There are new (or near new) starting quarterbacks, new head coaches and new coordinators up and down the NFC West, but one thing remains consistent: The Seattle Seahawks are the team to beat.

With the division title presumably headed to CenturyLink Field, the true strength of the NFC West will be told through the Arizona Cardinals, who were expected to compete for a playoff position last season, but instead struggled and ultimately failed to reach the .500 mark at the end of the campaign.

The Rams made their return to Los Angeles last year, but it wasn't triumphant in the end. The franchise went all-in on a quarterback they weren't able to start for more than half the season and watched their rookie sensation running back suffer a sophomore slump.

The 49ers have made another change at the head coaching position as turmoil has become their new normal.

The Seahawks are favoured to capture the division and it should come as no surprise if they do.  What will be the fate of the other three teams trying to make life miserable for the elite team in the Pacific Northwest?

Seattle Seahawks

The defending NFC West champions will once again look to ride one of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks and toughest defences to a division title and a deep playoff run.

Russell Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL inside and outside of the pocket. When healthy, he can do the kinds of things that frustrate both pass rushers and the defensive coordinators who sent them.

Unfortunately, an early ankle injury and mounting physical problems throughout last season limited his ability to extend plays and do the things he does best. Despite the aches and pains, the 28-year-old started all 16 games and threw for a career-high 4,219 yards, though it came with a career-worst 11 interceptions.

The diminished running game, thanks to the departure of Marshawn Lynch, meant more of the offensive burden fell to Wilson. Despite winning the division, a second-round playoff exit was the fate of a team that expects to get to and win the big prize.

A healthy Wilson will now be joined in the backfield by former Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy, last year’s feature back Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise.

If Lacy can keep hold of the weight problems that have plagued him and Rawls can find his way back to full health, the Seahawks will be dangerous on the ground.

With Doug Baldwin still the main man in the passing game, the Seahawks will be dangerous in the air as well. Jimmy Graham remains one of the best tight ends in football, not only a security blanket, but also as a red-zone threat.

On the other side of the ball, you know who they are and you know what they do.

Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and a lot of other elite, hard-hitting players are at defensive coordinator Kris Richard's disposal.

Every season, someone writes the obit of the Legion of Boom defence. But these players, led by Sherman, who remains one of the best corners in the league, step up and assert themselves at or near the top of the defensive rankings annually.

Defensive lineman Frank Clark was injured early in the preseason, but is expected to be good to go for Week 1. He had 10 sacks for the Seahawks last season and will be one of the keys up front to controlling the line of scrimmage.

Do not think that veteran defensive linemen Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril are going unmentioned. They are the best this loaded defence has to offer and further proof that the Seahawks can hurt you from every level.

Winning division games is always important. A loss to the Rams and a tie with the Cardinals last season ultimately had the Seahawks playing in Atlanta in the second round of the playoffs, where they were eliminated.

Having said that, their challenge will not come from an NFC West they should handily win. The Seahawks have their eyes set on the top teams in the conference and will have the chance to send an early statement when they open the campaign against another of the NFC's elite teams, the Green Bay Packers.

Arizona Cardinals

Does Carson Palmer have one last run left in his 37-year-old body? The Arizona Cardinals are banking on it as they try to bounce back from a disappointing 2016 campaign.

Last year, preseason predictions were probably more wrong about the Cardinals than any of the other 31 teams in the league. They were looked upon as a wild-card threat and a team that was expected to push the Seahawks for first place in the division.

Instead they were an also-ran that finished 7-8-1 and never approached the promise of a team that could qualify for the postseason.

A lot of that blame either falls at the feet of Palmer, or the person who thought a 37-year-old quarterback not named Tom Brady could find success in the NFL.

The veteran pivot will turn 38 in December and is once again being asked to shoulder the load. Palmer did put up good passing numbers last season, throwing for 4233 yards with 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 15 games. There just never seemed to be that spark of the big play when the team needed it most.

Palmer has been in the league since 2004 and has a lot more good moments behind him than ahead of him, but perhaps there is one more dream season in that arm.

Running back David Johnson found the end zone 16 times last season while posting a 1,239-yard season. He also caught 80 passes for 879 yards out of the backfield.

Johnson is a stud and a dual threat who might be the best running back in the league.

The only question is will whether there are any lingering effects or struggles after Johnson’s 373 touches last season.  The Cardinals can't afford there to be – Johnson is the key cog in their attack.

That isn’t taking anything away from veteran Larry Fitzgerald, who continues to post big numbers year after year. In 2016, he led the NFL in receptions with 107 and also went for 1,023 yards.

The 34-year-old will continue to be Palmer's first and best option and continues to show the hands to justify that label.

On the defensive side, Patrick Patterson is considered to be the best cover corner in the game and basically locks down one side of the field for the Cardinals defence.

They have yet to find a solution for who lines up on the other side. The job has currently fallen to Justin Bethel, who will find himself tested often as teams tend to avoid throwing balls into Patterson's airspace.

The Cardinals also need a strong healthy season from Tyrann Mathieu, a talented player that has been stalked by injuries over his four-year career in the NFL.

Recovery from an ACL injury and a subsequent shoulder slowed him down last season, but he's healthy now. If he can stay that way, his hard hitting will be very welcome in the Cardinals secondary.

Are the real Cardinals the 2015 NFC division champions or the disappointing 2016 team?

They have the DNA of both in them. It’s in their hands to prove they belong with the best and not the worst teams in the league.

Los Angeles Rams

The good news for Rams starting quarterback Jared Goff is that there is nowhere to go but up after finally earning the starting nod in the last seven games of the 2016 season.

The first overall pick in the 2016 draft stood on the sidelines as other pivots in his draft class found success around the league, watching Case Keenum take the snaps with the starting offence.

When finally given his chance with the first team, Goff lost all seven games, throwing five touchdowns and seven interceptions for a 63.6 QB rating.

Jeff Fisher has been replaced by Sean McVay at the head coach position. McVay has remade the offensive line, bringing in Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan while moving Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown around the line to positions that suit them better. The Rams have a strong group of big boys up front.

The Rams are hoping that better blocking can reinvigorate running back Todd Gurley, one of 2015’s biggest breakout stories and one of 2016’s biggest disappointments.

The 23-year-old burst onto the scene after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college and rushed for 1,106 yards in 13 games on his way to being named offensive rookie of the year.

A lot was expected for his second year, but he slumped to 885 yards in 16 games and never reached the heights he saw the previous season.

If Gurley can't find his form, Goff is going to have even more trouble moving the ball.

The Rams have improved at the wide receiver position with the additions of Sammy Watkins, through a trade, and Robert Woods, through free agency, from the Buffalo Bills.

They had one of the weakest receiving corps in 2016 and those moves are a step in the right direction.

If all else fails, Johnny Hekker might just be the league's best punter and he should have ample opportunity to showcase his skills.

Defensively, Wade Phillips has taken over as the defensive coordinator and he inherits a group that is known for being good and being fast.

Aaron Donald is the showcase piece on this side of the ball, but he’s currently locked in a contract holdout with the team.

With eight sacks and 47 tackles last season, he's clearly the Rams anchor on defence. They need to get him back into the fold as soon as possible.

Linebackers Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron will have to cover in Phillips' scheme, but have shown that they have the wheels to be successful.

The Rams will learn this season if trading up for Goff was the right move or a major franchise setback. That alone should tell you if this is a successful second year back in Los Angeles.

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers will begin the season under a new head coach. No, you aren’t reading the 2015 or 2016 season preview. For the third season in a row, a new man will patrol the sidelines for the five-time Super Bowl champions.

This time, former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has been tasked with the job of turning around the once great franchise and, alongside new general manager John Lynch, has been given a six-year mandate to get the job done.

The task will be monumental. The 49ers finished 2-14 under Chip Kelly last season. The year prior, with Jim Tomsula at the helm, they were 5-11. In 2014, the final year under Jim Harbaugh, they posted an 8-8 record.

The franchise has been headed full speed in the wrong direction.

With the Colin Kaepernick era over in San Francisco, veteran Brian Hoyer takes over as the starting quarterback. The 31-year-old made five starts last season for the Chicago Bears and has also taken starters snaps for the Houston Texas, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals.

Carlos Hyde once again enters the season as the feature back, coming off a 13-start season where he rushed for 988 yards.

With the Falcons last season, Shanahan would often rely on the running back in the passing game, but it’s not something Hyde has been known for during his time in the 49ers backfield.

The last time the 49ers had success it was on the strength of their defence. Those responsibilities now fall to new coordinator Robert Saleh.

The health of linebacker NaVorro Bowman could be the beginning and end of the conversation on their improvements on the defensive side of the ball. The 29-year-old defensive anchor was lost last season to a torn Achilles in Week 4.

The switch to a 4-3 base will also present a different look from the 3-4 the 49ers have played over the last few years.

Elvis Dumervil was signed in the off-season and Ahmad Brooks will have another chance to reach the potential he has flashed but hasn’t been able to sustain.

Lots of capital has been spent in recent drafts building up the defensive front and the Niners will need to see young players like Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas make their mark.

The truth is that not much winning is expected at Levi's Stadium this season. Growth and progress will be how this season is judged at the end of the year.