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Referee Ron Winter waved off one of the interference penalties against Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson in Week 9.

"There is no foul for defensive pass interference," Winter announced. "The contact and the ball arrived at the same time."

Peterson has incurred nine assessed or declined penalties this season, one behind NFL leaders Brandon Browner, Rodger Saffold and Ryan Clady. Six of the nine were for coverage-related violations on defense.

But as Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton told reporters Friday, Peterson isn't the only one making an adjustment. The rookie's aggressive playing style might require officials to adjust as well. Winter's decision to pick up the flag for pass interference might indicate that is happening already. What looks like interference isn't always interference.

The chart shows NFL players with the most penalties for defensive pass interference, defensive holding and illegal contact this season. Peterson ranks tied for second on the list. He has additional penalties for roughing the kicker, jumping offside and illegal use of hands.

Peterson has impressive company on the list, notably Ike Taylor and Charles Woodson. A few other big names, including Nnamdi Asomugha, have three such penalties.

Hank Gargiulo of ESPN Stats & Information provided the penalty info.

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It's been a rough first four games for NFC West teams in the penalty department, and not just in the tripping department.

Officials have flagged teams from the division 153 times, assessing penalties covering 1,054 yards. The other divisions average 118 penalties and 835 penalty yards, according to ESPN Stats & Information. No division has as many in either category.

The totals count declined penalties.


The chart below shows all 14 NFL players with at least five declined and assessed penalties this season. Five of them play for NFC West teams.

On a side note, penalties for unnecessary roughness are on the rise, with 57 having been called through the first four weeks of the season. There were 25 through the first four games of the 2007 season. That number has risen to 37 (2008), 41 (2009), 53 (2010) and now 57.

I doubt players have gotten any rougher unnecessarily. Officials are likely calling these penalties more aggressively. Calls for unsportsmanlike conduct are also up. There have been 17 through four games this season, up from an average of nine at this point in the previous four seasons.

Nate Clements' departure to the Cincinnati Bengals erases another cornerback from the San Francisco 49ers' list of options.

Antonio Cromartie remains available. Asante Samuel could be available by trade.

The 49ers had released Clements in a long-anticipated move to avoid absorbing a massive hit to their salary cap. Bringing back Clements at a reduced rate was an option until Saturday.

Our free-agent tracker for Insider subscribers lists available corners. Most of the higher-profile ones are off the market.

I'll be at 49ers camp beginning Monday and am anxious to get a better feel for the situation while there.

In the meantime, I'm heading back to the Seahawks' second practice of the afternoon. In accordance with new rules limiting how frequently teams can practice in pads, Seattle is holding a walk-through session without any contact. Players are wearing no pads. They're not even wearing helmets. In fact, players are going through drills wearing ball caps. I've never seen anything like it during an NFL training camp.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the San Francisco 49ers could be without Michael Crabtree for four to six weeks while the receiver recovers from a foot injury suffered during player-organized workouts. Crabtree missed his rookie training camp during a contract dispute. An injury sidelined him quite a bit last summer. The lockout and this latest injury threaten to keep Crabtree off the field for yet another training camp, just as the 49ers are scrambling to install a new offense. So much for developing a rapport with the 49ers' quarterbacks. Barrows: "The exact nature of the injury is not known. The 49ers will place Crabtree on the physically-unable-to-perform list to begin training camp. Also to be placed on the PUP list are rookie fullback Bruce Miller and wideout Dominique Zeigler, who is recovering from an ACL tear suffered last year. Miller's injury is not known at this point."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says this has been a rough week for the 49ers. Maiocco: "I spoke with a source close to Nnamdi Asomugha early Friday and he said that Asomugha was still going through his options. There are some reports that the Cowboys are getting involved, too. If the 49ers do not sign Asomugha, they will be forced to turn to Plan B, which could include Richard Marshall (Carolina), Chris Carr (Baltimore), Carlos Rogers (Washington) and Antonio Cromartie (Jets). Also, if Clements remains on the market, the 49ers could bring him back. And, remember, the 49ers weren't completely satisfied with the play last season of the other starting cornerback, Shawntae Spencer, either."

Also from Maiocco: Joe Nedney plans to retire.

Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says Crabtree's injury explains why the 49ers considered adding Chad Ochocinco.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News sees the 49ers as a fallback for Asomugha, with the Jets as front-runners.

Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle says Colin Kaepernick is eager for camp.

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle has advice for Charlie Whitehurst heading into Seahawks camp. Huard: "Whitehurst has a longer delivery which can be harder to repeat and cause inaccuracy when a pocket collapses on top of him. He can spin it and throw a beautiful deep ball, but to gain the trust of his coaches and his huddle he will have to refine his ball placement, critical in the timing/West Coast system Darrell Bevell is installing."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com offers highlights from Seahawks practice, including one about Red Bryant being back on the field following knee surgery.

Also from Farnsworth: Marcus Trufant is the longest-tenured current Seahawk. Farnsworth: "In fact, 33 of the players on the practice field Thursday were going through their initial workouts with the team."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times provides a Whitehurst interview transcript. On the offense: "Well, it's definitely new. We're just diving in the playbook now, but I like some of the things we do. We're going to try and run the football here, there's no doubt about it. We will be able to do that, play-action some drop-back, all that stuff. I think we're going to throw it short, throw it long, do a bunch of stuff. I'm confident that I can fit anything he asks me to do."

Also from O'Neil: a camp preview.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune checks in with receiver Mike Williams for thoughts on Whitehurst. Williams: "Just from last night when Coach [Tom] Cable got up and talked about the attitude he wanted from the offense, and I’m sure the same thing was said over in the other room. It was good to get out here today. Guys were running around, and you could tell guys been working. You could tell Charlie’s been working."

Also from Williams: Seattle receiver Ben Obomanu grew up with Tarvaris Jackson in Alabama. Obomanu: "We shared some of the same friends when he transferred to Alabama State. A lot of my good friends played on his team and were classmates of his. So he’s a good friend of mine, so I’m looking forward to him coming in and seeing what he can do in this offense."

Liz Mathews of 710ESPN Seattle says new Seahawks coordinator Darrell Bevell could be a better fit for the team's younger players. Williams: "We’re going to win new guys over. Different personalities, a lot different than coach [Jeremy] Bates -- with all respect to coach Bates -- it's just a different approach with coach [Darrell] Bevell and his staff. With the young group we have, they like this group better I can already tell. We’ll all learn it. We’ll make mistakes together and then minimize those mistakes as much as we can. But everyone is learning and that’s the exciting part."

Mike Salk of 710ESPN Seattle offers thoughts on the Seahawks, including this one: "Yes, the team filled major holes along their offensive line (Robert Gallery and maybe James Carpenter etc.), wide receiver (Sidney Rice) and defensive line (Alan Branch provides depth). But they still have holes in their defensive backfield and at linebacker. And oh yeah, they need a quarterback!"

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic looks at how the Cardinals are addressing their offensive line.

Also from Somers: a quick look at the Cardinals' activity to this point in the week.

More from Somers: questions and answers on Kevin Kolb's acquisition. Somers: "They clearly are going all in on Kolb. As former Packers' executive Andrew Brandt, now with ESPN, pointed out via twitter, it's a similar deal to the one Aaron Rodgers' signed in 2008. Like Kolb, Rodgers had seven starts when he signed it. The Packers, however, had watched Rodgers in practice and he knew their system. The Cardinals don't have that advantage."

Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals are betting big on Kolb. Boivin: "Management will take heat for spending this much, when in reality, it should be applauded. An organization that for decades was dinged for being cheap was anything but on Thursday. Team president Michael Bidwill supported the quest to fill the team's biggest hole and pulled out his checkbook to do so. If you want to find fault, it is with the team for putting itself in this situation. It shouldn't have been so desperate for a quarterback."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com has this to say about trading Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: "Losing Rodgers-Cromartie does weaken what looked like a very strong cornerback corps. First-round pick Patrick Peterson seems a lock to start now with Greg Toler; asked if the Cardinals would be acquiring a cornerback Whisenhunt just referenced the young corners already on the roster."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams have been mostly quiet in free agency so far. Thomas: "The Rams have expressed some interest in Brandon Mebane of Seattle, but aren't considered a frontrunner for his services. Barry Cofield of the New York Giants seemed like a no-brainer at one time because of his past association with coach Steve Spagnuolo, but Cofield agreed to a contract in Washington worth a reported $36 million over six years."

Also from Thomas: Four Rams draft choices agree to terms.

More from Thomas: He counts Seattle among the teams with interest in Rams tight end Daniel Fells.

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com says Josh McDaniels and Sam Bradford are working hard to prepare for camp.

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis looks at the curious case of Rams rookie Robert Quinn, who might not have an agent.

NFL labor tensions have produced insults, threats and widening divisions -- among allies.

"I will smash ur face in," New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie tweeted to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck recently.

Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith have conversed on a higher plane, but not by much. They have until March 4 to forge a new collective bargaining agreement.

Without an agreement, the league and its players risk dragging fans into a world without rules, one sure to carry unintended consequences. Ten things to know about the labor situation and what a lockout could mean:

• This isn't about 18-game seasons or a rookie wage scale. The league and its players might already have an agreement if those were the primary issues. Owners want to redefine what revenues they share with players. They want some of the money players are getting to help cover costs associated with building and maintaining stadiums and facilities. Owners see these expenditures as good for the game. Players see them as good for owners' wallets. Once the sides agree on what goes into the revenue pie, they can work out percentage breakdowns.
• No agreement means no free agency. The CBA determines qualifications for reaching free agency. In the past, players with at least four accrued seasons could become unrestricted free agents. Nearly 500 players would qualify under those guidelines this offseason, but only if there is an agreement. Those players could have no prospects without a new CBA. Teams hoping to upgrade their rosters could be stuck.
• The draft would go forward. Teams would select college players, but a long list of questions would follow. Would those players sign contracts? Would teams retain rights to those players? Would there be a rookie wage scale?
• Forget about trading players. The NFL trading period would generally open in March, but that will not happen without a new CBA. Teams couldn't even trade players during the draft, cutting off a widely used avenue for player acquisition.
• Players stand to lose millions quickly. According to the league, 74 players stand to earn more than $140 million in bonuses and other compensation this March. They wouldn't collect that money during a lockout. These players will feel the effects of a lockout long before fans feel the effects.
• Players have other immediate concerns. Players accustomed to seeing team doctors and visiting team facilities for treatments would suddenly become responsible for their own health care during a lockout. Securing benefits for family members with special health needs could create challenges. This is an immediate concern among players behind the scenes, but one that doesn't draw much attention from the outside.
• Sponsorship money is at stake. Some of the league's sponsors might not honor their contracts with the league if the NFL shuts down. That would hit owners and players by shrinking the revenue pie. It's revenue the league would not recoup.
• Union decertification could become an adventure. If teams lock out players, the NFLPA could move to decertify, clearing the way for players to challenge the league's antitrust status in the courts. That initial move could trigger a lengthy battle, and a defeat in the courts would prove disastrous to players. What if teams went about signing players in the absence of a union? No one knows for sure.
• Assistant coaches would be in limbo. Teams would presumably want assistant coaches to continue working through the draft, but that could vary by team. Many assistant coaches' contracts call for reduced pay during a lockout. The assistants can usually earn back the money if there's a labor agreement in place by the regular season, but September remains a long way off. Teams with new coaching staffs would have a difficult time implementing new schemes.
• Goodell and Smith are wild cards. The NFL and NFLPA knew what they were up against when the late Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw was running the union and former commissioner Paul Tagliabue was leading the NFL. Smith and Goodell have no real history together, and no rapport. Smith's background is in law, not football, and that could explain some of the disconnect.

The Super Bowl will come and go as usual. Teams will head to Indianapolis for the college scouting combine in February, same as always.

The labor rhetoric will surely intensify.

After that, all bets are off.

One thing I missed while preparing the previous item highlighting NFL player unity on the labor front: Matt Hasselbeck publicly apologized to Antonio Cromartie while casting his since-deleted Tweet as a joke.

Meanwhile, one of Hasselbeck's favorite targets on the field, receiver Mike Williams, stepped in as peacemaker. Williams also tried to add some levity by suggesting he would have to take out Cromartie's quarterback, Mark Sanchez, if Cromartie followed through on his threat to "smash" Hasselbeck's face.

Gotta run. Recess is over.

Keeping roughly 1,700 to 2,500 young men unified will be much tougher, in my view, than keeping 32 wealthier, older men unified.

That is why I've favored NFL owners to outlast NFL players in a labor staredown, should one materialize.

Case in point: cornerback Antonio Cromartie's threat to "smash" the face of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck over some labor-related Twitter feuding gone awry.

Cromartie spoke first when he criticized owners and players, drawing rebukes from Arizona's Darnell Dockett, among others. Hasselbeck then questioned, via Twitter, whether Cromartie knew whether CBA stood for collective bargaining agreement. Cromartie then responded with, "hey Matt if u have something to then say it be a man about it. Don't erase it. I will smash ur face in."

So much for player safety.

This is comical. Owners must be laughing and doubling down their bets.

Cromartie and Hasselbeck are but two players from a pool of 1,700 (32 teams times 53 roster spots) or more than 2,500 (32 teams times 80 roster spots). That doesn't matter so much as the perceptions that will linger following this sort of schoolyard sparring.

And it's only January. Wait til the labor situation gets even more combative. What then?

Tye Hill's release from the Falcons makes him the only 2006 first-round draft choice without a job with an NFL team.

The Rams made Hill the cornerstone of an ill-fated 2006 draft class featuring Joe Klopfenstein, Claude Wroten, Jon Alston and Dominique Byrd in the first three rounds. The fate of that class helps explain why the team will be picking first overall in 2010.

Hill, chosen 15th overall, has company among disappointing first-round corners from the 2006 class.

Antonio Cromartie (19th), Johnathan Joseph (24th) and Kelly Jennings (31st) were the other first-round corners that year. Cromartie flashed ability early in his career before fading. Joseph has lived up to expectations. Jennings could be on his way out after a tough run in Seattle, particularly with the team's new leadership valuing bigger corners.

The Rams traded Hill to the Falcons for a 2010 seventh-round choice.

Shep Hawk from Roseville, Calif., writes: Mike, I think the Seahawks are going to surprise a lot of people in the draft. Many think they should get a QB, OT and RB in their first three picks. I think that's nice, but that No. 6 pick will have high value. I see them staying true to the board, and I see them getting another 2-3 picks before it's over.

I like Eric Berry falling to them at No. 6. Dan LeFevour or Colt McCoy make sense later at QB. The best medicine in Seattle would be a pass rush that takes the pressure off the secondary, and a playmaker RB to take the pressure off Matt Hasselbeck. They will get their lineman with coach Alex Gibbs. I see a Ted Thompson, Green Bay-like draft -- finally one that will make sense. What does Mike think?

Mike Sando: You're absolutely right about the pass-rush making a secondary look better. Works every time. I could also see the Seahawks moving back to recoup picks, as you suggested. Not having a third-round pick will eat at them. I say there's a good chance Seattle will find a way to gain a pick in that round.

At running back, I thought Seattle would get one in the first three rounds last year. Knowshon Moreno was a consideration in the first round, but like other teams picking among the top 10, there were concerns about taking a running back that early when the player in question did not have excellent speed.

There are a couple wild cards this year. Gibbs and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates were in Denver when the Broncos racked up rushing yards with lower-valued backs in a zone scheme. That comes to mind every time I think about Seattle possibly taking an offensive lineman or running back early. The Seahawks could do it, but if they do not, we shouldn't be surprised.

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Javier from Denver writes: For the past couple of seasons everyone has been saying that the Seahawks need to draft a QB early to be the heir to Matt Hasselbeck. What about Seneca Wallace? I know that he is not really a pocket passer and that the Seahawks record with him starting has been poor, but I feel like that isn't really all on him. Hasselbeck's numbers the past couple of seasons I think shows that his injuries aren't the only thing holding the Seahawks back. Doesn't Seneca give the Hawks time to make sure they can get the right QB with all the right tools around him? Ryan, Flacco, Sanchez, Roethlisberger and Rivers all had pretty good teams to support them.

Mike Sando: Wallace has shown he can be a pocket passer, at least in the West Coast offense. His height makes it tough to see over linemen sometimes, but there have been times in the past where I thought he needed to run more. Nothing about how he played in relief last season made me think the Seahawks would be better with him starting, though.

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Michael from Salem, Ore., writes: Just wondering what you thought about the Cards going after QB Jason Campbell? I actually still think Matt Leinart should be given a shot without having another potential starting QB looking over his shoulder, but I just think it is an interesting thought. Campbell should be a restricted FA with no CBA and thus it may make no sense for the Cards to use a draft pick on him; but what if the Redskins drafted a new QB and cut Campbell? For the right price, what are your thoughts on the Cards signing him? Campbell appears to have the physical attributes (tall, strong, mobile) to be a good QB. He, like Leinart, hasn't really shown much over his career, but Campbell has never had the Cards' WR talent, either.

Mike Sando: If Campbell were cut, sure, pick him up. Might as well. I would not trade for him, though. The Cardinals need their draft choices to restock. They've done a pretty good job in the draft. It's unclear to me whether Campbell would be a huge upgrade over Leinart, who already knows the system. For that reason, and because we both agree Leinart should get a shot this season, I'm inclined to think they should go with Leinart and see what happens.

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Greg from Seattle writes: Hi Mike, I noticed a lot of talk about Donovan McNabb to the Niners in this week's chat. Am I alone in thinking this may not be such a great fit? McNabb is an older player with injury concerns. He is a sub 60 percent in an offense that emphasizes completion percentage. He plays for a talented offensively-minded HC and has never played in another system. The playcalling in Philadelphia tends take a lot of responsibility out of McNabb's hands. While I like many things that McNabb brings to the table, I don't necessarily see him as a tremendous upgrade for the 49ers, especially at the cost of a first round pick. Transitioning into a new, less inspired offense, it would not surprise me at all if he struggled.

Mike Sando: McNabb has completed at least 60 percent of his passes in each of the last three seasons. I have pointed out a few of the potential risks, including the one about how he would have to transition from the only offense he has known, and that could be tough. The bottom line, I think, is that the Eagles aren't going to trade their starting quarterback, most likely.

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Edward from Tempe writes: Sando, I have been following the Cards and found it interesting that both Rod Graves and Ken Whisenhunt are doing "Business As Usual" during this current off-season. Is it just me or do you think that the Cardinals front office need to put more of an emphasis on retaining some of the players that could possibly relocate? I understand how the organization goes through their process of selecting free agents, the draft and retaining core players, but we are talking about the possibility of a few high profile players walking away or being shipped away. How are other high-profile players expected to look at Arizona as a winner when they can't seem to keep good players? How can an organization that has gone through so much futility expect to keep and retain the same winning attitude when players don't feel like they are wanted or needed?

Mike Sando: Let's accurately define what the Cardinals mean when they talk about business as usual. I think they're talking about how to approach this offseason amid some of the labor uncertainty. They are not talking about taking a ho-hum approach to the offseason. Graves and Whisenhunt seem to be on the same page. This offseason presents some significant challenges for the organization.

And while some good players have walked away from the Cardinals in recent seasons, the team has signed Anquan Boldin, Darnell Dockett, Larry Fitzgerald, Kurt Warner, Adrian Wilson and others to multiyear deals or extensions in the last several years. Boldin and Dockett want new deals again. Fitzgerald had all the leverage in getting his extension. Warner visited the 49ers before getting his deal. But the bottom line is the same. All those guys were happy with the deals when they signed them, so it's unfair to say the Cardinals do not re-sign good players.

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Jason from Rochester, N.Y., writes: Thanks for the great work all year, Mike. Looking forward to your offseason coverage of the West. Loved the idea behind the Trade Column and wanted your take on the potential of Seattle working that deal (Deion Branch and picks to Denver for Brandon Marshall). Certainly, Tim Ruskell was not afraid to make a deal (both good and bad). John Schneider seems to be cut from a different cloth based on his track record. With Paul Allen's checkbook open, is it realistic to think Seattle will actually work a trade? I would love for them to investigate all of the names that have been rumored. But I am intrigued by a couple of names: Brandon Marshall, Antonio Cromartie, Osi Umenuyora. Also, what about Schnieder pulling Aaron Kampman over from GB to play Carroll's "elephant" spot?

Mike Sando: Thanks for the support, Jason. A few factors make me think Seattle is likely to make a trade this offseason. Schneider has described himself as a little more aggressive than his former boss, Ted Thompson (and Thompson made trades). The uncapped year makes trades easier, in theory. The Seahawks will be trying to get younger, so they could be more apt to ship out a veteran or two. I could also see the Seahawks moving back a couple spots in the draft if an opportunity comes along, perhaps recouping a third-round choice.

Kampman will be coming off knee surgery, so I'm not sure that type of move would make sense. The Seahawks might already have the personnel to run that type of defense. Remember, too, that Carroll seems to be flexible. I got the feeling he used an elephant linebacker because he had Brian Cushing, not necessarily the other way around. But we shall see.

The Brandon Marshall trade could come down to what Jeremy Bates and the staff think about Marshall from their time together in Denver.

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Chad from Oshkosh, Wis., writes: Sando, thanks for feeding my football fix each day. Any news on the Rams' Oshiomogho Atogwe? Last I heard, he is not being franchised, but will likely be given the highest tender as a restricted free agent. Any chance he isn't in St. Louis next season? Perhaps with my Niners?

Mike Sando: You're welcome. The Rams have an interesting decision to make here, at least in my view. They could actually give Atogwe the lowest tender, worth less than $1.3 million, and then decide later whether to match any offers from other teams. That move might risk goodwill with Atogwe. It might risk a poison-pill scenario. It might end badly for the Rams, who would receive nothing in return if they allowed Atogwe to leave.

The alternative is tendering Atogwe for nearly $7 million, which from a cost standpoint would be pretty much like franchising him, even though it would be within the RFA framework.

Atogwe is a good player but not a franchise player in the way we would view an elite quarterback, running back or defensive end. We've seen teams regularly use the franchise tag for these sorts of players. Karlos Dansby comes to mind. Leroy Hill comes to mind. Even Aubrayo Franklin could be in a similar mold this offseason, although his value as a 3-4 nose tackle is probably higher.

The tag has helped teams keep these players without ever regarding them as true franchise players.

To answer your question, yes, I could see Atogwe winding up elsewhere one way or another, even if the Rams would prefer to keep him. I think they might at least listen to offers.

Kevin from Phoenix writes: How likely would it be for the Cardinals to make a player-for-player trade using Anquan Boldin? Let's say the Broncos have traded Brandon Marshall, creating a need at receiver. The Cardinals could then trade Boldin to Denver for Elvis Dumervil, who is also under contract for only one more season. Is this feasible? The player contracts are the biggest hurdle in this situation. Both players only have one season remaining on their deals, and both teams would like some sort of guarantee to sign long-term contracts. If this scenario panned out, do you think it would be possible for the Cardinals to trade their second-round pick to San Diego for the other Cromartie (Antonio)?

Mike Sando: Player-for-player trades become easier without a salary cap because there could be no cap implications. I can't see the Broncos trading a top young pass-rusher for a receiver with some hard miles and recent physical breakdowns. That would be a great, great move for the Cardinals.

Deion Branch is the NFC West receiver I could see landing in Denver or New England, based on those teams' coaching staffs and their familiarity with Branch. Branch has a relatively high salary for 2010 and I'm not sure whether he would fit in the team's offense. If the Seahawks released Branch, the Patriots or Broncos could pick him up relatively cheaply and plug him into their offenses pretty seamlessly.

The Cardinals do need to consider trading Boldin if he has value. They also need to keep doing what they've been doing in recent years: drafting good players such as Beanie Wells and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

While we're talking about trades, this might be a good time to solicit some moves you think might make sense. They're fun to discuss and sometimes we can learn something when considering why certain deals might make sense or fail to add up.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett has Antonio Cromartie's back after the Chargers fined the defensive back for tweeting about bad food at training camp.

Mike Jurecki of XTRA910 radio in Phoenix has the audio. I've found Dockett to be entertaining and charming in interview sessions. That comes through during the interview. Dockett also explained his philosophy on Twitter.

Dockett: I enjoy Twitter. Twitter is a device where you can actually communicate with your fans. You can give your opinions. You speak your mind every day. I'm a Gemini, so I have a lot on my mind. I've got this one like demon side where I think of everything aggressive. And then I got this one like real good-hearted side, so I'm good and I can get on there and relate to a lot of people.

Dockett has also made a request to be called "Nine-O" instead of by his name. Teammate Kurt Warner has responded by overpronouncing "Darnell" whenever he sees Dockett. Dockett has responded by calling Warner by his full first name, Kurtis.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

St. Louis' first-team offense continues to mystify, but watching the Rams' 7-6 victory over San Diego last night provided a few clues. A few observations:

• First and foremost, quarterback Marc Bulger was not in sync with his receivers. He is a much better quarterback than what we saw in this game. His protection was good enough. Bulger appeared to throw early and behind his intended targets.

Bulger and Drew Bennett appeared to be reading from different playbooks at times. This can happen when the quarterback and receiver are interpreting blitzes and coverages differently. The Sporting News examined this in a 2000 story about the Rams' offense (current offensive coordinator Al Saunders was the receivers coach at the time).

• The Redskins' quarterbacks also put up shaky numbers when starting out in Saunders' offense. I pulled up the stats from an Aug. 13, 2006 exhibition game between the Redskins and Bengals.
  

Saunders, the Rams' new offensive coordinator, was in his first year with the Redskins at the time. Jason Campbell, Todd Collins and Mark Brunell combined to complete barely half of their passes with no touchdowns and three interceptions in that game. The Redskins also lost Clinton Portis to injury when the running back made a tackle on an interception return (perhaps Steven Jackson's holdout spared the Rams last night).

• Rams left tackle Orlando Pace needs the preseason work. Chargers backup Jyles Tucker threw Pace aside before drilling Bulger as the quarterback threw right before halftime. Bulger was shaken up. He's not accustomed to getting blasted in the back when Pace is in the lineup.

• Leonard Little's return to health gives the Rams an active defensive front. Little gave starting Chargers tackle Jeromey Clary problems. Adam Carriker also brought pressure up the middle after pushing aside Chargers left guard Kris Dielman. I spoke with Little a few days ago. "I'm going to be productive," he said. "That is my whole thing this year."

• The Chargers rested defensive starters Jamal Williams, Luis Castillo, Shawne Merriman, Stephen Cooper, Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie. That's why I would have expected more from the Rams' passing offense, even without Torry Holt. The communication between quarterback and receiver must improve.

• This was not a case of the Rams failing to hold up physically. Their starting units held up reasonably well while working against lots of San Diego backups.

• Darren Sproles, the Chargers' 181-pound running back, took out Rams defensive end Chris Long with a block at the knees. Sproles appeared to be the only blocker assigned to Long on the play.

• Long makes hustle plays. He accelerated out of the backfield to take down a runner after an 8-yard gain. We are not seeing Long making big plays yet. Without regard for draft status or paycheck values, it's tough to say the Rams are better right now with Long on the field. Backup James Hall appears somewhat rejuvenated this summer. I expect Long to improve as he plays more.

Those are a few things that stood out while watching the first half of this game. I'm going to take a look at the Packers-49ers game next.