ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Thanks to those who made the latest NFC West chat possible. Full transcript here. Highlights below.

Cpl Peak (US Marine): Why would people think it is a clear cut win for the cardinals to win the division. They got hot in the playoffs but through out the season they played streaky and barely won the division.

Mike Sando: I don't know if they "barely" won the division. What the Cardinals did was play well when they had to play well. You're right about their inconsistency. But if you look back over the whole season, they were pretty clutch. They ran out to a 7-3 record, putting pressure on the other teams to keep pace. The other teams buckled. The Cardinals showed they couldn't keep playing well without someone chasing them, but when the playoffs started, they were at their best. The Cardinals have less to prove than the other teams in the division, although you are right in saying it's not a clear-cut thing.

Sactown49er (Sacramento, CA): All teams have weak links that they must overcome by the play of other units. Besides the QB situation, what is the 49ers most critical weak spot? Can the 49ers still make a playoff if that weak spot does get completely resolved?

Mike Sando: I don't see horrible deficiencies, but I do think the team could again become vulnerable at right tackle if Marvel Smith follows in the Jonas Jennings tradition. I think it's fair to wonder whether the secondary will hold up if Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson do not produce the desired results from a pass-rushing standpoint.

Jerry (Folsom, CA): Burwell suggested he's 'ok' with the Rams looking at talented knuckleheads. Please tell me the Rams won't consider the likes of Burress. Spags doesn't need the distration, especially when trying to create a disciplined atmosphere on a rebuilding team.

Mike Sando: I don't think the Rams will seriously consider those options right now. The timing isn't right, in my view. They have a first-time head coach and first-time coordinators. They need to be careful about which players they pay at this early stage in their rebuilding. There's no need to go for quick fixes. The Rams have been pretty measured to this point. And while cap limitations have affected them more than they have affected most teams, I sense the Rams are taking a big-picture view here.

Josh (Seattle): considering every teams success is contingent on staying injury free, if the seahawks are healthy (just like the hopes of every other team in the NFL), why cant they compete for the NFC crown?...i see no weak links on all three layers of defense...i think the hawks in fact improved in all three areas...hasselbeck is a pro bowler...the WR corp is bolstered...and julius jones was 13th in the league last year with 4.4 yards per carry with a completely busted offense all around...the 2 areas i constantly see as issues are injuries and the run game....i think both will be fine considerably....thoughts sando?

Mike Sando: Just as it's unrealistic to project debilitating injuries, it's unrealistic to expect everything to go right. Seattle could be vulnerable at running back this season. The pass rush could crumble depending on Patrick Kerney's health and whether Lawrence Jackson, Darryl Tapp and Baraka Atkins develop. The burden of proof is on those guys. We should not just assume they will produce.

Questions about pass rushers are persisting, for good reason. The Rams are counting on 34-year-old Leonard Little. The Seahawks are counting on 32-year-old Patrick Kerney and a few unproven prospects. The 49ers are counting on Manny Lawson. The Cardinals are counting to a degree on 33-year-old Bertrand Berry, 33-year-old Chike Okeafor and, perhaps, rookie second-rounder Cody Brown.