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Moderately accomplished quarterbacks are more likely than great ones to mentor a young prospect, in my view.

They have less to lose.

The "Outside the Lines" video above provides fresh and archived interviews with NFC West alums Joe Montana, Steve Young and Trent Dilfer while taking a closer look at the dynamics. Montana wasn't interested in mentoring Young for obvious competitive reasons. Dilfer warmed to mentoring Matt Hasselbeck.

Young NFC West quarterbacks are largely without veteran mentors heading toward the 2012 season.

San Francisco 49ers starter Alex Smith might be the closest thing to a mentor in the division. He has the experience and personality to become a resource for second-year pro Colin Kaepernick. To what degree that has happened, I'm not sure. Smith returns as the starter, but the situation is competitive, too.

The St. Louis Rams have no veteran mentor for Sam Bradford. The Arizona Cardinals have none for Kevin Kolb or John Skelton. The Seattle Seahawks have none for new quarterback Matt Flynn, although Tarvaris Jackson is nearly 3 years older and does have 34 career regular-season starts.

Having a veteran backup as a resource makes sense in theory, especially when his presence isn't seen as an imminent threat to the young starter's job security.

Among NFC West teams, the Rams would seem to benefit the most from adding a veteran backup. They're the one team in the division with a young starter and no plans for competition at the position.

Current backup Kellen Clemens has only 12 career starts, but he does have considerable knowledge of the offensive system Bradford is learning for the first time.

The chart reflects Flynn's status as the expected starter. He has not yet won the job, however.

We've become accustomed to reading NFL mock drafts as finished products, usually from a single author.

Process trumps product when our eight divisional bloggers, myself included, gather Monday at 1 p.m. ET for a live mock draft allowing on-the-clock trades.

I'll post a link when I have one.

We're setting aside a two-hour window for this mock, allowing not quite 4 minutes per pick on average. The hope is for the format to promote urgency and discussion. This will be interactive to the extent the "Cover It Live" module allows.

I'm making picks and trades for the NFC West teams, whether they like it or not. Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon will be a consideration for the St. Louis Rams at No. 6 despite concerns raised on the blog and in the ESPN video above.

Note: Follow our live mock on Twitter with the ESPNbloggermock hash tag.

Four days until the 2012 NFL draft. In the meantime, the mock drafts are piling up.

The chart below shows new projections from reporters covering the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams.

All three have the Rams and Seahawks drafting for defense. They all have the Arizona Cardinals drafting an offensive lineman and the 49ers drafting a pass-catcher of some sort.


I'll be participating in a live mock draft Monday at 1 p.m. ET, with trades permitted. Details to come.

Moving along ...

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic checks in with Ken Whisenhunt and Rod Graves regarding the Cardinals' draft options. Somers: "Addressing the offensive line in the first round makes considerable sense. The Cardinals haven't drafted a lineman the past two seasons. They haven't taken one above the fifth round since selecting Brown fifth overall in 2007. They have tried to plug holes with veterans at the end of their careers (guard Alan Faneca) and low-round picks they hoped would develop (right tackle Brandon Keith). The results have been mixed at best."

Also from Somers: Whisenhunt points to continuity with Graves and personnel director Steve Keim as keys to success in the draft.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com looks at whether the Arizona Cardinals need a stronger No. 2 receiver to pair with Larry Fitzgerald. Urban: "The Cardinals went to a Super Bowl with Anquan Boldin alongside Larry Fitzgerald, but one of the reasons the Cards were eventually comfortable with dealing Boldin was the success Fitzgerald and the passing game had even in games Boldin missed with injury." Noted: Kurt Warner was the constant.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune has the Seahawks selecting Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower in his 2012 first-round mock draft. Williams: "Hawks might move down to get Hightower, but he fills an obvious need and will be the team's quarterback on defense for the next 10 years."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times looks at the Seahawks' need for a linebacker, noting that general manager John Schneider says this draft has more good ones than the previous draft offered. Schneider: "It's completely different than it was last year. There's good numbers up there." Noted: Value could lead the Seahawks to draft a linebacker in the first round, but if there are more to be found throughout the draft, the team could have reason to draft early at a position featuring fewer talented prospects.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune explains why he thinks Melvin Ingram might have more appeal to the Seahawks than Luke Kuechly. Boling: "Carroll and his staff like to find players with unique skills and then develop ways to work them into a scheme. While Kuechly looks to be a conventional middle linebacker type, Ingram could be more of a fun toy for Carroll."

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle makes two observations after attending a charity event featuring most of the team: Team chemistry appears strong, and the Seahawks have become a much bigger team physically.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch projects LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne to the Rams with the sixth overall pick after teams picking among the top five selected Justin Blackmon and Trent Richardson, among others.

Also from Thomas: The Rams need help at defensive tackle, but none of the top three prospects appears worthy of the sixth overall choice. Thomas: "In a deep defensive tackle class, there should be multiple options for the Rams at the top of the second round and perhaps even at the top of the third."

More from Thomas: a closer look at Claiborne and the cornerbacks. Thomas: "From a pure coverage standpoint, there are those who feel Claiborne is a significantly better prospect than his much-ballyhooed predecessor at LSU, Patrick Peterson, who went No. 5 overall in the 2011 draft to Arizona."

More yet from Thomas: New Rams linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar has good things to say about Gregg Williams.

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com says HBO has interest in the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers as "Hard Knocks" alternatives to the Atlanta Falcons, who declined to participate. Noted: Tough to envision the 49ers accepting. Their football leadership has sought to close ranks.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com passes along thoughts from 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on GM Trent Baalke's suggestion the team has one player in mind for the 30th overall choice. Maiocco: "I think Trent's trying to be dramatic with you guys -- build the drama. There's several -- there's a lot of good guys. There are a lot of good guys we'd love to have at that pick. Having been through this once, most of the guys you recognize as great football players are going to be playing against you. That's just the fact of business. But getting the right guy, the right fit for our team, is what we're all focused on."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has the 49ers drafting receiver Stephen Hill with the 30th pick.

Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at history precipitating the 49ers' impending stadium move from San Francisco to Santa Clara.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says new 49ers running back Brandon Jacobs has great speed -- on the highway.

Phil Barber of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat outlines five positions to watch in the draft for San Francisco.

The Arizona Cardinals went from pursuing Peyton Manning to paying Kevin Kolb this offseason.

Another quarterback will have a chance to grab the Cardinals' attention this offseason.

John Skelton, who owns six game-winning drives in 13 career games, will be given a chance to compete for the starting job at training camp. At least one longtime NFL talent evaluator thinks Skelton has an opportunity to become the long-term starter in Arizona.

Bill Polian, the ESPN analyst and six-time NFL executive of the year, recently pointed to Skelton as a key variable in rating how well the Cardinals fared in recent drafts.

"The Cardinals have done a solid job over the past three seasons, garnering eight starters and nine contributors from the draft," Polian wrote. "Beanie Wells, Sam Acho and Patrick Peterson have made great contributions. If QB John Skelton is 'the man' (still a possibility, for me, depending on camp), they've hit the jackpot."

We haven't heard much about Skelton this offseason. Perhaps that changes during camp.

Max from Washington, D.C. thinks the Vikings will be leaving Minnesota and, most likely, landing in Los Angeles following the 2012 NFL season. "Assuming the NFL wishes to keep the Vikings in the NFC," he writes, "could we see a realignment with the NFC West?"

Mike Sando: The feel from Minnesota has changed some since Max submitted this question. There's now a sense the Vikings might be able to gain ground on a new stadium, after all. But this remains a volatile situation.

If the Vikings did move to Los Angeles, I'd favor realignment as Max suggested. The Vikings and St. Louis Rams would trade divisional affiliations under the most logical solution.

Breaking up the Vikings' longstanding NFC North rivalries would be difficult, but the rivalries between the Vikings and their current division require engagement from Minnesota fans to flourish in their current form.

Along those lines, the Rams' move from Los Angeles to St. Louis has killed what was once a natural regional rivalry with the San Francisco 49ers.

Joining the NFC North would make sense for the Rams. Chicago and Green Bay in particular would be bigger draws in St. Louis than San Francisco, Arizona or Seattle. Meanwhile, the 49ers, Cardinals and Seahawks would add a regional rival while reducing the miles they must travel each season, always a concern for Western teams.

Justin from Phoenix understands criticism over the Arizona Cardinals' relative inactivity in free agency. However, he notes that running back Ryan Williams and cornerback Greg Toler will be returning after missing the 2011 season with injuries. In his view, the team will be adding a couple of impact players.


Mike Sando: The Cardinals must have their fingers crossed on Williams, who really did stand out at training camp before suffering a torn patella tendon. That was a serious injury. Might Williams need an extended period -- perhaps several games or even the full season -- to get all the way back?

A healthy Toler would quietly give the Cardinals a potentially strong group of corners. Patrick Peterson, A.J. Jefferson, Toler and William Gay all have starting experience.

Nose tackle Dan Williams, who suffered a freak arm injury at San Francisco last season, is another key player the Cardinals expect to have back. We could throw quarterback Kevin Kolb into that category as well. He'll get a fresh start after battling head and toe injuries last season.

I've put together a chart showing notable NFC West players returning from injuries suffered last season. Seattle's James Carpenter and Walter Thurmond are not expected to be ready for training camp or even the regular season. They are candidates for the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Carpenter in particular will need an extended period to recover from his knee injury, general manager John Schneider said recently.

Tight end Nate Byham is the only San Francisco 49ers player on the list. The 49ers were generally healthy last season.

Byham projected as an outstanding blocker before suffering a season-ending knee injury. His expected return to a group featuring Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker should restore the position.

With Walker entering the final year of his contract, we've discussed the possibility of San Francisco drafting Stanford tight end Coby Fleener. However, Walker's value on special teams and his growth as an all-around tight end could make keeping him a priority. In that case, where would Fleener play?

The NFC West received only a belated dishonorable mention when Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. listed teams set up poorly for the 2012 NFL draft.

Atlanta, New Orleans, Oakland and the New York Giants made the list. Williamson generally likes where NFC West teams stand, and I would agree, but here are potential concerns for each team in the division:

• St. Louis Rams: The Rams are set up beautifully for the long term after acquiring additional first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. They could use a true difference-maker at wide receiver, a clear No. 1 to stand out from a group with pretty good depth. Drafting a wide receiver at No. 6 would make sense, but what if the Rams aren't comfortable with taking Justin Blackmon or Michael Floyd that early? Could they feel pressure to reach? I think they'll have the long term in mind. Coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead are just starting out. Sure, their team needs playmakers, but time is on their side. Having an additional second-round choice puts the Rams in even stronger position for this draft.


• Seattle Seahawks: The team has no fifth-round pick thanks to the Marshawn Lynch trade. But after signing quarterback Matt Flynn and helping the pass rush with Jason Jones' addition, the Seahawks should face little pressure to draft for need in the first round. The Seahawks would ideally move back from the 12th overall slot, adding picks -- perhaps a fifth-rounder to make up for the one Seattle sent to Buffalo. The team could use a starting middle linebacker. There's good depth at that position in this draft, meaning the Seahawks can come out OK even if Luke Kuechly is not available. Seattle found starting linebacker K.J. Wright in the fourth round of the 2011 draft, which had less depth at the position.


• Arizona Cardinals: Teams prefer to enter a draft with at least one pick in every round and no glaring needs. The Cardinals have no second-round choice. They also have a clear need for an offensive tackle. That combination could put pressure on the Cardinals to select a tackle in the first round. What if there are no tackles worthy of the 13th overall selection? Arizona has done a good job favoring value over need in multiple instances over recent drafts. Taking running back Ryan Williams in the second round last year comes to mind as one example. Ideally, the Cardinals would move back in this draft, pick up a second-round choice and still find a tackle to further solidify their line. They might have to move back into the early 20s to get a second-rounder, unless they were comfortable giving up later-round picks as part of a deal.


• San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have one pick in every round, and no glaring needs. Picking 30th overall isn't very exciting, but neither are the 49ers' needs. They could use an interior offensive lineman (yawn). They could find room for the right receiver, cornerback or safety. Depth for the front seven could be nice. What about running back? Oh, and if tight end Coby Fleener is there, he could make sense too. The 49ers could go in just about any direction, a good thing for a team coming off a 13-3 season. The only complaint is picking so late, but that's a small price to pay for winning.

Any other concerns for these teams? These are the ones that come to mind for me.

Bravo to Jim Harbaugh and the 2011 San Francisco 49ers for proving West Coast teams could flourish against a schedule packed with dreaded 10 a.m. PT kickoffs.

The 49ers went 5-0 in those games, including 4-0 when those games were in the Eastern time zone. That was a monumental achievement, but also an aberration for all but the very best Western teams, notably the great 49ers teams of decades past.

After hammering on this issue for years out of a sense of Western duty, it's great to know backup has arrived. Scott Kacsmar's piece for Cold, Hard Football Facts takes the research to another level, demonstrating more convincingly the disadvantage Western teams face heading East.

Game results from 2007 show teams from each time zone posting very similar home winning percentages. The road winning percentages are far worse for Western teams, and dramatically so for those dreaded early kickoffs -- especially when adjusting to exclude divisional road games against Central time opponents St. Louis and Kansas City.

"Games between teams from the same time zone saw the home team’s record hover around the NFL’s normal home-field advantage," Kacsmar writes. "The big news is the Eastern teams dominating the six Western teams, going 44-15 (.746) against Pacific, and 24-11 (.686) against the Mountain. Combined, that is a staggering 68-26 (.723) record against Western teams. ...

"If home-field advantage is only supposed to be around 57 percent (and Eastern teams are just .536 against Central teams), then this increase of over 15 percentage points for East vs. Western is clearly a significant advantage."

Hey, even the NFC West blog runs on Eastern time, as the time associated with this item declares. There's no question those 10 a.m. blog entries are weaker than their later counterparts.

The San Francisco 49ers traveled across the country on a short week to face the Baltimore Ravens in a Thanksgiving matchup last season.

The situation was a tough one, the 49ers were not happy about it and the NFL's schedule maker, Howard Katz, heard about it. Did he ever.

"At the league meeting last month, Katz was approached by Baltimore coach John Harbaugh and told he had to meet his brother," Judy Battista writes in the New York Times.

They met, alright. Jim Harbaugh used the occasion to complain about the holiday trip to Baltimore for a game the 49ers lost, 16-6.

"I talked to him, then I talked to him the next day, and then I talked to him the third day," Katz told Battista. "He said, 'Now that I've met you, I don't hate you quite as much.' His brother said to me, 'That’s as good as you’re going to do.' "

Battista's story details the scheduling process from Katz's perspective. We recently discussed one aspect -- short weeks -- for NFC West teams.

The 49ers won't be spending Thanksgiving in Baltimore this season, at least.

Note: Thanks to Kent Somers for pointing out Battista's story, as well as this fantastic one from Paola Boivin on the new life Pat Tillman's widow, Marie, is leading.

Seattle Seahawks fans know their team once avoided at almost any cost NFL draft prospects with known issues reflecting poorly on the players' character.

That was the emphasis of former general manager Tim Ruskell, who drove home the message in a letter he sent to players following his 2005 hiring.

"We must be held accountable for our own actions, year round," the letter read.

A study conducted by a Hamilton College economics student shows Ruskell backed up his words. The study covered 2005-09, the years Ruskell worked for Seattle, and it identified the Seahawks as the only team to draft no players with known off-field issues (suspensions, arrests, etc.).

The NFC West-rival Arizona Cardinals used a league-high 27 percent of their draft choices on such players during the period in question, the study found. The San Francisco 49ers ranked tied for third at 20 percent.

Turns out the Cardinals and 49ers might have had the right idea. Players with known off-field issues were drafted lower than prospects with otherwise similar credentials, but some were more productive in the NFL, on average.

Cornerback Janoris Jenkins and receiver Michael Floyd are among the high-profile 2012 draft prospects with off-field baggage from their college days.

The study, though interesting, doesn't necessarily apply direction to current NFC West teams. Every team in the division has turned over its coaching staff since 2005.

Teams are best off using their judgment on a case-by-case basis, in my view. Ruling out all players with off-field incidents in their past would diminish the talent pool unnecessarily.

Los Angeles Rams fans with long memories will recall when their team moved its games from the Coliseum to Anaheim in 1980.

The San Francisco 49ers' move to Santa Clara, celebrated with a stadium groundbreaking Thursday night, feels much different.

Both the Rams and 49ers were running from stadium problems, but the 49ers have a stadium solution.

Securing a new 49ers stadium to keep the team in the Bay Area stands as a defining achievement for CEO Jed York and the organization, and for Silicon Valley.

The groundbreaking ceremony was a victorious moment for corporate and civic types. This was their day to rejoice, but there's not much in a groundbreaking ceremony for fans to get excited about. The ones I know would rather discuss linebacker depth than what steps builders are taking to comply with environmental regulations.

Besides, those holding tickets to games at Candlestick Park will continue watching games there for the next couple seasons, some knowing they won't be able to afford seats in the new place. Fans nearer Santa Clara have nothing yet to show for the groundbreaking at this early stage. Their time will come once the stadium is completed.

Team headquarters have been in Santa Clara for years. Players and employees tend to live in that area, some 40 miles south of San Francisco down U.S. Highway 101. Relocating two exhibition games, eight regular-season games and home playoff games to Santa Clara will be great for them, even as the organization loses a tangible link to San Francisco.

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle calls the groundbreaking a bittersweet moment for the 49ers. Lynch: "The timing for staying in San Francisco was never right. If Jed York was the head of the 49ers when the team was negotiating with the City for a new stadium, maybe something would have been done. However, his father was at the helm then, and several sources said John York was incapable of moving forward because of the risks involved in such an immense project. So is the ground-breaking to be celebrated? Yes, but in muted fashion because the 49ers will soon have a state of the art facility that should keep the team competitive and even though saying 'San Francisco 49ers' will be somewhat of a falsehood when the team moves South, at least it’s better than saying 'Los Angeles 49ers'."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee outlines the 49ers' vision for the stadium, with an emphasis on environmental considerations. Barrows: "One of the problems Jack Hill, the project executive for the 49ers' new $1.2 billion stadium, currently is facing is how to transport 2,000 tons of dirt and top soil 150 feet in the air. ... The dirt is intended for what the 49ers are hoping will be the signature feature of the venue, a 27,000 square-foot green roof that will support a garden of native plants, which in turn will soak up rainwater and provide insulation for the tower of luxury suites it sits atop."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams hope tackle Jason Smith can adjust his approach to become more consistent. Line coach Paul Boudreau: "He's so intense in everything he does. He does everything in a hurry. I'm trying to show him some patience. And trying to get him to use his hands more than leaning into blocks. Just trying to slow him down. Trying to make the game slower by using good technique as opposed to going out and killing every guy you play. Because when he goes out there, if he hits (the defender), he hits him. But if he misses, it's a dead shot on the quarterback. So we're trying to get him to think a little bit more about his balance and his base, and where he is at the collision point."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals' decision to draft Ryan Williams in the second round last year was one example of going with value over need. Urban: "The Cardinals’ greatest need remains offensive tackle, but as with the Williams pick a year ago, the Cards have been careful not to lock themselves into needs. Early in the draft, when difference-makers can be found more often than not, chasing need can hamstring a team. There has been plenty of speculation whether or not a tackle like Iowa’s Riley Reiff will be there at 13, but for all the middle-of-the-road comments made Thursday, Whisenhunt made clear the Cards weren’t going to held hostage to an offensive line vacancy."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic passes along an anecdote from Cardinals general manager Rod Graves regarding running back LaRod Stephens-Howling, a player Graves might not have selected without their assurances from coach Ken Whisenhunt and personnel director Steve Keim that Stephens-Howling could make an impact despite standing 5-foot-7.

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle identifies five Seahawks players needing strong offseasons. On Golden Tate: "The emergence of Doug Baldwin and most assuredly a draft pick at wide receiver next week, an enhanced look at last year's fourth-rounder Kris Durham and super-freak Ricardo Lockette means it's sink or swim time for Tate (and possibly Mike Williams). Tate has as much if not more explosion and dynamic ability as any receiver on the roster not named Ricardo. Now, he has to prove to Pete Carroll, the offensive staff and his new quarterback that the commitment and 'want-to' will consistently align with his talent."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times updates injury situations for Seahawks tackle James Carpenter, cornerback Walter Thurmond, receiver Sidney Rice and others. GM John Schneider on Rice: "This is the healthiest he's going to be since he's been a professional."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com quotes Schneider on the potentially trading back from the 12th overall choice. Schneider: "Now we’re in a position, especially at 12 -- I look at 12 like at 11, 12, 13 there’s a little bit of a ledge there, there’s a little bit of different players -- so if we want to stay and pick, I think it’s a really cool place to pick. If somebody does something that's really attractive, then we feel comfortable with the way we’ve prepared that we can go back, too. We feel like we’ve covered some things so we can go ahead and just take the good players that come to us."

The NFL draft information and misinformation is flowing freely this week as teams make available their coaches and general managers.

San Francisco 49ers GM Trent Baalke said Wednesday his team had one player in mind for the 30th overall choice, among others the team could consider.

Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, speaking Thursday, said it's tough to know which player his team will select at No. 13.

Both were telling the truth, unless they were bluffing.

I drove over to Seattle Seahawks headquarters Thursday for a pre-draft media session with GM John Schneider. He was vague on strategy, but did say the team has much greater flexibility than it had two years ago, when finding a starting left tackle was an overriding priority. And he said the draft has "a number of attractive linebackers for us" -- one reason the team felt re-signing David Hawthorne wasn't a necessity.

Our latest NFC West chat hopefully provided relief from the pre-draft smoke. A few highlights:

Dre from San Francisco asked which round the 49ers might draft a running back.

Mike Sando: Probably middle rounds or later. The short-term need isn't great, particularly with Brandon Jacobs joining the mix. But life after Frank Gore has to be a consideration. The 49ers have drafted seven running backs since general manager Trent Baalke joined the team. Two in the third, two in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh. When Baalke was with Washington, the Redskins took backs in the first and seventh rounds. When he was with the Jets, they took one in the sixth. The 49ers have taken them in the fourth, sixth and seventh rounds over the past couple years. Teams do not take many of them early. I'd be surprised if the 49ers broke from that.

Rahim from Hackensack, N.J., thinks the Cardinals should get a "decent No. 2 receiver" for quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and John Skelton. He asks why teams expect their quarterbacks to succeed with limited talent. He put the word "limited" in caps and asked why Arizona hasn't addressed "the receiver problem" in free agency.

Mike Sando: The receiver problem? For a team with Larry Fitzgerald? I saw a quarterback problem last year and think Andre Roberts would put up decent numbers with a better QB. Sure, the Cardinals could use another wideout, but I don't see that as their primary problem. They need an offensive tackle more than they need another receiver. Remember, they loaded up at tight end last offseason, too -- all to help the quarterback.

Mickey from St. Louis asks if the St. Louis Rams should feel "the league has it in for them" regarding strength of schedule.

Mike Sando: There is something to your point at the end. The other NFC West teams get to play the Rams. The Rams do not. That hurts the Rams' strength of schedule. As for the league having it in for the Rams, it's hard to say that. One, the opponents are determined by a formula that applies to every team in the NFL. Two, the schedule looks better for the Rams early in this season.

Chris from Rochester, N.Y., asks if I'm buying the "hype" that suggests Seattle has interest in Ryan Tannehill at No. 12.

Mike Sando: I'd add context to the interest by saying most of these scenarios go like this: If Ryan Tannehill were there at No. 12, the Seahawks would take him. That is different from saying they are going into the draft targeting him. Yes, I think they would consider Tannehill at No. 12, but they might also be willing to trade out of there in that case. I don't see it as a quest to get Tannehill.

On that last question, Schneider said Thursday there's no way Tannehill will be available at No. 12, making the subject pointless. His team might want Tannehill. His team also might not have that much interest in taking a quarterback in the first round this year, in which case having Tannehill go earlier would help Seattle by giving the team one additional non-quarterback to consider with the 12th pick.

Trading down in the NFL draft to acquire additional picks sounds good in theory.

Sometimes, it's tough finding a trading partner. Other times, sacrificing quality for quantity hurts a team's prospects.

But in every case, making an effort to trade down requires a team to trust its ability to find quality players later in a draft -- often in the middle rounds.

This is the range where the Seattle Seahawks' Pete Carroll and John Schneider have fared well since taking over the team before the 2010 draft. The team has used seven fourth- and fifth-round choices during that time, most in the division. Those picks have produced a Pro Bowl safety (Kam Chancellor), a very good starting cornerback (Richard Sherman), a starting linebacker (K.J. Wright) and two players coming off injuries (Kris Durham, Walter Thurmond).

I would expect Durham to make a push for playing time in 2012 and make it tougher for Mike Williams to keep a roster spot.

Arizona has also done well drafting in the fourth and fifth rounds. Sam Acho came on strong as a pass-rushing outside linebacker last season, collecting seven sacks, the second-most for a Cardinals rookie since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Another outside linebacker, O'Brien Schofield, gained momentum as the 2011 season progressed, finishing with 4.5 sacks. Anthony Sherman met expectations as a starting fullback while John Skelton finished the season with four fourth-quarter comeback victories.

I've included in the chart below information for St. Louis, but the Rams have new leadership, so those choices tell us nothing about the team's ability to maximize draft choices in the middle rounds. The San Francisco 49ers have used only two picks in the fourth and fifth rounds since 2010. They have one in each round this year.

Overall, I'd say Seattle and Arizona have done well enough in the middle rounds recently to consider trading back in the draft to acquire additional picks in that range. It's a little early to make any declarations about the 49ers or Rams along those lines.

Hitting on picks in this range provides insurance against the occasional whiffs early in a draft, while also building critical depth.

An Arizona Cardinals fan or two has noted in the comments of recent items an apparent shortage of "positive" blog entries regarding the team.

We've had this conversation before, leading to the list of things to like (and dislike) about the Cardinals heading toward the 2012 season.

The subject came to mind again Wednesday when discussing with XTRA Sports 910 AM's Mike Jurecki various NFC West subjects, including the Cardinals' offseason trajectory, during our latest conversation.

XTRA has posted the audio featuring thoughts on all NFC West teams. I've pulled out one part of the discussion for consideration below, knowing we can pick it up from there in the comments of this item.

Jurecki: "Did the Cardinals do enough so far in free agency and the offseason?"

My response: "There is a two-part answer to his. No, they didn't do much. I don't think they made themselves better, really, in the offseason. But it's OK, because it's all coming down to the quarterback anyway. They showed last season that there's enough good things to be an 8-8 team even when it wasn't ideal at quarterback. To take the next step is only going to happen with improved play at that position.

"That is what they were banking on all along. That is going to be what determines their season. Had they made a signing here or there that made a splash and made people feel good about it, I don't think that was going to be the key for them. They did that last year. They brought in Daryn Colledge, they signed some guys. This year, it's all about what the quarterback does in either taking 8-8 to 6-10 or maybe taking it to 9-7 or 10-6."

Gregg Williams' image rehabilitation took a couple steps forward this week, helping his case for eventual reinstatement from an indefinite bounty suspension.

The St. Louis Rams' would-be defensive coordinator reportedly helped out tornado victims early in the week. And even though audio tapes revealed him targeting specific San Francisco players for injuries before a playoff game last season, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and cornerback Carlos Rogers offered public support for him Wednesday.

Over time, these sorts of developments make it easier to envision Williams rehabilitating his image sufficiently for the NFL to strongly consider giving him another chance. We're still early in that process, of course.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Baalke reached out to Williams, his former co-worker with the Washington Redskins. Baalke called Williams a friend and said, "I don't view him any differently today than I did 20 days ago."

Also from Barrows: Baalke cites Malcolm Gladwell in explaining why quick draft-related decisions often are the best ones. Of course, those quick decisions are made after years of research. They're not hunches.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers will poll players before deciding whether to remain on the road between games against Minnesota and the Jets.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle passes along coach Jim Harbaugh's comments on Randy Moss staying away from the team until April 30. The 49ers expect Moss to arrive in time for on-field work and football-related preparation. The team remains in the conditioning phase of its program.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune says the Bears have reached agreement with former 49ers guard Chilo Rachal, an unrestricted free agent. The 49ers had decided to move on from Rachal this offseason.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers insights into the Rams' 2012 schedule. Miklasz: "A huge factor in schedule being so front-loaded with home games is the availability of the Dome. Because of other events booked into the convention center/stadium, several dates in the second half of the season were unavailable for scheduling Rams' home games. That's an issue. I'm sure this will be a point of negotiations in the discussions for a new lease agreement. Not that anyone realistically expects the rebuilding Rams to contend for a playoff spot this season, but to have a fighting chance they'll have to rack some wins early, and take advantage of having three of four at home before traveling to London. Because the schedule turns against them pretty quickly."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the recently re-signed Kellen Clemens already knows the Rams' offense from his days with Brian Schottenheimer and the New York Jets.

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com offers updates from Rams minicamps, with this info on the offensive line: "Jeff Fisher confirmed Wednesday that as it stands, Rodger Saffold will continue to work on the left side with Jason Smith on the right. For now, the open left guard job is being filled by a combination of Robert Turner and Bryan Mattison. Quinn Ojinnaka has been considered as well. Not that any of that means much of anything this early in the game. Much more will be known following the final veteran minicamp in June when the Rams have a full roster."

Also from Wagoner: Smith is back from his concussion.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals cleared room under their salary cap by restructuring their contract with veteran center Lyle Sendlein. Urban: "Sendlein’s cap number was supposed to be $3.25 million, and the move shrinks that number to $1.975 million. Fellow lineman Daryn Colledge did the same kind of thing earlier in the offseason. The Cards have been snug against the cap most of the offseason." Noted: The move means the cap number for Sendlein will rise for future seasons. The cap itself will not increase as much as once expected.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com rounds up various mock draft projections for Seattle, with the following thoughts from Nolan Nawrocki regarding cornerback Stephon Gilmore as one option: "Pete Carroll’s defense thrives on the size and physicality of its cornerbacks. Gilmore has the size desired to hem the line at a premium position of need, a prime reason why cornerbacks such as Gilmore and Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick could be drafted in the top 15."