NFC West: Impact Newcomers

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jul 19, 2006

NFC West: Impact Newcomers

Vernon Davis

The 49ers took him with the No. 6 overall pick and hope he can instantly help quarterback Alex Smith. New offensive coordinator Norv Turner is a fan of using tight ends, and in Davis he has one of the most unique physical specimens to enter the league in some time. Davis is 6-foot-3, 256 pounds and ran a 4.38 40 before the draft.

Edgerrin James

The Cardinals have had trouble at running back ever since moving to Arizona. James put up Hall of Fame numbers in Indy but will no longer be running through the gaping holes that the Colts provided. The Cardinals, however, do have an outstanding receiving corps, which means defenses can't key solely on Edge.

Will Witherspoon

The Panther wanted to keep him but couldn't outbid the Rams. He'll move from weakside to middle linebacker, although he did get experience in the middle in Carolina because of injuries to other players. Don't be surprised if he jumps into the top 10 in tackles this season.

Nate Burleson

He appeared to be headed toward stardom after the 2004 season, but injuries limited him to only nine starts last year with the Vikings. Seattle hopes his speed and knack for gaining yards after the catch will help make up for the loss of Joe Jurevicius to free agency.

Larry Allen

Several teams pursued him after the Cowboys released him for salary-cap purposes, so the 49ers feel fortunate to have landed the 10-time Pro Bowl player. He has slowed down significantly, but he can still run-block and will be an excellent mentor to the younger linemen.

Matt Leinart

Coach Dennis Green says Kurt Warner is the starting quarterback, and he means it. But Warner has had durability issues, and Leinart has a good chance to get on the field in what should be a fairly potent offense. Going into the draft, Leinart was considered the most NFL-ready quarterback. Some questioned his arm strength, but the Cardinals had no complaints during minicamps.

Julian Peterson

Seattle invested a lot (seven years, $54 million -- $18.5 million guaranteed) in him despite his history of injury problems. He's effective in coverage, can rush the quarterback and should complement standout second-year linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill.

La'Roi Glover

He's valuable because he can rush the passer and stop the run. At 32, Glover is on the downside of his career, but he's still an upgrade for this team. The Rams hope Glover can create a push up the middle and give ends Leonard Little and Anthony Hargrove an easier path to the quarterback.

Leonard Pope

The Cardinals have to be ecstatic that the 6-foot-8, 257-pound Pope lasted until the third round. He's exactly what Arizona's offense needs, a threat in the middle of the field to complement wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. And Pope will help improve a red-zone offense that has been among the worst in the NFL.

Antonio Bryant

He caught 69 passes for 1,009 yards and four touchdowns with the Browns last year. He'll have a chance to be the No. 1 guy for San Francisco, which didn't have any real passing game last year. Bryant is physically gifted but has had attitude problems. Entering his sixth season, he contends that he has matured and is ready to be a star.

NFC West: Impact Newcomers