ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando


Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic says Matt Leinart's stock has risen among fans after he passed for 360 yards and three touchdowns during the second half of the Cardinals' recent preseason game against the Packers. Leinart: "Whatever it is that's happening to me right now, it's a positive thing. There's a positive perception out there of me again, which is good, because I've worked hard to get to this point."


Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says receiver Early Doucet suffered broken ribs in the second quarter of the Green Bay game, the latest injury to set him back. Somers: "It's another setback for Doucet, a third-round pick last year. His development as a rookie was hindered by a hamstring tear, and he suffered a shoulder sprain in camp this year. Doucet was 'tough as nails' in coming back from the shoulder injury, [coach Ken] Whisenhunt said, because he played against the Chargers in the second pre-season game."


Somers and McManaman: Whisenhunt is "still angry" about the Cardinals' performance against Green Bay.


Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says the final exhibition game doesn't mean much unless you're battling for a roster spot. Farnsworth: "The additions of nose tackle Colin Cole in free agency and the versatile Cory Redding in a trade with the Detroit Lions shuffled the starting unit. The production of rookies Nick Reed and Michael Bennett during the preseason created a logjam. If the club can carry only eight or nine, and is worried it can’t get Reed or Bennett through waivers to stash them on the practice squad, it could cost a former high draft choice his roster spot." I can't see the team cutting its 2008 first-round choice even though Lawrence Jackson has hardly shined to this point.


Also from Farnsworth: Cornerback Kelly Jennings picked off two passes in practice. Jennings also made an impressive play on the ball while defending the Chiefs' Dwayne Bowe on Saturday night. The team could very much use Jennings to step up this season.


Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks do not expect cornerback Marcus Trufant to return this week. The Seahawks have given no indication they expect Trufant to be ready for the regular-season opener. Remaining on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list would force him to miss the first six games. The team will not make a decision until league rules compel them to reduce their roster to 53 players.


Also from O'Neil: a chat in which he says the Seahawks will not release Deion Branch. O'Neil: "Is a trade a possibility? The Seahawks would have to get something in return. They're not in a position where they'd want to trade him for a second-day draft pick or anything, but there are teams that are short of wide receivers (cough, cough Denver, cough, cough)." I think the Seahawks' depth at receiver looks much better with Branch on the roster.


More from O'Neil: Brandon Coutu and Olindo Mare are at it again.


Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks expect first-round draft choice Aaron Curry to play a couple of series on defense against the Raiders in the final exhibition game.


Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune shares some unlikely background information on Seahawks punter Jon Ryan. This isn't a tall tale as much as it's a long one -- 109 yards long.


John Morgan of Field Gulls lists 11 defensive linemen among his "locks" to earn spots on the Seahawks' initial 53-man roster. Ten is the highest I can recall.


Brian McIntyre of scout.com sees eight "locks" on the Seahawks' defensive line, with three players on the bubble.


Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Victor Adeyanju is no longer single-handedly trying to improve the Rams' defense. That is because Adeyanju isn't going through this exhibition season with a cast on his hand. Coach Steve Spagnuolo called Adeyanju a "smart" player with versatility.


Also from Thomas: Marc Bulger says he would play in a regular-season game if the Rams had one this week. There's no question he'll miss the final exhibition game to rest his broken pinky finger, however. Bulger indicated he could take pain killers if needed. Bulger: "The first week, there was swelling. I couldn't really bend my finger. But now, I can do everything. There's no pain unless, when I grip the ball and throw, there's a little bit. But it's improved a lot in the last 14 days."


Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams are seeing good things from receiver Laurent Robinson.


Steve Korte of the Belleville News-Democrat says Bulger responded "tersely" in the affirmative when asked if he would be ready for the regular-season opener at Seattle.


Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com says Bulger threw pretty much as normal in practice. Wagoner: "Aside from one wobbly toss, Bulger appeared to be about normal. After throwing normally on Sunday, Bulger taped his pinkie and ring finger together on Monday so as to provide more support because he was throwing longer passes. Bulger says the pinky finger isn’t terribly important for controlling where the ball goes when it’s thrown so much as it’s needed to grip and hold on to the ball."


Brian Stull of 101ESPN St. Louis asks and answers 10 Rams-related questions. Will this team be able to stop the run and rush the passer? Stull: "Until his recent hamstring strain, Leonard Little had looked impressive in training camp and the preseason -- regularly getting to the quarterback. But as Little is now 34, his health and ability to play every down is a question. His 6 sacks tied with James Hall for the team lead last year, both need to get to the quarterback more. Chris Long needs to improve upon his total of 4 and Victor Adeyanju also needs more than just pressure from the edge. Good news is that besides the d-line, expect a lot of blitzing from all positions in this new defensive scheme."





Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers guard David Baas was back at practice after dealing with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot. Also on the injury front, linebacker Ahmad Brooks underwent an arthroscopic procedure to remove a bone chip from his knee. Brooks could miss two to three weeks.


Taylor Price of 49ers.com checks in with linebacker Takeo Spikes for a light-hearted look back at training camp.


Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says Mike Singletary is scaling back the 49ers' workload now that camp has broken. Also: "The pass-rush prowess of linebacker Manny Lawson is one of the keys to the 49ers' season. Through three exhibition games, the pass rush as a whole and Lawson, in particular, have not shown much."


Also from Maiocco: Nate Davis would be the 49ers' fourth choice to play quarterback in a regular-season game. Cutting him seems unlikely, though. Maiocco: "It seems obvious to me that Davis wrapped up a roster spot with his play the past two weeks. The 49ers selected the kid in the fifth round because they wanted him. At this point, they can take no chance of losing him. They must keep him on the roster."


Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Singletary pushed the 49ers hard during camp. Spikes: "This is probably the toughest camp that I've had, simply because of just the work load, the consistency. … I'll tell you, I don't think there would have been as many people to make it through camp if the weather would have been even close to 85 (degrees)."