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Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

John from Seattle writes: Seahawks are going to end up with between the 4-8 pick in next year's draft. Should they grab a playmaker like Crabtree or Taylor Mays or go the more conservative route and try to find a guy to help fix their awful offensive line?

Mike Sando: I wonder if they'll consider a defensive lineman. They've invested quite a bit in Marcus Trufant, Deon Grant, Lofa Tatupu and Julian Peterson. They might invest more in Leroy Hill. They cannot count on Kerney's health, and Brandon Mebane can't play all four positions on the line.

Perhaps taking a playmaking defensive lineman early would help Seattle realize its investment in the back seven. Just a thought.

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Paul from parts unknown writes: Mike - Get off the Arizona band wagon, they're not that good. The only reason that they are in the playoffs is because they won a loser division. If they were in any other division they wouldn't even be going to the playoffs.

I take nothing away from Kurt Warner or their two outstanding receivers. The fact is that their defense gives up too many points. Bottom line, they can't run the ball at all. With that weak offensive line Kurt will take a beating and they will get BLOWN out in the first round!

Oh and by the way it doesn't matter if I am a Seahawks fan, facts are facts. The Seahawks had a terrible season but they are still the best team in the West. I'm writing this on Saturday night before the final game of the season. The Seahawks will win the game because they figured out the Cards in the 2nd half of 1st game and mauled Kurt, the Cards entire season changed after that game. The Seahawks exposed them and teams took notice.

I expect Kurt to be on his back a lot tomorrow and throw at least two picks but it could be closer to four. I think Kurt threw two picks in the 1st game but it should have been four as Seattle defenders dropped at least two more!

Mike Sando: If the best team in the NFC West has a 4-11 record entering Week 17, the division is worse off than I realized.

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Marco from parts unknown writes: Is Mike Vick projectd to play in the NFL next season and if so what teams would possibly be interested in having him as a starting quarterback?

Mike Sando: I know of no teams with interest in Michael Vick. Vick remains suspended indefinitely.

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Dugan from Grand Coulee Dam, Wash., writes: I continue to believe Seattle's fall from the top of the lowly NFC West is strictly due to injuries, too many too quick. I still see the Seahawks as the only legit playoff team and SB contender in this division.

I'm just wondering if Holmgren's passing of the torch is gonna send my team back to the mid 90's and multiple 7-9 seasons? I'm confident in Jim Jr., and for the most part our team is very young, just hoping he doesn't have any extreme plans.

Also hope he'll be a lil more aggressive and throw the kitchen sink after players like Boldin once available. Will that even be his place? Or is Ruskell in complete control of such situations? Also, I'm a lil fearful that I actually might see Vick in a Seahawks uniform, please no, but could you give me any inside on him and Jim Jr.'s relationship?

Mike Sando: Don't worry about the Seahawks signing Michael Vick at any point. I feel confident in saying that is not going to happen.

The Seahawks are mostly young on defense, but three of their most important players -- Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones and Patrick Kerney -- are older and injured.

Tim Ruskell would make the decision on trades. The Cardinals almost certainly will not be trading Anquan Boldin within the division, if they trade him at all.

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Aaron from Redmond, Wash., writes: Hey Mike, I was wondering what your thoughts are as far as the Seattle Kicker situation going into next year. It's been said that Olindo Mare is only here because Holmgren wanted a veteran kicker, while Ruskell is holding on to Brandon Coutu to be our kicker of the future. But considering how much success Olindo is having this year, and the fact that he's under contract next year, who do you think will be the kicker next year when the regular season starts?

If Mare beats Coutu in the preseason, do you think Coutu will be cut? Or if they go with Coutu, would Mare have trade value if he's healthy and still kicking well? I thought the thing that might hurt Mare would be his recent injury history, but looking at the injury report from Scott M. Johnson of Heraldnet.com, Brandon Coutu is listed as having a groin injury, which happens to be the same kind of injury that hampered Mare last year, while Mare seems healthy now.

What are your thoughts? Could the results of this competition next preseason tell us a lot about Ruskell and whether he puts the team or his pride first? From an interview I recently read with Mare, he seems very weary about moving his family (especially his young children) to another city again if he doesn't stick in Seattle, so I'd think he'd be happy to sign an extension that would keep him here long term.

Mike Sando: Brandon Coutu was enjoying a strong summer until an injury set him back. I would expect both kickers to compete through training camp and the exhibition season, with Coutu getting the benefit of the doubt as the younger kicker if the competition is close.

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LA49ers from parts unknown writes: Greetings. I do not know why this site does not allow 'freedom of speech' and forcing me to create a new account because some fans can't tolerate an OPINION. Anyway, if the Chargers were to lose, you think Norv Turner might be axed and the 49ers hire him? Gwen Knapp of the Chronicle feels that will happen. What do you think the 49ers will do for OC? i know Martz is not returning.

Mike Sando: The Chargers plan to bring back Norv Turner, according to John Clayton. For that reason, it seems unlikely Turner will land in San Francisco as offensive coordinator in 2009.

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Don from parts unknown writes: It's embarassing that the Cardinals will have thousands of extra seats available for their first ever home playoff game in AZ because of the Fiesta Bowl, yet they cannot sell them because of some technicality.

Mike Sando: At this point, it's fair to wonder if opposing fans might have filled those extra seats. Cardinals fans are a little skeptical at this point. For more on the issues you raised, check out this story in the Arizona Republic.

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Kyle from St. Louis writes: Mike - Happy holidays, and hope you and the Sando clan are well. I was just interested in knowing your thoughts on one aspect of the Rooney Rule. Apparently, the 49ers can simply hand Mike Singletary the job without interviewing anybody else. Doesn't that fly in the face of the rule? All we hear is about how even if minority candidates don't get the job, that "going through the interview process is great experience."

That's the number one line you hear in defense of the Rooney Rule when it's validity is questioned. I have numerous problems with the hypocrisy of the NFL, and especially commissioner Goodell (respect for "the shield", etc., even though there are exotic dancers on the sidelines - and let's not even start with the whole alcohol subject), but why is it no one brings this up? Too scared because it's a racial issue? Anyway, thanks for letting me vent.

Mike Sando: The Rooney Rule is designed to open opportunities for minority candidates, with an eye toward increasing the number of minority coaches. Singletary qualifies as a minority, obviously. I see no problem hiring him without opening the process.

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Adam from Atlanta writes: Mike- How do you explain the Cardinals total collapse by the defense in the 2nd half of the season? The first six weeks they were among the league leaders in sacks and seemed to, "fly around and make plays" as the announcers like to say. Now there's no pressure and teams are having their way with them.

Mike Sando: The Cardinals' defense was playing downhill when the offense was scoring all those points. That would be one consideration. Teams also had some success finding the weakness in Arizona's secondary when injuries forced lesser players into more prominent roles. Finally, the Cardinals are not a very good tackling team. I think that has caught up to them against better opponents.

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Alex from Woodinville, Wash., writes: Why is it that the everyone on ESPN's message boards talk about the seahawks of the past being champs by default? We won the division handily each year and then won 1 or 2 playoff games. The last time the hawks didn't make it out of the first round was 2004. Did people tune out during the last couple of years?

Mike Sando: The abysmal state of the division makes recent division winners vulnerable to that criticism. The poor division certainly didn't hurt the Seahawks in recent seasons.

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Chris from Olympia, Wash., writes: I just wanted to thank Mike Holmgren for bringing football back to Seattle. 10 years of a winning team has rejuvenated everyone's spirits surrounding the Seahawks, and he deserves the Hall of Fame #2 spot behind Steve Largent! GO SEAHAWKS!

Mike Sando: It took him a few years, but Mike Holmgren did help restore the Seahawks and he does deserve credit for that, even though it's always a team effort.

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Efrain from New York City (via San Francisco) writes: Mike, If the niners cant get someone like Bradford or Stafford in the draft and S. Hill is not the short term nor long term solution, what do you think of the niners being in the hunt for someone like Cassell, perhaps the Browns' Anderson, or even Mcnabb for a few years while they develop someone like Tebow who may drop in the draft?

Mike Sando: Shaun Hill has arguably played himself into the veteran starter's role. But if the 49ers could add a talent such as Donovan McNabb, then I think they would have to consider that, and of course they would name him the starter.

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Bobby from Sacramento writes: Sando. Good work on the West. Hypothetically, let?s say the 49ers win this weekend and the Cardinals lose. The 49ers would end the season 1 game behind the Cardinals. Now, remember that Monday night finish where the 49ers blew it at the goal line against Arizona. Does that mean that the 49ers were essentially 1 yard away from making the playoffs? That gives me hope for next year with the resigning of Singletary.

Mike Sando: Thanks, Bobby. I'm not sure what it means. If the 49ers or another NFC West team had kept the pressure on the Cardinals, perhaps Arizona would have played better down the stretch, claiming another victory or two. Also, if you're going to count close defeats as potential victories, it's only fair to count close victories as potential defeats.

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Brandon from Boston writes: Hey, great blog. Just wondering, with all the talk about the Seahawks drafting a young quarterback to eventually replace Hasselbeck, is it possible that maybe Seneca Wallace could be his successor? He's had a few years to sit back and learn behind Hasselbeck, and obviously he's had a great QB coach in Mike Holmgren. Could Wallace be the QB of the future for Seattle?

Mike Sando: Thanks, Brandon. It's possible Wallace could be the successor, but I think the organization would still be wise to add a young prospect at the position. The Seahawks need to avoid a David Greene repeat, however.

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Sean from parts unknown writes: Hey Mike- I'm wondering, what does the NFL do with the money collected from fines on players or teams? Seems to me this money could be put towards a retired players injury fund or to another good cause but I've never heard mentioned what happens to the $10,000 or $30,000 fines after they are levied.

Mike Sando: The money goes to charities. We dove into the subject in some detail a couple months ago. I'd be happy to provide the link.