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I just wanted to lay out what the other teams in the NFC West are doing at the beginning of the new league year. Basically, two teams are in an arms race with the Seahawks and one team decided to surrender. I think the Rams’ defense definitely got better, but at a very steep price. The 49ers worked on improving their receivers room and they probably feel that elsewhere they’ll be better just by virtue of getting some players back healthy. The Cardinals officially declared they’re on the march for Arch.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
The Rams went all-in on improving their secondary, believing that they needed better players to stop Darnold, JSN and Rashid Shaheed. They spent a total of $211 million on Trent McDuffie ($124 million/4 years), Jaylen Watson ($51 million/3 years) and Kamren Curl ($36 million/3 years).
It’s a lot of money, but I would say the Rams accomplished their mission of improving their secondary. At least they signed Kam Curl for a little less than the Bears paid Coby Bryant. It’s not just money–in addition to what they paid him, they also gave KC a first, a third, a fifth and a sixth for McDuffie. But in a year where the draft is deep with cornerback talent, was it smart to use so much of your resources in salary cap and draft picks for that position?
They did nothing to improve their offensive personnel. And next year, Matt Stafford will be 38 years old, and Davante Adams will be a year older. Last year, Adams didn’t come close to the production he had with the Packers and the Raiders, and it will be worse this year. Rumors are they tried to trade for AJ Brown (and may still be trying to do so).
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
The 49ers were trying to find weapons for Brock Purdy. Their big move last week was signing 33-year-old Mike Evans for 3-years at $42 million. Then they signed Christian Kirk for a deal worth up to $6 million. Time will tell if that will pan out for them. Losing Juaun Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk, they needed to get younger and faster at that position, not get a veteran at the end of his career and a journeyman. I heard someone on the NFL Network say that Evans will be like what Julio Jones was for Shanahan in Atlanta. I really doubt that’s going to be the case. Jones was 27 and at the height of his career during the Falcons’ Super Bowl year.
Their best move was probably trading a third round pick for Osa Odighizuwa, the Cowboy’s defensive tackle, but he won’t be cheap at $20 million per year. They also brought back every Seahawk fan’s favorite, Dre Greenlaw on a one-year $7.5 million deal.
Other than that, the 49ers did some bargain shopping, picking up Vederian Lowe, a backup tackle from the Patriots for $12 million/2 years and Nate Hobbs, an oft-injured and mediocre Packers cornerback for $4.5 million. The biggest move of the off-season so far for the 49ers is losing Robert Saleh, and replacing him with Raheem Morris, former Falcons’ HC and former Rams’ DC. I think they’ll miss Saleh.
ARIZONA CARDINALS
I like what Mina Kimes said about the Cardinals, that they were “quietly quitting.” They didn’t spend much money or go after any stars. They didn’t seem to have much of a plan. The biggest signing was Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo, for $31.5 million over 3 years. He wasn’t even one of the better guards available, and he’s 33 years old. Tyler Allgeier, who a lot of people here wanted for the Seahawks, was signed for $12.25 million/2 years. They also signed Kendrick Bourne, 31-year-old journeyman wide receiver for $10 million/2 years. The Cards also signed Roy Lopez for $11.5 million/2 years. The funniest thing that the Cardinals did was try to get Jimmy Garrapolo, and when that failed, pivot to Gardner Minshew (one-year deal worth at least $5.75 million). So in a division that has Stafford, Purdy and Darnold, they decided to go to battle with Minshew and Jacoby Brisset. If that was their plan, they should have just kept Kyler Murray instead of paying him to play for the Vikings.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
The Rams went all-in on improving their secondary, believing that they needed better players to stop Darnold, JSN and Rashid Shaheed. They spent a total of $211 million on Trent McDuffie ($124 million/4 years), Jaylen Watson ($51 million/3 years) and Kamren Curl ($36 million/3 years).
It’s a lot of money, but I would say the Rams accomplished their mission of improving their secondary. At least they signed Kam Curl for a little less than the Bears paid Coby Bryant. It’s not just money–in addition to what they paid him, they also gave KC a first, a third, a fifth and a sixth for McDuffie. But in a year where the draft is deep with cornerback talent, was it smart to use so much of your resources in salary cap and draft picks for that position?
They did nothing to improve their offensive personnel. And next year, Matt Stafford will be 38 years old, and Davante Adams will be a year older. Last year, Adams didn’t come close to the production he had with the Packers and the Raiders, and it will be worse this year. Rumors are they tried to trade for AJ Brown (and may still be trying to do so).
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
The 49ers were trying to find weapons for Brock Purdy. Their big move last week was signing 33-year-old Mike Evans for 3-years at $42 million. Then they signed Christian Kirk for a deal worth up to $6 million. Time will tell if that will pan out for them. Losing Juaun Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk, they needed to get younger and faster at that position, not get a veteran at the end of his career and a journeyman. I heard someone on the NFL Network say that Evans will be like what Julio Jones was for Shanahan in Atlanta. I really doubt that’s going to be the case. Jones was 27 and at the height of his career during the Falcons’ Super Bowl year.
Their best move was probably trading a third round pick for Osa Odighizuwa, the Cowboy’s defensive tackle, but he won’t be cheap at $20 million per year. They also brought back every Seahawk fan’s favorite, Dre Greenlaw on a one-year $7.5 million deal.
Other than that, the 49ers did some bargain shopping, picking up Vederian Lowe, a backup tackle from the Patriots for $12 million/2 years and Nate Hobbs, an oft-injured and mediocre Packers cornerback for $4.5 million. The biggest move of the off-season so far for the 49ers is losing Robert Saleh, and replacing him with Raheem Morris, former Falcons’ HC and former Rams’ DC. I think they’ll miss Saleh.
ARIZONA CARDINALS
I like what Mina Kimes said about the Cardinals, that they were “quietly quitting.” They didn’t spend much money or go after any stars. They didn’t seem to have much of a plan. The biggest signing was Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo, for $31.5 million over 3 years. He wasn’t even one of the better guards available, and he’s 33 years old. Tyler Allgeier, who a lot of people here wanted for the Seahawks, was signed for $12.25 million/2 years. They also signed Kendrick Bourne, 31-year-old journeyman wide receiver for $10 million/2 years. The Cards also signed Roy Lopez for $11.5 million/2 years. The funniest thing that the Cardinals did was try to get Jimmy Garrapolo, and when that failed, pivot to Gardner Minshew (one-year deal worth at least $5.75 million). So in a division that has Stafford, Purdy and Darnold, they decided to go to battle with Minshew and Jacoby Brisset. If that was their plan, they should have just kept Kyler Murray instead of paying him to play for the Vikings.
