Camping in the NFC West

Here is a look at key questions (and maybe an answer or two) facing each team in the NFC West midway through training camp.

ARIZONA
Questions: Another new coach in the desert - will anything change? Will the offensive line, the weak link for an otherwise potent group, improve?
Answers: Yes, new coach Ken Whisenhunt comes from a winning organization - Pittsburgh - and expect the Cardinals to be far more disciplined. One of Whisenhunt's key hires was Steelers assistant Russ Grimm as offensive coordinator and line coach. Drafting tackle Levi Brown will help the line.

SAN FRANCISCO
Questions: Have they improved enough to win the division, as many predict? Can QB Alex Smith continue to progress into an elite quarterback?
Answers: Possibly. Adding CB Nate Clements, S Michael Lewis and WR Darrell Jackson in free agency addressed three need areas. The continued health and well-being of TE Vernon Davis will benefit the offense greatly. Smith is a good QB and getting better. He's going to play for his third coordinator in three seasons, so it's premature to expect him to go to the next level.

ST. LOUIS
Questions: What were the Rams thinking in the offseason, when their signings were on offense, while the defense clearly had the needs? Will the Rams have any run defense?
Answers: Adding WR Drew Bennett and TE Randy McMichael should improve the Rams' red-zone efficiency and mean even more TDs. They likely will need them because outside of rookie lineman Adam Carriker and DE James Hall, they didn't add much.

SEATTLE
Questions: Was last season's 9-7 record an aberration, or are the Seahawks falling from their perch atop this division? Can they win with an undersized defense?
Answers: Injuries racked the Seahawks in 2006 - starting with RB Shaun Alexander and continuing through QB Matt Hasselbeck and WR Bobby Engram. If those three are healthy, and WRs Deion Branch and Nate Burleson assimilate better into the offense in their second season, look out. Despite its lack of size, Seattle's defense is loaded with playmakers. Adding DE Patrick Kerney and S Deon Grant will help stabilze things.