NFC West Preview

And just like that, our final divisional preview. That can only mean the season is finally, truly upon us...and what a moment it'll be. 

But we've got to head out West first, to the desert!

Arizona Cardinals

A whole season of Kyler is going to be big for Cardinals fans. Whether you're a true believer in him or not, there's no way that you'd prefer the Clayton Tune-Josh Dobbs show again. Looking for Murray to have himself a good year, especially with top target Marvin Harrison Jr. joining a previously weak receiving core. His presence should definitely help elevate Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch, while Trey McBride feasts over the middle.

James Conner was a revelation in 2023, especially with the horrible play under center. No reason he can't run it back, though rookie Trey Benson is positioned to cut into his workload some. Should be a good tandem regardless.

Not as much optimism on the flip side of the ball though. Defensive end BJ Ojulari tearing his ACL in camp was a big blow to what had already been the league's third worst pass rush. Not thinking those numbers will improve much. Kyzir White is a decent piece at middle linebacker, who'll appreciate working behind free agent upgrades Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols at D tackle on last year's 32nd ranked run defense.

Sean Murphy-Bunting should help a decent cornerback room get a little better, bringing his talents from Tennessee to Tempe. Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson are a highly underrated duo on the backend too. Should be a middle of the pack secondary overall. 

One Bold Prediction: Trey McBride tops 100 receptions and 1,000 yards on the season. He's the clear #2 receiving option on this team and showed insane chemistry with Kyler Murray once he returned from injury. With defenses regularly doubling MHJ, look for McBride to make good use of the open spaces left available.

Los Angeles Rams

The biggest question this season, and probably most moving forward, is what's Matthew Stafford got left in the tank? The man will be forever beloved for bringing a Lombardi Trophy to LA, but he's got an iffy back and isn't getting any younger-- a bad combination for anyone, let alone an NFL player. 

Kyren Williams is a dog, but reports that he may be used to return punts is an odd development, as well as the team spending a third round pick on Blake Corum. Expecting some reduction in his workload. Puka Nacua seems to have ascended in the public's eye to the WR1 on this team, but let us not forget Cooper Kupp can still ball too-- when he's healthy anyway. Looking for a sneaky decent year out of tight end Colby Parkinson, coming down from Seattle to fill Tyler Higbee's shoes, for at least the short term.

Interesting couple of guys on this Rams defense. Florida State teammates Jared Verse and Braden Fiske were picked by Les Snead in the first and second round of this most recent draft and are slated to get after the quarterback immediately. Kobie Turner will surely accept the help.

Nice risk-reward signing of Tre'Davious White back in April too. The former All-Pro corner just couldn't stay healthy in his final few seasons in Buffalo, failing to rediscover his elite form. If he can even partially get back to the level of play we saw in the first half of his career, it could be the move of the offseason. He'll have Darious Williams opposite of him, squaring off against some stud receivers within the division.

One Bold Prediction: Blake Corum racks up more rushing touchdowns than Kyren Williams. Not saying Kyren falls completely off, but he does have a history of injuries and put some tread on the tires last year. Corum is a prototypical short yardage back who could end up being fed a ton of red zone looks. Not saying he'll win you a fantasy league, or even contribute much in the passing game, but Corum's going to find pay dirt with regularity. 

San Francisco 49ers

From Mr. Irrelevant to legitimately in the MVP discussion, at least at one point. Not a bad rookie run for Brock Purdy. The offensive line is a little more suspect then in '23, but no reason to think Purdy can't have similar success this go-round.

Photo: SI.com

Having Christian McCaffery in the backfield doesn't hurt matters. However, the star running back is already a little banged up and handled a ton of touches last season; is this the beginning of his regression? Getting Trent Williams to finally sign a deal with the team helps matters immensely. As of right now, Jordan Mason's in line as CMC's primary backup. 

The receiving room took a hit over the weekend, with first rounder Ricky Pearsall getting shot in an attempted robbery in Union Square. Luckily, the Florida graduate didn't suffer any life threatening injuries, but the incident derails his debut for no less than four weeks. Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk should have no trouble shouldering the load until his return, along with George Kittle over the middle.

San Francisco generally gets associated with having a strong defense, which'll likely be the case this season too, in the trenches at a minimum. Nick Bosa is a true alpha, but Javon Hargrave took a step back in his first stint with the club after signing a massive contract 14 months ago. Can he get back to the elite form he showed in Philly? New additions in Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos add some interesting depth too.

Fred Warner's a beast of a middle linebacker, but it's a thin linebacking group outside of him-- a problem the talented Niners' D line helps alleviate.  The secondary can be thrown on as well, as long as opposing lines keep their quarterback's jerseys clean. Charvarius Ward is a solid cornerback but plenty of question marks beyond that. 

One Bold Prediction: The 49ers finish with a bottom ten defense for passing yards allowed. Positive game scripts, a run stuffing front seven, a weak group of corners-- all parts of a recipe to drum up some air yardage. The D as a whole won't be a bad unit by any stretch, but we'll see them give up some bigger plays to opposing wide receivers than we're used to.

Seattle Seahawks

Up to the Pacific Northwest we go to wrap up our divisional previews. Which Geno are the Seahawks going to get this year? After going through a career renaissance in 2022, the 33-year-old took a step back in '23, raising questions about his long-term viability at the position-- especially with a new coaching staff in town. Sam Howell is fair competition behind him as well.

Kenneth Walker III's a strong piece to have in your backfield, coming off a slightly less efficient campaign than he put up as a rookie. Revamping the offensive line should help his production, with the team bringing in Laken Tomlinson to start at guard and reuniting with OT George Fant. 

Out wide, DK Metcalf is a physical freak. Defenses won't be able to key in on him though with the silky-smooth Jaxon Smith-Njigba and speedster Tyler Lockett composing their three-WR sets. It's a really diverse and dangerous passing attack that just needs some competency at QB to shine.

Seattle's defense may quietly be the best in the division. Leonard Williams is a monster at DE, with Jonathan Hankins and Jarran Reed helping him get some push up front. Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Uchenna Nwosu (when healthy) do an outstanding job of collapsing the pocket behind that group.

Devon Witherspoon has quickly become the premier slot corner in the NFL, at least according to many. He's set for a big sophomore campaign alongside Riq Woolen. Julian Love and Rayshawn Jenkins are solid at safety, but probably the weakest part of this D. 

One Bold Prediction: Devon Witherspoon leads the league in interceptions. Quarterbacks will eventually stop targeting the sticky cornerback, but the Illinois alum is going to make them pay in the meantime. Thinking a floor of 6 picks is in play here.

Divisional Shakedown

This feels like a down year for San Francisco. The offensive line is suspect, CMC's already ailing, Brandon Aiyuk has barely practiced...just a ton of "what-if's". They should still be able to win the division on talent alone, but don't expect them to run train on the NFC again. Anticipating a slight drop off from LA too, while the Cardinals compete with Seattle for a shot at a wildcard spot.

------

@Choppinglines

*I own no rights to any images found in this blog