By: Andy Davies

The NFC West was considered the elite division in the NFL as little as a year ago but things have progressed since, despite having the current Super Bowl champions in the Los Angeles Rams. 

Russell Wilson is no longer in the division, and no one quite knows who will be the QB1 in San Francisco. 

But who is the divisions best quarterback? Here are the rankings of the NFC West quarterbacks from best to worst.

Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)

What better place to start than with the QB1 of the Super Bowl Champions. Whilst Stafford was not the reason the Rams won Super Bowl 56 over the Cincinnati Bengals, with 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, he was certainly the final piece of the jigsaw as the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the 1999 season. 

The Rams were always contenders, making it all the way to Super Bowl 53, but there was always something missing at the quarterback position. Jared Goff did well but even he would admit he was probably not good enough to take the Rams where they needed.

He was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Stafford and the rest is history. Stafford had reached the postseason on three previous occasions, but each time came up short at the first attempt. His lack of playoff wins was a factor pointed out by sceptics when he arrived but when the Rams made the playoffs, Stafford showed why the team gave up so much to get him. In four games, he threw for 1,188 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions as well as having a 70% completion percentage (98 from 140).

In the regular season, Stafford also impressed. Only Tom Brady (43) threw for more touchdown passes (41), with Stafford throwing for the third-most passing yards (4,886). 

Stafford is clearly the choice for the number one spot on this list and it will take a lot for the other players in this list to catch him up.

Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)

Murray’s future is unclear, with his fifth option exercised but no longer-term deal in place at time of writing. 

The 2019 first overall pick has shown signs of his potential but is yet to fulfil this on a consistent basis. In three seasons, he has thrown for 11,480 yards, 70 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, whilst also recording  1,786 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. 

A trend of Murray’s career so far is starting off the season well but tailing off down the stretch. He will need a big year to convince the Cardinals front office that he is the player moving forward. Either way, he still remains second on this list.

Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers)

When the 49ers lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game back in January, it was seen by many to be the end of Jimmy G in San Francisco. However, he is still on the team.

Having missed OTA’s due to rehab on his shoulder,  he has yet to be traded. Say what you want about Jimmy G, but he wins games. Simple as that. Whilst he has never been the reason for the 49ers winning games, he is a very serviceable quarterback. With uncertainty over Lance after reports of the organisation being underwhelmed, Garoppolo is the right guy to be under centre for the 49ers in week one. 

Drew Lock/Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)

Whether it is Lock or Smith, there is no way they aren’t at the bottom of this list. Lock has a great start to life in the NFL, when he started for the Denver Broncos towards the end of the 2019 season, his 2020 and 2021 campaigns flattered to deceive. Meanwhile, Smith has been a backup for most of his career. Neither of these quarterbacks, whoever starts against the Broncos in week one, are likely to inspire confidence from fans or the Seattle coaching staff. 

The post Ranking the NFC West Quarterbacks right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Mikaela Mattes

On Tuesday, March 8th, it was announced that the Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms to trade their franchise and Super-Bowl winning QB Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. The details of the trade included the Seahawks sending QB Russell Wilson and a fourth round draft pick to the Broncos for QB Drew Lock, DL Shelby Harris, TE Noah Fant, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick.

It is officially the end of an era in Seattle, as the Seahawks no longer have any players remaining on their roster from their 2014 Super-Bowl championship-winning roster after also releasing eight-time all-pro and pro-bowl LB Bobby Wagner on the same day of Wilson’s trade to Denver.

Who will be the next starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks?

Potential Quarterback Options:

QB, Drew Lock

As it stands, QB Drew Lock is the only quarterback on the Seahawks roster, as backup QB Geno Smith is set to hit free agency on March 16th. However, it is well-known that the Seahawks front office are, “In on everything,” and are exploring their options at this position to create competition heading into the 2022 season. Drew Lock could be seen as a transition or backup QB as they try and find their next franchise quarterback (which as we know, could take years), but I do not see him as a long-term solution to this position.

Over Lock’s first three seasons with Denver, he played in 24 games, with a starting record of 8-13. Over those 24 games, Lock had 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. His touchdown to interception ratio is not going to cut it as a franchise quarterback and it will not lead the Seahawks to the playoffs without a very strong showing from the Seahawks defense.

QB, Deshaun Watson

On Friday, March 11th, a grand jury declined to indict Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson after a criminal investigation into 22 lawsuits filed by women who accused Watson of harassment and sexual assault. Within hours of this grand jury decision, rumors of the Seahawks being in serious pursuit of acquiring Watson emerged.

There is no doubt that Deshaun Watson is very talented and would immediately solve the issue of finding the next Seahawks franchise QB, however, I find major issues with the Seahawks going this route. I want to make it clear that although the grand jury declined to indict Watson on Friday for the allegations made against him based on a lack of incriminating evidence, that it does not mean Watson is innocent of the allegations made. He still faces civil lawsuits and is also being investigated by the NFL under its personal conduct policy. Trading for Watson would have massive implications for whatever team acquires him. It is clear that fans, media and players have varying opinions on whether Watson should be given a chance to start for any team, even when there is a high need for a new franchise quarterback like there is in Seattle.

Allegations aside, Watson would still be a large cap hit for the Seahawks to bring on the roster. *If* part of the reasoning for the Seahawks to move on from Wilson was that he was due a new contract after the 2023 season and that Wilson was wanting to get paid upwards to 50 million per year, then trading for Watson doesn’t put them in a much better place long-term cap wise. His cap hit for the 2022 season would be just over 40 million. For what the Texans are reportedly asking for Watson, the Seahawks would have to give up too much in potential draft capital and or quality players that remain on the roster and would be paying Watson a pretty penny over the next four years. I say look for a more affordable option and build a young and talented team on defense like they had in the Legion of Boom era and invest in a top tier offensive line for a young quarterback.

QB, Colin Kaepernick

On March 10th, just two days after news broke that Russell Wilson was being traded to the Broncos, Colin Kaepernick tweeted a video of himself working out on a football field, with the quote, “Still working.”

Back in 2017, the Seahawks brought Kaepernick in for a workout after he was blackballed from the NFL in 2016 for kneeling before games when the national anthem was playing to protest police brutality and social injustice. Just two years ago in 2020, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said that if Wilson ever got tangled up or couldn’t play anymore, that Kaepernick would be a great candidate to take over. Now that it has been six years since Kaepernick has been in the league, does Carroll feel the same way? I say it is worth bringing him in for a workout and see what he is capable of doing.

QB, Gardner Minshew

The Seahawks should strongly consider trading for backup Eagles quarterback, Gardner Minshew. Minshew’s win/loss record of 8-14 does not reflect his abilities to potentially be a highly effective starting quarterback. During his first two seasons, Minshew played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and found personal success on the field, but the team and franchise as a whole failed to win. After closely watching Minshew’s college career with the Washington State Cougars, and looking at Minshew’s stats over the past three years in the NFL, I think if he is partnered with the right coach and player personnel, he will thrive and be a winning quarterback in this league.

Minshew’s cap hit for the 2022 season is only 2.5 million and he is only 26 years old. If trading for Minshew allows the Seahawks to hold onto their higher draft capital and players, while keeping a low cap hit at QB for this season with the hit we will still take from Wilson’s contract, then they may find a diamond in the rough and a franchise QB moving forward that will allow them to invest more heavily at other positions of need.

Other option: Draft a Quarterback in the 2022 draft.

The Seahawks did receive the 9th overall pick in the 2022 draft from the Denver Broncos in their trade dealing Wilson. Will they use that 9th overall pick to draft a QB or will they go for another position of need, drafting the best available player? The Seahawks did draft, Russell Wilson, in the 2012 draft in the 3rd round at the 75th overall pick. Could they strike gold again by drafting a QB in the later rounds? The 2022 draft has been said not to be a good draft to get quarterbacks, but it has been rumored that the Seahawks are interested in Liberty University QB, Malik Willis.

Malik Willis is ascending and is expected to potentially be the first QB off the board during the 2022 draft. That being said, draft analysts say that the top tier of quarterbacks in the 2022 draft should be mid to late first round picks. With Willis ascending and the Seahawks in need of a QB, will they select him with their #9 overall pick, will they trade up for him, will they see if he falls, or will they invest in an established NFL quarterback to fill their starting role? Only time will tell.

The post Top QB options for the Seahawks after the Russell Wilson trade appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The NFC West is the NFL’s best division. All four teams are seen as playoff contenders, with some media personalities having all four teams in the postseason according to their predictions.

Here is a preview of the most stacked NFL division.

Arizona Cardinals (2020 Record: 8-8. Missed out on playoffs)

The Cardinals struggled for consistency, going 6-3 before a 2-5 run down the stretch. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury is under some pressure this season after failing to make the playoffs in his first two seasons.

Kyler Murray is also under some pressure, albeit not a tremendous amount. He is a walking highlight reel when it comes to the ground game. However, his arm talent still needs work. With wide receiver Deandre Hopkins and Christian Kirk to throw to as well as 2021 second-round selection Rondale Moore, he is not short of options. The Cardinals acquired long-time Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, but is the aging wideout enough to transform this offense? Franchise icon Larry Fitzgerald departed in Free Agency, with a 38-year old still without a team. He has spoken of how he “doesn’t have the urge to play right now”, which is almost announcing your retirement without actually doing so. He may still join a team late into the season and the playoffs, which may give him the best chance he’s had since losing to the Steelers in Super Bowl 43.

Murray excels in the run game, but he can’t do it all by himself. Kenyan Drake departed in Free Agency, giving Chase Edmunds the chance to become the number one back. James Conner has arrived as a free agent this summer to provide depth to this running back room.

Their biggest headline offseason addition came on the defensive side of the ball, with Houston Texans great J.J. Watt arriving in Arizona. This came to the surprise of most who saw the defensive end suiting up for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers or Cleveland Browns. Linebacker Haason Reddick has left during the offseason after a brilliant 2020 season. Linebacker Zaven Collins was drafted sixteenth overall in 2021 as his replacement. Fellow linebacker Isaiah Simmons will want to improve on his anti-climatic rookie season after being seen by many as the steal of the 2020 draft. Their defensive x-factor is safety Budda Baker, who is one of the best in the entire league.

A tough opening six games sees them face the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, and Browns. This could easily be a 2-4 or 1-5 start. They then face the Houston Texans, Packers,49ers, Carolina Panthers, and Seahawks, which will only give Arizona 2 more wins. This will leave them either 3-8 or 4-7 before a final 5 games versus the Chicago Bears, Rams, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and Seahawks. I can only see two wins here, leaving the Cardinals finishing the 2021 season either 5-12 or 6-11.

When the two biggest headline offseason acquisitions for a team who finished 8-8 last season are two players at the end of their careers, this is never a good thing. With a head coach on the hot seat and with a tough schedule, expect Arizona to really disappoint this season.

Prediction: 4th in NFC West.

Los Angeles Rams (2020 Record: 10-6. Lost in Divisional Round)

The Rams go into this season as the NFC West team with the most hype after the trade for Matthew Stafford. This saw their first overall pick from 2016 in Jared Goff go the other way as part of the trade. Head coach Sean McVay has a new QB to work with and will be excited to work with another former first overall pick.

Stafford was drafted in 2009 and has thrown for 45,109 yards, 282 touchdowns and interceptions in the 165 games he has played. This includes eight 4,000 yard seasons, one even stretching to 5,038 along with 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. This amounts to 273.4 yards per game and with 3,898 completed passes, he has a career average of 11.6 yards per completed pass and a touchdown per every 13.8 completed passes.

Stafford has an immediate upgrade when it comes to receivers. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp represent an immediate upgrade at the receiver position. The running back room is the one area of the Rams’ offense that could let them down. Cam Akers was expected to be the lead back, before injury put a stop to his season before it even started. Darrell Henderson and offseason signing Sony Michel will be the two running backs to take Akers’ place.

The Rams will also be aided by the number one defense from last season. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and could be a big miss. Under new defensive coordinator Joe Barry, they will still be a force, thanks to Aaron Donald who is one of the best players in the entire NFL, with 85.5 career sacks in the regular season. Using a 3-4 scheme, the defensive end is the undisputed star of the defensive line. Behind him is linebacker Leonard Floyd, who recorded 10.5 sacks in 2020. Their secondary is one of the best in the league, with shutdown corner Jalen Ramsey the best cornerback in the league. Alongside Darius Williams, this represents arguably the best cornerback tandem in the league. Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp are both young and exciting players. John Johnson will be a big miss in the safety position.

It remains to be seen if Matt Stafford is the difference between the Rams winning a Super Bowl or not. It also remains to be seen if the Rams can be a great defensive unit without Staley. Either way, we will soon find out.

Their schedule sees five almost guaranteed wins, as they face the Bears, Lions, Giants, Texans and Jaguars. Matchups against the Vikings and Colts as well as two games against the Cardinals sees the Rams are favorites whereas their divisional home and away games against the 49ers and Seahawks represent four tough games that are very much 50/50. The Ravens, Buccaneers and Packers games are also very even affairs for the Rams. Winning those “easy games” plus winning half of the 50/50 games would have the Rams finishing 12-5. This could be enough to take them to the division title.

Prediction: 1st in NFC West.

San Francisco 49ers (2020 Record: 6-10. Missed out on playoffs)

There have been no real significant incomings or outgoings this offseason in San Francisco but they will be buoyed by the return of many starters. The 49ers reached Super Bowl 54 in the 2019 season but only managed six wins in 2020. George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Raheem Mostert were just three of the big-name players to spend last season on the sidelines.

Running back Trey Sermon was drafted in the second round, with quarterback Trey Lance taken third overall. The 49ers traded up for him, giving multiple draft picks to the Miami Dolphins in the process. This sends immediate pressure on Lance’s way. Nobody knows who will start out of Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. There is talk of head coach Kyle Shanahan using a two-quarterback system, something that has a lot of NFL fans really intrigued. With the amount of draft picks the 49ers used to trade up, Lance will eventually start. It is wise for the 49ers to slowly bring him in, especially considering the strength of the division.

With all their big names back, this will put the 49ers at full strength on both sides of the ball despite the loss of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. They will make a return to the playoffs but the quarterback situation may just prevent them from reclaiming the division title.

Prediction: 2nd in NFC West.

Seattle Seahawks (2020 Record: 12-4. Missed out on playoffs)

The Seahawks are in that group alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in that they are the perfect example of consistency. Head coach Pete Carroll always has this team in contention but can they once again make the postseason despite no major additions and just three draft picks.

Safety Jamal Adams signed a new deal and quarterback Russell Wilson decided to stay after some offseason unrest. With receivers such as D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at his disposal, he won’t be short of options. He will hope for better protection in 2021, being one of the most sacked quarterbacks in recent years.

With defensive studs such as Adams and linebacker Bobby Wagner, they have two legitimate game changers in a defensive unit that improved throughout the 2020 season.

The Seahawks should expect another appearance in the postseason but their lack of activity this offseason might hinder their chances of going far in the postseason.

Prediction: 3rd in NFC West.

The post Latest NFC West Preview appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The New Orleans Saints will be worse in 2021

By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

The 2021 NFL season is quickly approaching, and as usual, there are lots of storylines about how teams are expected to do next year. Most NFL fans have hope that their favorite team will perform well (or at least better) this year, but the obvious reality is that some teams will not live up to their hopes. Other teams that were good last year will see a decrease in performance as well. Below are the five teams due for the most regression this year.

New Orleans Saints (2020 Record: 12-4)

The Saints are an obvious pick for regression this year, as, for the first time since 2005, New Orleans has major uncertainty about who deserves the starting quarterback role. The competition will be between gunslinger Jameis Winston and dual-threat Taysom Hill, but whoever wins will never be able to fill the massive void left when Brees retired after the 2020 season.

The Saints’ last four season records of 11-5, 13-3, 13-3, and 12-4 will likely not be matched without Brees in 2021. The recent news surrounding star WR Michael Thomas likely means that he will be out until at least mid-October, a heavy blow to an offense that desperately will need someone to step up this year. New Orleans’ defense is largely the same heading into this season, but if the offense can’t be productive, they’ll have trouble winning games, and this team will be hard-pressed to repeat a 12-4 record in 2021.

Las Vegas Raiders (2020 Record: 8-8)

Las Vegas could be destined for a top-five pick in next year’s NFL draft after an atrocious offseason that led to many questioning the job security of prominent front-office executives. The losses of center Rodney Hudson and right guard Gabe Jackson were huge blows to this offensive line, and the Raiders’ offseason little to address the issue, other than their first-round selection of offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, which was considered by many to be a reach.

The signing of RB Kenyan Drake was also mind-boggling, as the Raiders essentially gave Drake $7.25 million a year to back up Josh Jacobs at a position, running back, that teams statistically shouldn’t pay a premium for in free agency and the draft. The signings of Yannick Ngakoue and Casey Heyward could push true rock bottom further down the road for this team, but they also didn’t make much sense for a squad that needs a total overhaul and rebuild. QB Derek Carr still likely won’t be consistent enough to lead this team on a playoff run, and the wide receiving corps doesn’t help matters, as Carr still doesn’t have a true #1 option in this offense. The additional star power is a plus, but it won’t be able to fully mask the dysfunction on the defense, which is still thin at most positions. Overall, the Raiders appear to have nowhere to go but down in 2021, and because the Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos all made impactful improvements, they could easily be headed for last place in the AFC West.

Seattle Seahawks (2020 Record: 12-4)

The Seahawks should still have plenty of offensive firepower in 2021, but this regression pick is mainly due to the competition they’ll face in the NFC West. All three teams in the division are trending upward, which isn’t a good sign for Seattle’s hopes of continued divisional dominance.

The Los Angeles Rams, who were 10-6 last year, have elevated themselves to borderline Super Bowl contender status with the addition of veteran QB Matthew Stafford. Stafford will fill a void at the Rams’ biggest position of need, and with an elite defense and plenty of offensive weapons, they’ll have a shot at a deep playoff push in 2021. The Arizona Cardinals signed J.J. Watt to join Chandler Jones in a fearsome pass-rushing duo, and Kyler Murray will be back healthy and ready to lead a high-powered offense, one that was bolstered by the selection of speedy WR Rondale Moore in Round 2 of the draft. The 49ers finished last in the division in 2020 with a record of 6-10, but they dealt with a slew of injuries last year, and this defense, if healthy, could return to the levels of the one they had during their 2019 Super Bowl run. Overall, Seattle will be facing some tough competition in 2021, and you can say what you will about their talent, but it’ll be difficult to go 12-4 again in what is arguably now the toughest division in the NFL.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2020 Record: 12-4)

Pittsburgh could still be a very solid team in 2021, but they aren’t likely to live up to their 2020 performance simply because they lost four out of their final five games after an 11-0 start to the year. Ben Roethlisberger is now 39 years old, and he is becoming less and less willing to push the ball downfield on deep throws, posting the quickest average snap-to-throw time among qualifying QBs last year (2.3 seconds).

The Steelers also incurred major losses from the offensive line (Maurkice Pouncey, Alejandro Villanueva, David DeCastro) and linebacking corps (Vince Williams, Bud Dupree), and while they did make some effort to patch up those areas, the depth for them just isn’t the same as it was last year. The addition of RB Najee Harris from the draft should help boost the offense as a whole, but overall, this team doesn’t feel complete enough to post another elite season. Pittsburgh should still be in the playoff hunt in 2021, but this year’s record should more closely resemble the ones of 2019 (8-8) and 2018 (9-6-1) than that of last year.

Green Bay Packers (2020 Record: 13-3)

The Packers could very well perform at the same level that they did in 2020, but this pick just comes down to the fact that I don’t expect QB Aaron Rodgers to play a full season – or at all – this year. According to Adam Schefter, Rodgers declined a two-year extension this offseason that would’ve made him the highest-paid player in football. The contract, which would’ve carried north of $45 million in annual value, is an insane offer to turn down, which is why the player/team relationship appears fractured beyond repair.

The Packers will return most of their full lineup in 2021, as superstar center Corey Linsley was their only major loss in free agency this offseason. The selections of CB Eric Stokes and WR Amari Rodgers will only bolster a team that already has a strong roster all around. However, despite the supporting cast, this team will not be able to have success on the same level without Rodgers. QB Jordan Love is clearly not ready to take over the starting role despite the first-round capital used on him in 2020, and that fact was emphasized by the gigantic offer that Green Bay extended to Rodgers. It’s possible that if this team doesn’t have competent quarterback play, it could still potentially have some success. However, if Rodgers holds out or is traded, it removes any chance for the Packers to be a Super Bowl contender, which is a clear step down from their status in recent years.

The post Five NFL Teams Due For Regression in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.