Category: NFC WEST

NFC West Watch: 49ers trade QB Trey Lance to Cowboys

Here’s a breakdown of what it means for all three teams.

In one of the strangest trades in recent memory, yesterday the 49ers dealt quarterback Trey Lance to the arch-rival Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. It’s a perplexing and fascinating trade on many levels – and says a lot about both organizations – which are among the NFC contenders that the Seahawks will likely have to get past this year if they intend to finally get back to the conference title game for the first time in nearly a decade.

Here’s a breakdown of what it means for all three teams.

Cowboys

It’s not hard to figure out why Dallas did what they did, here. Their third-string QB Will Grier was less than inspiring in last weekend’s preseason loss to Seattle, so Jerry Jones went out of his way to get the former No. 3 overall pick. According to Cowboys Wire, Lance will be playing in the QB3 spot behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush, who started five games last year, posting a lucky 4-1 record while Prescott was out injured. If that happens again, the Cowboys have another option who is far more athletically gifted than Rush.

49ers

While it’s always nice to get a fourth-round pick for a guy who would have been your third-string quarterback, this trade reflects pretty poorly on the Niners front office and their process with Lance from start to finish. The injury he suffered early last season was nobody’s fault, but the rest of it was low-quality work from the trade to get him until the end. This week’s admission that the Niners didn’t even build an offense for Lance proves that he never had a legitimate chance to start long-term. And so, their backup behind Brock Purdy will be Sam Darnold, an atrocious starter at this level but has more lives than a black cat.

Seahawks

In some ways this is a wash for Seattle in that one backup quarterback with high upside is going from one NFC contender to another. However, it could turn out quite lucky for the Seahawks depending on how the Niners’ season goes. If Purdy can’t reproduce the late-season magic he had last year, Kyle Shanahan may give the ball to turnover-prone Darnold, which could bode very well for the Seahawks – no matter how loaded the rest of their roster is.

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NFC West Watch: Sam Darnold will back up Brock Purdy for 49ers

In a move that felt rather inevitable, the San Francisco 49ers have settled their backup quarterback battle.

In a move that felt rather inevitable, the San Francisco 49ers have settled their backup quarterback battle. Brock “Mr. Irrelevant” Purdy will obviously be the starter, and backing him up will be former Jets and Panthers starter Sam Darnold.

The 49ers signed Darnold back in March as Purdy underwent surgery to repair his damaged UCL, and now he has solidified his role with San Francisco.

Of course, this means former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance is officially No. 3 on the depth chart. It has been tough sledding for one of the top prospects from the 2021 NFL draft. Lance’s future by the Bay is looking rather bleak.

Although life happens quickly in the NFL. Lance was the starter last year, but injuries to him and to Jimmy Garoppolo led to the rise of Purdy, who was No. 3 himself. Perhaps Lance sticks around and the injury pendulum swings the other way.

But what is most likely to happen is the 49ers find a trade partner as the preseason winds down. Lance led three consecutive scoring drives against the Broncos last week. Perhaps another team will be interested in a young, athletic and relatively cheap quarterback.

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Nick Bosa’s fines for missing 49ers training camp are rescindable

Bosa’s holdout in search of a new contract might not be as financially damaging as initially thought.

The ongoing drama in the team by the Bay continues. The San Francisco 49ers’ star defensive end, Nick Bosa, has been holding out in search of a brand new contract. The Ohio State standout and reigning Defensive Player of the Year is subject to plenty of fines as he misses training camp.

However, Bosa’s holdout in search of a new contract might not be as financially damaging as initially thought. Bosa is subject to fines of $50,000 a day, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he might not have to part with his cash.

As I mentioned in the article linked above, any hope of this holdout causing Bosa to miss time in 2023 is most likely a pipe dream. The 49ers championship window is shrinking rapidly, having already wasted a year after their loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV when they went 6-10.

I predict Bosa won’t be out much longer, as San Francisco will surely be focused on moving on from any lingering offseason drama.

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Division Stat Leader Projections: The NFC West

Who will lead the NFC West in all the important statistics? From Geno Smith to Nick Bosa, here are our predictions for the 2023 NFL season.

With rosters all but set as we turn the corner into preseason just weeks away, we have a pretty good feel on how depth charts and production will fall come the regular season. Today we are taking a look at the projected stat leaders out of each division, with the NFC West.

Let’s dive in.

NFC West Watch: Nick Bosa to hold out of training camp

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is looking for a new contract

There is some drama brewing in the City by the Bay. Seattle’s arch rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, are likely to be without their star defensive end Nick Bosa for training camp. The 49ers and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year have been working towards a contract extension, but the two sides appear to be far off.

Bosa was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2019 NFL draft and has proven to be every bit the franchise caliber player he was billed as. In his four years in the NFL, Bosa has made the Pro Bowl three times. The lone exception was 2020 when he tore his ACL in Week 2.

Last year alone, Bosa terrorized opposing quarterbacks to the tune of 18.5 sacks. In his six career games against the Seahawks, Bosa has brought down Seattle signal callers five times.

As fun as it is to fantasize a world where Bosa is no longer playing for the 49ers and against the Seahawks, this hardly means he won’t be suited up come fall. He is a cornerstone of San Francisco’s ferocious defense and a core member of a team desperate to win a Super Bowl before their shrinking window finally closes. It is safe to assume the two sides will eventually come to terms on a massive extension to keep the Ohio State alum in Santa Clara.

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One Amazon Prime Day deal for fans of each NFL team in 2023

Find the Amazon Prime Day deal that supports both your favorite NFL team and your wallet.

The 2023 NFL draft and offseason will soon be in the books. That means your favorite team is soon to be hitting the field.

Will you be ready?

With the upcoming football season right around the corner, fans of every team have no reason to not be ready thanks to Amazon Prime Day 2023.

There are offers on gear for all 32 NFL teams that will be hard to pass up. Whether you’re in the parking lot prepping for your seat just a few rows away, watching from the comforts of home, or celebrating “Victory Monday” with a brand new item, we’ve got you covered.

Like a last second play to the end zone (or hoop or goalazo), don’t waste any time in chasing down these deals. Start right here with our top items for NFL fans in the team-by-team collection below:

Interested in more than just the NFL? Check out our other Prime Day deal lists: NBA fans | Golf deals | Running deals | Camping deals

NFC West Watch: Rams sign CB Ahkello Witherspoon

If the name “Ahkello Witherspoon” is oddly familiar to you, there is a reason.

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The Seattle Seahawks’ division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, are in the midst of a reboot. After having unequivocally the worst championship defense season in the history of the NFL, a reset is what they desperately need.

With a reset comes new faces, especially in the secondary after trading away cornerback Jalen Ramsey. One new face is rather recent, as they just signed cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.

If the name “Ahkello Witherspoon” is oddly familiar to you, there is a reason. Despite being with the Pittsburgh Steelers the last two years, Witherspoon started his career with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played for four seasons. But in between stints in the City by the Bay and the Steel City, where was Witherspoon? In Seattle.

During the 2021 offseason, Witherspoon signed a one-year contract with the Seahawks, but he never saw any real action. Witherspoon was signed in March, spent a summer in Seattle, then was traded in September 2021 to the Steelers.

Now, he returns to the NFC West to play for the Seahawks’ and 49ers’ rivals.

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Seahawks all-time record vs AFC East teams

At long last, our ongoing all-time record series is complete.

At Seahawks Wire, we are continuing our ongoing series where we look at the all-time win-loss records the Seattle Seahawks have with every team in the NFL. We are going division by division.

We have finally reached the end of the road with this journey, as we’ll be taking a look at the final division: the AFC East.

The entire NFC is complete, and you can look back on the previous AFC divisions, the North, South and West.

The NFC West and the AFC East were last paired with each other during the COVID-19 season of 2020.

NFL Free Agency: Patriots ‘optimistic’ they can sign DeAndre Hopkins

It’ll be nice for the Seahawks to see Hopkins not only out of the division but the conference entirely, should such a deal materialize. 

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The DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes are well underway. Towards the end of May, the Arizona Cardinals released their star wide receiver, making him a free agent. After three years in the desert, Hopkins is searching for his next NFL home. However, he may not be looking much longer, as a team is reportedly emerging from the rest.

The New England Patriots are in need of more firepower offensively, and according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, there is “optimism” on both sides.

“The free agent is planning to visit Gillette Stadium on Thursday,” Howe writes, “and there’s optimism the two sides can find a way to reach an agreement, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.”

Adding Hopkins would surely go a long way to helping improve New England’s stagnant offense. The Patriots earlier this offseason signed Super Bowl champion JuJu Smith-Schuster away from the Kansas City Chiefs, but Smith-Schuster is more of a complimentary piece than a feature.

Regardless, it will be nice for the Seattle Seahawks to see Hopkins not only out of the division but the conference entirely, should such a deal materialize.

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NFC West Watch: Leonard Floyd becomes latest Rams impact player to leave

The Seattle Seahawks’ division rivals in the City of Angels has lost another stud player.

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The Seattle Seahawks’ division rivals in the City of Angels has lost another stud player. The Los Angeles Rams released pass-rush specialist Leonard Floyd earlier in March, and now he has found a new NFL home. The Buffalo Bills signed Floyd to a one-year contract.

On one hand, I can’t help but admit I am a little disappointed Floyd won’t be wearing the neon and navy of the Seahawks. He would have been a solid acquisition to help bolster Seattle’s pass rush.

But on the other, it’s comforting to know Floyd is A) out of the NFC and B) more importantly, gone from the Rams. As with most NFC West pass rushers, Floyd did plenty of damage against the Seahawks. During his three years in Los Angeles, Floyd brought down Russell Wilson and Geno Smith a combined seven times in six total games.

Floyd headed east to Buffalo marks yet another high profile departure from the Rams, as they enter somewhat of a rebuild. Los Angeles went all out with trades and wild free agent spending in their quest to win a Super Bowl. The gamble worked out, as the Rams got to hoist the Lombardi. But now the credit card bill is coming due.

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