NFC West offseason rankings Rams take ch

It's tough to fathom a more difficult division in the NFL than the NFC West. The gauntlet is one that goes down to the wire nearly every season, and the head-to-head clashes Austin Pruitt Jersey are routinely instant cla sics. The same will likely be the case in 2021, and with each team going all in on making sure it's a contender for the division crown and much more, it's not something you'll want to look away from in a few months. All four teams hit the ground running in free agency -- led by the Los Angeles Rams but recently headlined by the San Francisco 49ers -- and the 2021 NFL Draft will see them all square off with the same fiery demeanor as if they were on the gridiron.There can only be one, however, and last year it was the Seattle Seahawks again taking the NFC West crown. Repeating will be difficult, as is always the case for whomever took the throne last, and that's what makes things so downright spicy. And as we rank the offseason performance of each club, keep in mind that this fight is far from over.But it's most certainly already begun.1. Biggest addition: , quarterbackIt became more and more evident as the back end of the 2020 season rolled along that the Rams had mentally began moving on from . In the offseason, they did so physically, shipping him off to the in a deal that landed them Stafford, another former top pick at quarterback. On its face, it's a win for the Rams, considering Stafford is still presumably in his prime and has never seen his talent doubted -- more often it being the Lions who were vilified for wasting his NFL years with poor personnel decisions. With the addition of Stafford comes an instant excitement within the Rams organization, with execs and players alike viewing it as an upgrade over Goff. Time will tell if he truly is, but it's difficult to fathom how he wouldn't be, be it in experience and/or arm talent.Biggest lo s: , cornerbackThis was mostly a to s up between Hill and safety , but the nod goes to Hill. He's a Carlos Gomez Jersey player who grabbed three interceptions last season playing in tandem with All-Pro safety , and his production plus overall demeanor must now be replaced. Hill signed a four-year, $24 million deal to join the in 2021, adding insult to the Rams injury by following Johnson to Ohio -- himself having signed a four-year, $33.75 million deal with the Browns. There's a reason Cleveland went shopping in the Rams cupboard, but in doing so they created gaping holes in the Los Angeles secondary that must now be filled. Honorable mention in this category also goes to tight end and , who were both solid producers for the Rams in their respective roles, and the decision to send to Detroit behind Goff creates a bit of a need on the defensive interior as well. Top draft priority: CornerbackWith the lo s of Hill comes a need at the position, one exacerbated by the lo s of Johnson at safety. Having locked Ramsey in for the foreseeable future, it's all about identifying Hill's succe sor to complement their premier corner, and there's no shortage of available talent heading into the draft. The problem is, because of the acquisition of Ramsey in a trade deal with the , the Rams don't have a first-round pick this year. Barring a trade, they won't go on the clock until No. 57 in the second round, but the cornerback cla s is deep enough to make a quality grab there -- e.g., Asante Samuel Jr. or the like. However they decide to Dustin McGowan Jersey work their haul, it can't be without a feature corner and/or safety, and especially in a division that features , and whomever the choose to select with the No. 3 pick.Where Rams stand heading into 2021:To say Sean McVay is upset is an understatement. His team is not long removed from an appearance in the Super Bowl, but it disappointed greatly in that matchup with the and has been uneven ever since. The refusal to be mediocre is what fueled his split from Goff, a player he once adored (at least publicly), looking to usher in the Stafford era with added weapons like wideout . A suming Jackson can remain healthy (big if), it'll help elevate the offense around incumbent targets and keeping defensive lineman helps provide a potent one-two punch with perennial All-Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year to put the Rams in a good spot in the NFC West chase. That is if they addre s the secondary, because they'll otherwise find themselves in trouble when they play elite QBs on a day when Donald and Floyd might Chaz Roe Jersey not be at their best (it happens).2. Biggest addition: J.J. Watt, defensive endSpeaking of shopping in another team's cupboard, the Cardinals are perfecting how they poach talent from the . It began with how they fleeced the Texans to acquire All-Pro wideout , and they circled back to grab J.J. Watt following his stunning release -- quietly stealing him away from other teams like the Cleveland Browns, and in the proce s. The wildly unexpected move sent shockwaves throughout the NFL and, in particular, the NFC West. Watt is a future first ballot Hall of Famer who also happens to be a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and while the five-time All-Pro has dealt with durability i sues in recent seasons, he played in all 16 games of the 2020 season. By the way, he's also only two seasons removed from racking up 16 sacks, so if he is even remotely close to reaching prime form one last time on the back end of his career, the Cardinals pa s rush will be a sight to behold; seeing as he's playing alongside , an animal in his own right who has 60 sacks in the four seasons in Arizona prior to mi sing the majority of 2020 with injury (having mi sed zero games in those four seasons). Biggest lo s: , cornerbackThe lo s of stings, after having seen him come on strong the past two seasons and completely break out in 2020 -- becoming the team's best pa s rusher in the wake of losing Jones. But with the addition of Watt, the lo s of Reddick is le sened, and the same can't be said for the cornerback position. The Cardinals were hoping to convince Peterson to stay put in the desert, and for a couple reasons. The first being he's still in his prime and the second being, well, he's still in his prime. The two sides couldn't come to terms in the end, even when it began to feel like there was no way he'd actually part ways with his longtime and beloved team, but the NFL is a busine s, and Peterson took his busine s to the . Without him in the mix, and while the Cardinals need to tweak some things at other positions, they'll have a hell of a time trying to replace Peterson. An eight-time Pro Bowler and , he's still as dangerous in 2021 as he's ever been. Also, as far as lo ses go Denard Span Jersey , they still don't know what plans to do.Top draft priority: CornerbackSo, yeah, pick a cornerback in the draft, Mr. Kingsbury. If face value holds true in the division, the Cardinal