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The Seattle Seahawks had good reasons for signing veteran guard Robert Gallery in free agency.

Their new assistant head coach/offensive line, Tom Cable, coached Gallery in Oakland and wanted him to provide stability and mentoring for a young offensive line.

There were injury risks, however, and those risks are threatening to make this signing a wash for Seattle. Gallery missed the regular-season opener with a knee injury, then suffered a groin injury against Pittsburgh in Week 2. The severity of that injury became known Monday when coach Pete Carroll said Gallery would require surgery that would sideline him for at least a month, possibly longer.

Rookie James Carpenter filled in for Gallery at left guard in the opener, then moved back to right tackle Sunday. He'll stay at right tackle now, with Paul McQuistan, another former Raider, taking over at left guard.

Gallery, 31, missed four games last season and 10 in 2009. Can he stay healthy once he returns from this surgery? The recent history makes it tough for the Seahawks to bet that he will. And with a team looking to rebuild with youth just about everywhere, what value will Gallery have for the long term if he cannot help the team as anticipated this season?

Signing older linemen with ties to Carroll's coaching staff has not produced desired results over the past two seasons. Ben Hamilton and Chester Pitts, signed before the 2010 season because then-line coach Alex Gibbs had worked with them, battled injuries and are no longer with the team. Neither is on an NFL roster.

Head coach Pete Carroll isn't the only one who thinks Tarvaris Jackson should be the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback.

Quite a few Seattle players think so, too. How else to explain Jackson emerging as one of four player-elected team captains barely one month after taking his first snap on a practice field for Seattle?

"It’s obvious that that’s who they wanted to be their leader," Carroll told reporters Monday.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com has that and more in his post-practice notebook. He also looks at the 10 players still with the team since Carroll's first day as head coach: Marcus Trufant, David Hawthorne, Jon Ryan, Brandon Mebane, Aaron Curry, Leroy Hill, Red Bryant, Max Unger, Justin Forsett and Ben Obomanu.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks' roster is about one year younger on average than any Week 1 rosters for the team since at least 2005. Noted: Those earlier teams had Pro Bowl-caliber players in their primes. Quite a few of those players have retired.

Liz Mathews of 710ESPN Seattle notes that rookie right tackle James Carpenter is getting work at left guard while Robert Gallery recovers from a knee injury. Breno Giacomini is working at right tackle. Noted: Assistant head coach/offensive line Tom Cable wanted a veteran familiar with his scheme. He and Gallery were together with the Raiders for years. Last season, the team brought in Ben Hamilton and Chester Pitts because both had played for then-line coach Alex Gibbs. The expectation is that Gallery has more left than either Hamilton or Pitts, but injuries are a concern. Gallery missed four of the Oakland Raiders' first five games last season. He missed 10 games in 2009.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals' aren't yet sure what role Chester Taylor will play for them this season. Tight end Todd Heap played with Taylor in Baltimore and sized up Taylor this way: "He's a good all-around back. He's not afraid to pass block. He's physical running the ball. He's got great hands out of the backfield; that's one thing that always impressed me about Chester, to catch the ball in space, to catch the ball in traffic." Noted: Heap and Taylor last played together in 2005. Taylor was mostly a backup to that point in his career. He enjoyed a breakout season with Minnesota in 2006.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says veteran linebacker Stewart Bradley was happy to change jersey numbers from 97 to 52, a number more befitting of a linebacker. Noted: Bradley remained in a backup role through training camp as he adjusted from Philadelphia's 4-3 defense to the Cardinals' 3-4 scheme. Arizona gave him a $5 million signing bonus on a five-year, $30 million deal. He needs to start and play well for the Cardinals, and that is the expectation.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams are mostly healthy as the regular-season opener approaches after stressing injury avoidance during training camp. Defensive end Chris Long: "We were still out four hours a day, whether it was walk-throughs or practice. We had some really good long practice sessions. We had even more time in meeting rooms. Hopefully, what it'll do is keep people healthy and put years on careers." Noted: New rules prevented teams from hitting as much during camps this summer. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo had already gone easier on the team in 2010 than he did in 2009, his first season with the team. That is easier for a coach to do once he establishes his program.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com predicts a third-place finish for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West, one spot ahead of Seattle.

Also from Maiocco: thoughts on the 49ers' recent roster moves, specifically why they released draft choice Ronald Johnson and didn't even sign him to their practice squad. Maiocco: "He was the only 49ers' draft pick who did not make it, and it was no surprise. Johnson failed to show any unique skills in 49ers camp. He struggled catching the ball as a wideout, and he mishandled two punts in an exhibition game. What was a bit of a surprise was that the 49ers didn't immediately bring Johnson back to the practice squad. The 49ers signed a rookie receiver to the practice squad on Sunday, but the player chosen was undrafted rookie Joe Hastings of Washburn. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Johnson to their practice squad on Monday."

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers' moves under Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke suggest a long-term approach, not a quick fix. Noted: The 49ers have gotten quite a bit younger this offseason while doing nothing from a personnel standpoint to upgrade their quarterback situation for the immediate term. That's a reflection of a longer-term approach.

Observations from the Seattle Seahawks 24-17 victory over the San Diego Chargers in a preseason game Thursday night:

• Losing left tackle Russell Okung to an ankle injury on the fifth offensive play ruined the night for Seattle. X-rays were negative, the team said, and it was not immediately clear how long Okung would be sidelined.
• The Seahawks need Okung. Building up the offensive line has been Pete Carroll's top priority as the Seahawks' head coach. Carroll has sought highly acclaimed line coaches to lead the unit, going with Alex Gibbs and now Tom Cable. The team has used two first-round picks on tackles in Carroll's two seasons as coach, most recently taking a right tackle (James Carpenter) over a quarterback (Andy Dalton) in an effort to build from the inside out.
• The offensive line struggled badly last season, so even modest success in an exhibition game counts for something. Carpenter had some rough moments in pass protection, but he helped clear the way for a third-and-1 conversion early. He played deep into the third quarter, as did right guard John Moffitt. The experience was valuable for both rookies.
• Rookie linebacker K.J. Wright recognized a screen play quickly and tracked down the receiver for a decisive tackle. Two other Seattle rookie draft choices, linebacker Malcolm Smith and safety Mark LeGree, provided bit hits. Smith chased on his play and finished strong. LeGree broke up a pass with his hit. LeGree also secured Seattle's victory by breaking up a pass in the end zone on the Chargers' final play.
• Two more rookie notes: Defensive end Pep Levingston batted down a pass on third-and-long, while undrafted free agent Jeron Johnson broke up a pass. Johnson also made a third-down tackle in the backfield off the left edge. And he combined with LeGree on the Chargers' final play.
• Seattle’s quarterbacks were under siege early and didn’t have many opportunities to make big plays. Tarvaris Jackson moved effectively, as anticipated, and scrambled for a first down up the middle amid heavy traffic. But the offense had no rhythm. That was expected. Jackson and other players with new contracts began practicing only one week ago.
• Backup Charlie Whitehurst gained momentum as the third quarter progressed. His strike to tight end Dominique Byrd for a 29-yard gain stood out. What did we learn about him Thursday night? Not much. Whitehurst has produced at times during past exhibition games (214 yards, 107.0 rating in the 2010 opener). He completed 14 of 20 passes for 115 yards in this one, with no touchdowns, interceptions or sacks. His rating was 84.4.
• Third-string quarterback Josh Portis built upon the positive impression he made early in training camp. He showed a good feel for the game, moving away from pressure and finding tight end Anthony McCoy for a 6-yard touchdown. This performance should build confidence for Portis. Coaches and teammates were enthusiastic in their support for him following the touchdown pass.

Okung's status is the note that matters most stemming from this game. If Okung misses an extended period, the line will have a harder time against teams with strong right defensive ends (Seattle faces Justin Smith and the San Francisco 49ers on the road in Week 1). The team might also have to keep a tight end near the formation for blocking help.

Adam Schein of Sirius NFL Radio and FoxSports.com is back with his third annual NFL organizational rankings.

The Seattle Seahawks have overtaken the Arizona Cardinals for the top spot in the division based on ownership, quarterback, coach, front office, coaching staff and intangibles. Schein values each of those categories the same for the purposes of his evaluation, scoring teams on a 10-point scale and allowing, in some cases, for expected moves to influence rankings.

I had fun breaking down his second annual rankings a year ago.

The division has welcomed one new owner since last offseason. Quarterback situations remain unsettled. The Seahawks' playoff success lent credibility to coach Pete Carroll even though the team finished with a 7-9 record during the regular season. The lockout has subsequently made it tougher for teams to help themselves. Some of these grades could change based on how teams proceed during free agency, particularly in relation to the quarterback position.

A look at Schein's rankings and comments for NFC West teams, followed by my own thoughts:

12. Seattle Seahawks (37.5 of 60 points)

Schein: The facilities are state of the art. The home-field advantage with the '12th man' is significant. Coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider inherited a total mess. They were super-active last season, bringing in different combinations of players, leading to a street free-agent gem like Mike Williams. Hiring Tom Cable to coach the offensive line was a great move. Seattle, finally, has a good structure in place.

Sando's thoughts: The Seahawks' ability to resolve the quarterback situation will determine whether they remain on an upward trajectory. Paul Allen is an owner with plenty of resources. He stays out of the way on football decisions. The team would benefit if Allen were more involved at the league level, but that is not his style. Qwest Field provides one of the strongest home-field advantages in sports when there's something to cheer about. Schneider seems to work well with Carroll, creating a positive front-office culture. They fared well in patching holes with Chris Clemons, Raheem Brock and Leon Washington, among others. Replacing the retired Alex Gibbs with Cable stands out as a strong recovery.

16. Arizona Cardinals (36 of 60 points)

Schein: The Cards cut pay for employees across the board during the lockout. That smells of the Cardinals in the past. But Arizona’s track record of churning out excellent drafts under Rod Graves and Steve Keim is sensational. Ken Whisenhunt is the perfect coach for the Cardinals. The stadium is beautiful. The Arizona public relations staff knows how to promote the product and is regarded as top-notch. I give the Cards only a 4 at quarterback because right now Kevin Kolb is a very educated guess. If it wasn’t for that potential, it would be a minus-4.

Sando's thoughts: Ken Whisenhunt scored eight points from Schein, more than any other coach in the division commanded. That is fair based upon the Cardinals' playoff success alone. The Cardinals have a beautiful stadium, but they're in a market heavy on transplants, making it tougher to develop the loyalty other teams enjoy. Schein's nine-point score for the Cardinals' front office reflects his high opinion of the team's recent draft classes. There have been successes, no question, but the grade appears generous. Seven of the nine players Arizona drafted in the first three rounds from 2007-09 have arguably failed to meet expectations (Beanie Wells, Cody Brown, Rashad Johnson, Early Doucet, Levi Brown, Alan Branch and Buster Davis). Other teams in the division haven't fared appreciably better, but nine points on a 10-point scale seems high under the circumstances.

19. St. Louis Rams (33.5 of 60 points)

Schein: Finally, optimism! Coach Steve Spagnuolo and QB Sam Bradford changed the culture in St. Louis. The ownership issue has become a back-burner topic.

Sando's thoughts: The Rams scored only three points from Schein for ownership. I would give the Rams the benefit of the doubt in that category based on Stan Kroenke's record as a franchise owner in other sports. Kroenke gives the Rams an experienced billionaire owner with a long history in the NFL. The other NFL owners were quick to welcome Kroenke as majority owner, a positive sign for the Rams. The front office scored only five points from Schein, but it's looking like that ranking will rise in the future. Bradford, Chris Long, James Laurinaitis and Rodger Saffold have become impact players as high draft choices. The team scored big in free agency with Fred Robbins last season. Long-term stadium questions persist and the Rams need to maintain their recent improvement to climb the rankings.

24. San Francisco 49ers (28 of 60 points)

Schein: It appears that the Niners have cleared redevelopment hurdles in preparation of their move to Santa Clara in 2015. And not a moment too soon. Jim Harbaugh, Jed York and Bob Lange are major upgrades for head coach, owner and PR director in recent years. The Niners have done a nice job this year with social media. Mike Singletary was a train wreck, more punchline than coach, and Harbaugh will live up to the hype.

Sando's thoughts: The 49ers scored only one point for quarterback and four for their front office in this survey. That is a bit surprising on the quarterback front given the hope San Francisco holds for rookie Colin Kaepernick. In courting Alex Smith, the 49ers might be betting too heavily on Harbaugh's coaching powers. The improvement from Singletary to Harbaugh in dealing with quarterbacks and establishing a modern offensive philosophy has to pay off. Schein gave five points to York for ownership. That score will hinge on whether York was right about Harbaugh and whether the team secures a new stadium as desired. Silicon Valley player Gideon Yu's addition to the front office seemed like an enterprising move.

The 2011 NFL draft is getting close enough now for fans to shift from draft-day dreams to potential nightmares. I ran across a couple such questions in the latest NFC West chat. Transcript here. Highlights below.

todd (phoenix,AZ): Mike, a theoretical here. Let's say Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton, Von Miller and Patrick Peterson are all gone when Arizona is picking at No. 5. You are the head coach and the GM. Who do you take, hotshot?!

Mike Sando: Love the question. I'd go with Marcell Dareus in that spot, then figure out how to use him. The Cardinals have good talent on their defensive line, but they could not stop the run very well last season. Adding another big guy up front would foster competition, improve depth and help the defense overall. I would also consider taking A.J. Green as insurance in case Larry Fitzgerald does not come back. Playmakers are always good to have.

Travis M (Tucson): Love your blog, best one out there. What is the worst-case scenario for my favorite team, the 49ers? I'm hoping we get either Patrick Peterson or Von Miller (in that order), but after the past decade, I'm preparing for the worst.

Mike Sando: Thanks, Travis. The last time the 49ers picked in the top seven, they came away with an eventual Pro Bowl tight end, so don't get too discouraged. The worst-case scenario is reaching for a quarterback, then spending four, five or more years figuring out he cannot play.

Bobby (Salem): Would you say its safe to assume if Jimmy Smith is drafted by the Seahawks that Kelly Jennings will be traded once the new CBA is signed? Or do you think Pete Carroll and crew will be skittish about making the same "mistake" they made in trading Josh Wilson away?

Mike Sando: The Seahawks do not see the Josh Wilson trade as a mistake at all. They were very eager to make it -- so eager that they didn't push for a higher pick in return as hard as they probably should have pushed. They knew they would not be bringing back Wilson for 2011, so they figured they would get something in return while they could. If the Seahawks could take back any one trade from last year, it would probably be the Rob Sims trade, which was made only because Alex Gibbs was the offensive line coach. As for Kelly Jennings, his deal expired after the 2010 season. He'll be a free agent. Seattle could not trade him.

Tyler (New Hampshire USA): People have been saying that the Rams will take Mark Ingram with their first pick, maybe. Is this a good idea? Why not draft a position that they need more like receiver or outside linebacker and sign a mediocre RB via free agency.

Mike Sando: The Ingram/running back talk is premature by about a year. Replacing Steven Jackson is something the Rams need to think about, but not something they really need to act upon right away. If Ingram were easily the best value, sure, the Rams could consider it. But if I were them, I'd be looking for a shifty, quick back to provide a change of pace.

As for draft scenarios, the term "nightmare" falls on the severe side, but "less than ideal" seemed insufficient.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Draft philosophy.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals expect their draft choices to address immediate needs even if the players they choose do not start right away. They pay less lip service to the "best player available" mantra than some teams.

"There is a line you walk between both of them, where you draft the best available player for your need," coach Ken Whisenhunt explained before the 2010 draft. "You always consider where your depth is, where your greatest margin of improvement is going to come, and that is kind of what we look toward when we do that."

The Cardinals put together two draft boards. One rates players on overall NFL potential. The other lists the 120 players Arizona would consider drafting, taking into account the Cardinals' needs as well.

San Francisco 49ers

General manager Trent Baalke puts an old-school emphasis on measurables in the belief that bigger, stronger athletes hold up better over the course of a season. His former boss, Scot McCloughan, shared the same philosophy, which he traced back to Ron Wolf.

I expect that philosophy to continue. It fits well with new coach Jim Harbaugh's belief in establishing a power running game to facilitate play-action opportunities.

The first three players San Francisco selected in the 2010 draft -- tackle Anthony Davis, guard Mike Iupati and safety Taylor Mays -- fit the "size matters" philosophy.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams feel good enough about the foundation they've built to tolerate more risk than they were willing to accept when GM Billy Devaney and coach Steve Spagnuolo were in the early stages of remaking the roster.

We saw that last year when the Rams used a third-round choice for cornerback Jerome Murphy and a fourth-rounder for receiver Mardy Gilyard. Murphy had been suspended from his college team for violating team rules. Gilyard was more flamboyant than most recent Rams choices. Draft analysts raised potential character concerns in both cases.

This is not to suggest the Rams have abandoned their core values. They are simply far enough along in the building process to expand their options.

Side note: Over the past two seasons, the Rams have used both first-round choices on players from the Big 12 Conference and both second-rounders on players from the Big Ten.

Seattle Seahawks

Any struggling team with new leadership will be active in addressing weaknesses.

The Seahawks have taken it to another level under coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider. These guys are energetic, aggressive and unapologetic. They would rather wheel and deal than stand pat, an approach that led to multiple trades in their first draft together.

The lockout will prevent teams from trading veteran players, limiting the Seahawks' options this year.

The team is more unified philosophically this year because offensive line coach Tom Cable shares more conventional views on prospects at his position. Cable's predecessor, Alex Gibbs, was more particular in what he wanted, affecting the overall approach.

Matt from Phoenix thinks the Cardinals could have a difficult time filling a primary need such as pass-rusher with the fifth overall choice, given that Von Miller might not be available. He wonders how well North Carolina's Robert Quinn would fit in Arizona, and at what point the Cardinals might lean more toward taking the best player regardless of immediate need, such as LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Mike Sando: Every first-round choice under Ken Whisenhunt has addressed a primary need, from tackle Levi Brown (2007) to cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (2008) to running back Beanie Wells (2009) to nose tackle Dan Williams (2010). None qualified as a blatant reach, however. Value lined up with need more often than not in those examples.

Arizona has enough needs for most first-round selections to address one. The Peterson example stands out as more extreme than most. As much as the team wants more consistent play from its corners, including Rodgers-Cromartie, that position doesn't rank among the primary need areas for Arizona.

The Cardinals need to help their pass rush by adding and developing talent at outside linebacker. That looks like a priority whether or not O'Brien Schofield emerges after more fully recovering from a knee injury that hurt his draft stock in 2010.

What if Miller isn't available? I do think Arizona could justify selecting Peterson fifth if he stood out as clearly the best player on the board. He's seen as a safe pick, and I'm sure new defensive coordinator Ray Horton, a former cornerback, wouldn't fight adding an elite talent at the position. I bet the Cardinals would get more from Rodgers-Cromartie with Peterson competing for acclaim.

The team could seek pass rush help later; when Horton was with Pittsburgh, the Steelers used second-round choices for Jason Worilds (2010) and LaMarr Woodley (2007). The Steelers did not ask those players to contribute right away.

Any player Arizona selects fifth overall will have to contribute right away. I'm convinced of that. It's one reason I do not think the Cardinals will draft one of the quarterbacks potentially available in that slot. Peterson would start right away.

As for Quinn, he was a defensive end in college. He was known more for rushing the passer than playing the run. He did not play in 2010. Doctors discovered a brain tumor (benign) in 2007. I suspect the Cardinals would have too many questions to use such a high choice for him. They'll be looking for a safer pick in that spot.

It's tough to imagine Arizona passing on Miller if he's available at No. 5.

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Mike from Friday Harbor, Wash., wonders whether Tom Cable's presence in Seattle will steer the Seahawks toward an offensive lineman -- and away from a developmental quarterback -- with the 25th pick in the 2011 NFL draft. He thinks drafting to fill immediate needs appears more sensible with a long list of potential free agents and no third-round choice.

Mike Sando: The Seahawks do hold the second choice of the fourth round, plus consecutive picks in the fifth, but you are right about having immediate needs.

Cable's presence makes the Seahawks more likely to sign Oakland Raiders guard Robert Gallery in free agency, which could lessen the need to draft an immediate starter along the line. Cable's presence also makes the team more likely to consider a guard in the first round because Cable, unlike predecessor Alex Gibbs, shares the personnel department's affinity for larger interior linemen

Since 1995, Gibbs' teams never drafted a guard or center in the first round. The guards his teams drafted since 1995 averaged 289 pounds. Tackle Russell Okung was the only offensive lineman Seattle drafted in Gibbs' lone season with the team. While Gibbs lauded the selection, drafting a left tackle sixth overall was an organizational move. Gibbs was more particular about interior offensive linemen; that is why the team signed veteran guards Ben Hamilton and Chester Pitts, who had played for Gibbs previously.

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Ernest from Corpus Christi, Texas, expects the San Francisco 49ers to draft a quarterback, but he wonders whether they'll play said quarterback right away, and how those plans could change based on which veteran the team adds.

Mike Sando: There's almost no way the 49ers would go into the 2011 season planning to start a rookie quarterback. It could happen, I suppose, if the 49ers surprisingly selected one seventh overall, then failed to land a veteran of any note. And it could happen if the quarterback they drafted outperformed reasonable expectations during camp and showed himself to be the team's best option.

More likely, the 49ers will add a quarterback after the first round, then give that quarterback some time to develop.

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Heef from Chesapeake, Va., wonders why the 49ers select seventh in the first round without holding the seventh pick in subsequent rounds.

Mike Sando: The 49ers were one of seven teams with a 6-10 record last season. They picked seventh overall, then rotated with the seven other 6-10 teams in subsequent rounds.

For example, Tennessee picked 39th, followed by Dallas (40th), Washington (41st), Houston (42nd), Minnesota (43rd), Detroit (44th) and San Francisco (45th). The 49ers moved up one spot in that rotation in the third round, and so on.

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Ronan from Dublin asks whether NFL rules on cross-ownership will come into play regarding Stan Kroenke's expected increased stake in the Arsenal Football Club.

Mike Sando: The cross-ownership rules apply most stringently when an NFL owner owns a non-football team in a competing market. Kroenke's interests in Arsenal shouldn't affect his interests in the Rams.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: decision-makers.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals' leadership team remains basically unchanged for a fifth consecutive offseason.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt is the face of the organization, even during the draft, in part because general manager Rod Graves keeps a low profile. Both earned contract extensions last offseason. Whisenhunt was coming off back-to-back division titles and had been to a Super Bowl at that point, so his profile within the organization was growing. One losing season hasn't changed that.

Whisenhunt, Graves, team president Michael Bidwill and player personnel director Steve Keim are the primary decision-makers. Whisenhunt appears most prominent among them.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers pulled a surprise of sorts when they named Trent Baalke general manager and made him the No. 1 personnel decision-maker in the building.

The feeling previously had been that the 49ers might have to hand over personnel power to their next head coach if they were serious about landing Jim Harbaugh or another top candidate. That did not happen. Baalke, whose profile became more prominent following Scot McCloughan's departure from the organization one year ago, will make the call during the draft.

The rapport between Baalke and Harbaugh appears much stronger, by all accounts, than the relationship between Baalke and former coach Mike Singletary. That is natural because Baalke played a leading role in hiring Harbaugh; he wasn't part of the process when the team promoted Singletary.

Seattle Seahawks

Coach Pete Carroll has the final say on personnel matters. It's in his contract, but not something he flaunts. Carroll played a role in hiring John Schneider as general manager last offseason. Their personalities mesh and the two worked together well in making multiple draft-day moves in 2010.

This is the Seahawks' most comfortable front-office arrangement in recent memory, largely because Carroll and Schneider were brought in together. Each is invested in the other to a degree that did not exist when Mike Holmgren was working with Bob Whitsitt, Bob Ferguson and Tim Ruskell over the years.

The Seahawks' decision-making process has more clarity heading into this draft now that Alex Gibbs has retired as offensive line coach. Gibbs' strong preference for a very specific type of offensive lineman affected how the team approached personnel decisions, especially at guard. His retirement has freed the team to more comfortably pursue the bigger guards its personnel department preferred.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams have new ownership with Stan Kroenke purchasing a majority stake, but the day-to-day decision-makers remain in place for a third consecutive offseason.

General manager Billy Devaney takes the lead in personnel matters with input from coach Steve Spagnuolo and executive vice president/chief operating officer Kevin Demoff.

Kroenke hasn't said whether the team will eventually hire a president. It doesn't matter heading into this draft.

The organization is coming off a transforming 2010 draft in which it landed quarterback Sam Bradford and left tackle Rodger Saffold with its first two choices. Two other recent high picks, Chris Long and James Laurinaitis, are also working out well.

That has to work in Devaney's favor as Kroenke assesses where the organization stands.

DALLAS -- All defensive tackles were not created alike. That goes for the great ones, too.

Some are mostly run-stuffers, coming off the field in passing situations. Others rush the passer with little or no regard for playing the run.

Very few could dominate across all situations. Cortez Kennedy could, and did, during an 11-year NFL career that landed him a spot among the final 10 candidates for the most recent Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Kennedy is among the final 15 modern-era finalists again this year, and I'll be presenting his case to the other selectors during our annual meeting Saturday.

Several themes have emerged during my research into Kennedy's career. I'll expand upon them here one by one, drawing upon coaches and players' first-hand knowledge.

Sheer physical dominance

Very good players sometimes enjoy great careers. Some lean heavily on savvy and preparation. Not all of them dominate physically. Kennedy generated superior power and sudden quickness from a massive lower body.

"Cortez was the most dominant interior lineman that we ever faced and certainly the very best against the run," said former Oakland Raiders guard Steve Wisniewski, an eight-time Pro Bowl choice between 1989 and 2001.

Seattle scrapped its 3-4 defense to rebuild around Kennedy at a time when Kennedy's college coach at Miami, Jimmy Johnson, was bringing his 4-3 scheme to the NFL.

"That time in football is when you really got the dominant defensive players inside," Johnson said. "The big, overpowering defensive linemen inside just disrupted everything. Cortez got teams looking for that dominant player."

There's that word again -- dominant.

"He was very dominant and could take over the game," said longtime NFL offensive line coach Howard Mudd, who coached for and against Seattle during Kennedy's career. "He just had great instincts about where the ball was and he was a pass-rusher so you would think, 'Gee, we could run screens on that guy.' But he smelled them out and he was always running into the screens."

Longtime NFL offensive line coach Alex Gibbs said offenses had to plan for Kennedy specifically or pay the consequences, or both. Gibbs coached the lines for three of Seattle's old AFC West rivals across 10 of Kennedy's 11 seasons. He was with Seattle briefly in 2010, and that is when he provided a testimonial.

"The Seahawks were a nightmare because I knew I was going to get them twice a year, and it was going to boil down to making a decision -- do I spend all my time with Cortez or do I deal with those other guys?" Gibbs said.

Complete player

Kennedy joined John Randle, Bryant Young and Warren Sapp on the NFL's all-decade team for the 1990s. He was a different type of defensive tackle, opponents said. They lauded him for his versatility.

"I knew that when I was going to go play against Cortez Kennedy, it was going to be a full-meal deal, a battle," said retired Pro Bowl center Tim Grunhard, who started 164 games for Kansas City from 1990 to 2000. "I knew when I was going against Warren Sapp, when you got him, you could block him. ... At times, he lined up as wide as any tackle ever. Cortez Kennedy lined up head-on you and went man to man and dominated you."

Asked to rank Kennedy among contemporaries, Wisniewski wanted to know which tackles appeared on the all-decade team for the 1990s. I ran through the names and asked Wisniewski to put Kennedy's abilities in perspective.

"(Kennedy) had that ability to stop the run, to play with leverage and have the quickness to hit the edge of an offensive guard and split the seams to put pressure on the quarterback," Wisniewski said. "Hands down, he was a much better player against the run than a John Randle, much better than a Warren Sapp. I didn't have to play against Bryant Young as many times. He was a much lighter guy, kind of high effort, 50-50 (against run and pass alike)."

Randle is already in the Hall of Fame. Sapp and Young are not yet eligible for consideration. Each was outstanding in his own way, but Kennedy was different.

Made teammates better

Kennedy collected 14 sacks in 1992 and 58 for his career even though Seattle asked him to do so much more than rush the passer. Opponents funneled more resources toward Kennedy after that 14-sack season, creating opportunities for his teammates. Michael Sinclair, Sam Adams, Michael McCrary and others benefited.

"He was such a powerful guy who could play, in essence, two gaps," Gibbs said. "He forced you to get two people on him in order to get through the seams, which gave the linebackers who played here a tremendous advantage. You couldn’t get the combinations to block him. You always tried to get one of them off and his body frame was so wide and strong that we couldn’t get there, so the linebackers made all the plays. He had a unique ability to control one and force another to free up his teammates to make a lot of plays."

Former Seahawks linebacker Terry Wooden said the same thing recently when I happened to be sitting near him on an airplane. According to Wooden, Kennedy would never seek to make a play on his own if it meant weakening the defense overall or compromising a teammate.

Durability and accolades

Kennedy played 16 games nine times, 15 games once and eight games in his only injury-shortened season. He matched Reggie White and Bruce Smith as the only defensive linemen with eight Pro Bowls during the 1990s. He went to as many Pro Bowls during the 1990s as Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Bruce Smith and Derrick Thomas.

Kennedy was also the Associated Press' defensive player of the year on that 2-14 team, which featured one of the worst offenses in NFL history (Seattle was the only NFL team to field a top-10 defense in 1990, 1991 and 1992). Only White and Lawrence Taylor won the award previously while playing for losing teams.

According to the Seahawks, Kennedy played more than 90 percent of the defensive snaps for at least his first six seasons, including 97.2 percent in 1994.

Since sacks became an official stat in 1982, Kennedy and Hall of Famer Randy White are the only defensive tackles with at least 150 starts, 50 sacks and eight Pro Bowls. Again, though, the sack totals were never what defined Kennedy's contributions.

Grunhard put it this way: "When they are 330 pounds, at times their job is to tie you up. Their job is to clog up the middle. It is not fair when people say they are taking plays off. They are doing their jobs. There is a difference. Sometimes plays aren't designed for them to make the plays. Their job is to free up other people and he did a great job doing that. But when Cortez wanted to go and had the opportunity to go make a play, he was unstoppable. He was unblockable. That puts him in an elite level."

Tai from Seattle writes: Other than the Bears and Jets, it looks like player health was the big loser during championship weekend. Players claim to care about safety, yet some openly attacked an injured player for not playing hurt, like a bunch of junior high bullies.

Mike Sando: Interesting point, and well stated. In fairness to NFL players, the renewed emphasis on safety focuses largely on concussions, and at no point did it appear as though the Bears' Jay Cutler suffered a debilitating, life-altering injury.

Most of the attacks on Cutler, at least the ones that I saw, came via Twitter. I think it's pretty clear some players view Twitter as a venue for informal chatter without realizing the impact their words can have in a broader context. It's what you say, not where you say it.

Back to your point, though. Players' emphasis on safety does not do away with the culture of toughness. It's possible to question a player's toughness in a specific moment while supporting player safety overall. It does seem as though players should get the benefit of the doubt before the facts about an injury become known. That did not happen in this case.

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Jason from Rochester, N.Y., writes: Hey Mike, with Seattle's attention turning toward the draft, I was wondering if you could fill in some gaps for me. Both lines need starters and depth. What combination of size and skills should we be looking for in zone-blocking guards? How about for the "Leo" position and for some depth behind Red Bryant? Thanks as always.

Mike Sando: There was irony in Ben Hamilton's contention that "personnel disputes and butting heads" precipitated Alex Gibbs' retirement as line coach right before the 2010 regular season. Hamilton and players in his mold would have been at the center of those disputes.

Gibbs always wanted smaller guards such as Hamilton. Other proponents of zone blocking schemes have come to favor larger ones. Gibbs valued mobility, but smaller guards have a harder time holding up in those moments when size and strength prevail.

We should expect the Seahawks to favor bigger offensive linemen than the ones Gibbs usually sought. We should expect them to favor the types of offensive linemen Tom Cable prefers.

The success Bryant enjoyed suggests the Seahawks could seek other top-heavy defensive tackles for the five-technique alignment.

The "Leo" requirements are pretty simple. Seattle will be looking for players with traits associated with 4-3 defensive ends and 3-4 outside linebackers. Coach Pete Carroll has described it as a "speed-oriented" position.

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Tony from Bakersfield, Calif., writes: The Bears' Caleb Hanie played very well against the Packers for being a third-stringer and not getting much practice reps. He doesn't have much experience, but he is worth a look. Do you think the Niners might try to sign him or trade for him if Chicago re-signs him instead of trading for Matt Flynn or Kevin Kolb? They would give less for Hanie. He showed promise in a playoff game under all that pressure. None of the current 49ers quarterbacks would have played that well.

Mike Sando: Hanie did impress. The moment was not too big for him. On the other hand, he was the third-stringer behind Todd Collins, and there wasn't much pressure on him at all, in my view. Hanie was the third-stringer. The Bears were losing by double digits. No one expected Hanie to succeed in that situation.

Hanie did a good job, but it wasn't enough for another team to bet very much on him. The 49ers should consider all options. They should not act in desperation. They need at least one quarterback with some experience. They probably need to draft one. And if they are going to trade for one, they might need more to go on than one-plus quarters in a losing cause.

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Mike writes via Facebook: I read Sando's column on my question and can see his point [regarding Carson Palmer and the Cardinals]. Of course, if a second-rounder gets him, then I'm find with that. But my point here is that if keeping Larry Fitzgerald hinges on getting a great quarterback, is there anyone better out there than Palmer? And while I think the questions on Palmer's health are valid, are you really going to debate that at the risk of losing Fitzgerald? I think not.

With what Palmer has gone through in Cincinnati, I think he'd love a move to Arizona to start for a couple of years while grooming John Skelton or another young guy and finishing out his career as respected and loved by Arizona fans as Warner is and always will be. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Mike Sando: It is a no-brainer if the price is right. Re-watching almost any Cardinals game from the 2010 season will make Palmer or any competent quarterback seem appealing.

It's important for the Cardinals to get the quarterback situation solved for many reasons, including creating an environment that helps keep Fitzgerald in Arizona for the long term.

Alex Gibbs was supposed to transform the Seattle Seahawks' offensive line.

Instead, the veteran line coach retired abruptly right before the 2010 regular season, leading eventually to Tom Cable's hiring as a replacement.

Gibbs was worn out, coach Pete Carroll said, and it would not have been the first time. Gibbs' hard-charging ways had taken a toll on him in past jobs.

Left unsaid, however, was to what degree clashes behind the scenes precipitated Gibbs' retirement. Gibbs wanted specific types of players to run his scheme a very specific way. He wasn't the type to defer. It was natural to wonder to what degree personal and/or philosophical differences came into play.

Former Seahawks guard Ben Hamilton has offered his opinion via Twitter, citing "personnel disputes and butting heads" as reasons for Gibbs' abrupt departure. Hamilton played for Gibbs previously in Denver. Gibbs was the reason he signed with Seattle. Hamilton would probably have a good feel.

The reasoning behind Gibbs' departure isn't a pressing issue at this point, but Hamilton's comments provide some direction.

The NFL's busiest time of year -- known as the offseason -- will transform every NFC West team in significant ways.

The moves made Tuesday continued a transformation that began with the San Francisco 49ers replacing Mike Singletary with Jim Harbaugh.

We've seen the Arizona Cardinals fire their defensive coordinator. We've seen the Cleveland Browns hire St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as their head coach. We've seen the Rams replace Shurmur with Josh McDaniels. We've seen the Seattle Seahawks fire offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, hire Tom Cable as offensive line coach and remake other staff positions.

And it's still only January.

Five quick thoughts on matters lingering from Tuesday:

• McDaniels and the money. Reported issues over money, whatever they were, did not doom the deal. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch indicated the sides had been $200,000 apart, and that McDaniels had separately sought $2 million per season from Minnesota. The settlement McDaniels worked out with the Denver Broncos removed him from their books, meaning there would be no salary offset for McDaniels' next employer. If the Broncos were still paying McDaniels, the Rams could have paid a modest wage to him and Denver would have been responsible for the difference between what the Rams were paying and what the Broncos still owed.
• Seattle's involvement a bit murky. The Seahawks' hiring of Cable to coach their offensive line supports suspicions that McDaniels was never a serious candidate in Seattle. Whether McDaniels was using Seattle for leverage with the Rams is tough to know. But it's illogical on multiple fronts to think Seattle would have hired both Cable and McDaniels, or that the team turned to Cable only after missing out on McDaniels. That isn't how business gets done. The deal with Cable was surely in the works longer than the few hours that McDaniels emerged as a candidate.
• Cable might have affected Bates. Let's stick with the idea that Seattle had its mind set on Cable for some time. This would make sense because the Seahawks lost their offensive line coach, Alex Gibbs, before the season. They had plenty of time to consider replacements. Cable and Gibbs worked together in Atlanta, so there would be some carryover. Cable and Bates never worked together. Adding Cable, who brings a strong personality and his own ideas, would have affected Bates. Could they have coexisted? How would Bates' strong personality and old-school demeanor fit with a line coach who allegedly punched out an underling in Oakland?
• Robert Gallery-to-Seattle makes sense. The Seahawks need help at guard. Cable coached a pretty good one, Robert Gallery, in Oakland. Gallery can become a free agent after this season. Gallery was known to like Cable. Signing Gallery would make sense for Seattle and it could be easier with Cable on staff.
• Arizona's inactivity is conspicuous. The Cardinals need a defensive coordinator. They are not, by all accounts, interviewing candidates at this time. That suggests they're waiting for a candidate from a team still in the playoffs. Coach Ken Whisenhunt's connections to Pittsburgh suggest the Steelers might be that team. Hiring the right coordinator is what matters. The timing is a secondary issue. But if this process doesn't go well for Whisenhunt, it's a significant setback for him and for the team.
• Who replaces Bates? The Seahawks interviewed Minnesota Vikings assistant Darrell Bevell as a potential quarterbacks coach. Reports suggest Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave could land in Cleveland with Shurmur. Cable's hiring suggests the Seahawks will continue to favor zone blocking tactics. The Seahawks pretty much have to hire around Cable, it seems. Might Cable, as assistant head coach/offensive line, serve as a sort of running game coordinator? So many questions, so few answers. But it's early.

On a side note, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says Browns quarterbacks coach Carl Smith could be a candidate for an unspecified job with the Seahawks.

The St. Louis Rams announced Josh McDaniels' hiring as offensive coordinator just as the Seattle Seahawks were announcing Tom Cable's addition as offensive line coach.

Cable's hiring gives the Seahawks' offensive line the identity it has been seeking. The team thought former line coach Alex Gibbs might provide that identity. Gibbs retired right before the 2010 season. Cable, recently fired as the Oakland Raiders' head coach, brings a strong personality and a reputation for toughness to the Seahawks.

Cable and Gibbs were with the Atlanta Falcons during the 2006 season, so there could be some carryover. On the surface, we should expect the Seahawks to continue using zone blocking tactics, but probably with larger guards than Gibbs preferred.

Having McDaniels and Cable in the same division should be fun. Cable's Raiders ran up the score during a 59-14 blowout over McDaniels' Broncos during the 2010 season. It's easier to picture Cable working for the Seahawks now that McDaniels is headed for St. Louis instead of Seattle. Having those two together on the same Seattle staff would have been interesting, to say the least.

The Seahawks had to know this. They were presumably talking to Cable before Tuesday. That's why we shouldn't assume McDaniels was the only candidate they had in mind when they fired offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates earlier Tuesday.

The Seahawks did reach out to McDaniels. They deserve criticism if they didn't have a fallback plan. It's just too early to know for sure. Coach Pete Carroll is scheduled to address reporters Wednesday. We'll have a better feel at that time.

OK, now we know the Seattle Seahawks have been speaking with Josh McDaniels about becoming their offensive coordinator.

Hiring the former New England assistant and Denver head coach would help explain why the Seahawks fired Jeremy Bates after one season as coordinator. The Seahawks' interest might also explain why talks between McDaniels and the St. Louis Rams hit a snag.

Ten quick thoughts on the matter:

• The Rams' job could be more appealing. The Rams have Sam Bradford. The Seahawks do not. Bradford has the ability to help his next coordinator become a head coach. McDaniels has already been a head coach. He wants to be one again. Aligning himself with Bradford seems like the smart move for the long term. Not necessarily, though. More on that below.
• The Seahawks' job could be more lucrative. ESPN's Chris Mortensen cited a source saying the Rams were taking a "conservative fiscal approach" to talks with McDaniels. It's easy to see why. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo is reportedly working under a four-year, $12 million contract. The head coach's salary sets the bar for what top assistants can reasonably earn. Seattle's Pete Carroll earns significantly more than Spagnuolo, so the ceiling could be higher for assistants in Seattle.
• McDaniels could be using Seattle. Let's say McDaniels knows Bradford is his ticket to becoming a head coach again. Let's say he wants to leverage a better deal from the Rams. Dancing with the Seahawks could help him get more from the Rams. But money does tend to talk in these matters.
• The Rams have other options. Brad Childress is still in the running, as Mortensen noted. Also according to Mortensen, the Rams have inquired about assistants Darrell Bevell (Minnesota Vikings) and Bill Musgrave (Atlanta Falcons). The Seahawks are interviewing Bevell for their opening as quarterbacks coach. Bevell is the Vikings' offensive coordinator, but Minnesota has let him explore other opportunities.
• This is good for NFC West rivalries. One NFC West team hiring a big-name candidate away from another NFC West team sets up a compelling storyline within the division. Carroll's old Pac-10 rivalry with new San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh added another dynamic to the Seahawks-49ers rivalry. Having McDaniels coaching against a team he spurned would add another one.
• Seattle has to be the leading candidate. It's tough to envision the Seahawks firing Bates without having a contingency plan in place. The team must feel confident in its ability to land a suitable replacement.
• Carroll could help repair McDaniels' image. Everyone knows McDaniels can coach, the thinking goes. His reputation took a hit on multiple fronts during his tenure as Broncos coach. The low-keyed, cheery Carroll might be in better position than the more regimented Spagnuolo to offer McDaniels the space and latitude he needs to repair his image.
• Seattle might offer more staff flexibility. The Seahawks are without a quarterbacks coach. They lost offensive line coach Alex Gibbs just as the regular season was beginning. McDaniels might have an easier time putting together a staff to his liking if he joined the Seahawks, particularly if that "conservative fiscal approach" were a problem in St. Louis.
• Losing McDaniels to a division rival would sting. Bernie Miklasz might have been right when he said the Rams needed to move quickly on a coordinator once Pat Shurmur left to join the Cleveland Browns. Having Seattle enter the picture gave McDaniels an option that wasn't immediately available to him until the Seahawks lost in the playoffs.
• Week 17 is proving pivotal in retrospect. Life might be different for the Rams if they had defeated the Seahawks in Week 17 and then upset New Orleans in the divisional round, as Seattle did. Shurmur would have been busy coaching the Rams. It's possible the Browns would have gone in another direction.

Lots to think about here, and we have more going on within the division. The 49ers are making staff moves, too.

Frequent coaching turnover is part of life in the NFL.

The Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers have had 10 head coaches, interim or otherwise, since Arizona hired Ken Whisenhunt for the 2007 season.

Pete Carroll, Steve Spagnuolo and Jim Harbaugh remain from a group that has included Mike Holmgren, Jim Mora, Scott Linehan, Jim Haslett, Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary and Jim Tomsula. NFC West head coaches are set for 2011, but all four teams have staff openings.

As Qwest12thMan noted in the comments of an earlier item, the Seahawks are losing another high-profile assistant coach. Jerry Gray is leaving his job coaching the secondary to become assistant head coach and secondary coach at Texas, his alma mater.

Seattle has now lost offensive line coach Alex Gibbs, quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch, defensive line coach Dan Quinn and Gray from Carroll's inaugural Seattle staff. Gibbs' departure affected the Seahawks' commitment to the specific zone-blocking scheme he promoted. The team wants a more consistent approach from training camp through the season, and coaching continuity should allow that to happen.

St. Louis remains without an offensive coordinator after interviewing former Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels for the role. The Rams' staff could face additional changes if the team hires a coordinator from the outside. NFL Network suggests McDaniels could be headed to the Rams.

The 49ers have multiple positions open.

Arizona remains without a defensive coordinator, an indication Whisenhunt could be waiting for a candidate to become available following the playoffs. Whisenhunt's history with the Steelers makes Pittsburgh a logical place for him to turn, but linebackers coach Keith Butler might be off-limits. Ray Horton coaches the Steeler's secondary. Their line coach, John Mitchell, is also assistant head coach.