bleacherreport.com: Grades for Every NFL Team's Offseason

from Report-Card Grades for Every NFL Team’s Offseason Before Training Camp Begins

Russell S. Baxter

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2518293-report-card-grades-for-every-nfl-teams-offseason-before-training-camp-begins

St. Louis Rams: C+

No winning season since 2003 and no playoff appearance since 2004.

Those are pretty dreadful numbers, but those are the facts when it comes to the St. Louis Rams.

The team did trade for former Pro Bowl quarterback Nick Foles (Philadelphia Eagles). They also used 10th overall pick in April to select running back Todd Gurley. The offensive line was a concern this past season, and general manager Les Snead addressed it often with four of this year’s draft picks (five if you include the selection of Isaiah Battle in last week’s supplemental draft). The club also signed guard Garrett Reynolds, late of the Detroit Lions.

Look out if the defense performs as it did the second half of 2014. That unit added defensive tackle Nick Fairley and linebacker Akeem Ayers to a unit that ranked 17th in the league in total yards allowed but allowed only 30 offensive touchdowns.

Despite the arrival of Foles, there are still a lot of question marks surrounding the offense, too many at this stage of the offseason.

Arizona Cardinals: B+

Kudos to Bruce Arians, who earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2014 due to the fact that he gotten the Arizona Cardinals to the playoffs as pieces of the team fell left and right.

The club heads into this season minus defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, now the head coach of the New York Jets. This unit has added defensive tackle Corey Peters, defensive end Cory Redding, linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and LaMarr Woodley and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard. We’re still waiting to see if suspended inside linebacker Daryl Washington will rejoin the team.

On offense, the club added three-time Pro Bowl left guard Mike Iupati and drafted tackle D.J. Humphries in the first round to aid a running game that finished next-to-last in the NFL this past season.

Perhaps more importantly, quarterback Carson Palmer appears to be ready after missing the second half of 2014 with a torn ACL.

The Cardinals are an interesting team in an NFC West in the midst of transition.

San Francisco 49ers: D+

So the San Francisco 49ers really let a man that led their team to a 44-19-1 record and three appearances in the NFC title (including one Super Bowl berth) get away.

The franchise should get an F for that move alone. Regardless of why, Jim Harbaugh is now coaching the Michigan Wolverines.

We are not going to lay blame on the organization for players such asPatrick Willis, Justin Smith, Chris Borland and Anthony Davis opting for retirement—all for various reasons.

But there’s also no more Frank Gore (the franchise’s all-time rushing leader), as well as three-time Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati and solid cornerbacks Chris Culliver or Perrish Cox.

The team does get back inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman and is hoping Aldon Smith can be on the field for 16 games. Free-agent pickup Torrey Smith could be an upgrade over wide receiver Michael Crabtree, now with the Oakland Raiders.

But in terms of this organization, this whole offseason has had an uneasy feel to it.

Seattle Seahawks: B+

With a major addition comes a big loss…sometimes.

While the trade that brought three-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks was pure genius, it did cost them former Pro Bowl center Max Unger.

The Seahawks also watched left guard James Carpenter take the free-agency train out of town while highly regarded cornerback Byron Maxwell signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. The team added Cary Williams, who was actually cut loose by Chip Kelly’s club, but the offensive line could have some growing pains early in 2015.

Don’t cry for head coach Pete Carroll as the team looks for a third straight Super Bowl appearance. The “Legion of Boom” secondary is on the mend due to numerous injuries but the team remains stacked in many areas.

Now if only the Seattle brain trust can get this contract situation figured out with two-time Pro Bowl and Super Bowl champion quarterback Russell Wilson.