NFC West coaching tiers: Pete Carroll leads experienced, successful division

While much of the country spent the summer debating whether "Oppenheimer" or "Barbie" was the blockbuster of the year, Yardbarker NFL writers reviewed the work of the league's 32 head coaches and assigned each of these leading men to a tier. 

In sticking with the spirit of cinema, we named the six tiers after either a movie title, genre or actor to help rationalize if each coach is producing an Academy Award- or a Razzie-level performance. Here's how the NFC West stacked up:

Tier 2: 'THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION' Tier | Almost an Oscar

Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks: Even though Carroll, at 71, is the oldest coach in the NFL, he still has a way of relating with younger players and convincing them to run through a wall for him. 

"I see him happy all the time, like Willy Wonka. He’s just having a good time," former Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett once said of Carroll. 

In his 13 years with the Seahawks, they have been a model of consistency, winning at least 10 games nine times and missing the playoffs just twice over the past 11 years. If he can get the Seahawks back to the playoffs again in his first two years post-Russell Wilson, it will only further strengthen his resume. Not many head coaches could lose a franchise quarterback and still maintain a competitive roster every year.  

Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams: Pre-McVay, the Rams were mired in the mediocrity of the Jeff Fisher and Steve Spagnuolo eras, going 13 consecutive years without a winning record. McVay produced five winning seasons in his first five years, taking the team to two Super Bowls in that time — winning one of them — and acting in several annoying Campbell's soup commercials. 

The Rams have since sold their souls to the salary-cap gods. If McVay can return the Rams to glory with a team on which all 14 rookies made the initial cut, his status will soar. He is going to have his work cut out for him this season in a tough NFC West, but the return of a healthy Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald will certainly help. 

He arrived in Los Angeles as one of the league's top young, up-and-coming coaches and has not only met those expectations, but significantly exceeded them.  

Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have boasted one of the league’s most dominant ground games during Shanahan’s watch while also fielding a punishing defense that can shut down almost any offense. He has taken the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game in three of the past four years. Does he have the team's QB situation finally figured out with Brock Purdy, the ultimate underdog?

The quarterback situation has been the one Achilles heel holding the 49ers back in the Shanahan era, but it is a testament to his coaching ability that they have managed to go as far as they have. Most teams do not have a chance to be a Super Bowl contender without a proven franchise quarterback, but Shanahan's 49ers have been a major exception to that. 

Tier 5: NETFLIX ORIGINALS TIER | Too new for critical review

Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals: Gannon has what might be the NFL's worst roster. Arizona won just four games a year ago, gutted the team of veterans this offseason and is not going to have starting quarterback Kyler Murray for the start of the season. 

Gannon comes in with a reputation as a defensive coach — he helped construct a top-10 defense in Philadelphia. He better be patient in Arizona, but his debut season feels like the second coming of "Dark Phoenix."

He became an unintentional meme for an awkward motivational speech during training camp, but not everybody is cut out for the rah-rah mentality. If his X's and O's work and he gets the most out of his thin roster, nobody is going to care about what he says in his speeches.