Pre-Draft Needs: NFC West Edition

The more I think about the NFC West, the more I realize it is going to be pretty competitive. I'm not a huge fan of having to play these teams twice. I mean, I love the rivalries (/shouts out "Pete Carroll" like Sheldon Cooper does "Wil Wheaton"), but this is going to be a tough division in which to play. And I think the offseason made each team better.

While the Arizona Cardinals have a lot of problems (and I think they are the worst team in the division), they upgraded exactly where they needed to: at QB. That black hole of a position was atrocious last year. With Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton in town, I think that offense is much improved. The defense saw a lot of turnover too, and probably for the worse (S Yeremiah Bell and Rashad Johnson won't be able to fill in for Kerry Rhodes; CBs Jerraud Powers and Antoine Cason for Greg Toler and William Gay is probably a wash). That said, the defense has been pretty nasty the last couple of years. Where the Cardinals really need to improve this draft is on the o-line. I mean, they have Adam Snyder as a starting Guard. Let that sink in.

The Seattle Seahawks had a busy and oft-scrutinized (by us), offseason. The Seahawks made some trade splashes, most notably with the Percy Harvin acquisition, but also by dealing Matt Flynn to the Raiders. In addition, the Seahawks looked to shore up their defense by signing DE Michael Bennett, DE Cliff Avril, and CB Antoine Winfield. All three are solid signings, though I wonder if Avril will keep up his level of production. The Seahawks do have some needs, though, particularly on the o-line. Russell Wilson is good at evading the rush, but this can't be an every game thing. Right Tackle is the major area of need.

The St. Louis Rams have been relatively quiet this offseason, bringing in Tackle Jake Long and TE Jared Cook. I like both signings for this team -- they address two big areas of need with good players. I just wonder, though, if that is enough. The Rams likely need to upgrade both Safety positions, should try to replace Danny Amendola in some fashion, and might want more RB depth now that Steven Jackson has left.