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2007 NFC West

The Seattle Seahawks should remain the best in the NFC West in 2007, but the 49ers, Rams, and Cardinals will all inch closer. As soon as one of these other teams can get a defense to go with their young offensive talent, they’ll be ready to challenge in the years ahead.

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1st Place – Seattle Seahawks – The 2006 season was one to forget for the Seahawks despite winning their third straight division title. Injuries to 12 starters, including All-Pro’s Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander, kept this team from ever finding its rhythm, but playing in a weak division allowed them to stay at the top of the league. With restored health entering the 2007 season, we expect the Seahawks to remain the class of the league.

2nd Place – San Francisco 49ers – The 49ers were ahead of schedule with seven victories last season. QB Alex Smith showed considerable progress to the delight of the front office and RB Frank Gore was everything and more for this team. The Niners still need some playmaking wide receivers to get this offense to a division-title caliber. The defense filled one hole, signing cornerback Nate Clements to a big paycheck, but they have about six more holes to fill. The 49ers are yet another team who got a piece of the Chargers’ successful coaching staff in Greg Manusky. They are hoping that he is the answer to turning this defense around.

3rd Place – St. Louis Rams – The Rams have a very talented backfield with Pro Bowlers QB Marc Bulger and RB Steven Jackson. They also have a slew of fast receivers who all have the ability to haul in the football. Despite the offensive talent, this team hasn’t had a winning campaign since 2003 and I don’t see them getting over the hump in 2007 as this defense remains a weak spot. St. Louis gave up the most yards per game on the ground in the NFC last season. Solid running teams across the league will abuse them again this year. The Rams also lack any kind of a pass rush. Someone other than Leonard Little must get to the QB if the Rams want to start turning things around on the defensive side of the football.

4th Place – Arizona Cardinals – The Rams have the most talented wide receiving corps in the league by far with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, but QB Matt Leinart still has some more bumps and bruises before he is an All-Pro passer. This team must adjust to Ken Whisenhunt’s power running scheme which doesn’t really fit the personnel. I’m not sure, at this stage of his career, if Edgerrin James is the right back for this system. There’s no doubt that there is tons of potential on this offense, but a combination of youth and learning a new system will cause some growing pains. Then, throw in a defense which ranked 29th in yards allowed last season, and I don’t think there’s any question that this team still has a ways to go. With that being said, I fully expect the Cards to be in about every game this season and if these close games swing their way, they could be a big surprise.

By Jeff Alexander – 7/25/2007

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