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In a perfect world, the St. Louis Rams would address all their needs through the draft.

The team might yet pull it off over the next couple offseasons, thanks to the bounty of picks the Rams collected from trading the second overall choice in 2012.

Needs outnumbered resources in the immediate term, however, leading the Rams to patch their linebacker problem with shorter-term solutions.

Rocky McIntosh recently joined Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Mario Haggan as veteran additions at the position. Haggan, 32, is the oldest player on the team, but as the chart shows, the Rams remain young overall at every position. They have the NFL's youngest roster on average.

The Rams need McIntosh, Dunbar and Haggan to outperform some of the veteran linebackers subtracted from the roster: Ben Leber, Brady Poppinga, Bryan Kehl and Chris Chamberlain.

That seems like a reasonable expectation.

McIntosh, 29, was in his fifth season as a starter for the Washington Redskins when the team decided Perry Riley, then 23, provided a more athletic alternative. The Redskins, with McIntosh and the now-37-year-old London Fletcher at inside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme, already had plenty of veteran moxie at the position. They needed speed. McIntosh probably fit better in the 4-3 defense Washington ran previously.

Scouts Inc. liked McIntosh more than the Redskins did, calling him an "active playmaker" with "great range inside out to the ball."

Dunbar, signed from New Orleans, figures to start at one outside linebacker spot. McIntosh is an early favorite to start at the other one. James Laurinaitis is entrenched in the middle.

The position remains a bit unsettled. The Rams do have a couple of younger options, but with no hitting allowed till training camp, it's tough to know how those players project. The Rams' veteran additions give them insurance, and probably more than that. I'd expect the team to start two veterans on the outside.

McIntosh played for would-be Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in Washington. Williams is suspended indefinitely, but the Rams are installing what is essentially the same system Williams ran with the Redskins. That puts McIntosh at a significant advantage over younger players less familiar with the scheme and unproven in the NFL.

NFC West teams added or re-signed 38 unrestricted free agents during the recently completed UFA signing period. They lost or did not re-sign 47 such players.

One key difference between those groups: age.

The St. Louis Rams in particular used the UFA signing period to get younger. The 12 UFAs they added (11) or re-signed (one) averaged 2.49 years younger than the 20 UFAs they lost (six) or have not re-signed (14). The gap was 1.39 years younger on average throughout the division. The Rams have the youngest roster in the NFL, based on averages I maintain for every team in the league.

Some older UFAs never sign another NFL contract. They disappear from rosters and realize, perhaps a year or two later, that they've been retired.

The chart shows age differences for the 38 UFA players added or re-signed versus the 47 lost to other teams or still unsigned. According to the NFL, 143 UFAs changed teams across the league this offseason. Another 112 re-signed with their 2011 teams.

Unsigned players remain free to sign with another team, but the NFL will not count them as UFA signings. The distinction matters in part because only UFA additions and losses count toward the formula for determining compensatory draft choices. That formula relies heavily on player salaries. UFAs available this late in the process generally wouldn't command enough money to affect compensatory picks, anyway.

A quick look at which UFA players from NFC West teams did not sign or re-sign as UFAs:

• St. Louis Rams (14): receiver Mark Clayton, tackle Mark LeVoir, tackle Adam Goldberg, tight end Billy Bajema, safety James Butler, cornerback Al Harris (retired), cornerback Rod Hood, cornerback Justin King, quarterback A.J. Feeley, running back Jerious Norwood, linebacker Brady Poppinga, tight end Stephen Spach, running back Cadillac Williams and center Tony Wragge.
• Seattle Seahawks (4): defensive end Raheem Brock, defensive tackle Jimmy Wilkerson, linebacker David Vobora and running back Justin Forsett. Forsett reached agreement with the Houston Texans following the UFA period. The Seahawks had already given his jersey number (20) to free-agent running back Kregg Lumpkin.
• Arizona Cardinals (7): defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday, tackle Floyd Womack, tackle Brandon Keith, outside linebacker Joey Porter, outside linebacker Clark Haggans, running back Chester Taylor and safety Hamza Abdullah.
• San Francisco 49ers (2): tight end Justin Peelle and fullback Moran Norris.

The 27 unsigned UFAs from the NFC West average 31.38 years old, about 3.3 years older than the 22 UFAs signed from other teams.

Nine of the 27 are at least 33 years old. Another 12 are between 29 and 32. Justin King, former cornerback for the Rams, is the youngest at 25 years old.

NFL rosters undergo massive changes each offseason. That has been particularly true in 2012 as limits increased from 80 to 90 players.

As much as I'd like to comply with requests to publish specific roster breakdowns for age and other factors, the changes require quite a bit of time to process.

A few trends are coming into focus regarding the NFC West already:

• The St. Louis Rams keep getting younger. I'm projecting them to be the youngest team in the league by a relatively wide margin, pending a few missing dates of birth for undrafted rookies on other teams. Mario Haggan (32), Quintin Mikell (31), Scott Wells (31) and Harvey Dahl (30) are the oldest players on the team. Gone are Fred Robbins (35), James Hall (35), Justin Bannan (33), Ben Leber (33) and Josh Brown (33). The Rams have not re-signed any of their own unrestricted free agents, including A.J. Feeley (35), Tony Wragge (32) and Brady Poppinga (32). Al Harris, 37, is retiring.
• The Seattle Seahawks have quietly gotten older. They ranked among the one or two youngest teams in the NFL last season and could regain that status once roster cuts are made. For now, however, I'm projecting the Seahawks to rank just outside the 10 youngest teams. Seattle brought back Marcus Trufant (31), Leroy Hill (29) and Michael Robinson (29) while adding Alex Barron (29), Frank Omiyale (29), Deuce Lutui (29) and Barrett Ruud (29 this week).
• The Arizona Cardinals could get older on defense. Arizona has gotten younger overall, but re-signing Vonnie Holliday (36) and Clark Haggans (35) would probably move the Cardinals back among the 10 oldest teams. Some of Arizona's age is concentrated with its specialists, however. That is also true for the San Francisco 49ers. Sometimes age is a good thing at those positions.
• The 49ers are young up front on offense. I'm projecting San Francisco to take one of the two or three youngest offensive lines to camp. Parting with 30-year-old Adam Snyder in free agency affected the equation once the 49ers decided to let youngsters Alex Boone and Daniel Kilgore compete for the job at right guard.

Enjoy your Friday. Hope to see you at the rescheduled NFC West chat. I'll publish a reminder later Friday.

The St. Louis Rams' list of unrestricted free agents got a little shorter Thursday when longtime punter Donnie Jones reached an agreement with the Houston Texans.

Jones, 31, was generally outstanding for the Rams during five seasons with the team. He was twice a second-team Associated Press All-Pro selection.

Teammate Steven Jackson has called Jones the one Rams player he thought most deserving of the Pro Bowl.

The Rams have yet to re-sign any of their UFAs, no surprise as they break from the past and generally seek to get younger.

The Rams signed punter Tom Malone this offseason. Malone has spent time with New England, Seattle and San Francisco without playing in a regular-season game.

Dave Zastudil, Brad Maynard, Mat McBriar, Matt Turk and Daniel Sepulveda are among the UFA punters without contracts.

The chart lists the Rams' UFAs and their statuses. Brandon Lloyd and Chris Chamberlain were the only ones to sign elsewhere before Jones reached agreement with the Texans.

I'll be surprised if the Rams' new leadership re-signs more than a couple of the players listed. Most are older players. The Rams currently have the youngest roster in the NFL, slightly younger than those for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.

Leverage shifts from players to teams as NFL free agency moves along.

Contract values provide the most persuasive evidence.

As time passes, players with stratospheric expectations must lower their sights to find deals.

Team-issued statements from San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke have marked the changing landscape with unintended humor.

"We are extremely pleased to re-sign an All-Pro player like Carlos," Baalke said when the 49ers re-signed Carlos Rogers on March 16.

Notice the shift when quarterback Alex Smith returned to the team five days later, much deeper into free agency.

"We are pleased that Alex has chosen to continue his career as a 49er," Baalke said then.

The 49ers brought back Rogers. They waited out Smith. Big difference.

More of the same awaited Ted Ginn Jr.'s re-signing a day later.

"We are glad that Ted has decided to return to the 49ers in 2012," Baalke said.

Teams are more proactive in re-signing players early in free agency. Players come back to teams later in the process.

Forty-one unrestricted free agents from NFC West teams remained without contract agreements through Saturday. Eleven of them are at least 33 years old. Another 17 are at least 29.

As the chart shows, St. Louis saw little value in rushing out to secure players from a team that finished 2-14 last season. Nineteen of the 21 original UFAs from the Rams remain unsigned. Two, Brandon Lloyd and Chris Chamberlain, signed elsewhere.

Overall, only seven of the remaining 41 UFAs without contracts were players I listed as starters late in the season: Clark Haggans and Brandon Keith from Arizona; Tony Wragge, Brady Poppinga and Jacob Bell from St. Louis; and two Seattle linebackers, Leroy Hill and David Hawthorne.

Hawthorne stands out as a relatively young starter (26) with an established record of consistent production. He visited Detroit, only to have the Lions re-sign Stephen Tulloch. He visited New Orleans, only to have the Saints reach agreement with Curtis Lofton.

The Seahawks would be better with Hawthorne and Hill back on their roster. Like a lot of teams at this stage, however, they aren't facing a great deal of pressure.

That helps explain why it's been a quiet weekend around here so far.

Michael Robinson's expected re-signing with the Seattle Seahawks would give the team a league-high four re-signings in the unrestricted free-agent market.

Red Bryant, Paul McQuistan and Heath Farwell previously re-signed.

Seattle and the other NFC West teams have added only two UFAs from other teams, however. I've put together UFA scorecards for each team in the division. Ages are in parenthesis. Here goes ...

Seattle Seahawks

UFA unsigned (age): defensive end Raheem Brock (33), defensive lineman Jimmy Wilkerson (31), safety Atari Bigby (30), quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (29), linebacker Leroy Hill (29), linebacker Matt McCoy (29), defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove (28), linebacker David Hawthorne (26), running back Justin Forsett (26), linebacker David Vobora (25)

UFA re-signed: Farwell (30), Robinson (29), McQuistan (28), Bryant (27)

UFA added: none

UFA lost: tight end John Carlson (27)

Franchise player: none

Comment: Forsett has provided value, but the Seahawks will want to add a power back as depth behind Marshawn Lynch, who re-signed before free agency. Mike Tolbert, a free agent from the San Diego Chargers, could be worth a look if the running back market remains soft. Tolbert weighs 243 pounds, has 21 total touchdowns over the past two seasons, and caught 54 passes in 2012. The price would have to be right after Seattle committed to Lynch.

San Francisco 49ers

UFA unsigned: fullback Moran Norris (33), tight end Justin Peelle (33), safety Madieu Williams (30), quarterback Alex Smith (27), receiver Ted Ginn Jr. (26), guard Chilo Rachal (26), safety Reggie Smith (25)

UFA re-signed: cornerback Carlos Rogers (30), linebacker Tavares Gooden (27)

UFA added: none

UFA lost: guard Adam Snyder (30), linebacker Blake Costanzo (27), receiver Josh Morgan (26)

Franchise player: safety Dashon Goldson (27)

Comment: Randy Moss and potential addition Rock Cartwright do not appear in the listings because they were not unrestricted free agents. Re-signing Alex Smith and finding additional receiver help appear to be the top priorities. The 49ers are showing little outward urgency on either front, however.

Arizona Cardinals

UFA unsigned: defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday (36), kicker Jay Feely (35), long-snapper Mike Leach (35), outside linebacker Clark Haggans (35), outside linebacker Joey Porter (34), offensive lineman Floyd Womack (33), punter Dave Zastudil (33), tackle D'Anthony Batiste (29), safety Sean Considine (29), guard Deuce Lutui (28), safety Hamza Abdullah (28), tackle Brandon Keith (27), receiver Early Doucet (26)

UFA re-signed: none.

UFA added: Snyder (30)

UFA lost: cornerback Richard Marshall (27)

Franchise player: defensive end Calais Campbell (25)

Comment: The Cardinals have been in a tough spot. They would have faced criticism had they declined to pursue Peyton Manning. They could now face criticism for sacrificing the first week of free agency while waiting for Manning. The reality is that Arizona probably wasn't going to be all that aggressive in the market this offseason, anyway. It did hurt losing Marshall to the Miami Dolphins after coordinator Ray Horton called him the Cardinals' defensive MVP.

St. Louis Rams

UFA unsigned: cornerback Al Harris (37), quarterback A.J. Feeley (34), offensive lineman Tony Wragge (32), linebacker Brady Poppinga (32), punter Donnie Jones (31), offensive lineman Adam Goldberg (31), guard Jacob Bell (31), receiver Brandon Lloyd (30), cornerback Rod Hood (30), running back Cadillac Williams (29), defensive tackle Gary Gibson (29), receiver Mark Clayton (29), tackle Mark LeVoir (29), tight end Stephen Spach (29), safety James Butler (29), tight end Billy Bajema (29), quarterback Kellen Clemens (28), running back Jerious Norwood (28), linebacker Bryan Kehl (27), linebacker Chris Chamberlain (26), cornerback Justin King (24)

UFA re-signed: none

UFA added: cornerback Cortland Finnegan (28)

UFA lost: none

Franchise player: none

Comment: The Rams are not looking to re-sign many of their own free agents. They want to turn over the roster, and that is happening in a big way. The team's failure to secure playmaking help for quarterback Sam Bradford stands out as the biggest theme to this point. Finnegan was a welcome addition, but he isn't going to score many touchdowns.

The chart below shows a general overview.

The St. Louis Rams have 20 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.

I'm not sure any of them qualify as players the Rams absolutely must bring back, particularly with a new coach and new schemes on both sides of the ball.

Receiver Brandon Lloyd would help fill a need, but at what price? Would he fit as well in a new offense after producing at disproportionate levels to this point when paired with former coordinator Josh McDaniels, now in New England?

Guard Jacob Bell played for new coach Jeff Fisher in Tennessee. He might have more value to the new staff than he had to the old one; McDaniels wanted more powerful guards, such as Harvey Dahl.

This item, like the previous one for Arizona, expands upon Brian McIntyre's lists. I've added columns for offensive and defensive snap counts from 2011, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information. The final column shows how much each player's previous contract averaged.

Update: Punter Donnie Jones is also an unrestricted free agent. His previous contracted averaged not quite $1.2 million.

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Receiver Danny Amendola, listed with the restricted free agents below, has not played since suffering an elbow injury in the 2011 season opener.

Arizona: It's looking like John Skelton will remain the Cardinals' starting quarterback while Kevin Kolb continues to work through concussion-related symptoms. Kolb is practicing on a limited basis. Skelton was the player Cardinals officials made available to Seattle reporters on a conference call Wednesday. Patrick Peterson's injured Achilles' tendon will not require surgery, but his availability for Sunday remains in question. Peterson, right tackle Brandon Keith and free safety Kerry Rhodes missed practice Wednesday. Playing without Peterson on Sunday would affect the Cardinals significantly in the return game and on defense. Running back Beanie Wells was limited. His knee injury remains a factor. Wells has not exceeded 15 carries in any of the Cardinals' past three games. He has had no runs longer than 9 yards in the four games since setting a franchise record with 228 yards against St. Louis.

St. Louis: Kellen Clemens appears likely to finish the season as the Rams' starting quarterback while starter Sam Bradford (ankle) and backup A.J. Feeley (thumb) remain sidelined. The Rams, having already placed 10 cornerbacks on injured reserve this season, lost another one when learning Justin King's shoulder injury would require surgery. An abdominal injury continues to limit another cornerback, Josh Gordy, although he has picked off passes in consecutive games. Defensive tackle Fred Robbins and linebacker Brady Poppinga have been ill this week. Expect defensive end Chris Long to continue playing through an ankle injury. He has 13 sacks and had two against San Francisco when the teams met previously this season.

San Francisco: The 49ers need to beat the Rams to ensure themselves a first-round playoff bye, but they also need to guard against aggravating existing injuries. Linebacker Patrick Willis, sidelined by a hamstring injury suffered against the Rams in Week 13, returned to practice this week. Receivers Ted Ginn Jr. (ankle) and Kyle Williams (concussion) are not practicing. The team will likely sign Joe Hastings or John Matthews from the practice squad. Both are receivers. One could get playing time against the Rams. San Francisco's offense faces a transition while tight end Delanie Walker recovers from a broken jaw.

Seattle: The Seahawks, like the Rams, have a long list of players on injured reserve. Unlike the Rams, their 53 active players are relatively healthy, and they have developed young depth throughout the roster. Linebacker David Hawthorne and receiver Ben Obomanu missed practice Wednesday. Both have knee injuries. Depth at receiver is a concern for the Seahawks now that Sidney Rice and Mike Williams are on injured reserve. The team expects to have Obomanu against Arizona on Sunday. Linebacker Malcolm Smith (concussion), defensive tackle Clinton McDonald (concussion), quarterback Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral) and defensive back Kennard Cox (hamstring) practiced fully.

Five things I noticed about the Arizona Cardinals while watching their 23-20 road victory over the St. Louis Rams in Week 12:

• Cardinals exploited Rams' tackle situation. Defensive end Calais Campbell ended the Rams' first drive by shedding left tackle Adam Goldberg and bringing down Steven Jackson behind the line of scrimmage. Outside linebacker Sam Acho ended the Rams' second drive by beating Goldberg decisively for a fumble-forcing sack. Acho, a rookie fourth-round choice, finished the game with two sacks. That's great for him and an encouraging sign for the team, but the Rams' personnel issues played a huge role in Acho's success. The Rams were without both starting tackles and backup Mark LeVoir. Acho beat Goldberg for a sack in the red zone before halftime, another key play. These were mismatches.
• Don't blame Keith for Long's sack. Right tackle Brandon Keith shoved the Rams' Chris Long well past the pocket on a first-down play late in the first quarter. Long collected a sack anyway because quarterback John Skelton held the ball too long.
• Colledge key on Wells' runs. Left guard Daryn Colledge pulled to his left and sealed linebacker Brady Poppinga to spring Beanie Wells' 71-yard run in the second quarter. Colledge pulled and took out middle linebacker James Laurinaitis to spring Wells' 3-yard run on third-and-4 in the third quarter (I initially thought Wells got the first down). Colledge pulled right and took out Laurinaitis to spring Wells' 53-yard run in the fourth quarter, with fullback Anthony Sherman blocking Poppinga to the same side.
• Larry Fitzgerald is not eight feet tall. Skelton threw high for Fitzgerald the first three times he targeted the Cardinals' 6-foot-3 receiver. Not just a little high, either. Skelton missed Fitzgerald by feet, not inches. Fitzgerald slammed his hand on the ground following the third missed chance, this one a short throw from a clean pocket near the goal line. Skelton's fourth pass to Fitzgerald sailed high and behind its target, causing the usually graceful Fitzgerald to skid along the turf on his rear end as he applied the brakes, Flintstones-style. Skelton missed other receivers high as well. Instead of trying Patrick Peterson on offense, as the Cardinals did without success Sunday, they ought to consider the 6-8 Campbell.
• Daryl Washington is everywhere. The Cardinals' second-year inside linebacker flashes Pro Bowl ability. He tackled Jackson after gains of zero, 1 and 1 yards, and again after seven yards on a third-and-14 play. He also tackled tight end Lance Kendricks after 12 yards on third-and-17. Washington was nearly too aggressive in breaking up another pass to Kendricks on a third-and-1 play.

Enjoy your Monday night. Should be a good game between the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.

The facts: The St. Louis Rams fell to 2-9 with a 23-20 home defeat to the Arizona Cardinals.

The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.

• Nick Miller's 88-yard punt return for a touchdown gave the Rams a 7-0 lead. This tied for the third-longest punt return in franchise history. It was the Rams' first punt return for a touchdown since Dante Hall had one against Dallas in 2007.
• Chris Long collected his 10th sack of the season, a career high. Long and his father, Howie, joined Clay Matthews Sr. and Jr. as the only fathers and sons to record double-digit sack seasons since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Chris Long now has a sack in each of the Rams' last five games, a career-long stretch.
• Rookie Austin Pettis made a spectacular leaping grab for a 35-yard gain.
• Former Cardinals cornerback Rod Hood picked off a pass against his former team. Linebacker James Laurinaitis also picked off a pass, while linebacker Brady Poppinga forced and recovered a fumble. Pressure from Gary Gibson set up Laurinaitis' pick.
• The Rams prevented touchdowns on three of four red zone possessions for Arizona.
• Rookie first-round draft choice Robert Quinn collected his fifth sack of the season.
• Sam Bradford threw no interceptions.
• Receiver Brandon Lloyd's 16-yard scoring reception was his fourth since joining the Rams. He has one touchdown in each of the team's last three games.
• Safety Darian Stewart now has sacks in back-to-back weeks.
• The Rams allowed 106 net yards passing.

Looking ahead: The Rams visit the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.

Chris Mortensen says the St. Louis Rams are "optimistic" quarterback Sam Bradford can return from a high-ankle sprain Sunday.

The Rams listed Bradford as questionable on their Friday injury report. Bradford has not played in 21 days. High-ankle sprains generally take longer to heal, but Bradford has a better chance because his left ankle is the injured one. He plants on his right ankle when throwing.

I've had a hard time projecting a winner for the Rams' game at Arizona, in part because the quarterback situations have been muddied. I went with the Cardinals because they're home and I suspect Arizona should be able to run the ball well, but even that's tough to know for certain with Beanie Wells less than full strength and the Rams coming off a strong showing against New Orleans.

Bradford's availability at less than full strength adds another variable that is difficult to quantify.

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The St. Louis Rams have listed quarterback Sam Bradford as questionable for the second time this season.

Recovery times for high-ankle sprains can be unpredictable, coach Steve Spagnuolo has repeatedly said, but if Bradford returns Sunday, he'll beat reasonable expectations.

Three Cleveland Browns quarterbacks suffered high-ankle sprains last season. The youngest of the three, Colt McCoy, played in a game 28 days later. The oldest, Jake Delhomme, was forced into action prematurely after a 28-day recovery period. He played two quarters and still wasn't right a month later. The Browns' other quarterback last season, Seneca Wallace, returned to practice 31 days after suffering his high-ankle sprain.

Bradford was injured during an Oct. 16 game at Green Bay. Bradford did not play the next week after the Rams listed him as questionable. In retrospect, the team's optimism that week could have reflected Bradford's determination to play more than his realistic chances for getting onto the field so quickly. The team reassessed the injury and held out Bradford against New Orleans in Week 8.

Bradford practiced on a limited basis Friday.

There has been no clear pattern for players the Rams have listed as questionable. Seven of 13 did not play after appearing as questionable on previous Fridays this season. An eighth, Steven Jackson, was limited to only 14 offensive snaps after being questionable for Week 3.

The chart shows the players St. Louis has listed as questionable on Fridays previously this season, their injuries, whether they played and how much they played.

Update: Which ankle is injured matters. Delhomme and Wallace injured their right ankles, making it tougher to plant and drive when throwing. McCoy and Bradford suffered sprains to their left ankles. That could, in theory, enable them to return sooner.

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Arizona: Quarterback Kevin Kolb shed his walking boot Wednesday and has a better chance to start Sunday as a result. He did not practice. Kolb played most of the team's game at Baltimore with a turf-toe injury. The Cardinals should be able to lean on their ground game against St. Louis. That could help Kolb get through a game at less than full strength. Backup John Skelton had a 2-2 record as a starter last season. Top running back Beanie Wells is hurting, but he ran hard against Baltimore's rugged defense, playing 54.7 percent of offensive snaps despite a bad knee. Coach Ken Whisenhunt called Wells a "tough sucker" and said he expected Wells to be ready against the Rams as well. Tight end Todd Heap is expected back from a hamstring injury, but much depends on how he fares during practices. Fullback Anthony Sherman's ankle injury led the team to bring back Reagan Maui'a, who knows the offense and should be able to function. Backup tight end Jim Dray helped out at fullback last week.

St. Louis: Quarterback Sam Bradford, sidelined the last two weeks by a high-ankle sprain, shed his walking boot and began strengthening exercises. He did not practice Wednesday and could still be another week away from returning. The Rams averaged only 8.8 yards per completed pass against New Orleans with A.J. Feeley at quarterback, but the Cardinals' struggling pass defense could help this week. The Rams will likely remain without offensive tackle Jason Smith (neck/concussion) and defensive tackle Darell Scott (concussion). Adam Goldberg fared relatively well in Smith's place against New Orleans. Danario Alexander (hamstring), linebacker Brady Poppinga (calf) and cornerback Justin King (groin) are participating in individual drills. King's status is more pressing given depth issues in the secondary, but with the Cardinals using two tight ends quite a bit, the challenge is different this week than last.

San Francisco: Defensive end Ray McDonald suffered a hamstring injury against Cleveland, interrupting what has been a strong season for him. Replacement Ricky Jean-Francois played 69.8 percent of the 49ers' snaps against Cleveland. The 49ers have enough talent on defense to play well without McDonald, should he need this week to recover. Receiver Braylon Edwards played 55.2 percent of the offensive snaps Sunday in his first game back from knee surgery. He took a few hits, struggled for yardage and did not appear any worse for the experience. Vernon Davis played through an arm injury against Cleveland and was expected to remain available against Washington. The 49ers have not updated their injury situation yet Wednesday. Their reports have featured a surprise or two previously this season. I'll update if that is the case this week as well. Update: Defensive end Justin Smith, who has started 162 consecutive games, did not practice. Could just be a day of rest. No details yet.

Seattle: Tarvaris Jackson is getting most of the practice snaps and will start against the Dallas Cowboys, barring a setback in his recovery from a pectoral injury. Jackson was much better than backup Charlie Whitehurst last week. He gives the Seahawks' their best chance in the passing game. Receiver Mike Williams was a surprise game-day scratch against Cincinnati. He remains limited with a hamstring injury. Whether he plays matters less than it would have last season given how the passing game has been running through Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin and Ben Obomanu. Tight end Cameron Morrah is resting a knee injury. Depth behind Zach Miller has been a bit sketchy. Anthony McCoy has struggled. Update: Linebacker Leroy Hill (knee) did not practice.

Here's the thing about the St. Louis Rams' stunning 31-21 victory against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8: The Rams did not play that well overall, particularly on offense.

This was as much a victory of attitude as it was one for execution. The Rams, after opening the season 0-6, weren't going to accept losing any longer.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says running back Steven Jackson took the lead on this front, addressing the team with words that came to him when he awoke at 3 a.m. on game-day morning. Jackson: "Pretty much what I said was if you've ever been in a fight and you've ever been hit with a punch, you only have two decisions. Either run from the person, the opponent. Or you just dig deep inside and find the will to keep swinging and keep fighting. ... So I challenged them. Not as football players. I challenged them as men." Noted: Jackson is finally healthy enough to lead with his legs as well. He ran with good speed and power against the Saints.

Also from Thomas: This was a different Rams team. Thomas: "Go figure. A Saints offense that scored 34 points and gained 339 yards in the first half last week against Indianapolis, managed just 94 yards and didn't dent the scoreboard in the first half Sunday against the Rams."

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com says the Rams had reached their breaking point. Saints coach Sean Payton: "They pretty much handled us all day. It has been a while since that has happened. They did a great job. We struggled blocking, we struggled running the ball, we struggled protecting. We didn’t have a lot going for us."

Also from Gordon: a Rams report card featuring all 'A' and 'B' grades. Safety Darian Stewart and the secondary got high marks, as did the linebackers. Gordon: "The man in the middle, James Laurinaitis, played like an All-Pro. The press box statistics credited him with 10 tackles. He also broke up two passes, earned a sack and put two more hits on Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Chris Chamberlain helped set the defensive tone with two early tackles for a loss and Bryan Kehl also earned one while starting in place of Brady Poppinga." Noted: Chamberlain made a couple big hits. Kehl stood out to me in a positive way to a degree I had not noticed this season.

Kathleen Nelson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams had a feeling first-round pick Robert Quinn would block a punt Sunday. Nelson: "Rams special teams coach Tom McMahon approached Quinn 'two or three days ago,' Quinn said, and told Quinn that he had a dream that he would block a punt. 'He said he had the same thing last year with Danny Amendola returning a touchdown,' Quinn said. 'I said to myself, 'Let me see if this is really true.' "

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com hands out accolades, including this one for rookie receiver Greg Salas: "Salas is quickly becoming a key cog in this offense. Terrific to see how far he’s come in a few weeks under the tutelage of Nolan Cromwell. He had five catches for 47 yards and added a run for eight more." Noted: Salas was among those playing with attitude in this game. This was by far the most confidence he has shown outwardly to this point in his NFL career. A little success has gone a long way with him.

The St. Louis Rams are not the first team to flop miserably amid expectations for improvement.

At 0-6 heading into a seemingly impossible matchup with New Orleans, the Rams have almost no shot at contending for the NFC West title this season.

Their best bet could be trying to emulate the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers. Both teams flopped early last season despite elevated expectations. Both teams also recovered, and both have played well enough to post winning records heading into Week 8 this season.

The Lions opened 2-10 last season. The 49ers were 0-5. Both finished 6-10. They are a combined 10-3 this season (9-2 if we discard the game they played against one another).

The Rams still have two game against 1-5 Arizona, two against 2-4 Seattle and one against a Cleveland team that has gotten to 3-3 with victories over winless Miami and Indianapolis.

Sam Bradford's injury is complicating efforts to build on a 424-yard performance at Green Bay two weeks ago. I think the offense will improve and build momentum once he returns, particularly with Steven Jackson healthy and Brandon Lloyd in the lineup at wide receiver.

The problems on defense are what could drag down the Rams and possibly even precipitate sweeping organizational changes, in my view.

The inability of coach Steve Spagnuolo to coax better play from that side of the ball has been surprising. The problems go beyond injuries at cornerback. The inability to acquire and develop young defensive players for the future stands out when analyzing the roster.


As the chart shows, the Rams have allowed more rushing yards through six games than all but two teams since the 2000 season. Worse, they have very few ascending young players to develop on that side of the ball. James Butler and Craig Dahl are their backup safeties. Ben Leber, Josh Hull and Bryan Kehl are their backup linebackers. Darell Scott and Gary Gibson are their backup defensive tackles.

Of all the backups on defense, only rookie defensive end Robert Quinn projects as a potential front-line player for the future. That would be OK if the defense were playing at a high level and featured ascending young players. But starters James Hall, Fred Robbins, Justin Bannan, Brady Poppinga, Chris Chamberlain and Al Harris are either nearing the end or qualify as veteran stopgaps.

The prospects for sustained long-term improvement on defense appear limited as a result.