The 2015 All-NFC West Team (Offense) --Gurley & Havenstein

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RamBill

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The 2015 All-NFC West Team (Offense)
By Tom Torrisi

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...s-san-francisco-49ers-seattle-seahawks-012716

The Arizona Cardinals were an offensive powerhouse that came within one win of advancing to Super Bowl 50.

Therefore, it's hardly a surprise that that Cardinals dominated the NFC West All-Offensive Team with five selections. That left every other division team with two picks apiece. The envelope, please.

Carson Palmer, quarterback

The toughest call of any position. Seattle's Russell Wilson had the most spellbinding stretch of any quarterback in the league with 24 touchdown passes and one interception over the final seven games, but Palmer gets the nod for his overall production and consistency. Palmer threw for 35 scoring passes and 4,671 yards - both career highs - against only 11 picks while registering a passer rating of at least 100 in 11 of his 16 regular-season starts. With Palmer at the controls, Arizona featured the league's top-ranked offense (408.3 yards per game) and finished second to Carolina in scoring (30.6 ppg).

Todd Gurley, running back

Despite not seeing the field until Week 3 and missing three full games, Gurley finished his rookie campaign as the league's third-leading rusher with 1,106 yards while also scoring 10 touchdowns. Gurley erupted on the scene with a 146-yard effort in Week 4 and became the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 125 yards in each of his first four starts. Gurley, who rushed for at least one touchdown in eight of his last 10 starts, put up the impressive numbers despite playing in an offense that ranked 32nd overall and had the league's worst passing attack at 175.3 yards per contest.


Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver

Coming off his worst season since he was a rookie 10 years earlier, there were questions as to whether Fitzgerald's days as an elite receiver were over. Fitzgerald squelched that notion by rebounding from a 63-catch season in 2014 to establish a career best with 109 receptions while surpassing 1,000 yards for the the seventh time. Despite injuries to fellow wideouts Michael Floyd and John Brown, Fitzgerald hauled in at least five catches in 12 of Arizona's first 13 games. The 12-year veteran also reached a major milestone, becoming one of 13 players with at least 1,000 career receptions.

Doug Baldwin, wide receiver

For his first four seasons, Baldwin has heard the talk that he lacks the size and speed to be a true No. 1 receiver. He was in the midst of a rather nondescript first half in 2015 before putting together one of the best stretches in league history. Baldwin reeled in three scoring passes as the Seahawks outlasted Pittsburgh in Week 12 to ignite a five-game span in which he had 11 touchdown receptions among his 29 catches. During that torrid streak, Baldwin joined Jerry Rice as the only wideouts in history with at least 10 TD catches in a four-game span en route to his first 1,000-yard season.

John Brown, wide receiever

If not for a hamstring injury that slowed him for a few games at midseason, Brown was on pace to double his total of 48 catches from his rookie season. As it was, the second-year speedster out of Pittsburgh State joined teammate Larry Fitzgerald by eclipsing 1,000 yards on 65 receptions. Brown turned in a monster performance in Week 6 against Pittsburgh with 10 catches for 196 yards, but he managed only seven catches over his next three games while sitting out another. Brown had five receptions of at least 45 yards and scored seven touchdowns.

Jimmy Graham, tight end

Tight end was not exactly a position of production within the NFC West and Graham gets the nod despite playing in only 11 games before sustaining a season-ending injury. Seattle struggled to incorporate Graham into the offense, particularly with Russell Wilson was running for his life for the first half of the season. Graham led all division tight ends with 48 receptions and had his best outing versus NFC champ Carolina with eight catches for 140 yards versus NFC champ Carolina in Week 6. He scored twice in the first three weeks but didn't find the end zone again.


Joe Staley, left tackle

Unlike the aforementioned tight end, Staley had plenty of competition in Seattle's Russell Okung, Arizona's Jared Veldheer and St. Louis' Greg Robinson. All but Robinson would have been a worthy choice, but Staley had to navigate a much more unsettled situation in the Bay Area on a line that was without right tackle Anthony Davis for the entire year and center Daniel Kilgore for most of the season, along with a benching at quarterback. Staley earned his fifth consecutive trip to the Super Bowl and played every offensive snap in appearing in all 16 games for the fifth straight season.

Mike Iupati, left guard

One of the most impactful acquisitions for the Cardinals a year ago was the free-agent signing of Iupati, who lived up to his reputation as a powerful run blocker by helping Arizona's rushing attack improve from 31st in the league in 2014 to No. 8 this season. The Cardinals put up big numbers across the board, leading the league in total offense and finishing second in points scored per game as Iupati teamed with tackle Jared Veldheer to former a steller tandem on the left side. Iupati missed the first three games due to injury but came back to earn his fourth straight Pro Bowl berth.

Lyle Sendlein, center

A roster cut following last season, Sendlein was re-signed to a one-year deal in August and went on to reclaim his starting center position. At the time of his signing, right guard Jonathan Cooper told the team's official website that Sendlein is "the glue that holds the room together." It's important to note that the Cardinals had a revolving door in the backfield, losing starting running back Andre Ellington in Week 1 before turning to mid-August signee Chris Johnson and eventually rookie David Johnson. The Cardinals averaged 119.8 yards rushing, up from 81.8 in 2014.

Andrew Tiller, right guard

One of the biggest mysteries is why now-deposed 49ers coach Jim Tomsula waited so long to slide Tiller ahead of the struggling Jordan Devey at right guard. Tiller played only one offensive snap in 2014 and was not activated off the practice squad until Week 5. In his third year out of Syracuse, Tiller finally cracked the starting lineup in Week 11. He allowed a 18 combined sacks, hits and hurries on the season and ranked No. 10 among all guards over the final five weeks, per Pro Football Focus. He gets the edge at a weak position within the division.

Rob Havenstein, right tackle

Two rookies made the all-division team and both play for the Rams - Gurley and Havenstein. Rams coach Jeff Fisher used four draft picks on offensive linemen in 2015 and appears to have found a keeper in Havenstein, a second-round selection whose only issue was missing three games during the middle of the season while dealing with a calf injury. Playing on an offensive line that was riddled with injuries, the 6-foot-7, 321-pound Havenstein was the only offensive tackle in the league to not allow a sack in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus.
 

Merlin

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I am so excited to see this OL after another camp and with some more pieces added to the offense... Great days ahead dudes.
 

OC_Ram

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I am so excited to see this OL after another camp and with some more pieces added to the offense... Great days ahead dudes.


I hope you're right. I fear we may need to draft another LT and move GRob inside. We also need to know what we have in Isaiah Battle, can he handle the position? Center? we should be looking to upgrade here as well.
 

NateDawg122

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I hope you're right. I fear we may need to draft another LT and move GRob inside. We also need to know what we have in Isaiah Battle, can he handle the position? Center? we should be looking to upgrade here as well.

I'd say that Center is the biggest need on the line. People can say what they want about Barnes' consistency and work ethic but he doesn't have the length and quickness to get his hands on linemen on a lot of zone running plays. He's a solid backup but we need to upgrade that position.
 

BonifayRam

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You keep Jamon Brown starting @ Left OG ....and not play flip flop flip right to left then flip to right stuff Brown will grade out just as well as Havenstein did this past season.

Fisher IMO is sitting just fine on the OLT situation....he has Gerald Robinson, Darrell Williams, Isaiah Battle & finally.... if Fisher is still not happy with those three young OLT's then he can retain previous starter @ left OT Rodger Saffold, who may be looking for a new starting post since young strong run blocker Cody Wichmann looked like he was settling on down well @ ORG.
 

kurtfaulk

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I wonder where all the people who ripped snead for picking havenstein have gone.

.
 

DaveFan'51

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JMHO But I think our biggest O-L-ne need is at Guard, I think we'll be able to find one this year!
 

BonifayRam

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JMHO But I think our biggest O-L-ne need is at Guard, I think we'll be able to find one this year!

I am not going with you on this friend. I believe we are fine at the OG post. Jamon Brown, Cody Wichmann & Garrett Reynolds all could be effective as starters in 2016. I also think we will see OLT Darrell Williams who is listed as 6-5 301 pounds get a good long look @ the OLG post behind Jamon Brown. UDFA Darrell Williams has some good brain material & really moves well. I also think that Williams is about 20 pounds heavier than 300 pounds. Williams could fit well in what Boudreau likes to do. I.E 2014 Mike Person role when Person worked heavy on that left side @ both OT & OG. So that would give us four OG prospects. In the same manner Boudreau could also work Andrew Donnal as the right side reserve @ both OT & OG. If I could add right that should make five possible OG prospects here & signed.

I just happen to really like a 2016 OG prospect......keep a eye on Joshua Garnett of Stanford.
Plays like Dennis Harrah!
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1996532/joshua-garnett
 
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Mojo Ram

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Nice to see the The Havensteiner in there. Gurley a no brainer. :cheers:

My first thought overall was that R.Wilson got snubbed, then i scrolled down further...Low & Behold, there's a poll and it seems many agree with me.
 

Noregar

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Nice to see the The Havensteiner in there. Gurley a no brainer. :cheers:

My first thought overall was that R.Wilson got snubbed, then i scrolled down further...Low & Behold, there's a poll and it seems many agree with me.

Carson had a great statistical season and fits the mold of the prototypical pocket passer but he choked in the NFC championship. Against that same team a week earlier Wilson nearly brought the Seahawks back from a 31 point deficit. I really hate the Hawks but at the same time I respect Wilson's game and he is the better football player by far when compared with Palmer, hands down.
 

Noregar

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With Gurley, Havenstein, Brown, Wichmann, Battle, Williams, and Donnal the 2015 draft actually helps set a solid foundation for the Rams offense despite the Units struggles on the field. I loved the Gurley pick at the time and I loved it even more when he first rumbled through Arizona's secondary.

Many pundits thought Havenstein was over drafted based on his pre draft grades. I did not dislike the choice but I was initially was surprised when his name was called in the second round even though I liked the player.
In hindsight the Hevenstein pick was obviously a good move by the Rams and it has finally brought bit of stability to a position that has been somewhat unsettled since Fisher arrived.