A couple of NFC West teams made big strides to improve their defenses this offseason, and training camp brings the opportunity to put it all together and start to get a sense of what to expect for the season. The Cardinals brought in two big additions to their defensive front in Chandler Jones and Robert Nkemdiche. The Rams also added some key players, bringing in Dominique Easley, Quinton Coples and Cam Thomas.
Defensive-minded NFC West looking for more offense during training camp
The Rams and 49ers are trying to catch up to the Seahawks and Cardinals in the division, and that starts with finding ways to score more points.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
For the 49ers, the big question rests at the quarterback position. New head coach Chip Kelly has said that either Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick can win the starting role, so that battle will be interesting over the next few weeks. In Seattle, the Seahawks will spend training camp trying to figure out how to adjust to the retirement of Marshawn Lynch.
Arizona Cardinals
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Starting date: July 29
Complete coverage: Revenge of the Birds
A strong defensive front is the name of the game in the NFC West and the Cardinals made serious strides to catch up to the other teams in the division with two major additions this offseason: Chandler Jones and rookie Robert Nkemdiche. If both can earn their roles in training camp, they could be destructive next season.
The Cardinals took a risk when they traded offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper to to the Patriots to acquire Jones. They’re banking on D.J. Humphries to improve at right tackle, Evan Mathis to contribute at right guard and A.Q. Shipley to start at center. Bruce Arians' "no risk it, no biscuit" offense starts with quarterback Carson Palmer, protecting him should remain their No. 1 priority.
With question marks on the line, Palmer’s injury history comes into focus. He’s late in his career and has earned the "fragile" label in the past, so the Cardinals could be taking a pretty significant gamble. Other than the potential new strength of the defensive front, the Cardinals also have a question mark in the secondary with Tyrann Mathieu, who is coming off his second ACL tear.
Los Angeles Rams
Location: University of California, Irvine, Calif.
Starting date: July 30
Complete coverage: Turf Show Times
It’s a new city and a new quarterback for the Rams. They gave up a ton of capital to move up to the top spot in the draft, where they took Jared Goff. But they insist that Goff will have to earn the starting job by unseating Case Keenum, which shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s probably nothing more than lip service, a Jeff Fisher tradition. Goff was taking the bulk of first-team reps during OTAs.
Weapon-wise, the quarterback will be hoping that somebody, anybody steps up at wide receiver or tight end. That includes veterans and rookies like Tyler Higbee, Pharoh Cooper and Mike Thomas. A heavy dose of second-year running back Todd Gurley, last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, is to be expected.
The Rams also brought in some solid depth for the defensive line, adding Quinton Coples, Dominique Easley and Cam Thomas. It's possibly the best defensive line in the NFL and how the depth settles there will be worth watching, especially with longtime leader Chris Long no longer with the team.
San Francisco 49ers
Location: SAP Performance Facility, Santa Clara, Calif.
Starting date: July 31
Complete coverage: Niners Nation
The biggest offseason acquisition for the 49ers wasn’t a player, but head coach Chip Kelly. After the absolute disaster that was the firing of Jim Harbaugh and the hiring of Jim Tomsula, the 49ers think they’ve made a move toward respectability by bringing on Kelly (the coach, not the general manager).
Despite promises that Kelly is in town to coach and nothing else, the 49ers used a first-round pick on one of his former players, defensive end DeForest Buckner. It wasn’t a bad pick by any stretch. Buckner and his former Oregon teammate Arik Armstead could form one of the more formidable defensive fronts in the league.
The quarterback battle between Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick will be the highlight of training camp, provided the latter is healthy enough. Kaepernick was awarded a big contract a couple years ago, but regressed to the point of being benched in favor of Gabbert last season. Kelly says either one has a chance at starting in 2016.
Seattle Seahawks
Location:: Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Renton, Wash.
Starting date: July 30
Complete coverage: Field Gulls
The loss of running back Marshawn Lynch wasn’t surprising, but it was still a huge blow when the team’s rushing leader for four of the past five seasons elected to retire. Seattle is hoping that Thomas Rawls, an undrafted free agent who came on strong in 2015 with 830 yards, will be sufficiently recovered from a broken ankle for the start of the season. He's not going to play much during the preseason, opening the doors for rookie C.J. Prosise to cement his place on the roster, maybe even usurp Rawls.
The Seahawks are also closely monitoring the recovery of tight end Jimmy Graham, who suffered a torn patellar tendon last season. Graham is expected to be ready for the regular season, but he still hasn’t looked like the dominant tight end he was with the New Orleans Saints.
Russell Wilson has developed a strong rapport with recently extended receiver Doug Baldwin. A breakout season at receiver from Tyler Lockett -- who's already cemented his status as one of the game's best return men -- will make Seattle's offense that much more potent.
The offensive line is the weakest position group. A battle for the starting center job between Justin Britt, Kristjan Sokoli and Patrick Lewis is both the most intriguing — and most worrisome — of camp.
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