The NFC West was a runaway for the Seattle Seahawks last season. It was the least competitive division in football. Seattle was the first team to clinch a division title, as no other team had more than six victories.
Even though the Seahawks are still the favorites, every team in the NFC West helped itself this offseason. The Arizona Cardinals dipped into free agency and instantly improved their 2006 outlook by adding All-Pro running back Edgerrin James. The St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers took another route and primarily built this offseason through the draft.
Seattle is clearly the front-runner, however. Despite representing the NFC in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks did not rest on their laurels. Even though they lost elite guard Steve Hutchinson and wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, they have done a good job of trying to fill the holes. Only time will tell how the new additions pan out, but one thing is for sure, don't expect the NFC West to be a runaway for the Seahawks this season.
Let's take a team-by-team look at all the competitors in the NFC West and analyze their offseasons. Have the teams improved or taken a step back?