Arizona Cardinals

Key Additions: Dan Kreider (FB), Bryant McFadden (CB), Anthony Becht (TE), Jason Wright (RB), Melvin Fowler (C)

Key Losses: Rod Hood (CB), Edgerrin James (RB), Travis Laboy (DE/LB), J.J. Arrington (RB), Monty Beisel (LB), Antonio Smith (DE), Matt Stewart (LB)

Draft Picks: Chris Wells (RB-OSU), Cody Brown (OLB-UConn), Rashad Johnson (S-Alabama), Greg Toler (CB-St Pauls Col), Herman Johnson (OG-LSU), Will Davis (DE-Illinois), LaRod Stephens-Howling (RB-Pittsburgh), Trevor Canfield (OG-Cincy)

The Cardinals only improved one game from the 2007 season, but it was by far their most successful season in franchise history. The Cardinals won the lackluster NFC West and promptly disposed of the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Philadelphia Eagles on their way to winning the NFC Title. Arizona was well on their way to shocking the world in Super Bowl XLIII before succumbing to a fourth quarter comeback led by Ben Roethlisberger and walking off the field underneath a shower of black and yellow confetti.

The Cardinals came into the off-season with two glaring items on the agenda. One was to re-sign Kurt Warner and the other was to resolve the on and off relationship with wide receiver Anquan Boldin. The Cardinals seemed hesitant in re-signing Warner but after watching him fly to San Francisco and flirt with the 49ers, the Cardinals bit the bullet and did the right thing by bringing Warner back. If they wanted any shot at the playoffs again, this was going to be their best option. My source Captain Obvious tells me there would’ve been a drop off in production if Matt Leinart took over the starting job this season.

There were rumors swirling on draft day of all the possible destinations for Boldin, but as we sit here today he is still an Arizona Cardinal. This is the smartest move for all sides. Boldin is a very good receiver, but he benefits greatly from having the best in the game line up on the opposite side each week. I’m not saying Boldin wouldn’t succeed with another team, but I’ve seen this situation play out before and it didn’t end well for either side (Peerless Price in Atlanta). Chances are he’ll stay in Arizona and continue to produce while complaining on a weekly basis.

Along with most of the general population, I have the Cardinals repeating as NFC West champions this season. They are bringing back most of the players from last season with a few exceptions. They will be without running back Edgerrin James, however if Chris Wells can live up to expectations, they won’t have to worry too much about that. Arizona is a pass first team anyways so I don’t see this being a big deal. With Kurt Warner tossing the ball to Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston, Arizona should be able to light up the scoreboard again this season.


Last Season: 9-7
2009 Prediction: 10-6


San Francisco 49ers

Key Additions: Damon Huard (QB), Marvel Smith (OT), Dre Bly (CB), Brandon Jones (WR)

Key Losses: Jonas Jennings (OT), J.T. O’Sullivan (QB), Bryant Johnson (WR)

Draft Picks: Michael Crabtree (WR-TTU), Glen Coffee (RB-Alabama), Scott McKillop (LB-Pittsburgh), Nate Davis (QB-Ball St.), Bear Pascoe (TE-Fresno St.), Curtis Taylor (FS-LSU), Ricky Jean-Francois (DT-LSU)

The 49ers started out poorly again last season and it led to a mid-season coaching change when Mike Nolan was replaced by former Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary. The change seemed to make a noticeable difference in his first week as he sent tight end Vernon Davis to the showers during a game. From that point on, even with questionable talent, the 49ers began playing much better and finished the season by winning four of their last five games.

The most glaring thing missing from the 49ers is a competent quarterback. They tried snatching Kurt Warner away from the Cardinals but just missed out on that opportunity. So as they head into training camp it appears to be an open competition between Shaun Hill, Damon Huard, and Alex Smith. Yikes.

The 49ers did get lucky during the draft when the Raiders drafted Darius Heyward-Bey and essentially gift wrapped Michael Crabtree for San Francisco. When Crabtree was available, the Niners had to jump on that as quickly as possible. Several mock drafts had Crabtree going within the top five and if he plays up to his potential, the Niners will have themselves a real draft steal on their hands. That is, assuming they can sign him in the near future.

At the time of this writing, Michael Crabtree is still holding out and in fact has his advisor (or agent) going on the record stating that Crabtree is willing to sit out the entire season and re-enter the draft next year. Call me crazy, but this strategy is about as dumb as it gets. The guy hasn’t even played a down yet and probably has the majority of fans and players against him. Regardless of whether he is better than Heyward-Bey or not, he was drafted lower and should get paid lower to start. It’s really that simple.

If I were a 49er fan I would be mildly excited heading into this season. I don’t think they will reach the postseason, but I really liked the way San Francisco finished last season and I also really liked the style of coaching Mike Singletary brought to the table. He seems very committed to building a winner in San Francisco and he is doing it his way. The players seem to have caught on to that concept and have fully bought into it.

If they had landed Kurt Warner during the off-season I’d easily have them winning the division, however they didn’t, so much isn’t going to change this season in the Bay Area. It’s hard to win in this league without a good quarterback. Trust me, I know this all to well. Although I have them finishing with the same record as last season, they will be a much better 7-9 than they were last year. I swear that makes sense in my head.

Last Season: 7-9
2009 Prediction: 7-9


Seattle Seahawks

Key Additions: T.J. Houshmanzadeh (WR), Cory Redding (DL), Ken Lucas (CB), Justin Griffith (FB)

Key Losses: Rocky Bernard (DT), Bobby Engram (WR), Charlie Frye (QB), Maurice Morris (RB), Julian Peterson (LB), Leonard Weaver (FB)

Draft Picks: Aaron Curry (LB-Wake Forest), Max Unger (OT-Oregon), Deon Butler (WR-PSU), Mike Teel (QB-Rutgers), Courtney Greene (SS-Rutgers), Nick Reed (DE-Oregon), Cameron Morrah (TE-Cal)

The Seahawks started out the season as the usual favorites in the NFC West but they were TERRIBLE right out of the gate. Trust me, I was there on opening day and the Seahawks weren’t good enough to beat the Lions that day. Starting with Week One the Seahawks were decimated with injuries that no team would be able to overcome. The season only got worse as time went on and future Hall of Fame coach Mike Holmgren had a final season that he’d probably rather forget.

Seattle addressed their most immediate need this off-season when they signed one of the best players on the open market, T.J. Houshmanzadeh. He won’t have the benefit of lining up on the opposite side of Chad Ochocinco anymore, but unlike my theory on the Cardinals, I think Houshmanzadeh will do just fine in Seattle. Something tells me the lack of distractions will allow him to put up some pretty big numbers. His success will depend on the quality of receivers surrounding him and the health of Matt Hasselbeck. If Hasselbeck’s back can hold up, Houshmanzadeh could be looking at a Pro Bowl season.

After Kansas City passed on Aaron Curry in the draft ( like predicted by a pretty smart guy ), the Seahawks snatched him up and made their defense that much better. The pairing of Curry and Tatupu could be a very scary combination if both players stay healthy and perform up to their expectations.

Along with the health of Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle’s overall success this season will hinge upon whether or not Jim Mora Jr. can effectively fill the shoes of Mike Holmgren. Mora had some success in Atlanta but eventually fell out of favor and hasn’t been a head coach since. While he worked with Seattle last season, he will definitely put his own stamp on the team now that he is in charge.

The fact that Seattle hasn’t really addressed the backup quarterback position this offseason would concern me if I were a Seahawks fan. Seneca Wallace is a fine athlete and all, but I don’t feel like he could carry the torch for the whole season if Hasselbeck were to go down again. To be perfectly honest, this seems like a great fit for Michael Vick if/when he finds a team. He would be working with his old coach again and would have a good shot at some playing time.

Last Season: 4-12
2009 Prediction: 6-10


St Louis Rams
Key Additions: Kyle Boller (QB), Mike Karney (FB), Jason Brown ( C ), Tim Carter (WR), Ronald Curry (WR)

Key Losses: Orlando Pace (OT), Torry Holt (WR), Pisa Tinoisamoa (LB), Trent Green (QB), Drew Bennett (WR), Anthony Becht (TE), Corey Chavous (S), Brian Leonard (RB), Dan Krieder (FB), La’Roi Glover (DT)

Draft Picks: Jason Smith (OT-Baylor), James Laurinaitis (LB-OSU), Bradley Fletcher (CB-Iowa), Dorell Scott (DT-Clemson), Brooks Foster (WR-UNC), Keith Null (QB-West Texas A&M), Chris Ogbonnaya (RB-Texas)

The Rams finished off last season as one of the worst teams in the league. In fact, if it weren’t for the Lions running the table in the wrong direction, I’d say the Rams were by far the worst. They were the type of team where although they were beating Buffalo at home in the second half, I sat back and relaxed because I knew the Rams would find some way to screw it up and Buffalo would coast to an easy win. When I have that kind of confidence in the Bills, there is a serious problem.

The Rams fired Scott Linehan during the bye week last season and managed a solid two wins under interim coach Jim Haslett. During the off-season they made a permanent change by bringing former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnullo into the fold. The Rams then proceeded to completely clean house by cutting such mainstays as Torry Holt and Orlando Pace.

They replaced Pace with their second overall pick, Jason Smith. Assuming he doesn’t fall apart at the seams, he should be an adequate replacement for the re-building Rams. After hauling in an impressive 53 passes during his rookie season, the Rams are looking at Donnie Avery to help soften the blow of losing Torry Holt.

If Marc Bulger can muster more than two seconds to throw the ball, the Rams could actually be much more improved over last season. If Bulger doesn’t have the time and suffers from injuries again…well…it won’t be good. The Rams brought former Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller in to be the backup after Trent Green finally retired but this is actually a downgrade. I’ve seen Boller play quite a bit and I don’t think I’ve ever thought to myself, not even one time, that Boller is an adequate NFL quarterback. On the flip side, I did once have those thoughts about J.P. Losman. So in conclusion, I’m either a horrible evaluator of quarterback talent, a ridiculous homer, an idiot, or all of the above.

I like the direction the Rams are heading in by completely cleaning house and starting over from scratch. It might be frustrating to the fans but it’s better than the team trotting out a bunch of over the hill veterans while spewing the company line about how this year will be different. Plus who knows, they play in the NFC, where 8-8 has been good enough to make the playoffs in the past. Unfortunately for the Rams, I don’t see them winning more than a handful of games.

Last Season: 2-14
2009 Prediction: 4-12