, center Nick Harris and tackle George Fant. The latter began his career in Seattle in 2016. Gone are some productive defenders, including inside linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks. Macdonald inherits a defense that gave up the third-most total yards in the league, and was next-to-last vs. the run.
Finally, 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Geno Smith will certainly face a challenge from former Commanders’ quarterback Sam Howell, acquired via trade this offseason.