2022 Team Needs: 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks

February 19, 2022

Thanks for checking out our 2022 Offseason Team Needs previews. Consider this a primer for the goals each team has to accomplish this offseason and the resources they have to work with.

A couple of notes. Cap space projections are from Over The Cap and based on a salary cap of $208.2 million, which is the ceiling for this year. It’s also using OTC’s effective cap space, which takes into account what teams have to budget to sign their rookies and fill out the offseason 51-man roster.

Compensatory picks are also from OTC’s projections, which are historically the most accurate in the industry. Their methodology is outlined here. The comp picks from minority hires the past two offseasons are also included.

With that, let’s get into it:

49ers

Projected Cap Space: ($10,763,300)

Draft Picks: 8

2nd (No. 61)
3rd (No. 93)
4th (No. 132)
5th (No. 171)
6th (No. 185, from DEN)
7th (No. 252, comp)
7th (No. 255, comp)
7th (No. 262, comp)

Notable Free Agents: G Laken Tomlinson, CB K’Waun Williams, S Jaquiski Tartt, DT D.J. Jones, DE Arden Key, LB Azeez Al-Shaair (RFA), OL Daniel Brunskill (RFA), RB Raheem Mostert, RB Jeff Wilson, OL Tom Compton, CB Jason Verrett, DT Maurice Hurst, DE Jordan Willis, CB Dontae Johnson, CB Josh Norman, WR Mohamed Sanu

Biggest Needs:

Interior OL

Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be as high up given how relatively easy it is to find competent guard and center play. But the 49ers are going to be running the ball a ton in 2022, especially with Trey Lance taking over and adding a quarterback element to their already deadly ground game. Maintaining strength on the offensive line is imperative.

Tomlinson is a free agent and should be someone the 49ers have heavy interest in bringing back. At center, Alex Mack is pondering retirement, but even if he comes back San Francisco needs a long-term successor to the 36-year-old veteran. They drafted Aaron Banks in the second round last year but he barely played. If they don’t think he’s ready to take over, they could look for an upgrade over Brunskill or Compton.

Defensive Line

Relative to the rest of the league, the 49ers are in pretty good shape on the defensive line. But good usually isn’t good enough for San Francisco — it wants to be dominant up front defensively to take pressure off the secondary and let LB Fred Warner roam unencumbered. At defensive tackle, 2020 first-rounder Javon Kinlaw’s future is somewhat uncertain given how knee problems have scuttled major chunks of his first two seasons and San Francisco has multiple pending free agents. At defensive end, there’s not really a major threat to take attention away from Nick Bosa. The 49ers have had success with a rotation, but several of those guys are either pending free agents or cap cut candidates.

With all of this in mind and knowing the team’s history, it would not be surprising to see one or two of their top draft picks spent on this position group. The 49ers don’t have a first-round pick this year but could pick up an extra second or third-round pick from trading QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

Cornerback

The current projected starting trio for San Francisco in 2022 at cornerback is Emmanuel Moseley and Ambry Thomas outside, with Deommodore Lenoir at nickel if Williams isn’t re-signed. Thomas improved at the end of his rookie season to salvage what otherwise would have been a bleak year and Moseley is a decent starter. It would be risky for the 49ers to go into the season without trying to bring in some upgrades, though.

Cardinals

Projected Cap Space: ($3,862,583)

Draft Picks: 8

1st (No. 23)
2nd (No. 55)
3rd (No. 87)
6th (No. 200)
6th (No. 216, comp)
7th (No. 242)
7th (No. 257, comp)
7th (No. 259, comp)

Notable Free Agents: OLB Chandler Jones, WR Christian Kirk, RB James Conner, TE Zach Ertz, WR A.J. Green, RB Chase Edmonds, OLB Dennis Gardeck, DT Corey Peters, TE Maxx Williams, QB Colt McCoy, S Chris Banjo, P Andy Lee

Biggest Needs:

Wide Receiver

As the Cardinals try to conduct a post-mortem on why their season went so horribly wrong, one of the reasons they might find is the offense broke down when it lost DeAndre Hopkins. He’s still one of the best receivers in football so that’s not a huge surprise, but Arizona needs to have other options for QB Kyler Murray who can come through. Injuries happen and you have to rely on your depth to get through spells in the NFL.

Another factor is the Cardinals are set to lose both Kirk and Green to unrestricted free agency and don’t have a ton of cap space to get in a bidding war. Rondale Moore is a logical internal candidate to step up but Arizona should look for a third receiver to serve as an alternative to Hopkins and perhaps as an eventual successor.

Offensive Line

The other factor that appeared to doom the Cardinals late in the season was the offensive line. In both losses to the Rams, Murray was terrorized by the Los Angeles defensive front. The Cardinals have solid starters at left tackle and center and they’re optimistic about Josh Jones as either a tackle or guard. Justin Pugh is a probably cap cut, though, so they need another starter at left guard. Depending on what happens with Jones, they’ll also either need another guard or an alternative to Kelvin Beachum at right tackle.

Outside linebacker

Jones is Arizona’s top pending free agent, and the fact that the Cardinals have dragged their feet on an extension suggests they’re bracing to move on from the veteran pass rusher. Jones is about to turn 32 but he went right back to being one the league’s most productive pass rushers in 2021, notching 10.5 sacks, forcing six fumbles and leading the team with 26 quarterback hits. If he signs elsewhere, the Cardinals will need to bring in help. Markus Golden and Devon Kennard are underrated players but they’re not in the same stratosphere as Jones.

Rams

Projected Cap Space: ($17,064,169)

Draft Picks: 8

3rd (No. 103, comp)
4th (No. 141)
5th (No. 174)
6th (No. 210, comp)
6th (No. 211, comp)
6th (No. 213, comp)
7th (No. 236, from MIA)
7th (No. 251)

Notable Free Agents: OLB Von Miller, WR Odell Beckham, CB Darious Williams, G Austin Corbett, OT Joseph Noteboom, C Brian Allen, RB Sony Michel, DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, LB Troy Reeder, OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, K Matt Gay (RFA), CB Dont’e Deayon, WR Brandon Powell

Biggest Needs:

Offensive Line

Miller, Beckham, Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay and Aaron Donald will dominate the offseason headlines for the Rams. But the biggest factor in the team’s success in 2022 will be how they handle the offensive line. There’s a pretty clear relationship between line play and success for the Rams under McVay, so the prospect of replacing three starters from the Super Bowl team should not go unnoticed.

At left tackle, Andrew Whitworth could retire after becoming the NFL’s first left tackle to play past 40. He has a Super Bowl ring and nothing else to prove. If he decides to come back, though, the odds are the Rams will cut him to save $16 million, especially because they’d ideally re-sign Noteboom instead of losing him for nothing but a potential comp pick after grooming him behind Whitworth for four seasons. If Allen and Corbett walk, that’s two more vacancies. Do the Rams think the answers are on the roster, or will they have to look elsewhere?

Cornerback

No. 2 corner Williams is headed for free agency and probably a pretty solid deal. Deayon played a large chunk of snaps as well. The Rams have been drafting behind Williams for a couple of seasons and have David Long and Robert Rochell in the pipeline. They probably should keep adding to it.

Outside Linebacker

If Miller is back, then the Rams are set again here and should be one of the best pass-rushing teams in football in 2022. If another team outbids the Rams, though, it gets a little more interesting.

The Rams had been taking a committee approach to the other outside linebacker spot across from Leonard Floyd with Okoronkwo, Terrell Lewis and Justin Hollins, and they had been one of the league’s most productive teams in terms of pressure. But Okoronkwo is also a free agent and Lewis has a history of knee issues that has made the team hesitant to put too much on his plate. If Miller isn’t back, the Rams could try to make another splash to replace him.

And if Donald really follows through on the retirement talk, then that’s a HUGE void that will require adjustments on every level of the defense.

Seahawks

Projected Cap Space: ($17,064,169)

Draft Picks: 6

2nd (No. 41)
3rd (No. 72)
4th (No. 106, from NYJ)
4th (No. 114)
5th (No. 152)
7th (No. 227)

Notable Free Agents: S Quandre Diggs, LT Duane Brown, CB D.J. Reed, OT Brandon Shell, RB Rashaad Penny, DT Al Woods, TE Gerald Everett, C Ethan Pocic, DL Rasheem Green, TE Will Dissly, CB Sidney Jones, RB Alex Collins, DT Robert Nkemdiche

Biggest Needs:

Offensive Tackle

Both of Seattle’s starting tackles are slated for free agency. The Seahawks probably have a decent shot of bringing both back but that’s also a position they should start thinking long-term, especially on the left side. Brown will be 37 before the start of the 2022 season and had one of his toughest years in probably a decade in 2021. Shell just turned 30, and while the Seahawks could do a lot worse, they could also do better. The question will be if there are any upgrades realistically available, as great tackles seldom make it to free agency and Seattle doesn’t have a first-round pick.

Cornerback

The Seahawks scrambled all season to field a secondary that wouldn’t be torched, and generally failed more than they succeeded. However, they did find an apparent keeper in Reed. If they bring him back, that’s one starting spot locked up. They need help everywhere else, as well as safety if Diggs isn’t re-signed or if he is and he’s not healthy enough for the start of the season.

Running Back

Pete Carroll is still the coach so the Seahawks are still going to be about running the ball. Chris Carson remains under contract but in addition to his lengthy injury history, he’s now coming off disc-fusion surgery. Carroll was optimistic he’d be ready for camp but Carroll is infamous for spewing optimism. Penny had a breakout at the end of last season but he’s got a lengthy injury history of his own and is a pending free agent, though it seems unlikely the Seahawks would have too much competition for him.

This is a pretty decent crop of free-agent running backs, so Seattle might be able to add insurance there. And while they have bigger needs than running back, it also wouldn’t be that surprising to see the Seahawks use one of their few Day 2 picks on a back in the draft in an effort to try and get a long-term solution.