NFC WEST

1. Seattle Seahawks - (12 - 4) The steady Matt Hasslebeck is back behind center. Seattle will need Nate Burleson to step up and earn his money. He had a decent year last year. Deion Branch is still recovering from an injury he suffered in the playoffs in 07'. Top 2007 receiver Bobby Engram is also banged up and will miss time early in the season. John Carlson a rookie tight end out of Notre Dame may be needed to block and catch. The Shaun Alexander days are over in Seattle. Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett will combine for a size and speed duo. Jones has had many issues staying healthy. Rookie Justin Forsett out of Cal could be a factor this season as well. The offensive line hopes to rebound after a down year in 2007. Mike Solari was hired to bring this unit back to a higher level. Mike Wahle was singed as a free agent and will bring a pro bowler to the left guard position.
The defense is very good. Patrick Kerney is a hard nosed player at defensive end. He had 14.5 sack last season. First round pick Lawrence Jackson will try to win the other end spot. Red Bryant another rookie will work in a rotation adding some much needed bulk to the defensive front. The Linebackers are the heart of the defense. The fiery Lofa Tatupu is all over the field making tackles from his middle linebacker spot. Julian Peterson is a tremendous pass rusher and can line up at either outside linebacker or end. Leroy Hill is another asset to the D. Hill can play weak and strong side very well. Cornerback Marcus Trufant been a great player for Seattle since being selected in the first round in 2003. Brian Russell and Deon Grant played very well at the safety spots a year ago which was a concern until their arrivals. Kelly Jennings is turning into a fine player and will start at right corner.

2. St. Louis Rams - ( 8 - 8 ) The offense needs to be a lot better after a disastrous season a year ago. The offensive line suffered major injuries. They need left tackle Orlando Pace to stay healthy for this offense to click. Free agent pick up Jacob Bell was added to play guard. The Rams also selected John Greco in the third round to add depth to the line. Marc Bulger will try to come back mentally and physically after a rough season. Torry Holt claims to be in the best shape he's been in in years. The Rams also got younger at wide out taking Donny Avery and Keenan Burton in April's draft. Steven Jackson is a very talented runner with excellent hands as well. He can be one of the leagues best backs if the line doesn't completely fall apart. Brian Leonard is a hard runner who can get short yards when Jackson needs a blow.
Chris Long was the number 2 overall selection in this years draft. Long and Leonard little should form a pair of top tier ends. Chris Draft and Will Witherspoon will try to make the linebacking unit relevant. This was an area of the defense that was not to productive last season. Tye Hill enters his second season at corner. Frre safety Oshiomogho Atogwe had 8 interceptions which was an NFC high. Corey Chavous is aging but still very effective at strong safety. Fakhir Brown and Ron Bartell will both play Corner for the team. If the Line can stay healthy and the defense can step up. The Rams have a shot at the playoffs.

3. Arizona Cardinals - ( 6 - 10 ) Kurt Warner will get the early nod at quarterback. Matt Leinert will be in quick if Warner stumbles. Larry Fitzgerald is one of the leagues premiere talents at wide receiver. Anqaun Boldin is also so very talented. But Boldin and head coach Ken Wisenhunt have not got along very well. Boldin has made numerous trade requests. Let's just hope he doesn't change his name to "ocho uno". Edgerrin James is not the player he was in Indianapolis. Tim Hightower a rookie has played well behind James and could get alot of carries this year. The offensive line has always been a weak spot on the team. Last year the unit looked better. Mike Gandy played well at left tackle. Duece Latui and Levi Brown anchor the right side. The offensive line remains intact from a year ago. This could be a major boost for the offense if they can remain healthy.
Darnell Dickett had 8 sacks and made the pro bowl in 07'. Calias Campbell Hopes to win the other end spot in his rookie year. The Cardinals lost Calvin Pace to free agency this offseason. Pace was a major contributor to the pass rush. To counter his loos the team signed Travis Laboy who can also play end in passing situations. Karlos Dansby is an excellent defender from the weak side. Gerald Hayes is a tough gritty competitor from the strong side. Antrel Rolle is being moved from corner to safety. This move will. Allow Dominick Rodgers-Cromartie the teams first round pick to start if he can beat out Roderick Hood or Eric Green. Adrian Wilson can be one of the leagues best safeties when healthy. The Cardinals have a relatively tough schedule making it tough to reach the post season. It is not out of the question for them to make a playoff push in 2008.

4. San Francisco 49ers ( 2 - 14 ) J.T. O'Sullivan has won the starting nod at QB. Frank Gore will be the centerpiece in Mike Martz's offense. There isn't an abundance of talent at wide receiver. Issac Bruce was brought in via free agency. Bruce played for Martz with the Rams during the "greatest show of turf" era and knows the system. Bruce is aging but still a high quality player. More of a number two receiver at this point. The problem is San Francisco doesn't have a legit number one. Tight end Vernon Davis will need to be a big part of the passing game. He hasn't lived up to the high expectations yet. His numbers have improved each year and the offense he has been playing in isn't exactly that of the Colts or Patriots. The offensive line was a mess last year. Joe Staley will move from right to left tackle. Erik Hietmann is back at center. Adam Snyder and David Bass hope to win spots on the offensive live but nothing is set in stone at this point.
New comer Justin smith and rookie Kentwan Balmer should help make the defensive line solid. Patrick Willis came in as a rookie last year and played like Ray Lewis at the top of his game. Willis led the NFL in tackles. Willis was named "Defensive rookie of the year". Manny Lawson will try to bounce back after a season ending ACL tear. Lawson has been a bit of a disappointment since being drafted in the first round a few years ago. Nate Clements heads the secondary at the corner position. Teams tried to throw away from him last year. Walt Harris will play the other corner spot. He is still playing well at 34 years old. Michael Lewis is a very good stong safety. Mark Roman is the free safety and also a solid contributor. Patrick Willis is going to have to make alot of tackles again this year. There is to much uncertainty on the offense and defense. The 49ers best shot at being number one in the league is have the first pick in the 2009 draft.