It’s been an offseason of change for a pair of teams in the NFC West.
The Seattle Seahawks significantly reshaped their roster by trading away Geno Smith and DK Metcalf, and then signed Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp in free agency. They also signed four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and added an 11-player draft class that received widespread praise.
Huard: What 49ers’ Brock Purdy has that Hawks’ Darnold still needs
The San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, traded away star wide receiver Deebo Samuel and will have a new-look defense after losing Pro Bowl cornerback Charvarius Ward, Pro Bowl safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw in free agency. They also reportedly are signing Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension, which will keep the young quarterback in the Bay Area for the foreseeable future.
With the dust now mostly settled from the offseason, which NFC West team has the brightest future over the next two to three years?
When asked that question Monday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, FOX Sports NFC West reporter Eric Williams went with Los Angeles Rams, who shook off a slow start last year to win the division crown with a stretch of nine wins in 11 games. Williams focused on the Rams having the most proven quarterback in the division (37-year-old Matthew Stafford), one of the game’s top head coaches (Sean McVay) and a young defense that includes reigning AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse.
“I would go with the Rams, just because I think Stafford is gonna play for at least another two years and (because of) their roster, particularly on the defensive side of the football and the way that they’ve drafted,” Williams said. “I also don’t think McVay is going anywhere (and) I think he’s the best coach of the four.
“So with the way their roster sits and their quarterback – who I think is playing the best right now of any four of those teams – I think they sit in the best position over the next two years to potentially win a Super Bowl.”
Williams then put the 49ers and Seahawks in a tie behind the Rams.
“Purdy obviously just signed a big deal, so you locked him up,” Williams said. “You know he fits in that offense and that system. (The 49ers’) roster is getting older, so it’s gonna be important for the young guys that they drafted to develop and pop, because they moved on from a lot of guys.
“And then I think you have to give the Seahawks a lot of credit for what they did both in free agency and the draft. I think their roster has improved. But I think the key there is, what are you gonna get from Darnold in terms of the play? Are you gonna get the kind of guy that played at an MVP level at times for Minnesota? Or are you gonna get the old Sam Darnold?”
Listen to the full conversation with FOX Sports NFC West reporter Eric Williams at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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