If you've found your way to this article on Seahawks.com, there's a good chance you have been paying attention to moves Seattle has made this offseason, as well as to what players have left in free agency (in case you haven't, we’ve got you covered here). But what about Seattle's NFC West rivals, who are also busy getting their rosters ready for 2016? Now that we're more than a week into the new league year, let's take a look at what has been happening in Arizona, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona's biggest move so far hasn't been a free-agency signing, but rather the trade to acquire pass-rusher Chandler Jones from New England. The Cardinals gave up former first-round pick Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick to land Jones, but the loss of Cooper is mitigated by the signing of veteran guard Evan Mathis, who figures to step into a starting role.
New in Arizona are safety Tyvon Branch, a likely starter and Mathis, while the Cardinals also kept a number of free agents, including quarterback Drew Stanton, tight end Jermaine Gresham, running back Chris Johnson and defensive tackle Red Bryant.
From a big-picture perspective, the Cardinals continued their trend under general manager Steve Keim of looking to make shrewd, short-term signings to supplement an already talented roster. Like Seattle, the Cardinals have tended to sit out the initial free agency frenzy when the new league year begins, choosing instead to focus on finding value while also trying to keep their own players.
Los Angeles Rams
The theme for the Rams so far this offseason hasn't been going after outside talent, but rather retaining several key players, most notably linebacker Mark Barron, their leading tackler last season, defensive end William Hayes and center Tim Barns. Los Angeles also re-signed tight end Cory Harkey, defensive end Eugene Sims, receiver Brian Quick, safety Cody Davis and offensive lineman Brian Folkerts.
As has been the case for the Seahawks, the Rams haven't been able to retain every key player, losing starting cornerback Janoris Jenkins to the New York Giants, starting safety Rodney McLeod to the Eagles, and linebacker/special teamer Daren Bates to Oakland.
With Jenkins leaving, the Rams added former Titans starting cornerback Coty Sensabaugh.
San Francisco 49ers
It has been a relatively quiet two weeks for the 49ers, minus a lot of talk about the future of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but San Francisco has locked up a couple of key players, including nose tackle Ian Williams and kicker Phil Dawson. Guard Alex Boone, who signed with Minnesota, is the most notable free agency departure for San Francisco.
The 49ers are also busy making additions to the coaching staff under new head coach Chip Kelly, and named five new members to his staff this week.
