May 14, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) looks on during organized team activities at the Cardinals Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Sports media has essentially crowned the NFC West the toughest, most dominate division in the NFL this coming season, which is hard to argue against. The big cliche surrounding the teams’ offseasons has been the “NFC West Arms Race,” started by the Seattle trade for Percy Harvin and the 49ers’ trade for Anquan Boldin, then inflamed by the Seahawks signing of every “big name” defensive end available in free agency. The Rams’ added their two cents with the acquisitions of Jake Long and Jared Cook, and the Cardinals tagged in with Carson Palmer.

The fun didn’t stop there though, at least not for some teams, especially on offense. The Rams added the most explosive player in the 2013 NFL Draft class (Tavon Austin), then took the most productive receiver in college football last season (Stedman Bailey) a couple of rounds later. In less flashy fashion, the Cardinals took a chance on Ryan Swope late in the draft, soon after the 49ers’ stole Quinton Patton in the 4th round.

So, with all of these changes, what do the NFC West offenses look like right now? With a little help from our friends over at OurLads.com, here are the updated depth charts, with a couple of projected changes, via Ramblin’ Fan.

Note: CAPITALIZED name designate a new starter at that position from the team’s 2012 roster. This could be a new player or a returning player that either a) switched positions or b) moved up in the depth chart.

Seattle Seahawks

For Seattle, the offensive roster is relatively unchanged, with the exception of Percy Harvin as their slot receiver and utility back. James Carpenter has had trouble staying healthy since being selected 25th overall by the ‘Hawks back in 2011. He could be the final piece of the Seattle offense line if he can stay on the field.

If there were any area of concern in their offense, it was likely the tight end spot, with Zach Miller failing to show the fluidity and pass catching ability he had in Oakland. Anthony McCoy was likely to have some chance at more reps this season, but was reported today to have torn his Achilles’ tendon.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams did an full make-over of the offensive roster this offseason, not only through free agency, but through the draft as well. The “starters” at both running back and wide receiver have yet to be determined, but we do know that it will not be Steven Jackson lining up in the backfield or Brandon Gibson lining up out wide. Daryl Richardon, Isaiah Pead, and 2013 draftee, Zac Stacy, should all have a legitimate shot at earning the lion’s share of reps, but that is anyone’s guess at this point. At receiver, Chris Givens and Tavon Austin are locks for a “starting role,” who will fill the slot left by the departing Gibson is still up in the air. Brian Quick is likely the favorite at this point in the offseason, but it would not be surprising to see Stedman Bailey penciled in at the No. 1 position come August.

The offense line will look completely different from last season. Scott Wells will hopefully be returning to the center of the line, sitting out most of last season with a combination of injuries. Rodger Saffold has been moved to the right side of the line, taking over Barry Richardon’s spot, while the blindside will be manned by Jake Long, the Rams’ biggest offseason acquition. The left guard spot is a bit of a mystery at this point. Rokevious Watkins was the assumed favorite for the spot, but was recently handed a 1-game suspension by the NFL for violating their drug policy. Now, the spot will likely be a battle between Chris Williams, a former 1st round tackle selection by Chicago, and Barrett Jones, St. Louis’ second 3rd round pick in the 2013 draft.

Every position that needed an upgrade in the offense, according to Snead and Fisher, got one. They prefer the running back-by-committee approach, and with three very young backs taking reps, they have to hope that some combination will step up to fill the massive shoes of Steven Jackson. The other needed upgrades were right tackle and receiver, and with Jake Long, Stedman Bailey, and Tavon Austin in tow, it is fair to say the Rams completed their offseason checklist.

San Francisco 49ers

Until about three days ago, the San Francisco 49ers looked to have maintained their nearly perfected offensive roster from the season before, with the addition of the should-have-been Super Bowl MVP, Anquan Boldin. However, the injury to Michael Crabtree will send the receiving corps into a bit of a question mark headed into the opener. Boldin should be able to jump in and take the No. 1 reps, but that doesn’t mean he can produce in the same fashion as Crabtree, especially given Kaepernick’s favoritism of the young wide out.

However, consistency builds contenders, and the rest of the squad is back in full force. In fact, LaMichael James and Mario Manningham should be able to step this year, now fully healed during the offseason. The loss of Delanie Walker might have some effect, but they are certainly hoping that Vance McDonald, their 2nd rounder from the 2013 Draft, can fill the void and help in the passing game.

Arizona Cardinals

Much like the Rams, the Cardinals made some massive changes the to roster, including a new head coach and coaching staff. They have attempted to solve their “skill position” woes with Carson Palmer and Rashard Mendenhall, who are both massive upgrades over the quarterbacks and running backs of last season… yes, those are both plural. Ryan Swope will likely not see much time on the field, aside from four or five receiver sets, but could be a game changer with his impressive straight-line speed.

The big changes are on the offensive line. Levi Brown, who was injured last year, will return as the blindside protector and, hopefully, provide an upgrade to the worst line in the NFL last season. The Cardinals will be relying on two rookies to hold down the interior of the line, with Jonathan Cooper and Earl Watford both projected to start at the guard spots this season.

The Cardinals likely would have preferred an upgrade at tight end and center, but there are only so many moves that can be made during the offseason. They are obviously a team in “rebuild mode.” There is no better way to start that process than with some young, dominate players on the offensive line, and some veteran talent at the skill positions.

Trumaine Johnson probably wont miss any games for his disappointing situation, however he may get fined. His situation will not affect the Rams and the NFC West at all. Irvin’s suspension on the other hand might. Many were surprised when the Seahawks took Irvin last season in the first round, but Irvin has turned out to be a good player and one to keep an eye on for years to come. Irvin played mostly in passing situations last season and racked up 9 sacks and 18 tackles including the post season. Irvin would be more of a loss had the team not signed Cliff Avril in the offseason who had 35 tackles and 9.5 sacks last season. The Seahawks should survive just fine and shouldn’t be affected by Irvin’s suspension. The Seahawks play the Panthers, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans during Irvin’s suspension.

One situation that will affect the Rams and the rest of the NFC West however, is Michael Crabtree’s injury. Crabtree’s injury is the same injury that Terrell Suggs dealt with last season and ended up missing the first half of the season because of it. What is normally a season ending injury has become on in which the possibility of returning is plausible. With the expansions in medicine coming back from what were horrific injuries 10 years ago is possible. Example A, being what Adrian Peterson did coming off of an ACL tear last season. Crabtree became Kaepernick’s favorite target pulling in 665 of his 1,105 yards and 6 of his 9 touchdowns after the 49ers made the switch. Against NFC West opponents Crabtree had 33 receptions for  511 yards and 5 touchdowns. 12 of those receptions were against the Rams, and those went for 171 yards and one touchdown. Crabtree’s loss could be a big hit to the 49ers offense, and even if Crabtree comes back, he will be limited and will not be the same player. The 49ers did just sign Anquan Boldin, therefore Boldin could fill the void of Crabtree, but Boldin and Kaepernick don’t share the connection that Kaepernick had with Crabtree just yet. There may be some growing pains before it all starts to flow, and then it may be too late. With Crabtree’s absence, the rest of the NFC West may be able to jump ahead of the 49ers, especially if their offense struggles. For more informations on how Crabtree’s injury will affect the Rams, read, “Wide Receiver-By-Committee: Why Losing Michael Crabtree Will Hurt The 49ers” by Nathan Kearns http://ramblinfan.com/2013/05/23/wide-receiver-by-committee-why-michael-crabtree-will-hurt-the-49ers/The Rams play the 49ers week 4 on Thursday Night Football and again Week 13.

Rokevious Watkin’s suspension wont have much of an impact on the rest of the NFC West, but it might have an impact on how the Rams’ final roster shakes out. The Rams drafted OL Barrett Jones in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Jones has the potential to start at guard and with part of the competition not being able to play, Jones will get his opportunity, and if he plays well, Jones may just retain the starting position. Rokevious Watkins may be kicking himself if he loses the starting role due to a stupid mistake.

The NFC West has encountered a lot of drama over the last couple of weeks, and hopefully the suspensions and injuries stop here. Bad publicity to a team isn’t good and it’s never good when a player gets injured or suspended, but it’s always interesting how it will affect the team and the rest of the league. But you never know the next Kurt Warner may be waiting on the sidelines waiting for an opportunity.

December 2, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) is pushed out of bounds by St. Louis Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan (31) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis defeated San Francisco 16-13 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Over the last several years, we have seen a shift in the NFL away from the “feature” running back. Now, most teams have two or more running backs that split time rushing the football. This allows the coaching staff to plug-and-play the best player into the game in a given situation, all while keeping fresh legs in the backfield.

Similarly, offensives have also been shifting towards the wide receiver-by-committee approach, with less focus on snagging a true, No. 1 receiver, and more of a focus on selection multiple receivers, with differing skills sets that effect the game in different ways. While it is not as “mainstream” of a concept as the running backs, it is clearly being implemented all over the league, especially within some of the more “dynamic,” pass-oriented offenses.

The first teams that come to mind is Green Bay Packers, who ranked 9th in the NFL last season in passing offense. Yet, there were was not a single 1,000 yard receiver in the offense. Randall Cobb, the Packers’ utility back and slot receiver lead the team with 954 yards, although he was only the field for 651 offense snaps. James Jones was their “top receiver” clocking 1,023 offensive snaps, tacking on 784 yards. Next was Jordy Nelson (607 snaps, 745 yards), followed by Greg Jennings (435 snaps, 366 yards).

The New Orleans Saints were the leader in passing yards in 2012, yet, much like the Packers, did not have any single receiver dominate in any statistical category. Marques Colston was the leader of the corps, with an impressive 1,154 yards on 854 snaps. However, Lance Moore hauled in 1,041 yards on 623 snaps, and Jimmy Graham, who often took the field as an off-line tight end, piled on 982 yards on 712 snaps.

In Indianapolis, where the Colts ranked 7th in passing last season,  it was the same thing… Reggie Wayne was the front-runner with 1,355 yard on 1,099 snaps. But, in similar fashion, the next receivers racked up equally impressive numbers in their equivalent time on the field; T.Y. Hilton pulled in 861 yards on 682 snaps and Donnie Avery grabbed 781 yards on 1,044 snaps.

The formula was all the same, three to four wide receivers and pass-catching tight ends working by committee to dominate in the passing game. For the most part, those offenses were the most successful, with teams like New England , New Orleans, and Green Bay all finishing in the Top 5 in total points scored throughout the 2012 season.

Teams with a large discrepancy between their top receiver and the “next” receivers were not so successful. Calvin Johnson was far and away the leading receiver in the NFL last season, tallying an record setting 1,964 yards. The next receiver on the Detroit Lions’ was Titus Young… yes, that Titus Young… who managed only 383 yards. Consequentially, Detroit ranked 18th overall in passing touchdowns, and 17th overall in total points last year. Brandon Marshall was 3rd in the NFL in receiving yards last season, with 1,508 yards on 118 catches. The next best receiver in Chicago was Earl Bennett, with 375 yards. Much like the pattern in Detroit, the the Bears ranked 22nd in passing touchdowns, and 16th in overall points.

Naturally, there has to be some consideration made to the running game, especially on teams like Houston, who have a wide talent-gap between receivers, but also have a dominating running back. However, even in those cases, the figures hold true in overall scoring. Despite having a Top 5 receiver and a Top 5 running back, the Texans’ were outside the Top 5 in overall points last season. In Tampa Bay, Vincent Jackson ranked 5th in receiving yards and Doug Martin ranked 5th in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns; yet, the Buccaneers were 13th in overall points.

So, what does this mean for San Francisco?

Well, the 49ers’ were clearly a “wide talent-gap” team, with Michael Crabtree being the only receiver on the roster to clear the 1,000+ yards mark on the season. In fact, Vernon Davis, who primarily lines up as an in-line tight end, was second on the team in receiving yards, followed by the injury-riddled Mario Manningham. That gap was actually even wider after the shift to Colin Kaepernick, with over 65% of Crabtree’s receiving yards and an average of 2 more targets per game coming with the sophomore quarterback at the helm in the latter half of the season. What does that mean?

That means, with Michael Crabtree gone, the 49ers’ will be forced to try and attempt a receiver-by-committee approach in the passing game. The problem is, the grouping of players remaining on the roster are not built for that type of system. Anquan Boldin, A.J. Jenkins, Mario Manningham, and Quintin Patton are all essentially the same type of wide out… 6’0 tall, have a roughly 200 lbs. frame, and are primarily possession receivers with moderate speed and quickness. No speed mismatch. No height mismatch. Nothing.

To make matter worse, Kaepernick is not the type of quarterback that would fair well in a receiver-by-committee system, even if he had the roster to do it…

Michael Crabtree: targeted on nearly 40% of routes he ran from Weeks 11-17 with Colin Kaepernick as starter, 2nd in NFL in that span.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 22, 2013

Colin Kaepernick also rushed on 9.26% of his total dropbacks last season, behind only Robert Griffin and Michael Vick. The combination of those two statistics (high percentage of targets to a single player and high percentage of rushes) paints the exact picture of Kaepernick as a quarterback; first-option passer, second-option runner. In order for a quarterback to be successful in a receiver-by-committee system, he has to be a progression quarterback, willing to work through the second and third reads before firing the ball to the open receiver.

With Crabtree sidelined until, at least, Week 13, the San Francisco 49ers will be banking on one of three options to compete offensively next season: 1) their running game will be dominate enough to compensate for a lack of passing game, 2) one of the receivers will step up as the “replacement Crabtree” in the offense, or 3) Kaepernick will learn to play as a progression quarterback.

One of those three things might happen. Maybe, Boldin will return to mid-career form and be able to handle 8 to 10 targets per game. In Baltimore, Boldin was a slightly above average receiver during the regular season in 2012, with 921 yards on 902 offensive snaps; although, that was with Joe Flacco chucking the deep ball and Torrey Smith lining up on the other side of the field. For comparison’s sake, Michael Crabtree raked in 1,105 yards on only 692 snaps, with Vernon Davis as the only other legitimate receiving threat on the field. Maybe, Frank Gore will have an Adrian Peterson or Marshawn Lynch-esque performance, propelling the ground game as the driving force of the offense. However, last season, Gore averaged only 4.1 yards per attempt with Colin Kaepernick as quarterback, down from 5.5 yards per carry under Alex Smith.

Chances are, we will see a drastic regression in the potency of the San Francisco 49ers’ offense in 2013. The 49ers were ranked 11th in the NFL in total points in 2012, with the 16th highest scoring ground game, but the 6th highest scoring receiving game. With Crabtree out, expect more and more defenses to stack the box against Frank Gore and Co., as well as devote more “spies” to follow Kaepernick, without the threat of a dominate receiver beating them down the field. The ’9ers defense will inevitably help deter the effects of this transformation, but the fact remains that teams still have to put points on the board to win games.

San Francisco had better hope that their young quarterback truly is “Superman” in 2013, because their offense will need a heroic effort to compensate for the loss of their “franchise” receiver.