Previewing the NFC West and Where the San Francisco 49ers Stand in 2016

Despite the seemingly low expectations of the San Francisco 49ers, the NFC West remains one of, if not the toughest, divisions in the NFL entering the 2016 season. With teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks likely bound for the playoffs, what exactly is on the table for the Niners?

The San Francisco 49ers aren’t benefited by playing within an easy division.

No, the NFC West won’t be providing an easy road for the Niners to climb back atop the division rankings. This isn’t the NFC East or anything like that. The West remains one of the league’s toughest divisions and boasts two playoff-probable franchises — the Arizona Caridnals and Seattle Seahawks — against whom the Niners will face a total of four times in 2016.

And the relocated Los Angeles Rams also figure to be a tough opponent. At least their defense will be.

Playing well against one’s own division is a key factor in getting into the postseason. The 49ers haven’t fared well against NFC opponents since 2013. Last year, the Niners went 1-5 within the NFC West with their only win coming against the Rams in overtime in Week 17.

The rest of the story wasn’t too pretty.

San Francisco was outscored by NFC West opponents 158-61 in 2015 — numbers which don’t exactly suggest the 49ers are on par with their divisional rivals.

But things have changed a bit since then. A new coaching staff, led by head coach Chip Kelly, figures to make the Niners offense stronger. And there are a few new bodies. Younger players carrying over from last year have one more season of experience under their belts.

Will it matter much?

To set the table, let’s break down the division and see what we can expect from each divisional foe the 49ers will face over the course of 2016. Let’s take a look at what the Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks have to offer and how the Niners will match up against each opponent this year.

Arizona Cardinals

2015 Record: 13-3, First in NFC West

Notable Additions: DE Chandler Jones, S Tyvon Branch, G Evan Mathis, DT Robert Nkemdiche (R)

Notable Departures: OLB Dwight Freeney, C Lyle Sendlein, OLB Lamarr Woodley

It’s going to be hard to predict anything but the Cardinals remaining a contender for, not only the division crown, but a chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl at the tail end of the upcoming season.

Arizona looks like it’s in win-now mode with offseason additions of defensive end Chandler Jones, safety Tyvon Branch and guard Evan Mathis. Adding rookie defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche in Round 1 of the 2016 NFL Draft helps too.

A year removed from a 49-15 blowout at the hands of the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship game, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians will look to get his team just beyond where it finished last season.

The defense is notably improved and, with returning veterans Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, the secondary will only be bolstered by a strong front seven.

Offensively, there are more than enough challenges for any opponent. Despite an aging Larry Fitzgerald (32 years old), the Cardinals still boast a dynamic receiving corps. And up-and-coming running back David Johnson is also a solid piece.

Of course, much of this revolves around the health and production from veteran quarterback Carson Palmer. If he can stay healthy, and that may be a big “if,” the Cardinals shouldn’t see their fall from grace take place anytime soon.

Seattle Seahawks

2015 Record: 10-6, Second in NFC West

Notable Additions: LT Bradley Sowell, CB Brandon Browner, DE Chris Clemons, RT J’Marcus Webb, OT Germain Ifedi (R), DT Jarran Reed (R)

Notable Departures: LT Russell Okung, OLB Bruce Irvin, G J.R. Sweezy, DT Brandon Mebane, RB Marshawn Lynch (retired)

As was the case last year, Seattle’s offensive line might be the one Achilles’ heel of the organization heading into 2016. And it’s a unit which, on the surface, only got weaker during the offseason.

Granted, adding first-round pick Germain Ifedi is likely viewed as a long-term solution. But this is a line coming off some notable losses of linemen J.R. Sweezy and Russell Okung — two of the better portions of a Seahawks O-line, which ranked No. 30 last season, according to Pro Football Focus:

Quarterback Russell Wilson will look to continue his magic in spite of Seattle’s O-line woes. But the Seahawks’ long-time run-first offensive attack won’t have the bonus of running back Marshawn Lynch, who retired during the offseason.

Can a player like Thomas Rawls pick up the slack, or was his sudden breakout last year a mere “flash in the pan?”

Tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett are weapons, which suggests the Seahawks offense may be a little more pass-friendly this year.

Still, a lot of what Seattle will do should focus on the defensive side of the ball.

We should assume the Seahawks will remain strong here, but 2016 could be the year in which such a vaunted defense could finally start to reveal some cracks over the course of the season.

Seattle will still be good this year. But the frequent dominance seen in recent seasons may not be as prominent.

Los Angeles Rams

2015 Record: 7-9, Third in NFC West

Notable Additions: CB Coty Sensabaugh, OLB Quinton Coples, DT Dominique Easley, QB Jared Goff (R)

Notable Departures: DE Chris Long, ILB James Laurinaitis, CB Janoris Jenkins, S Rodney McLeod, DT Nick Fairley

The Rams’ move from St. Louis to Los Angeles only seems right, even if it lights a fire under the Northern and Southern California geographical rivalry.

Indeed, Los Angeles wanted to make a splash with the move and did so by moving up to the No. 1 overall spot in the 2016 NFL Draft to select former Cal quarterback Jared Goff. Goff will play the team he grew up rooting for twice a year, but will he be starting in Week 1?

If the Rams really want to make a splash, they’ll go with Goff right out of the gate. But it might not be the best of moves until Los Angeles puts a few more pieces around him.

Outside of standout running back Todd Gurley, the Rams don’t exactly have a lot of prowess on this side of the ball. Remember, the Rams ranked No. 29 in points scored last year (280) and were dead last — even below the 49ers — in yards gained (4,761).

It’s Los Angeles’ defense which will determine how well this team fares in 2016. And this was largely the case a season ago.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is the player to watch here. Los Angeles’ sack leader (11) is at the heart of what the Rams will do, defensively, and he alone could end up winning a handful of games for head coach Jeff Fisher’s squad.

And yet losses of defensive backs Janoris Jenkins and Rodney McLeod hurt.

In all likelihood, Los Angeles is looking to be another sub-.500 team this season and, perhaps, the only squad the 49ers might be able to overtake in the NFC West standings.

San Francisco 49ers

2015 Record: 5-11, Fourth in NFC West

Notable Additions: G Zane Beadles, DE DeForest Buckner (R), G Joshua Garnett (R)

Notable Departures: WR Anquan Boldin, G Alex Boone

At last, the 49ers.

Bringing in Kelly should revitalize an offense, which finished dead last in the league in 2015 with just 238 points scored. He won’t have an easy time of it though. There’s a quarterbacking issue, with Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick vying for the starting gig. And, aside from running back Carlos Hyde, Kelly doesn’t have a lot of bona fide playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.

To the team’s credit, San Francisco reinforced and addressed two significant areas of need — the offensive and defensive lines — via the NFL Draft.

It’s a good thing to build from the trenches, especially considering how poorly the team played in these areas a year ago.

But the lack of established and proven talent at numerous other positions suggests the Niners won’t be notably better than what was seen on the field last year.

The hope here is for Kelly to maximize the available talent — something former head coach Jim Tomsula didn’t do to a great effect in 2015.

Still, this is a very young team. According to Fox Sports, the Niners current roster averages out at 23 years old. Needless to say, there isn’t a lot of experience here. And it will probably show against some of the bigger, tougher competition San Francisco will face over 17 weeks, let alone within the NFC West.

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And now for the $64 question — how can the 49ers possibly compete against teams likely better than they are this season?

A lot of this will hinge on how effective San Francisco’s D-line is over the course of the year. Rookie DE DeForest Buckner is a factor, as is second-year pro Arik Armstead. These two will have to be the centerpieces around which the rest of the Niners defense revolves in order for the 49ers to have any sort of defensive prowess.

Offensively, Kelly may maximize a young receiving corps, and he could get a lot more out of either Gabbert or Kaepernick than Tomsula did. Still, the 49ers look to be a run-first team in 2016.

San Francisco may not climb much higher in the standings this year. But in a year of transition and development, the best thing for the 49ers will be to make strides — ones which were not made in 2015.

Next: Why There's Hope for the 2016 49ers

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.