Under center: A look at the NFC West quarterbacks

The Cardinals are wrapping up OTA’s and will soon start mandatory Minicamp. The rest of the NFC West will do the same at some point in June. This is a perfect opportunity to take a quick look at the quarterback situation around the division. I’ll grade each situation from worst to first, and invite division foes to join in on the discussions. Obviously, all of this will be as objective as possible, despite my love for Cardinal red. Debate!

San Francisco 49ers: 4th

Matt Barkley
C.J. Beathard
Brian Hoyer
Nick Mullens

With Kyle Shanahan taking the reigns in San Francisco, the team will look to develop a roster void of a lot of talent. Brian Hoyer gets reunited with Shanahan after the two spent time together in Cleveland. The team drafted Beathard in the third round of the 2017 draft, in the hopes that he can develop into their franchise quarterback.

Hoyer is the teams' starter on paper, leaving Beathard, Barkley, and Mullens to battle for the second and possibly third role. Mullens appears to be little more than a camp arm but has a possibility to make his way to the team's practice squad come September. Niners Nation put this together on him.

What puts the 49ers this low is the lack of consistency. Barkley has been on three teams in three years, not gaining many starting reps. Hoyer has looked good in every opportunity he has had to start but is replaced during the offseason. While he did very well in five starts for the Bears in 2016, injuries cost him a longer look from coaches. At 31 he is running out of opportunities.

Los Angeles Rams: 3rd

Jared Goff
Sean Mannion
Dylan Thompson

I could not put the Rams lower than third simply because Goff has talent. That does not mean the 49ers lack it like I said, they lack consistency. Goff was last season's number one overall pick and did not look the part. In seven games, Goff put up 1089 yards five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Not all of it is to be blamed on Goff. A poor supporting cast helped lead to a number of struggles for the team.

Sean Mannion only has 50 yards and a pick since joining the league in 2015. Thompson too joined the league in 2015, but as an undrafted player for the San Francisco 49ers. He spent 2015 with the team before joining the Rams in 2016. Thompson has yet to attempt a pass in the NFL.

The addition of Sean McVay and Wade Phillips will help a young team find their identity, but for now, they still have plenty of questions surrounding their quarterback situation.

Arizona Cardinals: 2nd

Carson Palmer
Drew Stanton
Blaine Gabbert
Trevor Knight

The Cardinals wind up second on this list because of concerns about Palmer’s durability. Not only that, but there are concerns shared by fans about the depth behind him. Drew Stanton played poorly last preseason, leading many to wonder if he needs to go. The team did not address that in 2016 but have added two offseason pieces to help answer those questions.

The team added Blaine Gabbert, the former number ten overall pick in 2011. Gabbert should come in to compete with Stanton as Palmer’s backup.

The team parted ways with Zac Dysert recently, showing that they have faith in rookie free agent Trevor Knight. Knight figures to be in contention for the number three spot on the Cardinals roster.

Seatle Seahawks: 1st

Russell Wilson
Trevone Boykin
Jake Heaps

This is easy enough. Wilson is the only Superbowl winning quarterback in the West. Wilson has played in every game of his career since entering the league in 2012. He has a history of injuries, but they do not keep him out of games and his team is constantly in the playoffs.

The team showed faith in Boykin, despite his legal issues this past offseason. The Seahawks did not add a quarterback in the draft, instead, they brought Jake Heaps back to the roster.

Seattle brings back all three of their 2016 quarterbacks, which gives them plenty of stability at that position for the upcoming season.

What do you think? Where do you rank these teams? Debate below!

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