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Click the link for the full list. I've pasted in the Rams.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/cardinals-and-seahawks-dominate-our-2016-all-nfc-west-team/
Running Backs: Todd Gurley, Rams; David Johnson, Cardinals
Todd Gurley burst onto the scene last season and almost immediately became one of the best running backs in the NFL. He started off slowly, playing only 14 snaps in his first NFL action upon returning from an ACL tear suffered in college. He carried the ball six times for nine yards.
In his next five contests, Gurley blitzed through defenses for 655 yards and four touchdowns on 112 carries (5.9 per carry). He topped 100 rushing yards in the first four of those five games, totaling 89 in the final one.
Gurley slowed down a bit over the second half of the season as defenses devoted nine and even 10 men to the box because they knew the Rams couldn't throw the ball, but he finished the year with 1,106 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 starts. He did that behind a below-average offensive line, with horrifying quarterback play, and largely in games where the Rams were behind. With improvements all over, he should be free to run even more wild this season.
Johnson, like Gurley, busted out with a string of huge performances. His just came later in the year, once injuries had knocked out Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington. After receiving only 17.7 percent of the Cardinals' carries through 12 weeks, Johnson toted it 90.1 percent of the time in Arizona's final five games. He took his 90 carries for 442 yards and four scores, tacking on 17 catches for 216 yards and a touchdown for good measure. And that was all after he'd proved himself an explosive playmaker over the first half of the season, scoring once every 7.7 offensive touches and averaging 27.3 yards per kick return.
Johnson's expected to be the primary back for Arizona this season, and he should run over, around, and through NFL defenses on the way to a monster year.
Defensive Ends: Calais Campbell, Cardinals; Robert Quinn, Rams
While several offensive positions were tough because there weren't enough good candidates, the defensive slots in the NFC West were almost impossible because there were too many. As you'll see in the next few sections, we had to do some position fudging just to get guys onto the roster and we still couldn't manage to squeeze the very deserving Cliff Avril on here.
It's a bit of a cliche to say that a guy might be the most underrated player in the league, but Calais Campbell might be the most underrated player in the league. He does everything for the Cardinals, moving all over the defensive formation and obliterating the offensive linemen in front of him. He's a stud against the run and gets the pocket moving backward when he sets up to rush the passer. He has at least five sacks in each of his seven seasons as a starter, and that figure severely underplays his impact.
Campbell is a straight-up star, no questions asked. With the Cardinals having imported some more pass-rushing help this season, Calais should be able to wreak even more havoc up front.
Quinn racked up three straight seasons of 10-plus sacks from 2012 through 2014 (including 19 in 2013) and had a 10-sack pace yet again last season, picking up five in eight games played. Maybe he won't reach the heights of his 2013 campaign, but then again, he's still only 26 years old.
Quinn comes screaming around the edge with the best of them, and with Aaron Donald next to him on the D-line, it's very difficult to devote multiple blockers to stopping him from doing so. We're expecting a big bounce-back campaign, as long as he stays on the field.
Defensive Tackles: Aaron Donald, Rams; Michael Bennett, Seahawks
Donald is the best defensive tackle in football and it might not be that close. He's been a Pro Bowler in both of his NFL seasons and made first-team All-Pro in 2015, and both of those honors can reasonably be expected to continue appearing next to his name for the foreseeable future. He's that good.
Here's the list of defensive tackles with 20-plus sacks across their first two seasons. It's only five guys long. And Donald might even be better against the run than the pass. J.J. Watt still exists, and Donald still might be the best defensive player in the NFL right now.
With Bennett, we're fudging his position. Sue us. He plays inside at tackle often enough to justify it, and he's freaking awesome. Seattle moves Bennett all over the place and he just wins against his guy. He's on an absolute steal of a contract that the rest of the league should be ashamed it let Seattle retain him on, especially after they let the Seahawks nab him on an absurd one-year, $5 million deal in the first place.
Only one player has more pressures over the last four seasons than Bennett, and it's Watt. Seeing as how interior pressure is getting guys paid up the wazoo these days, the rumors of Bennett holding out for a better deal aren't out of line. We'll see if that actually happens, but once he gets on the field, you can expect him to dominate yet again.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/cardinals-and-seahawks-dominate-our-2016-all-nfc-west-team/
Running Backs: Todd Gurley, Rams; David Johnson, Cardinals
Todd Gurley burst onto the scene last season and almost immediately became one of the best running backs in the NFL. He started off slowly, playing only 14 snaps in his first NFL action upon returning from an ACL tear suffered in college. He carried the ball six times for nine yards.
In his next five contests, Gurley blitzed through defenses for 655 yards and four touchdowns on 112 carries (5.9 per carry). He topped 100 rushing yards in the first four of those five games, totaling 89 in the final one.
Gurley slowed down a bit over the second half of the season as defenses devoted nine and even 10 men to the box because they knew the Rams couldn't throw the ball, but he finished the year with 1,106 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 starts. He did that behind a below-average offensive line, with horrifying quarterback play, and largely in games where the Rams were behind. With improvements all over, he should be free to run even more wild this season.
Johnson, like Gurley, busted out with a string of huge performances. His just came later in the year, once injuries had knocked out Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington. After receiving only 17.7 percent of the Cardinals' carries through 12 weeks, Johnson toted it 90.1 percent of the time in Arizona's final five games. He took his 90 carries for 442 yards and four scores, tacking on 17 catches for 216 yards and a touchdown for good measure. And that was all after he'd proved himself an explosive playmaker over the first half of the season, scoring once every 7.7 offensive touches and averaging 27.3 yards per kick return.
Johnson's expected to be the primary back for Arizona this season, and he should run over, around, and through NFL defenses on the way to a monster year.
Defensive Ends: Calais Campbell, Cardinals; Robert Quinn, Rams
While several offensive positions were tough because there weren't enough good candidates, the defensive slots in the NFC West were almost impossible because there were too many. As you'll see in the next few sections, we had to do some position fudging just to get guys onto the roster and we still couldn't manage to squeeze the very deserving Cliff Avril on here.
It's a bit of a cliche to say that a guy might be the most underrated player in the league, but Calais Campbell might be the most underrated player in the league. He does everything for the Cardinals, moving all over the defensive formation and obliterating the offensive linemen in front of him. He's a stud against the run and gets the pocket moving backward when he sets up to rush the passer. He has at least five sacks in each of his seven seasons as a starter, and that figure severely underplays his impact.
Campbell is a straight-up star, no questions asked. With the Cardinals having imported some more pass-rushing help this season, Calais should be able to wreak even more havoc up front.
Quinn racked up three straight seasons of 10-plus sacks from 2012 through 2014 (including 19 in 2013) and had a 10-sack pace yet again last season, picking up five in eight games played. Maybe he won't reach the heights of his 2013 campaign, but then again, he's still only 26 years old.
Quinn comes screaming around the edge with the best of them, and with Aaron Donald next to him on the D-line, it's very difficult to devote multiple blockers to stopping him from doing so. We're expecting a big bounce-back campaign, as long as he stays on the field.
Defensive Tackles: Aaron Donald, Rams; Michael Bennett, Seahawks
Donald is the best defensive tackle in football and it might not be that close. He's been a Pro Bowler in both of his NFL seasons and made first-team All-Pro in 2015, and both of those honors can reasonably be expected to continue appearing next to his name for the foreseeable future. He's that good.
Here's the list of defensive tackles with 20-plus sacks across their first two seasons. It's only five guys long. And Donald might even be better against the run than the pass. J.J. Watt still exists, and Donald still might be the best defensive player in the NFL right now.
With Bennett, we're fudging his position. Sue us. He plays inside at tackle often enough to justify it, and he's freaking awesome. Seattle moves Bennett all over the place and he just wins against his guy. He's on an absolute steal of a contract that the rest of the league should be ashamed it let Seattle retain him on, especially after they let the Seahawks nab him on an absurd one-year, $5 million deal in the first place.
Only one player has more pressures over the last four seasons than Bennett, and it's Watt. Seeing as how interior pressure is getting guys paid up the wazoo these days, the rumors of Bennett holding out for a better deal aren't out of line. We'll see if that actually happens, but once he gets on the field, you can expect him to dominate yet again.
