NFL free agency has gone live and the NFC West should have plenty of movement as all four teams look to upgrade on their roster from last year, even world champion Seattle. Here is a look back at how each team finished the previous season, what their biggest needs are, and what their suggested moves should be, in ascending order of how the division finished last year:
St. Louis Rams – Coming off a 7-9 record in 2013, the Rams can hang their hats on having one of the better defensive units in the league and a surprise franchise RB in Zach Stacy. Their offensive line was improved with the addition of tackle Jake Long but the offense lacks a true number one wideout and it may be time to move on without Sam Bradford, who has looked average or been too injured to play so far in his short career. The best options on the market that would help improve their offense would be WR Eric Decker, WR Hakeem Nicks, and QB Josh McCown. Decker or Nicks would provide them with a proven talent on the outside that can win jump balls and has above average speed, while McCown would provide much needed depth behind Bradford if and when he gets hurt as Kellen Clemens just doesn’t fit the bill.
The Rams hold the #2 overall pick in the upcoming draft and their best option would be WR Sammy Watkins to add more size and speed to the passing game and with Decker or Nicks on board, Watkins would not be asked to produce starter’s numbers right away. With last year’s rookie of the year candidate Tavon Austin already in the receiving corps, this offense could go from pretty vanilla to downright scary. The Rams did have some trouble against the better receivers and passing games last year and will need to seriously consider upgrading at cornerback but offense needs to be the priority, and they do hold 4 picks in the first three rounds so they can look for value and potential starters in the draft which will allow them to go after the bigger names on offense in free agency.
Biggest needs: WR, QB, CB
Suggested free agent signings: WR Eric Decker, QB Josh McCown
Arizona Cardinals – The boys in the desert fought hard and nearly got a playoff spot, but a 10-6 record just wasn’t enough to get them to the second season in the crowded NFC, and sadly a lot of players are leaving, and that will leave holes to fill. Lead RB Rashard Mendenhall is planning to retire and was a pending free agent anyway, and his production was great in the last month of the season but HC Bruce Arians has enough talent at RB and some younger options in free agency that he wouldn’t have needed to urge Mendenhall to return. And while decent, Carson Palmer is not the answer at QB in the long or short term, he just turns it over far too much and never recovered the “it” factor he had with the Bengals in 2005. Unfortunately for the Cards, there just isn’t a better option than Palmer on the open market so they will need to look to the draft or a trade scenario. With a late first round selection it will be difficult to find a player that can contribute at a position of need right away, so they will need to look to free agency for help and the draft for future starters and depth for this year. The secondary, defensive line, and receiving corps appear to be the only spots that couldn’t use an immediate upgrade, so free agent running backs Ben Tate and James Starks should be contacted as they would add depth behind likely starter Andre Ellington and give him some veteran help as he is small for a starter and seems best suited for splitting time and 3rd down duties. DE John Abraham isn’t getting any younger so the team brass should look to the draft to find a replacement, and the best 4-3 lineman on the open market is Jared Allen, who is at the end of his prime or past it and he may want to go to a team he sees as a contender after anchoring the miserable Minnesota Vikings’ defense the last few years, leaving old-man Julius Peppers, who is well past his prime and may not be worth the price tag he is likely to seek.
Biggest needs: RB, DE, QB
Suggested free agent signings: RB Ben Tate, RB James Starks, DE Jared Allen
San Francisco 49ers – The Niners went 12-4 and were probably one Richard Sherman tipped pass from going to the Super Bowl. But that pass was tipped and intercepted, and while still one of the top five teams in the league, they will now have to look inward at potential holes at OLB with Navarro Bowman recovering knee surgery, and RB as Frank Gore looks slower and more banged up with each passing week and there isn’t a heir apparent currently on the roster. The offensive and defensive lines are some of the best in the league, but a ball-hawking safety would be a welcome upgrade to the defense. Many will point to the passing game as an area of high need, however the return of a healthy Michael Crabtree teamed with TE Vernon Davis and WR Anquan Boldin will be more than sufficient. Signing WR James Jones for more depth and to use as a deep threat wouldn’t hurt, and the team should absolutely consider it. They have five picks in the first three rounds so free agents aren’t a must as they have proven they can find value well beyond the first round. If they want proven veterans to sign, RB Knowshon Moreno would be a great add and has plenty of years left, safety Jairus Byrd would be the Ed Reed like player the defense is missing, and LaMarr Woodley would not be ideal but is probably the only player on the open market that can fill in for Bowman in the short term and provide depth when he’s healthy. They don’t exactly need help with their pass rush, however recently released DeMarcus Ware would make this unit even scarier than it already is and would give them a rotation that would make Vic Fangio’s scheme even more effective.
Biggest needs: RB, OLB, Safety
Suggested free agent signings: RB Knowshon Moreno, WR James Jones, LB LaMarr Woodley, S Jairus Byrd, OLB DeMarcus Ware
Seattle Seahawks – DangerRuss, Beast Mode, and The Legion of Boom went 13-3 last year, survived a late scare in the NFC Championship game, and absolutely destroyed the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. So how can they need to improve? Well, last year’s leading receiver, Golden Tate, is out. WR Sidney Rice, is out. The guards on the offensive line are still there, but badly need depth or replacements. And a Pro Bowl caliber tight end to pair with Zach Miller wouldn’t hurt either. The defense is beyond fine, no improvements needed there. The best receiving talent on the open market are likely to be interested in Seattle, but they need to be willing to spend top dollar and that could make it exceedingly difficult to keep their best players around much longer, so one playmaker and a value buy are probably for the best. Eric Decker and Hakeem Nicks are likely to demand too much cash, so the team should seek to sign WR’s James Jones, Kenny Britt, Lance More, or Emmanuel Sanders. None of these players have proven that they are capable of being a number one wideout, but unless the team is willing to spend what little cap room they have and risk losing one of their top offensive or defensive players in the years to come, is up to the brain trust of Pete Carroll and John Schneider. Jermichael Finley and Brandon Pettigrew are the tippy top of the TE list this year, and either would be a good fit for the passing game, although neither is consistently healthy or productive. As for interior offensive lineman, Harvey Dahl, Davin Joseph, and Daryn Colledge would be the most realistic fits, but none are likely to do more than add depth behind who the Seahawks already employ and start. With only two picks in the first three rounds of the draft, it’s tough to believe they will find an impact player to use this year, but they have been awfully good with their draft tactics so don’t rule it out. None of their signings are likely to be glamorous or fill a need right away, but they need to make sure they don’t have a drop off on offense with how good this defense is playing.
Biggest needs: WR, OL, TE
Suggested free agent signings: WR Kenny Britt, WR Emmanuel Sanders, TE Jermichael Finley, OL Harvey Dahl
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