Position Battles – NFC West

In the sixth of Eight installments, I’ll look into the many position battles that are fought every off-season. Nothing in the NFL is guaranteed, from the contracts to a roster spot, which is why the NFL is so intriguing every year. For every Pierre Thomas and Miles AUstin, long-shots for an NFL roster, there’s a Deuce McCallister or Marvin Harrison, former greats, that gets cut. So, on the note, we’ll take a look at the NFC West, where the depth at receiver will have to turn into some star power if these teams want to exceed their own playoff aspirations.

Seattle Seahawks

Defensive Tackle
The Seahawks are a trendy team to make a huge change from last year’s win total. With a great linebacking corps with the addition of Aaron Curry, a solid secondary lead by Marcus Trufant, and some solid pass rushers lead by Patrick Kearney, they only need to figure out the defensive tackle position. Corey Redding is a favorite for one spot, but with younger guys like Brandon Membane and Colin Cole jostling for the spot, it should be a battle to watch the whole season. Redding and Membane are the favorites, but Cole is a good athlete and should be in the rotation.

Arizona Cardinals

Defensive Tackle
The defensive tackle spot was supposed to be one of definite strength for the Cardinals, but this isn’t the way the Cardinals planned it. Brian Robinson has been a steady starter and has exceeded expectations for him. He is the likely starter. 2007 2nd round pick Alan Branch was supposed to be the mainstay at nose tackle, and 2005 4th rounder Gabe Watson was supposed to be the pass rusher at the position. Both Michigan alums fell shapely than they expected on draft day, and apparently for good reason. Branch has a shot to get some decent playing time, while Watson may be fighting for a job.

San Francisco 49ers

Wide Receiver
With sketchy-ness at quarterback, it is crucial to have receivers that can help bail out whoever it is at the helm. Veteren Issac Bruce is likely to start on one side because he’s still very sure-handed and is consistent as long as he’s healthy. Justin Morgan was a pleasant surprise last season and now may be a favorite to land the starting gig opposite Bruce. Brandon Jones was brought in from Tennessee and is likely the man in the slot. Jason Hill, a favorite of mine since he was at Washington State, and Arnez Battle will be fighting for the number 4 spot at receiver, both with the potential to step in if Bruce struggles. Finally, 2009 1st rounder and current aggressive holdout Michael Crabtree has vowed that he will re-enter next years draft if need be and may not get into the 49ers organization until Week 4 or 5, so he won’t play much, if at all, this season.

St. Louis Rams

Wide Receiver
After having one of the best offenses in the league as early as 3-4 years ago, the Rams’ offense can now be wrapped up and summated by looking at their receiving corps. Let me make this clear: I do like a few of these guys long term, but most are either not talented enough to be consistent starters or are more suited for a number 3 or 4 role on a depth chart. The best of the bunch is most likely Donnie Avery, 2008 2nd round pick and the 1st receiver selected in his draft. He has tremendous deep speed and has shown that his route running and hands have come along nicely. Keenan Burton, Derek Stanley, and Ryne Robinson are the “veterans” on this depth chart, and they have all been late round picks in the past 5 years draft. Robinson was picked one slot before Mr. Irrelevant, yet has good speed and return ability, and could be arguably their best slot option. Finally, 2009 mid-round pick Brooks Foster from North Carolina has the most potential as a red-zone, sideline receiver, and will likely be asked to step in early and play. Burton and Avery should be the two starters, with Foster being the big receiver, and Robinson being the speed guy. Still, I would hope that they look at guys like Marvin Harrison or some notable receiving threat if they want to get out from under the 6-10 record ceiling.