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NFC West Predictions

1. Seattle Seahawks

Owners of the division’s best combination of talent and experience. Having a loaded defense doesn’t hurt either.

2. Arizona Cardinals

On the rise? Perhaps. But questions at quarterback and a stagnant rushing attack present issues.

3. St. Louis Rams

Great in spots but outright porous in others. Can Linehan survive another year?

4. San Francisco 49ers

Only three significant weakness, but all of them damning: quarterback, offensive line, coaching staff.

Click cont. to see All NFC West Team

Try all you want…you won’t succeed. It can’t be done. You can be a fan of the game, student of the game, historian of the game, whatever. It doesn’t matter. You still can’t figure out these Arizona Cardinals. Nobody can. It’s impossible. They’re too ambiguous. They’re football’s embodiment of the word maybe. They’re the 20 minutes of time you have to kill. They’re the girl who gives you her number and then never returns your call.
Start with Arizona’s record from last season: 8-8. Their PR department touts it as the team’s first non-losing season since 1998 (actually, they’re calling it their first “.500 or better season” since 1998). The plain-speak department touts it as the epitome of mediocrity. The Cardinals were 3-3 against clubs with winning records last year and 5-5 against everyone else. They went 2-2 in the first quarter of the season and 2-2 in the fourth quarter.

1.) Jared Allen                  DE     TRADE         6-6          270       4    Chiefs         Vikings

Contract:  6 yrs, $78 million with incentives ($31 million guaranteed)

Traded with a 6^th round pick in ’08 for a 1^st round pick, two 3^rd round picks and a 6^th round pick

The Hope: The high-motor Allen builds on his league-leading 15.5-sack performance from a year ago.

The Caveat: The Chiefs labeled Allen an “at risk” player, thanks to is two DUI’s while in Kansas City.

The Reality: Without approving drinking and driving, the fact of the matter is Allen already served a two-game suspension and has been a model citizen over the past year and a half. His legal woes are behind him. On the field, he may very well…

NFL.com recently published a list of all the rookie free agent signings for 2008 (view it here).

Few fans realize how many good players in the league today were once rookie free agents. Just take a look at this All Undrafted Team. It’s stunning.

(starters in bold)

QB: Tony Romo, Dal   Jake Delhomme, Car   Jeff Garcia, TB

RB: Willie Parker, Pit   Dominic Rhodes, Ind   Marcel Shipp, Ari  

FB: Tony Richardson, NYJ

WR: Drew Bennett, Stl   Mike Furrey, Det   Hank Baskett, Phi

WR: Wes Welker, NE   Eric Parker, SD  

TE: Antonio Gates, SD   Mark Campbell, NO

OT: Jason Peters, Buf   Tom Ashworth, FA

  G: Brian Waters, KC   Ryan Lilja, Ind   Jason Whittle, Buf

  C: Jeff Saturday, Ind   Casey…

Yesterday, Eric Kuselias, filling in as host of the Mike Tirico Show, brought attention to the stunning difference between the success of the top 10 picks in the ’04 NFL draft versus the success – or lack thereof – of the top 10 selection in the ’05 draft.

Take a look at this:

1^st pick

’04: Eli Manning, SD (NYG) – Super Bowl champion.

’05: Alex Smith, SF – Injury prone and anything but secure.

2^nd pick

’04: Robert Galley, Oak – OK, so ’04 wasn’t flawless. This is the only disappointment.

’05: Ronnie Brown, Mia – Just one 1,000-yard season in three years, tore ACL in ’07.

3^rd pick

’04: Larry Fitzgerald, Ari – You could argue he’s the best WR…