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Steve Wyche of NFL.com says the Rams will hold workouts in Arizona beginning this week, with James Laurinaitis and Ron Bartell among those taking the lead. Wyche: "Not all of the work will be on field either. Bartell, Laurinaitis and other players have video of previous years' games, and players will get the chance to break down film during the minicamp. Laurinaitis stressed the importance of getting as much film and class work done now so players will be ready when the lockout ends. Laurinaitis added that quarterback Sam Bradford has plays from new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' playbook but without being coached how McDaniels wants the plays to be run, there is only so much to be gained."

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams coaches and staffers spent Tuesday building a playground for a school serving autistic children. Players generally would have participated in large numbers, but with the lockout, this year was different. Coats: "Other than second-year linebacker Josh Hull, who is rehabbing a knee injury, none of the players was on hand because of the lockout, although the NFL had granted a waiver for players and coaches to mix. Many were assembling in Phoenix, where a five-day session of player-organized workouts is to get under way."

Tony Softli of 101ESPN St. Louis offers thoughts on the Rams' playground-building efforts.

Mindi Bach of CSNBayArea.com says veteran linebacker Takeo Spikes is not attending the 49ers' player-organized workouts because he's not sure whether he'll return to the team. Bach: "Spikes turns 35 in December and is preparing just as hard as he always has for an upcoming season. In another text message Spikes told me he is currently in his hometown of Atlanta working out daily with a group of 15 players which includes OT Wayne Gandy, T Osi Umenyiora, DE Charles Grant and WR Hines Ward. Spikes’ work ethic and leadership have never been questioned. Those who know him know he puts in the work. He runs the miles. He studies the film. He teaches that young player how to reach the next level. He carries himself in the same manner off the field. It takes just moments for anyone who meets Spikes to recognize those traits."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers updates from the 49ers' latest player-organized practice.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says left tackle Joe Staley has reduced his weight to 304 pounds in an effort to regain lost mobility. Durability is also key for Staley, who has missed 14 games over the past two seasons.

Eric Branch of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree rested sore feet while teammates practiced Tuesday. Branch: "Fellow wideout Josh Morgan, who has worked with Crabtree during the offseason, said the third-year wide receiver had aching feet after wearing new cleats during Monday's minicamp-opening practice on San Jose State's field turf. Morgan said Crabtree sat out as a precaution. He wasn't sure whether Crabtree would return to practice today."

Also from Branch: "Given Crabtree’s history, it would be easy to automatically add today’s absence to his diva files. On the flip side, though, he did attend the classroom session and, if his feet hurt, why should he push himself during a lockout minicamp in early June? Let the debate continue and, of course, stay tuned for tomorrow’s edition of the Curious Case of Michael Crabtree."

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News provides a transcript from Morgan's post-practice interview.

Vittorio Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle credits 49ers defensive players for attending the player-organized practices despite not having a playbook.

The 49ers have announced a partnership with Stanford University, facilitated by former player Riki Ellison.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com profiles various classes of players by the years they joined the team.

Also from Farnsworth: a look back at the Seahawks' 1998 season. Farnsworth: "The conventional thought at the time was that a one-point loss to the New York Jets in Week 14 -- when referee Phil Luckett mistook the white helmet of quarterback Vinny Testaverde for the ball in awarding the Jets a game-winning touchdown with 20 seconds left in the game -- had cost Dennis Erickson his job. The reality was that (team president) Bob Whitsitt had decided to move in another direction before that game was ever played. Whitsitt explained that he has reached the point where the Everett-born Erickson would either be fired with one year remaining on his contract, or have his contract extended."

Doug Farrar of Sportspress Northwest says quarterback Matt Hasselbeck appeared to be in full command during the team's player-organized practice Friday.

Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated offers details from the Seahawks' and Cardinals' player-organized workouts in pointing out challenges players faces during the lockout. Trotter: "As well intentioned as those sessions are, they lack the NFL's full-service element. For instance, when Larry Fitzgerald and roughly 30 other players finished an on-field workout on a sunny morning in Tempe, they had to get in their cars and drive down the street to lift weights at Arizona State. Film study was done on personal laptops or in the theater room in Fitzgerald's Paradise Valley home."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic offers observations from the Cardinals' practice Tuesday. Second-year receiver Andre Roberts is looking good. Somers: "Roberts, I thought, looked very quick and confident. He has come a long way since being drafted a year ago. He didn't start catching the ball consistently until the season was well underway. Stephen Williams also looked good. No question he has the skills and we've seen them on display in the preseason. But can he show them in games that count? Roberts and Williams, by the way, were particularly impressive in one drill where players had to hop over a serious of hurdles. Roberts' feet were hardly ever on the ground, and Williams, well, I'd choose him in a pickup hoops game. He could rebound my missed three-pointers."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com looks back at Boomer Esiason's 522-yard passing performance for the Cardinals.

Also from Urban: a look at the Cardinals' cornerback situation.

» 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.

Thanks to those who kept the latest NFC West chat moving. Transcript here. Highlights below.

Dave (NYC): Hi Mike. Hope all is well. Do you think that the Cards' defense will show up this game? Why don't the Cards do what the Jets do with Revis and have DRC lock the top receivers down on the opposing team? Also do you see the Cards' offensive line protecting Warner as they have done lately?

Mike Sando: Everything I've seen from the Cardinals over the last couple seasons suggests their defense will be much better this week. Antrel Rolle's ability to move in coverage (despite some injury concerns) could be critical. Also, the Cardinals think Calais Campbell will be able to do more this week. That will be important as well. At corner, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is not on Darrelle Revis' level. On the offensive line, Kurt Warner is the key there. He needs to get rid of the football quickly. He is the key to beating the rush.

Justin (Seattle): Has Tod Leiweke lost credibility during this past season with the Seahawks

Mike Sando: Yes, to the extent that he has presided over a front office that has been dysfunctional more than once, whether it was when Bob Whitsitt was fired or Mike Reinfeldt was pushed out or Tim Ruskell resigned or the team failed to land Mike Holmgren or he had to apologize to Jim Mora, etc. I do think Tod Leiweke still has credibility and he has the best interests' of the Seahawks' at heart. But as he has said, it's been a brutal stretch here and he takes "full responsibility" (his words).

WAKIKI (cuba B): First year opinion on Singletary?

Mike Sando: Mostly positive. Mike Singletary's genuineness resonated with players and made him a respected leader. I would expect continued improvement from him in the areas where he wasn't experienced, namely game management. His background as a position coach could make him a little vulnerable if, say, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky departed. But overall, I think Singletary recovered nicely from what seemed like a shaky start in the interim role. He got better.

Garrett (Richmond, VA): Where do the Rams plan to start in this draft after drafting Suh? What positions are they looking to improve most?

Mike Sando: The Rams need to upgrade their situation at receiver. They need a future at quarterback. They need more help at linebacker. They need outside pass-rush help in a big way. They need a tight end. They need a backup running back. They could need an offensive tackle.

SEATTLE -- Mike Holmgren made the Seattle Seahawks relevant.

They could not have been less relevant Sunday.

While the division-rival Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers fought for potential playoff spots, the Seahawks were losing, at home, to the previously 1-12 Tampa Bay Bucs.

They needed 22 minutes of game clock to break a scoreless tie.

On the surface, welcoming back Holmgren to lead the team's football operation shouldn't have taken half that long once the Seahawks decided they wanted him. Their inability to reach an agreement starts to make sense in the broader context of an imperfect relationship between Holmgren and the organization.

Holmgren, never shy about creating a market for his services, had been outspoken about his desire to return. The Seahawks made their interest less clear publicly until Saturday, when they offered him control of football operations.

"After a series of respectful discussions, Mike has declined our offer to rejoin the team given the structure we proposed," a statement from CEO Tod Leiweke read.

Something did not compute.

Were the Seahawks legitimately interested in hiring Holmgren, or did they simply want the public to think they were interested?

Was Holmgren legitimately interested in rejoining the Seahawks, or was he using them to drive up the price in Cleveland while punishing Seattle for failing to court him more aggressively (not just this time, but when he was waffling on his future as head coach a few years ago)?

People as sharp and amicable toward one another as Holmgren and Leiweke should have been able to reach accord if all parties had the same goal in mind.

My theory: The Seahawks wanted more time to make a decision on their leadership. Holmgren accelerated the timetable by cozying up to Cleveland and suggesting he might accept the Browns' offer soon. The Seahawks then made an honest effort to hire Holmgren to run their football operations, but they were not going to give him a blank check. The salary Seattle offered Holmgren might have told him the job wasn't quite what he hoped it would be.

Holmgren was reportedly earning $8 million per year late in his tenure as Seahawks head coach. Bill Parcells reportedly earns $4 million per year for running the Miami Dolphins. The Seahawks were most likely offering something closer to Parcells money. A salary in that range would line up with Leiweke's statements about how the team's next general manager would fit into the hierarchy.

"We're going to find somebody that, we're not going to join them, they’re going to join us," Leiweke said when announcing Tim Ruskell's resignation as GM less than three weeks ago.

The statement made it sound as though the Seahawks weren't interested in resurrecting the "Big Show" persona Holmgren created during his first run as Seattle's GM from 1999 through the 2002 season. Holmgren was bigger than the team back then.

"We've really become, in many ways, a pretty good organization," Leiweke said Dec. 3. "I don’t think this is a franchise that has to go out and beg someone to come here.

"So, we’re going to find somebody who fits our prerequisite model of what we see as success going forward. We’re going to be thoughtful. We've got time."

Holmgren didn't give them as much time as they wanted.

Still, this should have gotten done if each side liked the other enough to be flexible.

The failure to agree exposed imperfections in the relationship between the Seahawks and their former coach.

The dynamic changed when the Seahawks stripped Holmgren of his GM title after the 2002 season.

When the 2004 season ended, Holmgren met privately with Seahawks owner Paul Allen, threatening to resign if Bob Whitsitt remained team president. The situation had become that untenable, Holmgren told Allen.

The gambit worked. Allen fired Whitsitt.

Holmgren was happy again, but he could not be satisfied without the one thing he wanted from Seattle in the first place -- full control of personnel.

By spring 2006, Holmgren was contemplating whether to walk away from coaching. The Seahawks, instead of begging Holmgren to stay, gave him time to think it over.

Holmgren signed a two-year extension. Instead of pushing hard for him to stay longer, the Seahawks worked in advance to line up Jim Mora as Holmgren's eventual successor.

When the Seahawks struggled this season and Ruskell's job status became a primary issue, Holmgren made it clear through interviews that he would love to get back into NFL -- in Seattle, if the situation were right.

The Seahawks played it cool publicly, declining to discuss the possibility. Again, they weren't rushing out to embrace Holmgren. This surely bothered the most successful coach in franchise history.

"As we are getting down to the last two weeks of the season, maybe I was hoping for a few more positive signs, but no, nothing specific," Holmgren told Seattle's KJR radio Friday.

Only then did the Seahawks, mindful of perceptions and the Browns' offer, decide to pursue Holmgren with urgency.

Holmgren finally made the Seahawks want him again.

Perhaps that was enough.

Kevin from San Diego writes: Question on Mike Holmgren. You've heard the "Coach Killer" references about players that seem to go through coaches during their careers, i.e. Mike Vick in Atlanta. Would you consider Holmgren a "GM Killer?" Here's my take. Holmgren, during his tenure in Seattle, has gone through Bob Whitsitt, Bob Ferguson, Tim Ruskell and you could even say Holmgren the GM. Is it fair to put that label on coaches that go through general managers like he has during his time with the Seahawks?

Mike Sando: It takes a good coach to outlast multiple general managers and team presidents. Holmgren is definitely a good coach. That has allowed him to outlast some of those guys (although Ruskell remained in Seattle after Holmgren departed).

Like every coach, Holmgren wants things done his way. Unlike every coach, Holmgren has the "juice" (one of his terms) to get things done his way. He felt as though the Seattle job turned out different than advertised in that Whitsitt had more power than he had anticipated. I remember a Holmgren confidant telling me years ago that Whitsitt reminded Holmgren early on that Whitsitt, not Holmgren, was the one in charge. I've spoken with Whitsitt enough over the years to know his side of the story is different. He saw himself as supportive to Holmgren and rooting for Holmgren the whole time.

The bottom line is the same. Holmgren wants a direct line to ownership and full control over personnel. That is one thing the Browns can apparently offer him, and the main appeal of that job from Holmgren's perspective. Seattle would still be Holmgren's top choice, but the ownership situation there is different. As much as Holmgren likes Paul Allen, no one has a direct line to the Seahawks' owner.

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Justin from Phoenix writes: Mike, I appreciate what the Cardinals have done under Ken Whisenhunt on one hand, but on the other it is so frustrating that they have mental breakdowns like in the Niner game. Is there anything you have seen or can pinpoint as to why the Cardinals are not more consistent?

Mike Sando: I do not know the answer to that question. They have at times relied a little heavily on the pass, and that can lead to inconsistent results against certain teams. That would be one potential factor. If you look at their bad defeats, turnovers will be the root of the problem most of the time. Turnovers can result from lack of focus, which can result from immaturity. Turnovers can also result from a bad matchup. I just do not know for sure. I also do not know whether the Cardinals are unusually inconsistent. The 49ers won by 35 one week and lost by 35 the next. The Seahawks won by 41 one week and lost by 24 the next. It's the nature of the game sometimes.

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Jose writes via Facebook: Ram fans everywhere rejoice! Let's hope that we get at least a serviceable replacement for Richie Incognito that will not cost yards every game and that either Alex Barron takes a lesson from this or that he is released. The Rams stink, but I like that they are not standing pat and letting the organization get dragged down by players with character issues.

Mike Sando: Barron is in the final season of his contract and almost certainly will not be back. I was watching Rams-Titans again Friday night (hey, it's my job) and noticing how many offensive breakdowns traced directly to Barron getting beat in one-on-one matchups. There is no question in my mind the Rams messed up by playing Jason Smith on the right side for so long. They would not have been worse this season with Smith at left tackle and Adam Goldberg at right tackle.

The way things turned out, Barron played the left side all season, for no good reason. He was not good over there and Smith did not get a chance to develop at left tackle. You're right, though. At least Incognito won't be costing the team 15 yards when they cannot afford such setbacks.

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Jon from New York writes: These days it seems that you need an elite quarterback to be a serious contender in the NFL. Does Alex Smith have the potential to become that kind of QB in the future, or do you think he is more likely to doom the 49ers to years of being average (or even above average)? I worry about him becoming just good enough to keep the 49ers in the NFC West and Wild Card hunt (and therefore keep his job), but not being able to take the 49ers to the next level.

Mike Sando: John Clayton and I were just having this conversation (regarding the need for elite quarterbacks in general, not the 49ers' situation in particular). It's just so clear that this is an offensive league. John asked me to quickly name which team has the best defense in the league. It's not clear cut. But when you look at the teams with great records, you're generally looking at teams with great or near-great or at least Pro Bowl-caliber quarterbacks.

The 49ers do not have the luxury of holding out for a great quarterback. They need to find out how good Smith can become. Perhaps he can develop into a quarterback good enough to make a playoff appearance. That would mark an improvement.

Scott from Roseville, Calif., writes: What is your gut on Tim Ruskell's status? My gut is no matter what others may think, if Ruskell is not given another year, Mike Holmgren is going to be given the keys. The 12th Man who understands this team, knows Mike did not have a fair shake the first time around as GM. Bob Whitsitt was the problem then. Tod Leiweke gets what Mike can bring. Looking back, he had average drafts on defense, but that 2005 offense was no mistake. That was their best defense, that offensive line.

Mike built the best offensive line, dominated time of possession, learned to dominate the NFC West, and had the QB to lead them to Super Bowl XL. Ruskell did help that year, but since then he has destroyed the line and has never replaced any of the offensive line studs he has lost. Ruskell has been offensive in that he has done nothing with the offense.

I say Mike waits the Seahawk situation out before going anywhere else. That is the job he wants. Mike learned a lot then, and if given the keys I think our team will come back to the top. If that happens the NFC West will by then be an elite division. Until then, the Niners and Cards are the future.

Mike Sando: My gut is that Jim Mora's status as a first-year coach could make it tough to bring aboard Holmgren in a leadership role right away. If the team did reach into its past that way, the Holmgren who emerged from losing his GM title would have more success than the Holmgren who had not yet been humbled by failures. I also think he could put together a better front office than coaching staff at this point.

As for that great offensive line Holmgren built, remember that he inherited Walter Jones. Take away Jones from that line and how great would it have been? Holmgren inherited Chris Gray as well. He basically signed Robbie Tobeck and drafted Steve Hutchinson. The team drafted Sean Locklear in 2004, well after Holmgren stepped down as general manager. Holmgren also inherited fullback Mack Strong, who helped the line succeed.

Some in the pro-Holmgren camp want it both ways. They want to blame Whitsitt for poor decisions made when Holmgren was GM. They also want to credit Holmgren for moves made when Bob Ferguson was the general manager by saying, "Well, everyone knows Holmgren was really the one in control."

The bottom line is that Holmgren had a mixed record as GM. I think he would be better given a second chance at the job. He would bring credibility to the organization. He would probably help identify the next franchise quarterback. But you still have to figure out whether the timing is right given Mora's situation.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

DiLune2 asks: Mike Holmgren's name has been mentioned in connection with the Washington job. Do you think watching Jim Zorn's experience there has pretty much shut that door as far as he's concerned?

Mike Sando: No. I think Holmgren realizes he cannot rule out any teams. Quite a few other high-profile coaches could be looking for work as well. Holmgren will not be able to hand-pick what job he wants, most likely. It's also possible Holmgren could want only a front-office job, although finishing 4-12 in 2008, his final season as Seahawks coach, increases the likelihood he'll consider coaching, I think.

Listening to the Holmgren interview on KJR, I found it instructive to hear Holmgren talk about the importance of having powers spelled out clearly in contracts. If he could do over again in Seattle, Holmgren probably would have pressed to more clearly define then-president Bob Whitsitt's role in the organization.

If Holmgren took a coaching job with the Redskins, he would surely insist upon a certain level of autonomy and he would make sure owner Daniel Snyder put it in writing. Holmgren's credibility as a head coach would also help him define the relationship with Snyder on terms more favorable than the ones binding Zorn.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Rob from San Diego writes: Sando, Is Seattle going to re-think their pick of Jim Mora as head coach in 09'? Our DB's are awful and he is responsible for that unit. Granted there are many other holes in the D.... But it seems to me like it might not be best to decision to hand over the team to a coach that is responsible for the 4th worst rated pass D in the NFL (that just got torched by TB!).

Mike Sando: Mora got credit for the secondary showing improvement in 2007. Are we to assume that he has become a bad secondary coach in the last few months, and that he therefore would not be the right head coach?

My analysis of the Mora hiring would include looking at how defenses have performed when he was a coordinator, and how teams have performed when he was the head coach. That is what I did when the Seahawks hired Mora as defensive backs coach in January 2007. Results here.

To answer your question: No, I do not expect Seattle to change its mind on Mora.

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JThomas from Ephrata, Wash., writes: Mike, Given Jim Mora jr.'s U of W ties, do you see him backing out of the Seahawk coaching job to become the Huskies' head coach?

Mike Sando: I wouldn't assume Jim Mora wants the University of Washington job more than the NFL job based on offhand remarks Mora made to his college roommate on a radio show two years ago.

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