Annual Preseason All-NFC West Team

[AvengerRam]

Here's how I see the best of the West for 2005 (Note: I'm presuming that players with injuries last year will be healthy in 2005, and rookies are not eligible).

First Team
QB: Marc Bulger, St. Louis
RB: Shaun Alexander, Seattle
FB: Fred Beasely, San Francisco
WR: Torry Holt, St. Louis
WR: Isaac Bruce, St. Louis
TE: Eric Johnson, San Francisco
OT: Orlando Pace, St. Louis
OT: Walter Jones, Seattle
OG: Steve Hutchinson, Seattle
OG: Adam Timmerman, St. Louis
C: Jeremy Newberry, San Francisco

DE: Leonard Little, St. Louis
DT: Darnell Dockett, Arizona
DT: Bryant Young, San Francisco
DE: Bertrand Berry, Arizona
OLB: Julian Petersen, San Francisco
OLB: Jamie Sharper, Seattle
MLB: Chris Claiborne, St. Louis
CB: Marcus Trufant, Seattle
CB: Jeremetrius Butler, St. Louis
S: Adrian Wilson, Arizona
S: Ken Hamlin, Seattle

TOTAL: St. Louis - 8, Seattle - 6, San Francisco - 5, Arizona - 3

Second Team
QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
RB: Steven Jackson, St. Louis
FB: Mack Strong, Seattle
WR: Anquan Boldin, Arizona
WR: Darrell Jackson, Seattle
TE: Itula Mili, Seattle
OT: Leonard Davis, Arizona
OT: Jonas Jennings, San Francisco
OG: Eric Heitmann, San Francisco
OG: Ryan Tucker, St. Louis
C: Robbie Tobeck, Seattle

DE: Grant Wistrom, Seattle
DT: Jimmy Kennedy, St. Louis
DT: Russell Davis, Arizona
DE: Chike Okeafor, Arizona
OLB: Dexter Coakley, St. Louis
OLB: Pisa Tinoisamoa, St. Louis
MLB: Jeff Ulbrich, San Francisco
CB: Andre Dyson, Seattle
CB: Ahmed Plummer, San Francisco
S: Michael Boulware, Seattle
S: Adam Archuleta, St. Louis

TOTAL: Seattle - 8, St. Louis - 6, Arizona - 4, San Francisco - 4

Rookies Most Likely To Make First or Second Team By 2006: Alex Barron, St. Louis; Antrel Rolle, Arizona; O.J. Atogwe, St. Louis; Lofa Tatupu, Seattle.

[coy bacon]

I see one bad mistake... Kennedy on the #2 team. Kennedy has not proven himself that good. And, I think Pickett has proven himself better than Kennedy. Further, I cannot believe that the rest of the teams don't have a better proven tackle. Are the other team's tackles really that bad? I know we're Rams fans here, but we gotta be honest enough to give the devil his due.

[AvengerRam]

Kennedy's addition is, admittedly, based largely upon speculation. I saw a spark in him at the end of last season that I believe could be indicative of an emerging player. Couple that with the fact that, as you suggested, the DTs in the NFC West are not, for the most part, world-beaters, and I think its a good pick.


Time will tell.

[KurtWarner2005MVP]

Too many seaskwaks and not enough rams and cardinals.

[AvengerRam]

Originally Posted by KurtWarner2005MVP

Too many seaskwaks and not enough rams and cardinals.

Now wait a second, KW. You may be new around here, but I'm not letting you off that easy. If you think there are too many Seahawks and not enough Rams and Cardinals, let me know where I erred... SPECIFICALLY.

[Chiledog]

You forgot one shoe-in. A guy, although often overlooked or forgotten, has been KEY in much of the Rams success: Jeff Wilkins

.

[KurtWarner2005MVP]

I don't think Trufant, Hamlin, or Sharper are 1st teamers. The skwaks have a HORRIBLE defense. Guys from a horrible defense shouldn't be considered good players. Coakley should be there instead of Sharper. If Sharper were so good, we would've taken him over Coakley. Tony Parrish should replace Hamlin.

Walter Jones, fine, I'll give you that one. Hutchison though? He's ok, maybe 2nd team. And Alexander I'd put on the 2nd team behind Jackson.

I'd put Kurt Warner over Hasselcrap any day of the week. I'd put Larry Fitgerald over Darrell "drop" Jackson. Hargrove over Okeafor or maybe Wistrom. Not sure which one. And what about Fisher? He's at least as good as Dyson. I also don't think Boulware has proven himself enough yet to make 2nd team. Not sure who else, but not Boulware yet.

[ZigZagRam]

I don't think Trufant, Hamlin, or Sharper are 1st teamers. The skwaks have a HORRIBLE defense. Guys from a horrible defense shouldn't be considered good players. Coakley should be there instead of Sharper. If Sharper were so good, we would've taken him over Coakley. Tony Parrish should replace Hamlin.

Trufant is the best corner in the division without a doubt. Sharper should also be listed on the first team. These guys came from a horrible defense? Then should the Rams have any defensive representatives on defense for their performance last year? There can be some good players on a bad defense. You're smarter than that.

And we don't know if we would have taken Sharper instead of Coakley. Coakley was a free agent at the beginning of free agency, when we snatched him up. Sharper didn't become a free agent until well after that. I do agree with Parrish over Hamlin though.

Walter Jones, fine, I'll give you that one. Hutchison though? He's ok, maybe 2nd team. And Alexander I'd put on the 2nd team behind Jackson.

Hutchinson is the best guard in the division with our own Adam Timmerman a close second. The Seahawks have the best left side of the line in the NFC West by far.

I'd put Kurt Warner over Hasselcrap any day of the week. I'd put Larry Fitgerald over Darrell "drop" Jackson. Hargrove over Okeafor or maybe Wistrom. Not sure which one. And what about Fisher? He's at least as good as Dyson. I also don't think Boulware has proven himself enough yet to make 2nd team. Not sure who else, but not Boulware yet.

I'd take Hasselbeck. Warner's damaged. I agree with you about Fitzgerald though. Hargrove has not proven anything close to what Wistrom and Okeafor have proven. Again, Dyson has proven how good he is, Fisher may be better, but he hasn't proven it on the field. Boulware should be replaced by Hamlin here on the 2nd team.


You make some good points, but I do believe you're what some would call a homer. I thought I was bad.

[KurtWarner2005MVP]

You make some good points, but I do believe you're what some would call a homer.

It's called being a realist.

[KurtWarner2005MVP]

I think everybody here is pretty much on the same page about the Skwaks this year not being any good and battling the Whiners for last place. Tell me then, why is it this is the case when they supposedly have all these good players??? If they are all as good as you think (which they aren't), they should at least be able to contend in the division. Players from a non contender shouldn't be made to look all good. If they were so great, they'd have won the division and beat us last year. Same thing will happen this year. They've gotten considerably worse over the offseason cutting most of their good players (Simmons, Brown, Terry, Robinson, Okeafor, Lucas). With those guys they couldn't touch us or come close to what we are. Without them, they will have their hands full with the Whiners sorry butts.

[coy bacon]

I disagree with you about the Hawks contending for last place. I think they will contend and come in 2nd behind us. I think the Cards are way over-rated. And although we beat the Hawks 3x last year, (and we definately have to smile and gloat about that come back in Seattle, (yes, still thinking about it brings a smile to my face)), we have to recognize that they led us for most of that game, and they made a game out of it in the playoffs. Give them some respect, otherwise you sound like an chauvinistic, muddled, homer.

[HUbison]

Originally Posted by KurtWarner2005MVP

I think everybody here is pretty much on the same page about the Skwaks this year not being any good and battling the Whiners for last place.

I would disagree with this assumption. I think most around here see the Seahawks as contenders for the West. I think at the end of the season it will be the Rams and Hawks as 1 and 2. The whiners have the cellar all to themselves. And what I really don't understand is...

Hutchison though? He's ok, maybe 2nd team

Hutchinson is not only 1st team NFC West, he is 1st team NFL. I'd say the Steelers Alan Faneca is the only OG better than Hutchinson.

[AvengerRam]

Its important to respect your opponents. Trying to tear down players like Trufant, Hutchinson and Sharper is just silly. They are all established, top notch, players. I'd be happy to have any of them on the Rams.


As for guys like Hargrove and Fisher, I agree that they have a lot of potential, but (apart from Kennedy) I tried to stay away from picking players on the basis of potential, rather than perfomance. Every team has players with potential. For example, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and Karlos Dansby may be future Pro Bowlers. But they are not on the list... yet. By next year, they might be.

To me, the most interesting thing about this exercise was that it confirmed to me that the Cardinals are overrated. They don't have a single player on the First Team Offense, and only two on the Second Team. Perhaps Fitzgerald and even J.J. Arrington will show something this year, but they still have very little firepower for a team that so many "experts" are picking to contend for the West crown.

St. Louis and Seattle are still the cream of the crop in the West.

[KurtWarner2005MVP]

St. Louis and Seattle are still the cream of the crop in the West.

Then that's some sour tasting cream if the Skwaks are apart of it. :drunk:

[coy bacon]

Ya know, I like the Seahawks. I like the fans that have come to our boards, they seem to have a lot more class than most. They certainly have a lot more class than the Saint's fans.

I also like the board that DFarrer (sp) is involved with. If the Ram's don't win it, I hope the Hawks, or Eagles, do. I know we got a small rivalry with them, etc., but I don't hate them. OTOH, the Scarlet Miners, well, damn them to hell, damn them all to hell. If we blow them out by 70 points, it still won't be too much.