There’s the old saying that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated took some time and ranked the four rosters in the NFC West. He put the defending division champion Los Angeles Rams at number one, followed by the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.
The Seattle Seahawks, who owned the same win-loss record (10-7) as the Rams this past season, can be found at the bottom of the list. It’s somewhat surprising considering the team’s showing a year ago, and some key additions in free agency, as well as a draft that produced 11 prospects this offseason.
“The Seahawks took a gamble swapping Geno Smith and DK Metcalf for Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp,” offered Manzano. “Somebody could argue that they downgraded at those positions, but the Seahawks have many intriguing pieces to make it work with the notable free-agent additions.
“Darnold’s offensive line received reinforcements in the draft after the first-round selection of Grey Zabel, who can play guard and center. Zabel can’t play two positions simultaneously for a poor offensive line with multiple needs. Kupp has lost a step and has dealt with injuries since his 2021 triple crown season, but the team gained a talented pass-catching tight end after selecting Elijah Arroyo in the second round. Perhaps the running back tandem of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet can bounce back from a somewhat disappointing ’24 season.”
When it comes to the other side of the ball, general manager John Schneider bought back veterans Ernest Jones IV and Johnathan Hankins, added veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, and moved up in the second round of the draft to grab University of South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.
“Seattle’s defense could make strides in Year 2 under coach Mike Macdonald,” added Malzano. “There’s plenty of talent throughout this defense, which could be better with second-round rookie safety Nick Emmanwori. But this secondary needs better performances from cornerback Riq Woolen, who has regressed since his impressive rookie season in 2022.
“Safety Julian Love and cornerback Devon Witherspoon were consistent playmakers last season. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams is coming off one of his best seasons. Perhaps 2024 first-round defensive tackle Byron Murphy II makes a sizable jump in his second season.”
