Free Agency Recap — NFC West: Seahawks and 49ers Improve, Rams and Cards Not so Much

Over the next week, we’re going to discuss the early returns for each NFL team in the free agency period. But first, a couple of notes about the structure and theme of these free agency recaps:

• We’ll do these free agency recaps four teams at a time, grouped by division
• These are early returns on the action that we saw between the start of the legal tampering period on March 13 and the end of the day on March 29Free Agency Recap.
• There will be no arbitrary “grades” assigned.
• If your favorite team didn’t get the love you expected, just know that I’m not sorry.
• Let’s have some fun and talk some football.

San Francisco 49ers

Back-to-back NFC Championships are cool, but how about a Super Bowl appearance?

Notable Acquisitions

• DT Javon Hargrave (4 years, $84 million)
• QB Sam Darnold (1 year, $11.5 million)
• C Jake Brendel (4 years, $20 million)
• DE Clelin Ferrell (1 year, $2.5 million)
• S Tashaun Gipson (1 year, $2.9 million)

Summary

San Francisco has an interesting dilemma on their hands under center but, but the rest of the roster is pretty stacked. Adding former Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargraves was an excellent addition to one of the best defensive units in the NFL.

Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray is counting down the days until the new Call of Duty comes out.

Notable Acquisitions

• OT Kelvin Beachum (2 years, $5.1 million)
• OL Hjalte Froholdt (2 years, $6.1 million)
• OG Will Hernandez (2 years, $9 million)
• LB Kyzir White (2 years, $11 million)

Summary

The Cardials have a new GM and head coach and they’re looking to subract before they add and their free agency recap says as much.

Los Angeles Rams

How the mighty have fallen.

Notable Acquisitions

• TE Hunter Long (trade)

Summary

The same goes for the Rams, who shipped Jalen Ramsey to Miami and released Bobby Wagner as they look to reshuffle the deck and reset their books.

Seattle Seahawks

Geno Smith’s Comeback Player of the Year campaign earned him an extension. Does he have another season like that in him?

Notable Acquisitions

• QB Geno Smith (3 years, $75 million)
• DT Dre’mont Jones (3 years, $51 million)
• DT Jarran Reed (2 years, $10.8 million)
• G Phil Haynes (1 year, $4 million)
• S Julian Love (2 years, $12 million)
• LB Bobby Wagner (1 year, $7 million)

Summary

Seattle is in a solid position to close the gap between themselves and the 49ers atop the NFC West. Geno Smith is back, there’s a realistic shot that Seattle also drafts a QB as well.

The Seahawks also added Dre’mont Jones to the defensive line, and Julian Love to the secondary, and a reunion with Bobby Wagner solidifies the middle of their linebacking core. It was a solid free-agency period for Seattle.