[Juice]

NFC West
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/16861 ... -divisions


Josh Weinfuss, Arizona Cardinals reporter: One of the best pass-rushers in all the land now calls the NFC West home. When the Cardinals traded for Chandler Jones in March, they filled a need that could be the difference between playing in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. No other newcomer compares to his 12.5 sacks last season. There will be a lot of attention paid to two rookies in the West, Rams quarterback Jared Goff and Cardinals defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, but neither is proven. Jones established himself as one of the elite pass-rushers in the league in 2015, despite a run-in with police that didn't result in an arrest. Though Jones might be making a one-season stop in the West, there weren't any better additions to the division.

Nick Wagoner, Los Angeles Rams reporter: Undoubtedly, the Rams hope the answer to this question at the end of the season is Goff. But that seems to be asking too much of a rookie quarterback transitioning from a spread offense to a pro-style scheme without much in the way of receiver help around him. So in an offseason in which most of the NFC West teams were pretty quiet with free-agent additions, the answer here is the one that made the defending division champions better: Jones. The Cardinals paid a high price to bring Jones over from New England, but this is a team that played in the NFC Championship Game a year ago. Though that game wasn't close enough that one player could have made the difference, the Cardinals believes Jones is the type of player who could help get them over the top and into the Super Bowl. I'm not sure Jones is that player, but there's no question he will help the Cardinals rush the passer without having to lead the league in blitzes again in 2016.

Michael Wagaman, San Francisco 49ers reporter: The return of Brandon Browner to the Seahawks' secondary was a big move, as was the addition of guard Evan Mathis to the Cardinals, but the newcomer who stands out the most is Goff. The No. 1 overall pick in the draft was an incredible talent in college who should have no problem stepping in and running an NFL offense. If the memory of Sam Bradford still causes sleepless nights for Rams fans, they should rest easy with Goff at the controls. He should be worth 3-4 more wins for Los Angeles just by being on the field.

Sheil Kapadia, Seattle Seahawks reporter: This is an easy choice: Jones. The Cardinals struggled to generate a consistent pass rush last season. According to ESPN Stats & Information, their defense produced sacks on 5.7 percent of their opponents' dropbacks. That ranked 20th in the NFL. And the Cardinals blitzed 45.1 percent of the time, more than any defense in the league, putting pressure on the players in the back end. In Jones, they get a player who had 12.5 sacks last season with the New England Patriots and has 30 sacks in his past 41 games. He will give the Cardinals' defense, which was already among the best in the league in 2015, a boost.

[Hacksaw]

Long isn't as good as Jones. It appears AZ is going all in, They want to win it this year as the Palmer window is closing.

So here's to GRob and BigRob having the edges under control so our nominee for best newcomer stays alive.

[max]

I really like Nick, but he is way too STL for the LA Rams. My guess is that he will be phased out over the next year or so.

[Elvis]

I really like Nick, but he is way too STL for the LA Rams. My guess is that he will be phased out over the next year or so.

Hey max, been what 6 months now? How do you rank the L.A. Rams coverage? Anyone distinguishing themselves yet?

[RamsFanSince82]

Unless Wagoner moves to So. Cal. within the next couple of weeks, I don't know how he can be a reporter for the LA Rams.

[Hacksaw]

Unless Wagoner moves to So. Cal. within the next couple of weeks, I don't know how he can be a reporter for the LA Rams.

Wagoner, who resides in St. Louis, is also a regular contributor to ESPN’s St. Louis radio affiliate, 101 ESPN.

He's got some 'splainin' to do..

http://espnmediazone.com/us/bios/nick-wagoner/

[max]

I really like Nick, but he is way too STL for the LA Rams. My guess is that he will be phased out over the next year or so.

Hey max, been what 6 months now? How do you rank the L.A. Rams coverage? Anyone distinguishing themselves yet?

This is the dead period so its too hard to tell. Waiting for the start of camp to get a good read on it.

In all honestly, I'm in vacation mode now as well. On my way to Nantucket for a couple of weeks for some relaxation and fun in the sun. Will then resume focus on the NFL in a fully refreshed condition.

[max]

I really like Nick, but he is way too STL for the LA Rams. My guess is that he will be phased out over the next year or so.

I guess I was too conservative on this. I expected Nick to be phased out, they just flipped the switch.

I like Nick, he's just not a good fit for LA at all.

[Elvis]