Seattle Seahawks
Last Season’s Record: 10-5-1
Positional Needs: OT, CB
The talk of the town in Seattle has revolved around a possible Richard Sherman trade. General Manager John Schneider is remaining open, but would need an offer that would ‘knock his socks off.’ For now trade talks have been on the back burner.
Russell Wilson has never had a complete line to protect him. He has gotten away, for the most part, with relying on his legs to keep him out of trouble and extending plays. The Seahawks need to ensure Wilson’s longevity.
Returning to the defensive side, it would seem the once dominate Legion of Boom is in need of reinforcements. Corner Deshawn Shead is not expected to be ready for the beginning of the season with a torn ACL, so the Seahawks could draft multiple defensive backs (DBs). With a handful of vets at the linebacker and wide receiver positions in contract years, it would be a good decision to invest in a couple of young guns.
Arizona Cardinals
Last Season’s Record: 7-8-1
Positional Needs: DL, QB, CB
Phil Dawson was arguably Arizona’s most significant FA signing this offseason. The Cardinals lost 3 games due to missed field goals that probably would have landed them a playoff spot.
Their D-line took a huge hit losing Calais Campbell and they will look to replace him. At 37 years old, Carson Palmer is reaching the end of his career, so don’t be surprised if they pick someone like Deshone Kizer with the 13 overall pick.
The team lost 3 DBs during the offseason. They’ll want a solid corner to compliment Patrick Peterson and like 90% of NFL teams it never hurts to look to strengthen your offensive line.
Los Angeles Rams
Last Season’s Record: 4-12
Positional Needs: OL, WR, TE, DE, DB
The Rams struggled in their first season in LA, but have made some power moves in the offseason, beginning with the signing of former Redskins Offensive Coordinator, Sean McVay as Head Coach. Their biggest player acquisition was Tackle Andrew Whitworth, who is one of the best at his position. But he is just a cog in the wheel. They’ll want to beef up the size and talent on the O-line to protect the young Jared Goff, who was sacked 25 times in just the last 6 games of the season!
They should look to replace pass rusher William Hayes and add depth at WR and TE. They signed a few free agents at the WR and CB positions, but still need some playmakers. The Rams don’t pick until Round 2 at #37 overall, but expect them to go with an O-linemen and remain focused on surrounding Goff with quality weapons.
San Francisco 49ers
Last Season’s Record: 2-14
Positional Needs: QB, DE, DB, RB
After a rocky season with Colin Kaepernick grabbing headlines for kneeling during the National Anthem; the Niners have a lot more pressing concerns coming off a 2-win season. They captured plenty of attention at the start of the offseason by signing Hall-of-Famer John Lynch as General Manager and Kyle Shanahan as Head Coach. The pair hit the ground running and began the painstaking task of rebuilding the organization.
The Niners need to improve essentially everything, but they should start with a QB. They picked up Matt Barkley and Brian Hoyer, but neither of them are franchise QBs. The team is likely to pick Mitch Trubisky if they draft a QB with the No. 2 pick overall. If they choose to holdout until next season’s free agency, they could land Kirk Cousins, if he doesn’t sign a long-term deal with the Redskins.
They also have several standout DBs they could choose from, which they desperately need. Carlos Hyde could use some help as well, so Leonard Fournette or Christian McCaffrey are possibilities. They really can’t make a wrong selection with the no. 2 pick with the amount of positional needs they have. The other option Lynch is considering is to trade that pick for more picks. Whatever the Niners decide should make for a splash in the Bay area.
