As we wrap our heads around a potential landmark year in offseason moves, The Undroppables will be breaking down each division team by team, highlighting the key players at each skill position for their offense, and what could change for them in 2021.
In this edition, our co-founder, host of the Unscripted fantasy football podcast, and known 49ers fan Randal Kennedy gives his own spin on the state of the NFC West.
You can check out our previous division outlooks at the corresponding links:
The NFC West flexed its collective muscle last season and proved why it’s currently the toughest division in pro football. Its four teams fought tooth and nail throughout the regular season and as a result, the defending NFC Champion 49ers missed the playoffs. Injuries played a major role in the bay area, but they must get better if a return to the postseason is in the offing. A late season injury to QB Kyler Murray is all that kept a resurgent Cardinals team from the playoffs.
Seattle Seahawks
2020 Fantasy Results
- QB: Russell Wilson, QB6 (22.5 PPG)
- RB: Chris Carson, RB17 (14.1 PPG)
- WR: DK Metcalf, WR7 (14.4 PPG) // Tyler Lockett, WR9 (13.5 PPG)
- TE: Jacob Hollister, TE38 (3.3 PPG)
Projected Starters for 2021
- QB: Russell Wilson
- RB: Chris Carson
- WR: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett
- TE: Jacob Hollister
Positional Needs: RB, OL, LB
Potential Offseason Changes
First and foremost, the Seahawks need to find a way to keep QB Russell Wilson happy. Seeing him head out of town would be a bitter pill to swallow, regardless of the return compensation. While Wilson hasn’t demanded a trade and has reiterated that he would like to stay in Seattle, he’s expressed his frustration with the number of times he’s been hit throughout his career and with the overall offensive philosophy. He’s also gone as far as to provide the Seahawks with a list of potential trade targets. Yikes! Regardless of how you feel about Mr. Unlimited, he has a point. The Seahawks front office has neglected the offensive line for years, drafting players like Rashaad Penny and Jordyn Brooks in lieu of offensive line help while simultaneously trading away All-Pro C Max Unger for a declining Jimmy Graham.
The Organization must also find a way to retain Shaquill Griffin. Griffin was a major part of a defense that improved drastically down the stretch, limiting opponents to 19 PPG and 305 YPG over the season’s final eight weeks.
General Manager John Schneider traded their first round pick in the deal that brought Jamal Adams from New York. At almost $5 million over the cap, the Seahawks don’t have a lot of room for improvement. They also have just four picks in this April’s draft. The Seahawks must add to their offensive line and need the aforementioned Penny to step up and take command of a backfield that suddenly lacks experience and the toughness that the outgoing Chris Carson has exemplified over the years. Of course none of this matters if Russell Wilson isn’t in the fold.
Los Angeles Rams
2020 Fantasy Results
- QB: Jared Goff, QB19 (16 PPG)
- RB: Darrell Henderson, RB36 (8.2 PPG)
- WR: Robert Woods, WR13 (12.5 PPG)
- TE: Tyler Higbee, TE18 (7.1 PPG)
Projected Starters for 2021
- QB: Matthew Stafford
- RB: Cam Akers
- WR: Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp
- TE: Tyler Higbee
Positional Needs: T, DE, OLB
Potential Offseason Changes
The Rams already made the biggest splash of the offseason, bringing in quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford became a prime target for many once it became clear the Lions intended to go through yet another rebuild with new head coach Dan Campbell. In stepped Les Snead and voilà! Stafford is a Ram.
The Rams haven’t had a first round pick since 2016 and won’t have one until 2024! Drafting well in the later rounds has allowed them to get away with this. Only now their Director of College Scouting is the new GM in Detroit, so it remains to be seen if they can continue with this strategy.
At a projected $34 million over the cap, I’m not sure how big a player the Rams will be once free agency opens, but hey will have to replace C Austin Blythe, CB Troy Hill, and S John Johnson, who all played more than 94% of the team’s snaps in 2020.
Arizona Cardinals
2020 Fantasy Results
- QB: Kyler Murray, QB3 (23.7 PPG)
- RB: Kenyan Drake, RB14 (12 PPG)
- WR: DeAndre Hopkins, WR5 (14.4 PPG)
- TE: Dan Arnold, TE23 (5.1 PPG)
Projected Starters for 2021
- QB: Kyler Murray
- RB: Chase Edmonds
- WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk
- TE: Dan Arnold
Positional Needs: WR, CB, RB
Potential Offseason Changes
After watching their division rivals load up on offense, the Cardinals threw caution to the proverbial wind and overpaid former Texans star J.J. Watt. Watt is clearly on the down side of his career, but when he’s on the field he is still a force to be reckoned with. The signing gives Arizona the top two sack artists in the league since 2012, with Chandler Jones being the other.
Will WR Larry Fitzgerald retire? Even if he doesn’t the Cardinals could use another receiver opposite DeAndre Hopkins. An Accomplished veteran would be ideal, but we’ve seen recently that rookies can step in and make an impact.
Arizona has the largest share of 2020 snaps taken by players who will enter free agency this offseason. Chief among them are CB Patrick Peterson, who accounted for 3 interceptions and 52 solo tackles, and RB Kenyan Drake, who rushed for 955 yards and 10 touchdowns, but was largely inefficient. The Cardinals must decide if his inefficiency is worth an extension, or if they’ll address the position in the draft or via free agency.
At around 14 million under the cap, the Cardinals have wiggle room, but it will take some creativity on the part of General Manager Steve Keim to put enough around these win-now pieces to make a playoff push.
San Francisco 49ers
2020 Fantasy Results
- QB: Nick Mullens, QB34 (11.6 PPG)
- RB: Jeff Wilson Jr., RB30 (12.3 PPG)
- WR: Brandon Aiyuk, WR33 (12.9 PPG)
- TE: George Kittle, TE19 (12.6 PPG)
Projected Starters for 2021
- QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
- RB: Raheem Mostert or Jeff Wilson Jr.
- WR: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk
- TE: George Kittle
Positional Needs: CB, DE, RB
Potential Offseason Changes
The 2019 NFC Champions have 27 unrestricted free agents, (UFA) the most of any team. They must replace their entire defensive backfield, so CB should be a top priority within the organization. Richard Sherman has already stated that he will not be back with the team, so it’s imperative that GM John Lynch finds a way to resign S Jaquiski Tartt and CB Ahkello Witherspoon. Both would help ease the transition from the energetic Robert Saleh to the no-nonsense DeMeco Ryans. They must also address CB and DE via the draft.
The 49ers have spent the offseason linked to every quarterback with a pulse, mainly because the organization could save $24 million by cutting Jimmy Garoppolo. But why would they? They couldn’t possibly bring in anyone who’s available to run head coach Kyle Shanahan’s complex scheme as well as Garoppolo, and people forget that Garoppolo played pretty well in 2019 and were a single holding call from winning Super Bowl LIV.
The most recent added $11 million in cap space gives the 49ers $23 million with which to work. That’s enough wiggle room to re-sign some key players, namely FB Kyle Juszczyk and LT Trent Williams. They must also address the RB position with a depth signing or two, but don’t expect any major moves to be made in this area. Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. are more than capable of handling the load.
That’s it! You can follow The Undroppables on Twitter for more fantasy football content, and be sure to check out some of our other latest articles on the Eagles QB situation and incoming rookies.
