Seattle Seahawks (12-4):
Key offseason additions: Cary Williams, Will Blackmon, Mister Alexander, Jimmy Graham
Key offseason losses: Byron Maxwell, Malcolm Smith, O'Brien Schofield, Jeron Johnson, Bryan Walters, James Carpenter, Zach Miller, Max Unger
Draft Picks: (2) Frank Clark (3) Tyler Lockett (4) Terry Poole (4) Mark Glowinski (5)Tye Smith (6) Obum Gwacham (6)Kristjan Sokoli (7)Ryan Murphy
The Seattle Seahawks were one play away from winning back to back Super Bowls however a small mistake turned into a huge one. This offseason Seattle's been clamoring to get back onto the field and the Seahawks brass have done a great job making sure their core group of starters stay together. The Seahawks resigned Russell Wilson first to a 5 year mega deal then followed that up by signing Bobby Wagner. Kam Chancellor is still holding out however he and the Seahawks should reach an agreement; he is too talented of a player to let walk away. The first pick of the Seahawks, Frank Clark, is going to add much needed pressure to the middle of the defensive line. Tyler Lockett was drafted in the third round to help the passing game and should stretch the field with his speed. The biggest addition of the offseason (probably in the NFL) was the trade that sent center Max Unger to the Saints for Jimmy Graham. Graham instantly adds a valuable new dimension to the offense. There is no other player who can be more of a matchup nightmare than Graham and he will likely shine as the top target in the passing game. The Seahawks are still the team to beat in the NFL.
San Francisco 49ers (8-8):
Key offseason additions: Torrey Smith, Reggie Bush, Darnell Dockett, Shareece Wright, Erik Pears, Jerome Simpson, Jarryd Hayne, Nick Bellore, Phillip Wheeler
Key offseason losses: Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Bubba Ventrone, Frank Gore, Mike Iupati, Dan Skuta, Chris Culliver, Perrish Cox, Josh Johnson, Michael Crabtree, Jonathan Martin, Stevie Johnson, Trindon Holiday
Draft Picks: (1) Arik Armstead (2) Jaquiski Tartt (3) Eli Harold (4) Blake Bell (4) Mike Davis (4) DeAndre Smelter (5) Bradley P Pinion (6) Ian Silberman (7) Trenton Brown (7) Rory "Busta" Anderson
The 49ers refuse to rebuild, even though some of their players are forcing them too. The retirement of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland dealt a dramatic blow to a linebacking core that lacked depth as it is. Now NaVorro Bowman is expect to lead the defense and pick up where Willis left off. Defensive end Aldon Smith should also provide a boost of pressure from the edge. The addition of Torrey Smith and Reggie Bush were done to help the offense but it is not known what effect these two slightly above average players will have. Smith has yet to break out as an elite receiver and Bush who a) has a hard time staying healthy b) who needs to maintain the speed he was drafted for. Bush will have a lot of work as the change of pace back especially if Carlos Hyde remains injury prone throughout the season. Smith will lead the wide receiver core with Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis. The 49ers won games due to their ground and pound style however with the additions of these receivers and a receiving back I don't see them getting back to old school Niner football anytime soon. The defense on the other hand should be pretty resurgent. The combination of 1st round pick Arik Armstead stopping the run/providing pressure, Bowman surging to the line of scrimmage from the middle/right LB spot, solid nose tackle Glenn Dorsey, and Aldon Smith have all the talent in the world to make this one of the best blitzing defenses in the NFL.
Arizona Cardinals (11-5):
Key offseason additions: Mike Iupati, A.Q. Shipley, Cory Redding, Corey Peters, LaMarr Woodley, Sean Weatherspoon.
Key offseason losses: Rob Housler, Paul Fanaika, Lyle Sendlein, Darnell Dockett, Tommy Kelly, Dan Williams, Sam Acho, John Abraham, Antonio Cromartie, Ted Ginn
Draft Picks: (1) D.J. Humphries (2) Markus Golden (3) David Johnson (4) Rodney Gunter (5) Shaquille Riddick (5) J.J. Nelson (7) Gerald Christian
The Cardinals had a pretty respectable record and if they were in another conference might have gone deep into the playoffs, however the Seahawks made sure that did not happen. Instead the Cardinals faced the Panthers in a wild card matchup without Carson Palmer. The Cardinals finally fell 16-27 but not for a lack of trying. Now we've come to the cusp of the 2015 and Carson Palmer is looking pretty healthy. The addition of D.J. Humphries in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, as well as Mike Iupati helps solidify the offensive line. Palmer should stay healthy with some stars protecting him. The Cardinals also drafted David Johnson in the 3rd round as a compliment to the often injured Andre Ellington. The Cardinals can now run the ball more effectively than ever before.
St. Louis Rams (6-10):
Key offseason additions: Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Mike Person, Nick Fairley, Akeem Ayers,
Key offseason losses: Sam Bradford, Shaun Hill, Zac Stacy, Jake Long, Joseph Barksdale, Davin Joseph, Scott Wells, Kendall Langford,
Draft Picks: (1) Todd Gurley, (2) Rob Havenstein (3) Jamon Brown (3) Jamon Brown (4) Sean Mannion (6) Bud Sasser (6) Cody Wichmann (7) Bryce Hager (7) Martin Ifedi
The Rams are also another team that has been rebuilding for quite some time, now a trade might have put them in the right position to succeed. Sam Bradford would get injured in the middle of the season and tank the Rams chances at having a winning record. With Bradford in Philadelphia and the Rams getting Nick Foles coming off his best season as a pro, things are looking up. The Rams have one of the strongest defensive fronts in the entire league. Now they drafted Todd Gurley the most impressive running back to come out of college since Adrian Peterson. Gurley is injured however he should regain his health by mid-season. Tre Mason will handle the workload before Gurley comes back. The Rams also drafted multiple offensive linemen to fill the void left by Jake Long. The Rams might not be the highest scoring team in the league, but they are on the right track to being one of the best defensively.
