With the Position Breakdown series in full swing, the next division under the microscope is the NFC West. Here’s a defensive position-by-position breakdown of the NFC West, with “the best” at each position followed by “the rest” in descending order.
Check out the offensive breakdown here.
NFC WEST BREAKDOWN BY POSITION: THE DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
The Best: STL The Rest: SEA, ARI, SF
The Rams may have not the best offensive line, but their defensive line is the best in the NFC West, and possibly in the league. Their defensive line has Chris Long, Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers, all of whom are former first-round picks. Quinn and Donald are two of the best at what they do, and Long and Brockers are both really good. St. Louis also signed another former first-round pick this offseason, in Nick Fairley, who can be a big problem for opposing offenses when he is healthy. The Rams may be lacking in other areas, like their offensive line, and at some skill positions, but their defensive line is really, really good.
When fans think of Seattle’s defense, their cornerbacks and safeties get all of the attention. And rightfully so, but their defensive line is pretty darn good too. Defensive end Michael Bennett excels against both the run and the pass and Cliff Avril consistently puts pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Seattle is pretty strong up the middle too with Jordan Hill, Brandon Mebane and Tony McDaniel. The Seahawks may not be quite as talented as the Rams on the defensive line, but they still have one of the better units in the league.
I may have the Cardinals ranked third in the NFC West, but that doesn’t mean they are devoid of talent along their defensive line. For starters they have Calais Campbell, who can be a nightmare for opposing offenses to handle. But they did lose defensive tackle Dan Williams and Darnell Dockett. However, Frostee Rucker played well last season, and the Cardinals added Cory Redding, Corey Peters, and Rodney Gunter. Arizona’s defensive line may not be the best in the division, but it will still be pretty good this season.
The 49ers have talent along their defensive line, but they lost Justin Smith. San Francisco may now have Darnell Dockett, but the loss of Smith cannot be understated. San Francisco will need guys like Glenn Dorsey and Quinton Dial to step up this year. Defensive tackle Ian Williams, if he can stay healthy, could be poised to have a really good year, but that’s a big if. Williams’ last two seasons have been cut short due to injuries.
LINEBACKER
The Best: SEA The Rest: SF, STL, ARI
Bobby Wagner is a really good linebacker for the Seahawks. If NaVorro Bowman of the 49ers is healthy, he is the best linebacker in the NFC West. But with Bowman recovering from a torn ACL, Wagner is probably the best linebacker in the division heading into the season. Wagner missed time last season with turf toe, and during that time Seattle’s defense didn’t look the same. The Seahawks also have Brock Coyle, but it’s mainly Wagner’s ability, and Bowman’s health that have Seattle at number one.
The 49ers have lost some key pieces on defense this offseason, but their group of linebackers still ranks in the top 10-15 in the league. NaVorro Bowman is recovering from a torn ACL, but if he can get healthy, he should get back to being one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL. They also have Aldon Smith who is capable of playing at a high level, but he hasn’t played to that level for the past two seasons. Michael Wilhoite has shown great potential at times, particularly in 2013, but his play fell off last season. If Bowman is healthy and returns to form, the 49ers could move to number one, but for now they need to stay in second.
The Rams have one of the best, if not the best, defensive fronts in the NFL. But their linebackers were subpar in 2014, particularly against the run. They now have Akeem Ayers, who had a nice year with the New England Patriots in 2014. He struggled with the Tennessee Titans prior to that, but he does add some talent to the Rams group of linebackers. Alec Ogletree can be OK, but he needs to become more consistent. James Laurinaitis had a nice start to his career, but he has struggled in recent years.
Arizona lacks depth at linebacker, especially if Daryl Washington can’t return. Sean Witherspoon has been an OK player, but he has areas where he needs to improve. He’s really good in pass coverage, but he’s not great at putting pressure on the quarterbacks, and he is less than stellar against the run. The former 2010 first-round pick has only played one full season, and he has potential. But he needs to stay healthy and realize that potential. Kevin Minter is good against the run, and with more playing time he might prove what he can do. But I need to see him, and the rest of the Cardinals linebacking corps, prove they can play better before I rank them any higher. Alex Okafor had eight sackes in 2014, but he only registered 21 tackles, and he missed 11 tackles.
CORNERBACK
The Best: SEA The Rest: ARI, STL, SF
Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is the best in the division, and one of the best in the league. He is recovering from an injury, but he can shutdown an entire side of the field. He’s the main the reason Seattle is at number one. They also have Cary Williams and Jeremy Lane. The Seahawks should, once again, be really good at cornerback.
Arizona has Patrick Peterson at corner, and like Sherman, he is one of the best defensive backs in the league. He struggled a bit in 2014, due mainly to dealing with diabetes and injuries. But Peterson is still one of the best at what he does, and fans should expect Peterson to get back to form in 2015. The Cardinals did lose Antonio Cromartie, but they have Jerraud Powers and Justin Bethel. Powers played in the slot in 2014, and he was really effective, but he will play outside in 2015. Bethel, who is very athletic, will also see the field some this season.
The Rams have Janoris Jenkins and E.J. Gaines, who have both shown flashes of being able to play. They are probably better than anyone the 49ers have, but Peterson and Sherman are are head and shoulders above both Jenkins and Gaines.
Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox left San Francisco in free agency, and the 49ers certainly don’t have anyone at corner who is as talented as Sherman or Peterson. They also have Tramaine Brock, Shareece Wright and Chris Cook on their roster.
SAFETY
The Best: SEA The Rest: SF, ARI, STL
Seattle has to be ranked at the top, if for no other reason than they have Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. Thomas may be the best safety in the league, and Chancellor is great in his own right. They probably make up the best starting safety duo in the NFL, not just in the NFC West. Don’t be fooled by the fact that they didn’t put up the best numbers last season. They are almost never out of position, and they continually make big plays. The Seahawks also have DeShawn Shead and Dion Bailey, who are pretty good backups.
The 49ers might not be as good at corner as the Seahawks, but they do have Antoine Bethea and Eric Reid. Thomas and Chancellor may be the best starting duo in the league, but Bethea and Reid are pretty darn good. Reid is great at helping to stop the run, and he’s above average in coverage. The 49ers also have Craig Dahl and Jimmie Ward as well.
The Cardinals have some talent, and a lot of depth at corner with Tyrann Mathieu, Rashad Johnson, Deone Bucannon and Tony Jefferson. All of those guys are very capable of starting if needed. Mathieu struggled last season, especially at stopping the run, but he was dealing with finger and knee issues during the season. It looks like he is healthy now, and if he is, he should revert back to form, and start making plays again. The Cardinals safeties, as a group, need to improve against the run. Only Tony Jefferson was good in that area last season. If Mathieu sees some time at corner, and Bucannon takes snaps at linebacker, that could mean both Jefferson and Johnson (entering the last season of their respective deals) will see the field more in 2015. The Cardinals definitely have some depth at safety, and Mathieu is really good when healthy, but no one on their roster is as talented as Thomas, Chancellor, Bethea or Reid, so they have to be slotted in third.
After being awful at safety in recent seasons, the Rams have improved in that area. But it is not nearly enough to get them out of the basement in the NFC West. Both T.J. McDonald and Rodney McLeod were solid last season, but neither was exceptional, and after them, the Rams have nothing. Mark Barron is a former first-round pick (2012 by Tampa Bay), but he hasn’t lived up to expectations. Could Barron step up? Possibly, but that is far from a sure thing.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Best: ARI The Rest: STL, SF, SEA
*All team rankings are within the division.
Last season the Cardinals graded out the best in special teams overall. They converted 87.9 percent of their field goals (first), 100 percent of their extra point opportunities (tied for first), and they had 35 punts inside he 20-yard line (first). They did rank last in the NFC West in kickoff return yards (19.0 yards per return), but they ranked second in terms of punt return yards (10.7 yards per attempt). The Cardinals ranked first in opponents field goal percentage (78.1), last in opponents kick off return yards (26.1 yards per attempt), and second with respect to opponent punt return yards (8.9 yards per attempt). When taking everything into account, the Cardinals are the best special teams unit in the division.
St. Louis just missed out on the top spot. In 2014 the Rams ranked last in field goal percentage (80.0) and extra points (97.1 – one miss), but they ranked second when looking at punts inside the 20-yard line (33) and kickoff return yards (24.4 yards per return). But they ranked first in punt returns (13.0 yards per return). Jeff Fisher’s team ranked second in opponents field goal percentage (86.2), third in opponents kick off return yards (24.3 yards per return), and first in opponents punt return yards (6.9 yards per attempt).
The knee injury linebacker/special teams stand out Daren Bates suffered in the Rams preseason game against the Oakland Raiders ended up being an MCL sprain. The Rams, and their fans, are relieved it wasn’t more serious, as Bates is a key contributor on special teams, and a reserve linebacker. Last season Bates made 10 tackles on special teams, and he blocked a field goal against the New York Giants. I almost ranked the Rams first, but I thought the Cardinals just barely edged them out for number one.
The 49ers come in at third in the division. For the 2014 season they came in third in field goal percentage (80.6%), tied for first in extra points percentage (100%), but tied for last in punts inside the 20-yard line (28). San Francisco finished last season in first in terms of kickoff return yards (24.5 yards per return), but last in punt return yards (6.5). They allowed opponents to convert 100% of their field goal attempts, which was good for last in the division, and the league. They ranked first in opponents kickoff return yards (22.7 yards per return), but third in opponents punt return yards (9.3 per attempt).
Seattle has a great defense, but their special teams are just OK. They ranked second in field goals converted (83.8%), converted 100% of their extra points (tied for first), but they tied for last in punts inside the 20-yard line (28). They ranked third in both kickoff return yards (21.0 yards per return), and punt return yards (7.0 yards per attempt). Opponents converted 87.5 percent of their field goal attempts, which was good for third in the NFC West. The Seahawks allowed opponents to average 24.1 yards per kickoff return (second), and 11.5 yards per punt return (last).
COACHING
The Best: SEA The Rest: ARI, STL ,SF
The race for the top spot was between Pete Carroll and Bruce Arians. Carroll had to ultimately be ranked first because he has won a Super Bowl, and he’s taken the Seahawks to two straight Super Bowls. The Seahawks have a record of 50-30 over the past five seasons with Carroll at the helm. Fans can question his decision at the end of the Super Bowl this past February, but Carroll is one of the best coaches in the NFL. He wins (career win percentage of .576 in nine seasons in the NFL, NS 8-5 in the playoffs), and his players love playing for him. Fans should expect Carroll to remain one of the better coaches in the league for the foreseeable future.
Bruce Arians took over in Indianapolis while Chuck Pagano was out receiving cancer treatment, and he did very well. He then got the head coaching gig in Arizona, and he has taken them to a 21-11 record over the past two seasons. While he is fairly new to head coaching in the NFL, and he doesn’t yet have a playoff win on his resume, there is no doubting that Arians is a top 10 coach in the NFL. He’s certainly the second best coach in the NFC West.
Jeff Fisher is entering his fourth season as the Rams head coach. During his 20 year career as a head coach in the NFL, Fisher has a record of 162-147. While he has been in charge in St. Louis the Rams have a record of 48-20, and they have not made the playoffs. Granted, they have played in a very tough division, and their previous quarterback, Sam Bradford, was frequently injured, but Fisher needs to get more out of the Rams. Fisher is a good, but not great coach. He has won three division titles and one conference championship during his 20 years in the NFL, but he has yet to win a Super Bowl.
Jim Tomsula is entering his first season as a head coach in the NFL. Beginning in February 2007 Tomsula became the 49ers defensive line coach, and this offseason San Francisco parted ways with Jim Harbaugh (now the head coach at Michigan), and they tabbed Tomsula to be their next head coach. He may very well end up being a very good coach, but for now he has to ranked last in the NFC West because we simply don’t know how his tenure will work out.
Check out the offensive breakdown here.
