NFL Preview: NFC West

St. Louis Rams: The Rams were only able to muster a 8-8 season in 2006, but showed signs of improvement. Stephen Jackson emerged as one of the league's premier running backs and Marc Bulger started all 16 games for the first time in his career and had an excellent season. The receiving corps of Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Kevin Curtis remained one of the best in the league. Despite its explosive offense, the defense, once again, played poorly and kept the Rams from making the playoffs, though they were only one game shy of Seattle.

While Curtis left for the Eagles in the off-season, he was replaced by Drew Bennett, who will be the slot receiver for now. Bennett is a better all-around receiver than Curtis, so that turns out to be an upgrade at a position where the Rams were already strong. Dante' Hall was also added and he should bolster the return game.

Of course, we already knew the Rams could score. If they are going to improve this year, it will be because of their defense. The offense is good enough to simply outscore some teams, the defense will have to be better if they want to make the playoffs. One big addition could be that of first round draft pick Adam Carriker, who will line up at defensive end opposite Leonard Little and should greatly improve the pass rush. It's hard to know if the defense can get much better, but they should be at least a .500 team even if they have to win by offense alone.

Seattle Seahawks: The Madden Curse struck again last year, victimizing Shaun Alexander, who played in only ten games (he had played in 16 games in every other season of his career). Even when he played, he was rarely healthy and was not particularly effective. Matt Hasselbeck also missed 4 games and had his worst season since becoming a full-time starter. Deion Branch was added to the mix, but even he was not enough to help Hasselbeck. The defense also lapsed from its 2005 form, allowing 70 more points in '06. Even so, the team went 9-7 and made the playoffs.

In the off-season, the Seahawks lost Darrell Jackson to the division-rival 49ers, who had been their top receiving option, despite his penchant for dropping passes. He'll be replaced by Branch and D.J. Hackett, who could emerge as one of Hasselbeck's best weapons. The biggest addition was that of Patrick Kerney, who should be a defensive upgrade and may be able to get the defense back to where it was in '05.

If the Seahawks are going to bounce back from a somewhat disappointing year, it will be because of a resurgent Alexander. Should Alexander reinstate himself as one of the elite running backs in football, Hasselbeck's job will be much easier and the entire offense should click. If he continues to face injuries, this team is likely headed for a .500 season, at best.

San Francisco 49ers: By finishing 7-9, the 49ers exceeded many expectations and continued their steady improvement. Frank Gore had a phenomenal season, finishing with nearly 1700 rushing yards. Alex Smith showed some progress, improving the numbers he put up as a rookie. It didn't help that Smith lacked competent receivers to throw to. The wide receivers struggled and Vernon Davis, who many considered a viable Rookie of the Year candidate at the start of the season, missed a number of games and had a very minor impact on the offense. The defense was amongst the worst in the league, allowing over 400 points.

The 49ers should be a very different team this year, as it has received a major overhaul. The team added Nate Clements and first round pick Patrick Willis, among others, to upgrade the defense, and Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie to give Smith some more options downfield. These moves should make the defense far more formidable, though they won't become an elite unit this year.

The offensive additions are harder to judge. Jackson typically misses a number of games due to injury and even when healthy, he tends to drop a lot of passes (which is not good for a young quarterback's confidence). Lelie is talented but has never lived up to the hype surrounding him. Also concerning is Gore's health. Gore suffered a broken hand and while he is expected to start in Week 1, San Francisco has to be worried about whether or not he can stay on the field. If the 49ers are going to have a strong season, it will be because of Smith, who could take a big step forward this year.

Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals showed some signs of hope last season, with great performances from their wide receivers, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and then-rookie Matt Leinart, who showed signs of becoming a great quarterback. However, the Cardinals suffered through another 5-11 season because of poor play from the defense and offensive line, as well as poor coaching from Dennis Green.

Green was replacement by Ken Wisenhunt, who ought to be a considerable upgrade (though we'll all miss Green's "They are who we thought they were!" tirade). The team spent its first round pick on Levi Brown, but also lost Leonard Davis to free agency. Had they managed to hold on to Davis, the Cardinals might have had a strong offensive line, but now they are pretty much back where they started. That does not bode well for Leinart and it is particularly bad for Edgerrin James, who ran for a career-low 3.4 yards per carry last season.

There were no major defensive upgrades, so that unit will again be a weakness for Arizona. They should be able to put up a lot of points, but the offense will be very dependent on Leinart since the offensive line will not be strong enough to open up holes for James. Unless the line gets substantially better, Leinart will have to carry the offense basically by himself. Maybe in a few years he could handle that responsibility, but it is unlikely that he will make that step this year. Another 5-6 win season is in the books.