The 2023 season is fast approaching and teams have started reporting for training camp. With the season just around the corner, teams still have a lot of questions to answer.
The NFC West should be interesting this year, with teams of different stadiums and levels. There are still some uncertainties about what the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals will look like.
Let’s take a look at the questions each team will need to answer ahead of Week 1:
San Francisco 49ers
1. Will Brock Purdy reach 100%?
Brock Purdy
SF • QB • #13
CMP%67.1
YDs1374
TD13
INT4
YD/Att8.08
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The San Francisco quarterback situation has been a mess since last year when they had three starters in the regular season. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has left for the Las Vegas Raiders, but Trey Lance and Brock Purdy are still returning. Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, is on track to be ready for the season after recovering from elbow surgery. We’ll certainly know more once Purdy comes onto the field for team activities and has some replays under his belt.
Lance is also recovering from an ankle injury in Week 2 and has been medically cleared to play this off-season.
2. Who is QB2?
Sam Darnold
SF • QB • #14
CMP%58.6
YDs1143
TD7
INT3
YD/Att8.16
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While Purdy is recovering from elbow surgery, Lance and Sam Darnold, who the team added this season off, have parted ways in the first team.
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan said training camp will be the deciding factor in how the quarterback situation will play out. Lance knew his position on the team was not secure but said he still wanted to stay in San Francisco.
Who is acting as a backup and who is acting as a third party might surprise people.
3. How will the transition to Steve Wilks as DC go?
Nick Bosa
SF • DE • #97
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The 49ers have a solid defensive group led by Nick Bosa but will be under new leadership with Steve Wilks as defensive coordinator.
Former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is now the head coach of the Houston Texans. Replacing Ryans won’t be easy and expectations will be high due to the talent of the defense.
Defense made it safe in the NFL draft with the #87 pick. It will be instructive as to how Wilks Brown can assist in his development.
Wilks has a chance to maintain the success of the 49ers’ defense, which has been among the best in the league for the past few seasons.
Seattle Seahawks
1. Can Geno keep up?
Geno Smith
SEA • QB • #7
CMP%69.8
YDs4282
TD30
INT11
YD/Att7.49
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Quarterback Geno Smith had a breakthrough year in 2022 at the age of 32. He played a full season, something he hadn’t done since 2013. Smith came on 9-8 and helped lead the team to a playoff spot. He finished the year with a 69.8 completion rate, 4,282 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, earning him a three-year extension with the team.
Living up to last season won’t be easy for Smith. However, the team have shown confidence in Smith from the start and now that he’s shown what he’s capable of, we could see an even sharper Smith this season.
2. What will the line of defense look like?
Dre’Mont Jones
SEA • DT • #55
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The Seahawks signed Dre’Mont Jones to a three-year, $51 million contract. They also brought in Jarran Reed on a two-year deal. In the 2023 NFL Draft, they defeated Cameron Young of Mississippi State in the fourth round and Mike Morris of Michigan in the fifth round.
Reed’s status as he ages is unknown, and whether he can still perform as he did before is debatable. Jones appears to be the player to stay for the long term and could improve his game this season.
Then there are the rookies who have the potential but need to work on the transition to the NFL. The training camp will give a good insight into where the defensive line and these four players in particular stand ahead of the 2023 season.
3. What is the status of Jamal Adams?
Jamal Adams
SEA • SS • #33
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Safety Jamal Adams’ recent history is riddled with injuries. He has missed more than 20 games since joining the Seahawks in 2020. He is currently recovering from a torn quadriceps sustained in the first game of last season.
The injury was significant and his condition at the start of the season is not yet known. Adams was present at the team’s mandatory minicamp but stood on the sidelines.
If Adams is unable to make an impact this season given that injury history, the squad and fans might wonder if it’s worth keeping him on the team.
Los Angeles Rams
1. Can Matthew Stafford bounce back?
Matthew Stafford
LAR•QB•#9
CMP%68.0
YDs2087
TD10
INT8
YD/Att6.89
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It wasn’t long ago that quarterback Matthew Stafford held up the Lombardi Trophy at his home turf, but last season he led 3-6 in nine starts. A stark difference, to say the least.
He missed the last seven games of the season due to a spinal cord injury. A healthy Stafford will be essential for the ailing side to bounce back. Stafford will also be good veterans to help the younger players acclimate and excel. Before retiring through injury, Stafford had 2,087 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
General Manager Les Snead reshapes the team with Stafford at the helm. “I think we’re definitely going to rely on Matthew, he’s definitely one of our mainstays.”
The team undoubtedly believes Stafford can still be the quarterback to lead them to wins, and his early snaps at training camp will be a good indication of how far, if anything, he has to go.
2. Who will replace Jalen Ramsey?
Jalen Ramsey
MIA • CB • #5
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The Rams traded cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins this season off in exchange for a 2023 third-round draft pick (No. 77 overall) and tight end Hunter Long. As one of the best in his position, Ramsey’s presence will be missed. He was also a reliable player, missing just three games in the last three seasons.
Los Angeles has been growing its secondary football this offseason, both by draft and through free agency. The Rams signed cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and selected cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson in the sixth round. During the training camp there will certainly be some competition in defense and especially in the secondary school.
3. How will their draft picks fare?
Kobie Turner
LAR•DL•#91
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The Rams have given up many draft picks in recent years, and when they did draft, it was way down the road. The Rams haven’t had a first-round pick since 2016, and 2023 was no different.
That year, however, they had 14 draft picks. As this era of recovery begins, they need to attract young talent who can excel.
One notable pick is Wake Forest defensive lineman Kobie Turner, who will benefit from the return of Aaron Donald this season. Other rookies to watch out for include guard Steve Avila, edge Byron Young and corner Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. With so much emphasis placed on the newcomers playing well, they will be in the spotlight at training camp.
Arizona Cardinals
1. What is Kyler Murray’s status?
Kyler Murray
ARI • QB • #1
CMP%66.4
YDs2368
TD14
INT7
YD/Att6.07
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Quarterback Kyler Murray played 11 games last year, going 3-8 in those starts with a career low pass of 87.2. Murray then suffered a cruciate ligament rupture at the end of the season.
The season was a mess for the Cardinals and Murray’s injury didn’t improve their chances. The fifth-year quarterback was positive about the injury, saying he plans to make something positive out of it and that he “won’t stop.”
A positive outlook will improve things, but Murray may still not be ready to start the season. Even if he is given the go-ahead, it does not mean that he will be able to perform at the same level as at the beginning of the 2022 season, i.e. before the injury.
2. What will the Wide Receiver Room look like without DeAndre Hopkins?
Marchioness Brown
ARI • WR • #2
TAR107
REC67
REC YDs709
REC TD3
FL0
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Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins only played in nine games last season but still led the team with 717 yards. Marquise Brown came close with 709, and there was a significant gap between No. 2 and No. 3 Greg Dortch, who finished the year with 467 yards.
Hopkins is now with the Tennessee Titans, leaving the Cardinals without their most reliable pass catcher. Brown now has to do even more than last year.
Brown noted that the offense will be “very different” under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. The new OC spoke to players about putting more on the run this season.
3. How will the new coach and GM fare?
The Cardinals have kept clean this offseason, losing several longtime members of their organization due to personal reasons.
The last-placed NFC West team has a new general manager in Monti Ossenfort, the first outside hire for GM in 30 years. The former Titans and Patriots human resources manager was hired by Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill in January.
Ossenfort replaces Steve Keim, who left the team this season after taking a leave of absence from December 14 for health reasons.
The team also has a new head coach: Jonathan Gannon replaces Kliff Kingsbury. The former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator just came off a Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Arizona fired Kingsbury in early January after four years with the team and hired Gannon the next month.
So many changes can be positive, but there is also a learning curve and adjustment period to consider. By no means do the team have high expectations for the Super Bowl, but some improvement is expected, particularly with new faces in the building.