ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Thanks to those who kept the latest NFC West chat moving. Not many questions about the 49ers' first-round draft choice. What's his name again? No wonder offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye hopes to run the ball 104 percent of the time (or was it only 60 percent?). Full chat transcript here. Highlights below:

Kenny (Seattle): Mike, with Chris Spencer going down do you think Steve Vallos will be able to hold the interior line together, because he was a late round pick and only has a little experience from last year.

Mike Sando: Steve Vallos has a little Robbie Tobeck in him. I like his chances over the long term even though he'll lose some one-on-one battles physically, as Tobeck also would. Chris Spencer is a different caliber of athlete, but I think Vallos could develop into an effective member of a promising young interior on that line.

James (Kansas): From what you have seen so far ... Was Jason Brown's worth the money that StL gave him in the offseason? His contract is pretty HUGE!!!St

Mike Sando: It's ridiculously early to make a judgment there. The money spent for Brown reflects a broader philosophy. The Rams were very weak at center, affecting investments at both guard spots and at quarterback and at running back. Steve Spagnuolo wanted to get bigger and more physical up the middle on both sides of the ball. Brown is a big part of that philosophy. He might never justify that investment based purely on what he contributes individually as a blocker. The Rams signed him to be more than that. From what I saw at camp, Brown seems to have a winning personality and good leadership potential. Those things also appeal to the Rams as they rebuild.

Scott Allen (raisingzona.com) (Arizona): Sando, do you think the Cardinals struggles in the preseason will carry over any to the regular season, given the coordinator changes?

Mike Sando: The coordinator changes should not be the reason for issues early in the season. Defensive coordinator Bill Davis was on the previous staff. He knows the personnel. There's no excuse for a huge adjustment period there. On offense, Todd Haley will be missed. I think he knew how to challenge players. But Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm were the top two offensive coaches when the Cardinals hired this staff. That means there's no excuse for a huge adjustment period. Whisenhunt even called the plays previously.

Chris (Danville, Ca): Sando--is Shaun Hill just the quarterback passing time while Alex Smith either rises, or Nate Davis rises, oe a quarterback is picked at the beginning of the draft? It seems like Hill has no potential, just will allow the 9ers to give Singletary a decent first full season as head coach.

Mike Sando: I tend to agree with your general take on the situation. The 49ers also tend to agree. Otherwise they would have named Hill their starter right after the season. This is a team that named Mike Singletary its head coach without considering other candidates just because the 49ers felt they knew he was the right guy. They've given Smith every chance to beat out Hill, and Singletary has not seemed overly enthused by the play at QB.

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