2008 Free Agent & Trade Round Up - NFC WEST

NFC WEST

Today we will talk about the NFC West, but please remember we will not be discussing this past weekends draft.



Entering his last year as the coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Holmgren will be hoping to finish off with a winning season. If he is to do so, he will be doing it with a different look roster, one without MVP RB Shaun Alexander. Also in the lose column are WR D.J. Hackett and PK Josh Brown who was used to the swirling winds of the Seattle's Quest Field. Insert Olindo Mare who couldn't kick well in Miami's sun and New Orleans dome. Are you serious??? To replace Alexander they signed RB Julius Jones to a four year contract and T.J. Duckett who has plenty of travel stickers on his luggage as of late. At TE add Jeb Putzier, who was sometimes dangerous as a Bronco. They designanted CB Marcus Trufant as a francishe player who will now make 10 million this year.



The Arizona Cardinals finished 2nd in the division to the Seahawks and mostly thanks to Kurt Warner. Yup, who predicted that before last year. With Leinart hurt, Warner won some games. But lets get to the busiest team in the off-season. They re-signed 13 + players and added 6 others to their roster this off-season with no really big names to show for it. NONE. They did lose S Terrence Holt and WR Bryant Johnson though. If they are to make a run to the top of the division they will need for Leinart to stay healthy and for managment to deal Boldin and find a suitable replacment for if/when Larry Fitzgerald gets hurt.



Next is the San Francisco 49ers. Wow, who could guess that last year would have them drop so far. So what do you do, you add aging talent around a QB that is playing for his NFL life. WR's Bryant Johnson and Isaac Bruce are now in the bay area and should add some help to a receiving crew that was poor, but what does adding RB DeShaun Foster give them when you have Frank Gore? Depth? Experience? Stability? Maybe a little of all of those elements, but I don't get it. DB Allen Rossum and DE Justin Smith are in the mix now and re-signing CB Donald Strickland will help the defense a lot. Hi-Liting the loses are minor with QB Trent Dilfer and WR Darrell Jackson who forgot to show up in San Fran once he signed.



Now for the St. Louis Rams. Could a team have gone through so much trouble in one year with injuries. Believe it or not, if healthy, they have a pretty good team, but no-one remembers when that was. They lost Jeff Wilkins to retirement and my buddy Grandpa Raider (Marv) will be without a kicker this year as that was his favorite kicker and would even jump up rounds to take him. LOL. Replacing him is Josh Brown who will love kicking in the dome as apposed to Quest Field. Other than losing Isaac Bruce who was a Ram for 14 years, their loses are minor while adding QB Trent Green to back up Bulger and WR Reche Caldwell replace Bruce.

Comeback Thursday for the 8th and final part of this series with the AFC West.