NFC West: Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams

By David Currie

Image: Could running back David Johnson inspire the Arizona Cardinals to the NFC West crown?

For the new NFL season, we preview all eight divisions...

Here, we look at the NFC West, plus at the bottom of the page we give you the chance to take our personality quiz to determine which of the teams you should support...

Don't worry, if none float your boat here, there are seven other divisions to try!

Seattle Seahawks

Image: Is Russell Wilson set for a career year in 2017 with Seattle?

Head coach: Pete Carroll

Key man: Russell Wilson. 2016 was supposed to be Wilson's year, taking the offence on his shoulders due to the departure of Marshawn Lynch and looking to build further on a career year the previous season - 4,024 yards and 34 touchdowns. Not so. Wilson did throw for more yards (4,219) but threw considerably fewer TD strikes (21) and gave up three more interceptions (11) than in 2015. The problem was the lack of balance in the Seahawks attack, with the revolving door of running backs that was Christine Michael, Thomas Rawls and CJ Prosise behind him, all failing to make headway.

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Major additions: Eddie Lacy has arrived from the Green Bay Packers, with the expectation, or at least the hope, being that he can act as that battering-ram running back that the Seahawks have oh-so-missed since the-now-Oakland-Raider Lynch's initial retirement last year. Luke Joeckel also arrives from the Jacksonville Jaguars and adds to the offensive line while, in the draft, defensive back selections Shaquill Griffin and Delano Hill are suited to the uber-aggressive style of the Seattle defence, and wide receiver Amara Darboh adds a speedy option on the outside for Wilson.

Last season: The Seahawks made the play-offs for the fifth straight season, though with an underwhelming-by-their-high-standards 10-5-1 record. The team were particularly inconsistent down the stretch, finishing 3-3 from the final six games and, while Seattle recovered to dispatch the Detroit Lions on Wild Card weekend, they were outclassed by Atlanta Falcons' high-powered offence in the divisional round.

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Prospects: The Seahawks aren't quite the dominant force they once were in the NFC West, but the intimidating atmosphere created by both their famous '12th man' fans and that 'Legion of Boom' defence is good enough to earn them a couple of extra wins to just about tip the division in their favour.

Prediction: 1st (10-6)

Arizona Cardinals

Image: Johnson is targeting a 1,000-yard year in both rushing and receiving in 2017

Head coach: Bruce Arians

Key man: David Johnson. The best running back in the NFL, if not the best player in the game right now - the No 1 pick in countless fantasy football drafts reflecting just that. Johnson is coming into the 2017 season on the back of 2,118 all-purpose yards last year, and he's targeting a repeat of such success 2017, looking to better it even, by posting an 1,000-yard year both running and receiving, having fallen ever so slightly short (879 yards) in the latter category last year.

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Major additions: A low-key offseason for the Cards, with their most notable signings seeing them pinch safety Antoine Bethea and kicker Phil Dawson from divisional rivals San Francisco, But they did fine work in the draft, adding versatile defenders Haason Reddick and Budda Baker with their first two picks, plus speedy running back TJ Logan, a good value pick in the fifth round who will be able to learn behind Johnson.

Last season: The Cardinals couldn't come close to matching their NFC Championship game form of the 2015 season, with inconsistencies plaguing their 7-8-1 season - Arizona wouldn't win, or lose, more than two games on the bounce all year. While Johnson dazzled, veteran QB Carson Palmer regressed ever so slightly, passing for 438 fewer yards, nine less touchdowns and throwing three more picks than in his stellar 2015 campaign.

Eight in Eight Diary: Cardinals

Neil Reynolds visits the Arizona Cardinals ahead of their involvement in the International Series games in London.

Prospects: The Super Bowl window is certainly closing on the 37-year-old Palmer, and arguably this Cardinals squad as a whole but, buoyed by a mid-season trip to London - Twickenham, to be precise - in a divisional game against the Rams, which you'll be able to watch live on Sky Sports, expect Arizona to be challenging again in 2017.

Prediction: 2nd (9-7)

Tyrann Mathieu told Sky Sports News that he's looking forward to playing in front of the British crowd at Twickenham in October

San Francisco 49ers

Image: Kyle Shanahan arrives as the new head coach of the 49ers

Head coach: Kyle Shanahan

Key man: Kyle Shanahan. Sure, he's the head coach, but, in truth, he very much is the key man, given that the 49ers are on to their third in as many years since the departure of the much-heralded Jim Harbaugh at the end of the 2014 season. Fans will have their fingers-crossed that this is the guy to bring the good times back.

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Major additions: Considered to be one of the brightest offensive minds in the game, Shanahan has come in following a hugely successful two-year tenure as offensive coordinator of the Falcons, culminating in leading the highest-scoring offence in the league to the Super Bowl - and, admittedly, an agonising defeat - last season. It's on the defensive side of the ball, though, that the 49ers look strongest. Their pass-rushing first-round picks of Solomon Thomas and Reuben Foster add depth, joining recent draft additions in Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner, and Elvis Dumervil arriving from the Baltimore Ravens. Plus, linebacker and leader NaVorro Bowman's return from injury is like a new signing in itself. On offence, San Francisco still look a little light following the somewhat underwhelming addition of journeyman quarterback Brian Hoyer, and wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin.

Last season: San Francisco had just two wins over the equally hapless Rams to show from their 2016 season, which unsurprisingly resulted in the unceremonious sacking of coach Chip Kelly.

Prospects: While a five-win leap up into third in the division, might seem exactly that, a leap, there does seem to be greater optimism surrounding the 49ers going into 2017, with Shanahan arriving with more fanfare than scepticism, the like of which greeted Kelly's appointment. Colin Kaepernick has left - and is still yet to find a new suitor - to leave Hoyer in charge of the offence, a player who has actually enjoyed his greatest years under Shanahan when in Cleveland with the Browns.

Prediction: 3rd (7-9)

Los Angeles Rams

Image: Can Rams running back Todd Gurley rediscover his 2015 rookie form this season?

Head coach: Sean McVay

Key man: While Jared Goff doubtless must improve, to lay the blame of the Rams' 2016 struggles solely at his door is a tad harsh. The bigger disappointment was actually the sophomore slump suffered by running back Todd Gurley, following up a 1,106-yard rookie-of-the-year winning campaign with just a 885-yard effort, despite featuring in three more games. A return to the Gurley form of two years ago is vital, if only to help out Goff but to also see a Rams resurgence.

Major additions: Sean McVay arrives as the Rams' new head coach, his first time in the top job. He comes in from Washington where he was the offensive coordinator for the Redskins, helping turn Kirk Cousins into a top-tier QB. To try and coach a similar level out of Goff, McVay and the Rams have surrounded their young quarterback with greater weapons following the team's 2016 finish as league's worst offence, both by points scored and yardage gained. That was done initially via the draft - tight end Gerald Everett, and wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds picked up in their first four selections - while the pass-catching core has then only been strengthened further with the bold trade for the hugely promising, if somewhat injury-prone, Buffalo Bills wideout Sammy Watkins.

Eight in Eight Diary: Rams

Neil Reynolds visits the Los Angeles Rams ahead of their involvement in the International Series games in London.

Last season: A disastrous 28-0 drubbing at the ultimately even-poorer-performing San Francisco to open the season was swiftly corrected with a win over fellow division rivals Seattle in their first game back in LA for 22 years and then two triumphs on the road, in Tampa and Arizona, to see the Rams into a rather incredible 3-1 record. The season went badly wrong from then on though, with only the solitary success over the lowly New York Jets to show for the rest of their campaign, one which cost Jeff Fisher his job after a Week 14 thrashing by the Falcons.

Prospects: While the Rams will be more competitive in games than they were towards the back-end of 2016, when they lost their last seven contests by a combined 221-85, being more competitive might not necessarily always translate to wins. But the gulf in quality in the division is set to narrow.

Prediction: 4th (6-10)

NFC WEST: Which team should you support?

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