[AvengerRam]

Now that the season has ended for all four NFC West teams, its time to look back, and look forward to next year. Here’s how I see the teams stacking up:

Seattle Seahawks
The question on the minds of Seahawks fans has to be: has the decline started? After winning the NFC Championship in 2005, they struggled to a 9-7 record to win a weak NFC West, beat the Cowboys in the Wild Card round on a fluke fumbled snap on a field goal attempt, and then lost to the Bears in the Divisional round in overtime.

Certainly, injuries played a big part in the team’s decline from 2005, with Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck both missing significant time. However, even when healthy, neither played up to prior standards (Alexander: 3.6 ypc; Hasselbeck: 76.0 QB rating).

The biggest problem the team will face going into next season is rebuilding its offensive line. This could be the end of the line for Robbie Tobeck and Chris Gray, who are 13 and 14 year veterans and free agents. The youth movement will be key, and the Hawks don’t have a first round pick (traded for Deion Branch) to draft a young stud.

In all, the Hawks still have enough talent to be the team to beat in the division, but not by much.

St. Louis Rams
Scott Linehan’s rookie season as the Rams’ Head Coach ended on a positive note with three consecutive wins. Marc Bulger had his best season, and Steven Jackson emerged as one of the top backs in the league. Meanwhile, the old reliable duo of Holt and Bruce combined for over 2,200 yards receiving. So, while the Greatest Show on Turf may be over, a pretty good sequel has started.

On defense, the Rams need to rebuild… again. Both in free agency and the draft, a talent influx must be sought and obtained. Also, in a division with some of the best between-the-tackle runners (Alexander, Gore, James), they need to be bigger in the middle of the defense (DT, MLB, SS).

The Rams have the advantage of having signed their two key free agents during the season (Little, Tinoisamoa). The only remaining free agent of note is Kevin Curtis, and he is arguably expendable.

In the end, it’s the same old story for the Rams. If they can build a defense that can slow down the competition, they can be a contender.

San Francisco Niners
The Niners seem poised to make a move in the division. They improved from 2005 to 2006, and have stockpiled both cap room and draft choices. Add to the mix Frank Gore, one of the best pure runners in the game, and it would seem the team is ready to challenge.

Not so fast. The Niners still have a lot of holes, and there is no guarantee that free agency will fill them. Don’t forget, this team was last in the NFL in points allowed and had only 34 sacks as a team (same as the Rams). Fixing those problems is easier said than done, even with draft choices and cap money.

Ultimately though, the question of whether the Niners are truly a team on the rise may come down to one player – Alex Smith. While some claim to have seen real improvement from Smith this year, he’s still a QB with a rating of 74.8 who threw for fewer yards than any 16 game starter with the exception of Michael Vick (and, in case you are wondering, Vick had a few more rushing yards than Smith).

The road from the basement to mediocrity is far easier than the road from mediocrity to contender status. The Niners may learn this the hard way.

Arizona Cardinals
Will this finally be the year that we stop hearing from the “experts” that the Cardinals are the next big thing? Probably not. With Golden Boy Matt Leinert at the helm, a new head coach, and fantasy geek favorites at WR, many will still see a breakthrough team in August.

As has been the case for years, the Cardinals’ chance for success begins with the offensive line. This year, they were once again pretty awful in the run blocking department (3.2 yards per carry). They were also pretty bad on the other side of the trenches, allowing 5.5 yards per rushing attempt to opponents.

So, with a need to rebuild the offensive and defensive lines, a new head coach and an inexperienced QB, this team is still the favorite to remain at the bottom of the division, right?

Ah… Sean Salisbury will probably still have them as a sleeper pick next preseason.

So… who’s the favorite?
Right now, the teams line up in the same order they finished, but are very close. If you need further proof, look at the divisional records from 2006 (Seahawks 3-3, Rams 2-4, Niners 3-3, Cardinals 4-2). Its pretty clear that no team in the division is a clear favorite, and any team could rise to the top. As a result, this is a very important offseason. One or two signings or good draft choices (along with injuries) may make the difference.

Stay tuned.