
The NFC West officially just put the rest of the league on high alert. This division, featuring the 49ers, Seahawks, Cardinals, and Rams, was already a high favorite to be the best in the league heading into the 2020 season. The addition of Deandre Hopkins to the Cards and Jamal Adams to the Seahawks really solidified the narrative that this division is elite. Last year we saw a rivalry revived as the Seahawks and Niners both had fantastic season’s dueling for a #1 seed playoff spot in the final game of the season. The Rams are just two years removed from a Super Bowl bid and the Cardinals have arguably the best offensive weapons in the division. Look at the standings from last year; this division is elite and after adding some superstars just got better.

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The Seahawks can absolutely run the table every single year under Pete Carrol. Russell Wilson is one of the best QB’s in the league and proves year after year that we can’t count out the Hawks. He threw for 4,000 yards last year with 31 touchdowns and only 5 picks. They sport a pretty solid offensive line with a very strong left side. The running game has been a problem the past couple of years with injury issues. They have Chris Carson poised to start and produce with a strong depth chart behind him including Rashaad Penny and Carlos Hyde. The weapons aren’t bad for Wilson this year as they picked up NFL veteran Greg Olson, and feature DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at wide receiver who both had great numbers last year. The defense is what makes this team a legit contender this year. The linebacker core is stacked with dependable veterans like KJ Wright and Bruce Irvin, led by arguably the best MLB in the league Bobby Wagner. The D-line is the only potential liability I currently see with this Seahawks team. Led by Jarran Reed who had 10.5 sacks in 2018 this front isn’t awful but could struggle with division rival Mike Shannahan’s running game. If they can figure out the money, they can potentially bring back Jadeveon Clowney; a top pass rusher in the league but as of this week Clowney is testing the free agency waters and has been in contact with San Francisco. If Seattle adds a little depth up front on the defensice side they will be a tough game every week. The defensive backs in Seattle are proven veterans. Shaquille Griffin leads the cornerback group alongside Tre Flowers and Quinton Dunbar. The Seahawks biggest offseason acquisition by far came last week when they traded two first round picks and some change for Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams. Adams is a top safety in the league and at 24 is hungry to play for a contender and see some significant playoff action. This Seahawk team is ready for another playoff run and has the talent to make an appearance in February.

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This San Francisco team looks to be loaded again in 2020 as ROY Nick Bosa gears up to continue to terrorize offensive lineman in his second year. George Kittle is the best TE in the league creating matchup problems in the aerial attack and dominating defenses with his power blocking. The Niners defense took a hit losing the 2018 Pro Bowler Deforest Buckner in a trade to the Colts but the Faithful are very excited and optimistic about the arrival of rookie Javon Kinlaw. San Francisco also lost veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders who they traded for around the deadline last year. Replacing him is potentially a combination of guys but most likely the 1st round rookie Brandon Aiyuk. Raheem Mostert just got payed and the running tandem of Mostert and Coleman behind Shanahan's brilliant offensive playbook can be just as effective as last year. Mostert has an absurd career average of 6.0 yards per carry and last year had 700+ yards and 8 TD's on just 137 carries. He emerged in the playoffs specifically with a dominant 4 touchdown performance against the Packers, expect another great season from him. They just landed Trent Williams, a consensus top tackle in the league who will immediately replace Joe Staley. Both offensive and defensive lines are very talented for this squad and are going to be a huge part of their success in this upcoming season. Deebo Samuel is obviously hurt right now fighting a foot injury but if he comes back at 100% and can compete like the player he was at the end of last year, this offense is going to be scary. The 49ers have an extremely young and talented team and are many analysts favorites to make another deep run into the playoffs. Hot Boyz University is ready for 2020.

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I still can't decide if I think the Rams are going to be a fringe playoff contender this year. A lot of analysts have them regressing this year and further distancing themselves from their dominant 2018 super bowl runner up team. The Rams defense has some of the biggest names in football in Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald, a pretty good offensive line, and one of the best coaches in the game, Sean McVay. Jared Goff is obviously lacking some weapons as the RB position has been a problem since the injury to Gurley and they're looking to start fresh at that spot with a position battle in the backfield. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are no average joes but they also aren’t elite and can’t make up for the lack of running game by themselves. Madden Rankings just came out and in my opinion really lowballed Goff as they have him at a 76 along with rookie Joe Burrow and Jameis Winston. Goff has thrown for over 4,600 yards the past two seasons and an overall career record of 33-21. Unlike the Super Bowl run squad from 2018 the defense has to hold this team together if they want to make a run. Jalen Ramsey is an absolute killer on the outside and can lock down the best of the best. Aaron Donald is arguably the best defender in the entire game. The Rams boast an above average offensive line that will hopefully be able to lift the running game a little. The Rams are arguably the worst team in this division just two years removed from the Super Bowl, proving how deep the NFC West is.

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The Cardinals are in my opinion the wild card squad for the NFC West. They are young and talented and it’s going to be interesting to see how Cliff Kingsbury incorporates this group's talent into the game plan. The offense is their strong point as they have improved in almost every aspect of that side of the ball. They got a steal in Deandre Hopkins, a consensus top 3 wide receiver in the league, who has had over 1,000 yards receiving in the past 3 years along with 100+ receptions in the past two years. He is no doubt a matchup nightmare for most defensive coordinators, especially now that he is surrounded by future Hall Of Famer Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk. The man delivering these guys the ball is Kyler Murray. Entering his second year in the league I expect him to improve tremendously. He is definitely going to get out of the pocket more and use his legs to extend plays and find his weapons. He threw for 3,722 yards last year and had a solid TD/Int ratio which will improve with the addition of Hopkins. The running game is going to be solid with Kenyan Drake leading the way followed by Chase Edmonds. Drake had 800+ yards on the ground last year along with 50 receptions. The offensive line he runs behind has some solid veterans but is definitely the weak point for this offense. On the other side of the ball the Cardinals have one of the best pass rushers in the entire league in Chandler Jones. He had an insane 19 sacks last year and is entering his 30 year old season. Expect him to receive plenty of double teams in 2020. Patrick Peterson and Budda Baker lead the secondary along with young corner Byron Murphy who has a very high ceiling but still has a long way to go. Their top pick Isiah Simmons fell to the Cards in the draft this year, he possesses freakish athleticism and strength. Simmons can literally line up anywhere on the field for this defense but I see him mainly as a safety/linebacker hybrid. Expect this young team to improve from last year and potentially crack a wild card spot.
This group of teams is by far the top in football and is gonna provide some of the best football games we'll see all year. The Bucs and Saints will have some decent battles in the NFC South but the sheer depth and young talent in the west is unmatched. I would not be surprised if this group produces better results than last year's due to the superstar additions and showcases two top conference contenders in the playoffs. Expect a lot of tight games and rivalry's revived out west this season.
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