Who will win the NFC West this year?

[NickTheGreek]

First Vernon wants a new contract but that doesn't affect his talent. He is still one of the best TEs in the league. Big deal he wants a new deal. Is lynch going to go down this year because he is unhappy?

Kap had Boldin at WR until crabs came back extremely early from a major injury. He had no WR to throw besides Boldin. Kap was much better on e crabs came back. So he will have crabs, Boldin and Stevie Johnson ( who has schooled shermy bad) to throw to. Much better than just Boldin. I would say.

Gore is pushing the end. Great career. But let's not act like the 49ers don't have guys waiting. Hyde is a rookie but the talk so far is he is beasting. Marcus Lattimore isn't wearing any braces on his knee and feels no discomfort, and the best writers say it sure looks like his burst is back. So I'm not worried about the RB position. We also get Bruce Miller back at FB.

Brock was one of the highest rated CBs last year. Eric Reid had a great rookie season. Bethea isn't the greatest SS in the world but he is just as good as Whitner IMO. The starting corner spot next to Brock is the one I'm worried about.

Iupati will be back. Boone wants a new contract and he deserves one. Want him back. Iupati is gone after this year more than likely, so we can't lose them both.

Bowman's injury hurts because it's bowman. But we have plenty of guys who will fill and and be productive. We managed when Willis was out last year. We will do the same here.

Justin Smith isnt the same... He is still a top 3 at his position. He's good. But we do have tank waiting in the wings.

You see everyone forgets that the 49ers have had the most draft picks the last two years. They have players waiting in the wings. It's hard to crack a roster with a lot of talented guys on it.

SF is the biggest NFL conundrum going for me.

Can Kaep take the next step in QB leadership and intangibles?
What about Gore in '14? can hyde manage everything Gore did, especially in blocking.
How much time is Aldon going to miss?
What will be the impact of Bowman's absence?
The secondary seems a bit young and lacks cohesiveness.
The OL isn't as great as the reputation.

Impact of Tank. Improvement of Lemonier. Impact of Stevie Johnson. Lattimore? Vance going to take another step? Vernon Davis?

Questions abound more about what I expect to see in the 49ers than any other NFL upper echelon team.

 

[cdumler7]

Stated better. Seattle has to continue to play chess while the rest of the league plays checkers in the draft.

When your 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks become uber stars and demand huge contracts you need to continue to draft starters in the 3rd , 4th and 5th rounds......

It is true...if they keep hitting on those middle round players (you stated very well that the middle and late rounds are what really make a team as those are the role/depth players that really separate the good from the bad in the NFL) then Seattle stands a very good chance to become the next team that every year is in the running for the Super Bowl. Wilson will also play a big part in that. IF he can continue to develop into one of the top level quarterbacks then beyond anything else he can lead them to the playoffs. We have seen quite a bit in this league where great quarterbacks can take even average to below average teams to the playoffs.

I will say though since this is a copycat league I would expect a lot of teams to develop what Seattle is doing in the draft making it that much harder for them to find those hidden gems. Teams will start picking apart your scouting department to figure out what you guys do to the point eventually every team will have the same information of that of Seattle. It is why in this league if you don't adapt you eventually get left in the dust.

 

[gowazzu02]

It is true...if they keep hitting on those middle round players (you stated very well that the middle and late rounds are what really make a team as those are the role/depth players that really separate the good from the bad in the NFL) then Seattle stands a very good chance to become the next team that every year is in the running for the Super Bowl. Wilson will also play a big part in that. IF he can continue to develop into one of the top level quarterbacks then beyond anything else he can lead them to the playoffs. We have seen quite a bit in this league where great quarterbacks can take even average to below average teams to the playoffs.

I will say though since this is a copycat league I would expect a lot of teams to develop what Seattle is doing in the draft making it that much harder for them to find those hidden gems. Teams will start picking apart your scouting department to figure out what you guys do to the point eventually every team will have the same information of that of Seattle. It is why in this league if you don't adapt you eventually get left in the dust.

Very true, look at what Bradley is doing in Jacksonville aka Seattle East. And the Jets have Idzik as their GM a John Schneider disciple.

PC and John Schneider are the architects of this organization and with Paul allens deep pockets they will continue to be there until they dont want to any longer.

I think its only a matter of time before Dan Quinn the new DC gets a HC position somewhere, and there were interviews last year for Darrel Bevel the current OC.

Also interesting to see them focus on the WR core, cause when Wilson gets paid, he will have more responsibility on his shoulders because the depth will take a hit, IF pc and js miss on a few drafts......

Either way, file this all under GOOD problems to have.

 

[Clayton]

Didn't realize that the Rams had such a bad defensive coordinator last year.

The Rams had the worst secondary in football last year it was just covered up by a monster year from Quinn, a solid front 7 and lots of turnovers.

The Rams are really set in the trenches on both sides and on special teams. But its a passing league and you have to be able to pass the ball and stop the pass and they haven't been able to put that all together quite yet. The Rams probably have the most unproven skill players in football but there is talent there.

 

[WizardHawk]

So question WizardHawk are you worried at all about the depth at Corner now that 2 guys who contributed last year are gone? They have a lot of unproven potential behind the starters but again that potential word can be dangerous?

I'm sure there are questions about depth at more positions than that.

As for CB specifically, sure you have to wonder, but we did last year too and after Browner and Thurmond went out and Maxwell and Lane stepped right in and just didn't miss a beat we all felt a lot better.

This is the problem I have with all of this talk about who upgraded in the off season. No one knows how any of the draft picks are going to perform on the field and most won't be at full speed for the first half of this coming season. Takes a while for many to get up to NFL speed.

I have no clue how their backups will do, but then that puts them in the same boat as those draft upgrades around the rest of the division.

 

[Caynine29]

Fact of the matter is... if we're being honest, the division is a complete toss up going into 2014. And I'll even remove the Rams from the conversation (if only for the fact I'll be quickly reminded that a Rams division title would be absolutely impossible ). There's no denying that the Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals are ALL really good and can compete with one another as well as the next team. Aside from the occasional break for trash talk and trolling, it's the primary reason why this thread is so freakin' long. Every other "divisional" thread I've seen hasn't lasted longer than a few days.

If anything, it'll certainly be interesting how everything shakes out.

 

[seafandoghawk]

The Rams had the worst secondary in football last year it was just covered up by a monster year from Quinn, a solid front 7 and lots of turnovers.

The Rams are really set in the trenches on both sides and on special teams. But its a passing league and you have to be able to pass the ball and stop the pass and they haven't been able to put that all together quite yet. The Rams probably have the most unproven skill players in football but there is talent there.

Yeah I agree about the Rams in the trenches, and definitely can see the talent at the skill positions. The thing is, I'm seeing about the same thing at the skill positions with the Cardinals too (as well as the 49ers & the Seahawks). The more that we get into this conversation, the more apparent it is to me just how competitive this division is probably going to be. It will be very interesting seeing the non-division W-L records of the four teams combined.

 

[Rvnight18]

a well thought out reasonable argument from a SF fan.

I also use the we have depth argument for Seattle.

The biggest difference, is Seattle has proven to have worthy depth, you listed alot of guys you hope or think will step up and replace aging or gone stars.

I forget the numbers but SF played their starting units a ton the last two years. Sure you have a lot of draft picks, but as of now, those picks haven't done anything.

The one flaw on JH's resume (besides no SB ring) is that he hasn't proven to be able to draft. Sure Reid made the pro bowl but that was a no brainer pick, you make your depth with your later round picks and we shall see what he has. I dont believe its enough to win the division, but that is,,,, my ,,, opinion. and your welcome to disagree.

The niners were laughed at by most for drafting Reid. So I fail to see how that was a no brainer. Tank will see time from last years draft as will Lattimore. If those two live up to their potential which is an if, that draft class with those three players would be a great class.

 

[Rvnight18]

So are you saying SF wins the West this year?

Sorry for the wait. I'm saying they have a very good chance to win it yes. As a fan of the 49ers of course I think that. It will be hard with how tough the west is, but I believe they are the better this year than last. And we ran the hawks to the brink in their house in the NFC championship.

 

[UK Cowboy]

Rams have the best front 7 in the NFL, hands down. Bradford is and always will be just a soft QB and won't get it done, sorry STL.

Who is Jimmie Ward and why is he going to be a stud? Besides, he only mans the nickelback for 60% of snaps. Stud and impact in 2016 likely but not a baller in 2014, uk.

Who is going to start at RB? Gore is complete and is digressing. Can Hyde pick up the blitz scheme? Any screen action? Nobody knows. James may not even make the squad and kendall hunter can't take the pounding. I like how you continually toss out roster spots with a total disregard as to how they fit the scheme.

The 49ers have one of the most overrated offensive lines in the NFL and it doesn't surprise me that UK is still lost and hasn't figured out how to corroborate his opinions with some evidence. Go look at ProFootballFocus for OL. SF is now middle of the pack and below in many of the advanced stats. The bookend tackles aren't as great as their reputation and Iupati is overrated and Boone is very good but holding out.

Kaepernick may be talented but it ends when he needs to go through progressions and read a defense. A great runner but average QB without passing intangibles or ability to sense pressure in the pocket. Not impressed. you don't watch anything more than redzone based on every post I've wasted time reading of yours, uk.

You're not too knowledgeable about football, UK. Talk big, non-existent knowledge.

The good news is, this is all time stamped, so in 6 months, when you finally get your post count above 50, we can review what a football dipshit you really are. Of course you don't think Jimmie Ward will be a stud, your dumbass thought he used to star on Good Times. And that PFF magazine you brag about? Bigger rag than Bleacher Report. Iupati overrated? If you can be overrated and still be the best OG in the league, alright. In the end, if you combined your Raiders with the 9er's, there might be 4-5 Raiders who would start on the first 22.

 

[Tech_God]

Sorry for the wait. I'm saying they have a very good chance to win it yes. As a fan of the 49ers of course I think that. It will be hard with how tough the west is, but I believe they are the better this year than last. And we ran the hawks to the brink in their house in the NFC championship.

Last season, we all know that the real S.B. was played in the NFC championship. I have to believe that this will repeat for this upcoming season. Why oh WHY did the NFL place our two games just three weeks apart?

 

[jakedog56]

The good news is, this is all time stamped, so in 6 months, when you finally get your post count above 50, we can review what a football dipshit you really are. Of course you don't think Jimmie Ward will be a stud, your dumbass thought he used to star on Good Times. And that PFF magazine you brag about? Bigger rag than Bleacher Report. Iupati overrated? If you can be overrated and still be the best OG in the league, alright. In the end, if you combined your Raiders with the 9er's, there might be 4-5 Raiders who would start on the first 22.

.........and he is back!

After a reasonable, well-thought out post debating the subject as a normal person would, now he reverts back to spewing personal insults and generally behaving like a complete ass.
Nice!

 

[UK Cowboy]

.........and he is back!

After a reasonable, well-thought out post debating the subject as a normal person would, now he reverts back to spewing personal insults and generally behaving like a complete ass.
Nice!

You are a jackass. You didn't mention that some 30 post Idiot posted crap about me first. I'm sure you'd have just let it slide though. KETTLE

 

[jakedog56]

You are a jackass. You didn't mention that some 30 post Idiot posted crap about me first. I'm sure you'd have just let it slide though. KETTLE

Hey, I am impressed with your posting when you bother to try to be reasonable. You make valid points that are open for interesting debate.

The problem is that you so often just start calling people names like spoiled brat with a keyboard and no respect for anyone else.

We get it. You are tough behind a screen and don't give a shit what anyone else thinks. That is really impressive in this day and age (not).

Come back with more good posts instead of just spewing insults and I will give you respect. Until then you deserve nothing but ill-will and ridicule.

 

[jakedog56]

Ok. Here is the real scenario regarding the NFCW:

Any of the 4 teams can win the division. They all have their strong points and are looking to build on whatever level of success they had last year.

Every defense in the NFCW is arguably top 10 on paper and that could even be considered a conservative estimate.

Chances of winning the division:

Seattle: 36%: Defending division and SB champs who return all of their key players from last year. Carries over a D that has been in all-time best discussions.
Question marks-
Depth- Though Seattle did retain all of their top players, they did lose veteran depth (Bryant, Clemons, McDonald, Tate, Breno G., McQuistan, Browner, Thurmond). They seem to have the components and the system in place to handle these losses but relying on unproven talent is always an unknown.
Offensive Line: The weakest unit from last year’s team. With Pro-Bowl players Okung and Unger apparently healthy, and added experience and depth to this unit, it appears to be stronger. However RT remains a big question mark and relying on improved play from Carpenter and Sweezy at the OG positions is risky.

San Francisco: 30%: One of the top teams and top defenses in the NFL. With a couple of small breaks they could have been the division champs and/or playing in the SB last year. Upgrades in the WR corp gives hope for a more explosive offense.
Question marks-
LBs- Despite having possibly the best LB corps in the league over the recent years, this is an area of some concern in this coming year. How long Aldon Smith’s suspension will be and if or at what point in the season Bowman can recover from major knee injuries are big questions.
Defensive Backfield- The weakest unit on the team remains a question mark. If the LBs or DL struggle (J.Smith’s age and effectiveness are a bit of a concern here), it possibly could expose an already suspect unit.
QB play: As we all know Kaep has been inconsistent so far in his career. A great athlete who has looked spectacular with his legs and at times with his arm has also performed poorly at times with his tendency to lock onto WRs inability to check through his options has left. His completion percentage, yards per attempt, TD to Int ratio all decreased last year. If he can improve and take the next step in terms of consistency then the 49ers are in great shape but there is plenty of skepticism regarding this at this time.

Arizona: 18%: A very good defense combined with an improved OL and a year of experience in Arian’s system give reason for fans to hope to move into the upper half of the NFCW.
Question marks-
OL- One of the worst in the NFL last year, it looks to rebound with the return of last year’s 1st round pick Cooper and the signing of Veldheer to solidify the LT position. A possible big turn around here could boost the running game and maybe less pressure on Palmer could reduce his tendency to throw picks.
RB- When your leading rusher averaged 3.2 ypc it is a bad sign. Ellington brought some relief but can he be a feature back at 5’9”, 199#? Much like QB, this area could hinge on the OL play.
QB- Palmer falls somewhere between good and very bad as a QB depending on who you ask. He will never be the QB he used to be in Cinnci before he got his knee rolled, but more consistency and few picks could make him the best they have had since Warner left.
LB- Like the 49ers, a strength last year is a question this year. With Dansby leaving and Washington suspended, there looks to be a drop off in performance here.

St. Louis: 16%: Again, D rules the roost here. The Rams D line is very, very good with All-Pro Quinn leading the way. And Jeff Fisher is a proven winner as a coach. However the offense remains suspect.
Question Marks-
QB- Bradford returns from his injury with the same question marks as before. Is he a franchise QB? Is he a game manager? After 4 years of play if is still not clear. He was having the best year of his career before his injury.
RB- The NFCW is a division based on smash-mouth football with strong Ds and punishing running games, but is Stacy the answer for the Rams or is he
Youth- Lots of big names and high draft picks carry expectations and optimism into StL. with them, but relying too much on unproven youth can be very risky. If all of their rookies and 2nd year players live up to these expectations then the Rams could surprise for a run to the top, but if they all fail it could be disaster. Of course the truth will probably be somewhere in the middle.

So what do we take out of this? Any team could win the NFCW. The X-factor here and for every team in the NFL is now and always will be injuries. A key injury or two or a rash of injuries that hurts depth can destroy even the best of teams. What my prediction really is stating is that the team that stays healthiest of the 4 has a good chance to win the division regardless of which team we are discussing, and the team that has the most injuries significant injury problems could easily fall to into last place, even if it is the Seahawks or 49ers.

 

[UK Cowboy]

Hey, I am impressed with your posting when you bother to try to be reasonable. You make valid points that are open for interesting debate.

The problem is that you so often just start calling people names like spoiled brat with a keyboard and no respect for anyone else.

We get it. You are tough behind a screen and don't give a shit what anyone else thinks. That is really impressive in this day and age (not).

Come back with more good posts instead of just spewing insults and I will give you respect. Until then you deserve nothing but ill-will and ridicule.

Don't bother Bro

 

[UK Cowboy]

Ok. Here is the real scenario regarding the NFCW:

Any of the 4 teams can win the division. They all have their strong points and are looking to build on whatever level of success they had last year.

Every defense in the NFCW is arguably top 10 on paper and that could even be considered a conservative estimate.

Chances of winning the division:

Seattle: 36%: Defending division and SB champs who return all of their key players from last year. Carries over a D that has been in all-time best discussions.
Question marks-
Depth- Though Seattle did retain all of their top players, they did lose veteran depth (Bryant, Clemons, McDonald, Tate, Breno G., McQuistan, Browner, Thurmond). They seem to have the components and the system in place to handle these losses but relying on unproven talent is always an unknown.
Offensive Line: The weakest unit from last year’s team. With Pro-Bowl players Okung and Unger apparently healthy, and added experience and depth to this unit, it appears to be stronger. However RT remains a big question mark and relying on improved play from Carpenter and Sweezy at the OG positions is risky.

San Francisco: 30%: One of the top teams and top defenses in the NFL. With a couple of small breaks they could have been the division champs and/or playing in the SB last year. Upgrades in the WR corp gives hope for a more explosive offense.
Question marks-
LBs- Despite having possibly the best LB corps in the league over the recent years, this is an area of some concern in this coming year. How long Aldon Smith’s suspension will be and if or at what point in the season Bowman can recover from major knee injuries are big questions.
Defensive Backfield- The weakest unit on the team remains a question mark. If the LBs or DL struggle (J.Smith’s age and effectiveness are a bit of a concern here), it possibly could expose an already suspect unit.
QB play: As we all know Kaep has been inconsistent so far in his career. A great athlete who has looked spectacular with his legs and at times with his arm has also performed poorly at times with his tendency to lock onto WRs inability to check through his options has left. His completion percentage, yards per attempt, TD to Int ratio all decreased last year. If he can improve and take the next step in terms of consistency then the 49ers are in great shape but there is plenty of skepticism regarding this at this time.

Arizona: 18%: A very good defense combined with an improved OL and a year of experience in Arian’s system give reason for fans to hope to move into the upper half of the NFCW.
Question marks-
OL- One of the worst in the NFL last year, it looks to rebound with the return of last year’s 1st round pick Cooper and the signing of Veldheer to solidify the LT position. A possible big turn around here could boost the running game and maybe less pressure on Palmer could reduce his tendency to throw picks.
RB- When your leading rusher averaged 3.2 ypc it is a bad sign. Ellington brought some relief but can he be a feature back at 5’9”, 199#? Much like QB, this area could hinge on the OL play.
QB- Palmer falls somewhere between good and very bad as a QB depending on who you ask. He will never be the QB he used to be in Cinnci before he got his knee rolled, but more consistency and few picks could make him the best they have had since Warner left.
LB- Like the 49ers, a strength last year is a question this year. With Dansby leaving and Washington suspended, there looks to be a drop off in performance here.

St. Louis: 16%: Again, D rules the roost here. The Rams D line is very, very good with All-Pro Quinn leading the way. And Jeff Fisher is a proven winner as a coach. However the offense remains suspect.
Question Marks-
QB- Bradford returns from his injury with the same question marks as before. Is he a franchise QB? Is he a game manager? After 4 years of play if is still not clear. He was having the best year of his career before his injury.
RB- The NFCW is a division based on smash-mouth football with strong Ds and punishing running games, but is Stacy the answer for the Rams or is he
Youth- Lots of big names and high draft picks carry expectations and optimism into StL. with them, but relying too much on unproven youth can be very risky. If all of their rookies and 2nd year players live up to these expectations then the Rams could surprise for a run to the top, but if they all fail it could be disaster. Of course the truth will probably be somewhere in the middle.

So what do we take out of this? Any team could win the NFCW. The X-factor here and for every team in the NFL is now and always will be injuries. A key injury or two or a rash of injuries that hurts depth can destroy even the best of teams. What my prediction really is stating is that the team that stays healthiest of the 4 has a good chance to win the division regardless of which team we are discussing, and the team that has the most injuries significant injury problems could easily fall to into last place, even if it is the Seahawks or 49ers.

Your post on the Seahawks weakness is exactly why I said they have a short window. They lost several contributing depth players. The last 3 years, the Cowboys have been .500 because once they piled up injuries, they had to play several guys they picked up off the street. Same with Green Bay. And while Seattle is a much better team than those two, the same thing happened to the 90's Cowboys, who had won 3 of 4 with the NFL's youngest roster. Other teams came with absurd contracts for Alvin Harper, Jimmie Jones, etc, and we paid a lot to keep our stars. If you think depth might be an issue now, wait until Wilson is making $20 million a year soon. That's when he will have to play like a top 5 QB, when all the role players are gone

 

[Wolvie]

Your post on the Seahawks weakness is exactly why I said they have a short window. They lost several contributing depth players. The last 3 years, the Cowboys have been .500 because once they piled up injuries, they had to play several guys they picked up off the street. Same with Green Bay. And while Seattle is a much better team than those two, the same thing happened to the 90's Cowboys, who had won 3 of 4 with the NFL's youngest roster. Other teams came with absurd contracts for Alvin Harper, Jimmie Jones, etc, and we paid a lot to keep our stars. If you think depth might be an issue now, wait until Wilson is making $20 million a year soon. That's when he will have to play like a top 5 QB, when all the role players are gone

So the Seahawks aren't as good because we lost "depth." Meanwhile the niners had a lot of draftpicks (and therefore have a team full of rookies) and therefore got better...

 

[UK Cowboy]

So the Seahawks aren't as good because we lost "depth." Meanwhile the niners had a lot of draftpicks (and therefore have a team full of rookies) and therefore got better...

Seattle does still have the best team, based on the way last season ended. They also played longer than anyone but Denver, have a lot of new distractions, a first place schedule, a target on their backs and play in the toughest division in the game. If they win it again this year, they'll have more than earned it

 

[SonnyCID]

So the Seahawks aren't as good because we lost "depth." Meanwhile the niners had a lot of draftpicks (and therefore have a team full of rookies) and therefore got better...

Pretty much. Seattle's unproven depth and potential will suck while STL and SF's will be great.

Just forget the fact that Seattle's draft picks and depth acquisitions have faired as well or better than anyone the past few years.