2008 NFL Sneak Peek – NFC South
By TD at Totals 4 You
Welcome to the seventh edition of our 8-week series taking an off-season look at the National Football League’s divisions. This week we drop in on the NFC West where the member crews tied with their regional mates for the league’s worst combined record at 26-38. However, fortunes can seemingly change overnight in this league so let’s check out who’s ready to make a move.
Seattle (10-6 regular season, 1-1 playoffs) The Seahawks dominated at Quest Field (8-1) in 2007 but poor offensive line play (36 sacks, 3.8 yards per rush) stalled further hopes. New OL Coach Mike Solari brings zone blocking with LG Mike Wahle (FA-CAR) replacing Rob Sims who moves to right while backup T Tom Ashworth was let go, leaving C Gray and re-signed T/G Womack to back up LT Jones, re-signed RT Locklear, and C Spencer. The Hawk passing game is largely intact with 2nd round pick TE John Carlson (Notre Dame) and TE Jeb Putzier (FA-HOU) replacing WR Hackett (FA-CAR) and TE Pollard (FA-NE) but the backfield has been extensively reworked. Re-signed FBs Weaver and Kirtman will compete with the draft’s best fullback 6’3” 260 Owen Schmitt (5th round, West Virginia), who broke 10 facemasks and lost yards 4 times in 353 carries in college. RB Julius Jones (FA-DAL) replaces Shaun Alexander (cut) while RB TJ Duckett (FA-DET) and Justin Forsett (7th round, California) join Maurice Morris (140 for 628 and 4 TD rush) who stays on. The rehab of DT Marcus Tubbs and the re-signing of LCB Marcus Trufant returns Seattle’s entire starting defense (18.2 points per game, 45 sacks) but key backups LB Bentley (HOU), DT Darby (DET), LB Koutouvides (DEN), and DL Wyms (MIN) were all lost to free agency. 1st round pick RDE Lawrence Jackson was the productive (30 ½ S, 52 TFL) bookend to Sedrick Ellis at USC while 6’5” 328 Texas A&M DT Red Bryant may was college’s best run-stuffer and a straight up 4th round theft. Competing with the rooks for backup roles are former Seahawks LDT Chris Cooper (street), MLB DD Lewis (street), and re-signed Lance Laury plus FS Omar Lowe (FA-ATL) and DT Larry Triplett (FA-BUF) while either K Olindo Mare (FA-NO) or 7th round selection Brandon Coutu (Georgia) will replace Josh Brown (FA-STL).
Arizona (8-8 regular season, missed playoffs) Cardinal fans got home wins over Seattle, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh in 2007 plus with a premier OL returning and a superb draft, the future looks as bright as the Sonoran sun. The wall that lost only backups T Ross (cut) and G Vincent (FA-CAR) of RT Levi Brown, RG Deuce Lutui, C Al Johnson, LG Reggie Wells, and LT Mike Gandy gave up 24 sacks in 600 drop-backs will protect QB Leinart who takes 1st string from Warner who is asked to lower his cap number with QB Brian St. Pierre (FA-PIT) as insurance. WR Larry Fitzgerald (100 for 1409 and 10 TD) got a new deal but Boldin is unhappy and WR Johnson took free-agency to Frisco so GM Graves added TE Jerame Tuman (FA-PIT) and WR Early Doucet (3rd round, LSU) plus re-signed TE Bienemann and WRs Merrit, Morey, Rector, and Urban. James and Arrington will still carry the backfield load but look out for 6’0” 226 Tim Hightower (5th round, Richmond) who rushed for1924 yards and 20 TD in 2007. Arizona’s 28th-ranked pass defense got the draft attention.16th overall pick LCB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Tenn. State) will start opposite re-signed RCB Eric Green with DEs Calais Campbell (2nd round, Miami-Fla), Kenny Iwebema (4th round, Iowa), and Chris Harrington (6th round, Texas A&M) plus RDE Travis LaBoy (FA-TEN) added to bring heat while DE’s Schobel, Tafoya, and starter Antonio Smith were re-inked. DT Bryan Robinson (FA-CIN) will fill the backup job of DT Chris Cooper (cut). Promotions of FS Adrian Wilson and Chike Okeafor fills the starter losses of Pace (NYJ) and S Holt (cut), additions WLB Clark Haggans (FA-PIT) and SLB Matt Stewart (FA-CLE) take key backup roles for LBs Blackstock (FA-CIN) and Johnson (FA-CIN), with a slew of re-signings in franchise SLB Karlos Densby plus CB Adams, CB Brown, FS Celestin, and FS Ware.
San Francisco (5-11 regular season, missed playoffs) Finish the season at -24 in sack margin and -419 in rush yards margin, the need is clear and the 49er lines got major shuffling. On offense, LT Jennings and RT Stanley have switched sides, LG David Bass (started 8 games) takes over full-time for departed Smiley (FA-MIA), and backup T Harris (FA-OAK) hits bricks while veteran linemen Joe Toledo (street), Alan Reuber (street), Jeb Terry (street), and 16-game starter Barry Sims (FA-OAK) enter to battle for jobs with G/T Chilo Rachal (2nd round USC) and C Cody Wallace (4th round, Texas A&M) - each superb grabs. Not superb was using a 1st on DT Kentwan Balmer (North Carolina), a 1-year wonder with questionable work ethic. Anyway, he will have help from re-signed starting LDE Isaac Sapoaga plus the add of starter RDE Justin Smith (FA-CIN) and DT LaJaun Ramsey (waivers-PHI) while DT Young (retired) and starting LDE Douglass (FA-TB) are gone. Starting LOLB Smith was cut, LB Dontarrios Smith (FA-MIN) and CB Allan Rossum (FA-PIT) were added, while LB Green and CB Strickland re-inked. The drama is San Francisco is at the trigger. 2007 starter Dilfer was released and Weinke wasn’t tendered so that battle pits Alex Smith (94 of 193 for 914, 2 TD, 4 INT) vs. re-signed Shaun Hill (54 of 79 for 501, 5 TD, 1 INT) with JT O’Sullivan (FA-DET) locking up the 3rd string. We take Hill but either way, if the QB stays upright there are enough weapons to succeed here. RB Hicks (FA-MIN) and WR Jackson (cut) may be gone but RB Frank Gore is a monster while free agent snatches WR Isaac Bruce (STL), WR Bryant Johnson (ARI), and RB DeShaun Foster bring experience. Picks CB Reggie Smith (3rd round, Oklahoma), WR Josh Morgan (6th round, Virginia Tech), and LB Larry Grant (7th round, Ohio State) are each underrated players with special teams experience.
St. Louis (3-13 regular season, missed playoffs) The “Sluggish Show on a Stretcher” gave the training room more action than a MLK Boulevard working girl. The Rams rolled over and the fans turned against them - situations looked to be changed by drafting a hard-working class to get behind. 2nd overall selection, Chris Long is a classic leader who terrorized pockets at Virginia and destroyed lanes with his long arms. A move from LDE in the 3-4 to RDE in the 4-3 won’t slow a kid with his vision and determination; he can’t but help the crew of Little, Glover, Carriker, and Hall (re-signed). 3rd and 5th round picks added T John Greco (Toledo) and G Roy Schoening (Oregon State), each defined by aggression that borders on brutal - traits this unit dearly needs. 16-game starter LG Jacob Bell (FA-TEN) brings toughness in place of Milford Brown (FA-CAR), starters C Richie Incognito and re-signed RG Brett Romberg switch roles, while backup tackles Goldberg and Gorin were re-inked for insurance behind LT Pace. T Steussie and G/C McCollum have not been tendered offers. At receiver, 2nd and 4th rounders were spent on Donnie Avery (Houston) and Keenan Burton (Kentucky), each of whom have return experience and eagerness to battle over the middle. WR Reche Caldwell (FA-WAS) and TE Anthony Becht (FA-TB) for cuts Isaac Bruce and TE Dominique Byrd gives starting QB Bulger plus Bruce Gradkowski (waivers-TB) and Trent Green (FA-MIA) a decent mix behind WR Holt, WR Bennett, and TE McMichael. A good Ram secondary returns with re-signed FS OJ Atogwe (8 INT) and S Jerome Carter plus pickups CB David Macklin (FA-WAS) and CB Justin King (4th round, Penn State) while 7th round LB selections Chris Chamberlain (Tulsa) and David Vobora ((Idaho) are tackle machines behind WLB Quentin Culbertson who moves up in place of Brandon Chillar (FA-GB).