Three of the four NFC West teams gained plenty of star power in free agency, while the one that has appeared in two Super Bowls in the past six years said goodbye to several key starters.
The Seattle Seahawks have a new starting quarterback after signing Sam Darnold and trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Los Angeles Rams added a new weapon for Matthew Stafford after signing Davante Adams. And the Arizona Cardinals went all in for edge rusher Josh Sweat.
However, the San Francisco 49ers parted with many starters in free agency and are banking on their rookie class producing immediately.
Here are the offseason grades for the teams in the NFC West.
Arizona Cardinals
Offseason grade: B+
Key additions: QB Jacoby Brissett, edge Jordan Burch, DT Calais Campbell, CB Will Johnson, G Royce Newman, DT Walter Nolen, LB Cody Simon, edge Josh Sweat, DT Dalvin Tomlinson
Key subtractions: DT Roy Lopez, LB Kyzir White
The Cardinals could have a top-10 defense this season thanks to their splash signing of Sweat, who reunited with former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator and Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon.
Nolen is a boom-or-bust defensive tackle, but he’ll get the benefit of leaning on veterans Campbell and Tomlinson. Suddenly, the Cardinals have depth and talent on a defensive front that desperately needed help since Gannon arrived in 2023. The secondary could also be much-improved if Johnson is healthy and makes teams regret his surprising fall into the second round. The Cardinals rightfully prioritized their defense, but they might have settled for an offense that faltered after a 6–4 start last season.
Los Angeles Rams
Offseason grade: B-
Key additions: WR Davante Adams, TE Terrance Ferguson, DT Poona Ford, RB Jarquez Hunter, OL Coleman Shelton, edge Josaiah Stewart
Key subtractions: DT Bobby Brown III, DL Michael Hoecht, G Jonah Jackson, WR Cooper Kupp, WR Demarcus Robinson, LB Christian Rozeboom
The Rams prioritized their current roster in free agency, but might have neglected it during the draft. Surprisingly, the team went all in for Adams and Ford only to drop out of the first round and wait until pick No. 46 to make their first selection, taking Ferguson. The Rams missed opportunities to add depth at cornerback, linebacker and offensive line. But it’s hard to fault them for accepting the Atlanta Falcons’ trade offer, which included a 2026 first-round pick.
Los Angeles will lean on its pass rushers and skill players to possibly make another deep playoff run with Matthew Stafford. Adams and Puka Nacua could form a dominant duo in 2025. Ford could help improve a run defense that was gashed by Saquon Barkley twice last season, including 205 rushing yards in the playoffs. But the team might regret not adding more playmakers in the back end of the defense.
Seattle Seahawks
Offseason grade: B-
Key additions: TE Elijah Arroyo, QB Sam Darnold, S Nick Emmanwori, WR Cooper Kupp, DL DeMarcus Lawrence, QB Jalen Milroe, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, OL Grey Zabel
Key subtractions: DL Dre’Mont Jones, WR Tyler Lockett, WR DK Metcalf, QB Geno Smith, G Laken Tomlinson
The Seahawks could see mixed results from their busy offseason. They essentially swapped Smith and Metcalf for Darnold and Kupp. It’s tough to argue that they got the better end, mainly because of Kupp’s lengthy injury history and Darnold’s disastrous final two games in Minnesota. Seattle rolled the dice on Lawrence, who has regressed in recent seasons and is coming off a significant foot injury.
But the Seahawks had an impressive draft—they were ranked the top class in the NFC by the MMQB. The ultra-athletic Milroe has plenty of upside and could be another quarterback option if Darnold’s breakout season proves to be a fluke. Arroyo could develop into a reliable weapon for Darnold. Emmanwori could end up being a chess piece for coach Mike Macdonald. And Zabel, the first-round pick, will help at multiple spots after playing guard and tackle at North Dakota State. But the Seahawks should have done more to bolster last year’s weak offensive line.
San Francisco 49ers
Offseason grade: D-
Key additions: CB Tre Brown, DT Alfred Collins, QB Mac Jones, LB Nick Martin, WR Demarcus Robinson, edge Mykel Williams
Key subtractions: G Aaron Banks, edge Leonard Floyd, LB Dre Greenlaw, S Talanoa Hufanga, RB Jordan Mason, OT Jaylon Moore, WR Deebo Samuel, CB Charvarius Ward
The 49ers desperately need their two most recent draft classes to produce and make up for the many veteran departures this offseason. But they already took a hit with the loss of second-year safety Malik Mustapha, who is expected to miss the start of the season after sustaining a knee injury in last year’s finale. San Francisco is banking on its defensive front upgrades in the draft to help star defenders Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The arrivals of Williams, Collins and Martin could improve the team’s pass rush and run defense.
But the 49ers neglected their needs on the offensive line and have a hole at guard with Banks signing with the Green Bay Packers. Brock Purdy should be O.K. without Samuel, who was traded to the Washington Commanders, because the team used a 2024 first-round pick on Ricky Pearsall and re-signed Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings the prior offseason. The inexperienced players should get a boost from Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey if they stay healthy this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 NFC West Offseason Report Card: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks Make Big Moves.