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INDIANAPOLIS -- Among the lasting visuals from this Friday morning at the NFL scouting combine: West Coasters perched on their nightstands at 4 a.m. PT, eagerly awaiting coin-toss results for 2012 draft order.

I loved hearing from some of them via Twitter while the minutes counted down before Kansas City prevailed over Seattle for the 11th overall choice. The Seahawks will pick 12th, which some fans found appropriate in light of the 12th Man.

The difference between picking 11th or 12th should be relatively small, but it's a big deal to the teams and some of the die-hards. NFL officials tossed a special coin to break the draft-order tie. It was a fun way to begin the morning.

Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli arrived first. He ribbed his Seattle counterpart, John Schneider, by looking at his watch when Schneider arrived a few minutes before the scheduled 7:30 a.m. ET toss.

The ceremony took place behind closed doors. The parties dispersed after a few minutes and had little to say.

Also in the NFC West ...

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com sizes up the Cardinals' quarterback situation with Kevin Kolb and John Skelton competing. Urban: "I think John has earned the ability to be given consideration for the position, just because of what he did, his record and the way he played. But I also think we’ve got a lot invested in Kevin as well for that position. There is nothing wrong with competition. I think it makes both players, all players, better. If we can get somebody to beat Larry Fitzgerald out that guy will be a pretty good football player. There will be competition, absolutely."

Bob Young of the Arizona Republic recaps a wild week of reality television for Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson. Strange stuff. No idea what to make of it.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times updates the Seahawks' contract negotiations with various free agents. O'Neil: "Each NFL team has only one franchise tag, and the Seahawks could have two priority free agents in [Red] Bryant and [Marshawn] Lynch, which would seem to leave the Seahawks vulnerable to losing one. There's still time left, though, as the deadline for applying the franchise tag is March 5, and free agency doesn't begin until March 13."

Also from O'Neil: the Seahawks' quarterback outlook heading into the draft.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com offers notes on free agency, the draft and injuries for Seattle. Farnsworth: "Tarvaris Jackson did not need surgery to repair the pectoral he tore during the Week 5 upset of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, which John Schneider said surprised him. But he said that wide receiver Sidney Rice has had surgery on each of his shoulders -- one to repair the labrum he damaged during training camp and tried to play with, as well as an injury to the other that Rice had played with since entering the league in 2007 with the Minnesota Vikings."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers a transcript from Jim Harbaugh's media session Thursday. Harbaugh on the unsigned Alex Smith: "Yeah, Alex is our guy. That's well-documented. He had a tremendous season. Definitely as a coach, you worry about a lot of things. And when the quarterback's not signed and is a free agent, that leads to some lost sleep. But I'm excited to be back at work, very excited to be here and see what kind of improvement we can make from year 1 to year 2, and I hope all our guys feel the exact same way."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee asks whether the 49ers' can maintain their chemistry this offseason amid potential changes.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says 49ers general manager Trent Baalke remained in character after signing a contract extension.

Also from Branch: a look at the competition for veteran long-snapper Brian Jennings.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Browns could be a trading partner with the Rams for the No. 2 overall pick. Browns coach Pat Shurmur, formerly of the Rams' staff: "Yeah, we're willing. With two first-round picks we have flexibility. We can just stand pat and take two really fine players, guys that we would hope to be starters for us. (But) having two first-round picks, you have flexibility if you want to do something."

Also from Thomas: USC's Matt Kalil could be a fit for the Rams. Thomas: "He certainly will be a player the Rams study with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. True, in Jeff Fisher's 16 full seasons as head coach at Tennessee, the Titans never selected an offensive tackle in the first round. Then again, the Titans had an anchor at left tackle for 13 seasons in Brad Hopkins, including Fisher's first 11 seasons as head coach. It's not as if the Rams have gone nuts selecting offensive linemen in the first round, either. In 17 seasons in St. Louis, the Rams have had 20 first-round picks and used just three of them on offensive tackles. Orlando Pace, taken first overall in 1997, made seven Pro Bowls, was voted to the NFL's all-decade team for the 2000s, and is a potential Hall of Famer."

NFL long-snappers generally escape public notice, but the San Francisco 49ers' Brian Jennings is compelling enough to command his own weekly radio show in the Bay Area.

Jennings was especially compelling this week when addressing the sex-abuse scandal that has brought down coach Joe Paterno, rocked Penn State and, most importantly, affected the alleged victims. Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News broke out some of the comments Thursday. I've transcribed all of them and will pass them along in full because the context is important and Jennings was so thoughtful:

"I feel pretty strongly about this and I’ll try not to go off on too much of a tangent because it’s a big deal. I thought of this quote last night from Edmund Burke. It says the only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing. When you look at Joe Paterno, I believe he's a good man, right? And I believe the athletic director is a good man. And the primary emphasis of the outrage should be directed at the perpetrator of these crimes. But at the same time, when you have the opportunity to stop something like this, you have to intervene. You have to.

"It's such a powerful thing because there are a few things that I pray for, and it's not to live a pain-free life or to be rich or to live 150 years or whatever. I don’t pray for that stuff. I pray that nothing bad happens to my family, I pray that I live my life with a certain level of honor and that in that moment when I were in a position that I see something going on that isn’t just a crime against our law, it’s not just a crime against humanity -- this is an evil thing that happened -- that I have the courage right then and the wisdom right now to take action.

"Whoever saw that, that young man that saw that, he was scared to death. He has been scared to death every day since. I don’t want to live with that. I would rather die in the fight than live with not doing anything. That is what I pray for. That is what I pray for all the time.

"I would invite your listeners right now, everybody listening to this, if you know of childhood abuse that is happening, pick up your phone right now and call 9-1-1 and report it. Say, 'You know what, I know a child that is being sexually abused,' and say his name. Just do it right now.

"Everything else will take care of itself. But this cannot be silent. You cannot let this happen and just let it ride. That’s on a religious level. That is on a spiritual level. That is your relationship with your Creator. Good vs. evil. And then when you get into college, you know, now we’re talking about a coach in charge of young men. A coach who is in charge of young men is in a unique position of authority. It is very much like a parent or an adopted parent, maybe, or something like that.

"In a very real way, I give credit to my coaches and teammates for raising me into the man that I am today. And I appreciate that in a very positive way. For them (at Penn State) to betray and to not take care of those kids is absolutely a huge tragedy. Furthermore, not only should they be fired – everyone should be fired, everyone should be criminally charged – it is an amateur sport, their season should be suspended, every win from the moment Joe Paterno knew about this, every game that he has been a part of should be stricken from the record. He cannot be held as the standard. It’s over.

"It only takes one thing to ruin it all. And that is what I pray for, right? What do you do to not let one thing ruin everything? This is that one thing for him. It’s over."

The Penn State scandal continues to generate strong opinions from multiple angles. Jennings' basic premise, elicited in the quote from Burke, resonated with me on a personal level.

Every couple years, I'll visit the California database for sex offenders to see whether the state has released one of my childhood basketball coaches.

The coach was a volunteer through the local parks-and-rec department and in his early 20s at the time. I was 8-10 years old and now have two sons in that general range. Back then, my teammates and I were too young to recognize the coach's now-obvious attempts at grooming children for abuse. The coach would ask for hugs and then hold on for an uncomfortably long time. When he showed up on my doorstep with a birthday present one day, my father threatened the coach strongly enough to end any further attempts.

Years passed, I never saw the coach again or heard anything about him. But when California made available its offender database, I ran the former coach's name through it and discovered he was serving a lengthy prison sentence for convictions including "lewd or lascivious acts with children under 14 years, lewd or lascivious acts with children 14 or 15 years old and annoy/molest children." A notation on his database entry reads, "Registrant has subsequent felony conviction(s) but DOJ has no incarceration information for this felony."

To my knowledge, no one associated with my team saw anything beyond those initial attempts at grooming. There's still a sense, in retrospect, that something more should have been done somewhere along the line. The stakes are so high.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 5:

Burden could fall on Kevin Kolb. Beanie Wells' ability to carry the Arizona Cardinals' offense against the New York Giants might not translate to the team's game against Minnesota in Week 5. The Vikings are allowing just 76.3 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry. Both figures rank among the top six in the league. Minnesota's strong run defense could put more pressure on Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb to carry the offense. Kolb hasn't made consistently good decisions on when to bail from the pocket and what to do once he does. He is completing only 38.9 percent of his throws from outside the pocket, one reason he ranks 27th among 32 quarterbacks in Total QBR from there (6.7).

Introducing the real 49ers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shut out San Francisco at Candlestick Park last season, the 49ers' first home shutout since 1977. So much has changed for the 49ers since that game, however. Alex Smith has replaced Troy Smith at quarterback. Jim Harbaugh has replaced Mike Singletary as coach. Joe Staley is back in the lineup at left tackle. The 49ers will have seven starters on defense different from those from last year, with most representing upgrades. One concern: The 49ers are without nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga, a potential concern against a runner as powerful as the Bucs' LeGarrette Blount. And to think, Blount would have been a 49er had he not reneged on an agreement with the team as an undrafted free agent.

Marshawn Lynch's opportunity. The Seattle Seahawks' offensive line took pride in allowing no sacks in its most recent game. A repeat performance on the road against the New York Giants isn't realistic. However, this game does give the Seahawks an opportunity to improve their unproductive ground game. The Giants have allowed 100-yard rushers in their past two games. The Seahawks have failed to top 64 yards rushing in three of their four games. Marshawn Lynch has gained 61 percent of his rushing yards after contact this season, the fourth-highest percentage in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Seattle's line needs to keep defenders off him a little longer.

An unlikely interception drought. Few safeties cover as much ground as quickly as the Seahawks' Earl Thomas, but that has not translated into interceptions. Thomas, after picking off five passes in his first 10 NFL games, has intercepted none in his past 12, counting playoffs. A penalty wiped out an interception for Thomas against Arizona this season. Seattle has collected only two of the 125 interceptions thrown in the NFL this season, and the Giants' Eli Manning has cut down on turnovers dramatically. A turnover from Thomas certainly would help the Seahawks' chances in a game few expect them to win. He's playing too well to go much longer without picking off passes.

49ers staring down history. A victory over the Buccaneers would leave the 49ers with a 4-1 record for the first time since 2002. Long-snapper Brian Jennings is the 49ers' only remaining player from that season. That 49ers team improved to 4-1 with a 28-21 victory over Seattle. How long ago was that game? One of Jennings' current coaches, Bobby Engram, returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown that day.

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch caught up with Rams running back Steven Jackson, no small feat during the offseason. Burwell: "Over the past three years alone, he has been to about a dozen foreign countries, swam with blood-thirsty sharks, zip-lined through the tree tops of tropical rain forests against howler and Capuchin monkeys, sat in the stands in South Africa cheering at the World Cup, walked through the catacombs of the Roman Colosseum, co-produced award-nominated documentaries, studied the architecture of Europe's great cities and gotten an up-close-and-personal glance at Mona Lisa's smiling face. So, when I ask him how he spent this summer's vacation, Jackson is eager to retell this year's odyssey." Jackson says he did not attend player-organized practices this offseason in part because he's better served learning from coaches on the field than by studying a playbook on his own. Also, Jackson said he was concerned about injuries.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams have so far weathered the lockout well from a business standpoint, according to team executive Kevin Demoff. Miklasz: "The Rams have season-ticket renewal rate of 94 percent -- assuming that fans follow through on their deposits, which is a fairly safe bet. According to Demoff, this will be the Rams' highest season-ticket renewal rate in more than a decade. The Rams already have sold 4,000 new season tickets, which doubles what they sold in new season tickets a year ago. And the Rams figure to get another boost from the end of the lockout and the start of camp."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com sizes up the Cardinals' situation at quarterback heading toward free agency. Urban: "Speculation has made Kevin Kolb, the Eagles’ backup to Michael Vick and a free-agent-to-be after the 2011 season, the name to watch once teams can begin to make moves. The price the Eagles demand for Kolb figures to be a factor. His potential is just that -- potential -- and no sure thing. Does Kyle Orton make more sense? Or, given the fact both Orton and Kolb are scheduled to become free agents after 2011, maybe the Cards wait and pick up a free agent this year. After the position as a whole underperformed last season, any added veteran projects to an upgrade."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com checks in from Jacob Green's annual charity golf tournament in the Seattle area, noting that the retired pass-rusher has raised millions to fight cancer. Farnsworth: "Green [led] the Seahawks in sacks nine times -- including 1983, when he had a career-best 16; and the four-season stretch from 1983-86 when he produced 54.5. He was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 1995, selected to the Seattle Post Intelligencer’s 25th Anniversary team in 2000 and voted the Seahawks’ 35th Anniversary team last year."

Also from Farnsworth: The Seahawks' facility got high marks from Manchester United players visiting over the weekend.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee passes along a story from an HBO show reflecting early signs of the competitiveness that typifies 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. Barrows: "Jim Harbaugh once beaned a little girl square in the back with a fastball. He was only nine years old at the time, but that didn't seem to make a difference to the horrified parents watching from the stands."

Also from Barrows: 49ers fullback Bruce Miller is hanging out with quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Barrows: "Kaepernick said he trained with Miller before the combine in February. Back then Miller thought he would play defensive end, his position at Central Florida, at the NFL level or perhaps try his hand at outside linebacker. The 49ers, however, view Miller to as a fullback, and Kaepernick has been impressed with what he's seen from him at that position so far."

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says 49ers snapper Brian Jennings has been teaching his craft to youngsters this offseason, including during a camp Saturday. Branch: "Jennings hosted a long-snapping camp at San Jose State on Saturday for 20 high-school-aged hopefuls and has plans to develop an online long-snapping school. The six-hour camp was filmed and Jennings will use the footage as content for his online school, which will feature drills and coaching tips. Jennings is passionate about providing an affordable way to teach others across the nation the finer points of his craft."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com asks whether the lockout will lead to more false-start penalties as the 49ers break in a new offensive scheme.

Also from Maiocco: He offers thoughts on the comments 49ers general manager Trent Baalke recently made to San Jose Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami. Maiocco: "Outside linebacker Manny Lawson and nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin will get some free-agent attention around the league. The 49ers drafted Lawson's replacement, Aldon Smith, with the No. 7 overall pick. And the 49ers have contingency plans to place a priority on re-signing defensive end Ray McDonald, starting him at left defensive end, and shifting Isaac Sopoaga to nose tackle to replace Franklin."

The latest in our periodic spin around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

XTRA910 Phoenix: fullback Mike Karney
101ESPN St. Louis: receiver Mark Clayton
101ESPN St. Louis: Chris Miller on Sam Bradford
101ESPN St. Louis: Jim Kelly on Bradford
101ESPN St. Louis: Marshall Faulk on Bradford
101ESPN St. Louis: linebacker James Laurinaitis
101ESPN St. Louis: Rams executive Kevin Demoff
101ESPN St. Louis: Ron Wolfley on Bradford
101ESPN St. Louis: reporter Jim Thomas
XTRA910 Phoenix: Thomas
710ESPN Seattle: John Clayton Show with Thomas as guest

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49ers
KNBR680 San Francisco: left tackle Joe Staley
KNBR680 San Francisco: reporter Matt Maiocco
KNBR680 San Francisco: reporter Matt Barrows
KNBR680 San Francisco: Ronnie Lott
KNBR680 San Francisco: linebacker Manny Lawson
KNBR680 San Francisco: snapper Brian Jennings
KNBR680 San Francisco: coach Mike Singletary
950KJR Seattle: Gary Plummer

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Cardinals
XTRA910 Phoenix: coach Ken Whisenhunt
XTRA910 Phoenix: running back Tim Hightower
XTRA910 Phoenix: safety Adrian Wilson
KTAR620 Phoenix: receiver Stephen Williams
KTAR620 Phoenix: ex-quarterback Matt Leinart
KTAR620 Phoenix: line coach Russ Grimm
101ESPN St. Louis: reporter Kent Somers
101ESPN St. Louis: defensive end Calais Campbell
101ESPN St. Louis: president Michael Bidwill
azcardinals.com: Cardinals Underground
azcardinals.com: Whisenhunt (video)

---

Seahawks
KJR950 Seattle: nose tackle Colin Cole
KJR950 Seattle: safety Jordan Babineaux
KJR950 Seattle: former coach Jim Mora
KJR950 Seattle: Seahawks Round Table
KJR950 Seattle: Mike Holmgren
710ESPN Seattle: Matt Hasselbeck (partway through hour)
710ESPN Seattle: Huddle Show with Deion Branch, Lofa Tatupu, John Carlson

That should get us caught up, and help pass the time before kickoff. I'll be heading to the Edward Jones Dome shortly. Always nice to get there early.

Age can be a sensitive subject, even in the NFL. Especially in the NFL, where a couple down seasons past age 30 can leave even accomplished players on the outside.

Teams try to find the right mix of youth, players in their primes and older veterans.

The St. Louis Rams, one of the NFL's youngest teams last season, signed a few players well in their 30s this offseason as they tried to add seasoning. Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt pointed to veteran leadership as one of the things he likes about his roster.

I've gone through NFC West rosters to see how many players in their 30s each team employs. The numbers were about what I would have expected.

Arizona (13): punter Ben Graham 36, defensive tackle Bryan Robinson 36, kicker Jay Feely 34, snapper Mike Leach 33, guard Alan Faneca 33, linebacker Clark Haggans 33, linebacker Joey Porter 33, tight end Anthony Becht 33, linebacker Paris Lenon 32, linebacker Monty Beisel 31, safety Adrian Wilson 30, tackle Jeremy Bridges 30, center Ben Claxton 30.

San Francisco (13): kicker Joe Nedney 37, tackle Barry Sims 35, snapper Brian Jennings 33, linebacker Takeo Spikes 33, fullback Moran Norris 32, cornerback William James 31, quarterback David Carr 31, guard Tony Wragge 30, defensive end Demetric Evans 30, defensive end Justin Smith 30, cornerback Nate Clements 30, center Eric Heitmann 30, safety Michael Lewis 30.

Seattle (10): kicker Olindo Mare 37, safety Lawyer Milloy 36, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck 34, guard Ben Hamilton 32, receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh 32, guard Chester Pitts 31, receiver Deion Branch 31, tight end Chris Baker 30, defensive tackle Craig Terrill 30, defensive tackle Colin Cole 30.

St. Louis (8): defensive end James Hall 33, defensive tackle Fred Robbins 33, quarterback A.J. Feeley 33, center Hank Fraley 32, linebacker Na'il Diggs 32, kicker Josh Brown 31, snapper Chris Massey 30 and punter Donnie Jones 30.

Several other players turn 30 this season: nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin (49ers), guard Adam Goldberg (Rams), linebacker Gerald Hayes (Cardinals), kicker Shane Andrus (49ers), guard Reggie Wells (Cardinals) and cornerback Marcus Trufant (Seahawks).

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- There were no admissions from NFL officials monitoring San Francisco 49ers practices this week. We had to settle for their annual explanation of rules changes and points of emphasis.

One change to special-teams rules requires defenders within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage to line up with their entire bodies -- not just their helmets -- outside the long-snappers' shoulders. The rule also applies to punts, not just field goals or point-after tries.

This special protection is welcome news for the men who make their livings looking back through their legs and firing the ball with accuracy and velocity.

"The goal just turned into I want to play until I'm 60," wise-cracking 49ers snapper Brian Jennings said Saturday.

Jennings, 33, said he's now shooting for "a smooth 37 years" in the NFL.

The new rules aren't quite that snapper friendly, of course, and sometimes these changes come with unintended consequences. Previous restrictions on where punt rushers could line up led defenders to attack snappers from the sides, sometimes with dangerous high-low hits.

While Jennings appreciates the new accommodations, he would prefer a college-style rule preventing defenders from roughing up snappers. The NFL version is easier to enforce, however, because it focuses on alignment, not degree of damage inflicted.

Also as part of the NFL rule, the snapping team must wait for the official spotting the ball to run 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage before snapping on punts, Jennings said. Teams will have to wait for a signal before snapping, potentially threatening rhythm. Delay-of-game penalties could become a concern if, say, coaches use play-clock time deciding whether to go for a first down.

Jennings expects opponents to find creative ways to maximize opportunities under the new rules. That's OK, though. Jennings is already scheming on ways of his own.

"I think I'm going to get some much larger shoulder pads," he joked. "I'm going to get about a foot extension on each side."

2009 rulebook: During a field-goal attempt or a kick try, a Team B player, who is within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap, must have his helmet outside the snapper’s shoulder pads.

2010 rulebook: During a punt, field-goal attempt or a try kick, a Team B player, who is within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap, must have his entire body outside the snapper’s shoulder pads.

The Seahawks have 26 players from Pac-10 schools on their roster heading into their post-draft minicamp.

The rest of the NFC West has a combined 25 players from the conference.

Seattle had more Pac-10 players than most teams even before the team hired Pete Carroll away from USC as head coach.

The numbers have only grown (and I have added the newly acquired LenDale White to Seattle's list).

Update: The team has re-signed safety Lawyer Milloy, formerly of the University of Washington. That makes the total 26.

A look at Pac-10 players from each NFC West team:

Arizona (7)

Quarterback Derek Anderson (Oregon State), quarterback Matt Leinart (USC), safety Matt Ware (UCLA), safety Hamza Abdullah (Washington State), tight end Jim Dray (Stanford), tight end Dominique Byrd (USC) and unsigned restricted free agent guard Deuce Lutui (USC).

St. Louis (7)

Quarterback A.J. Feeley (Oregon), receiver Brandon Gibson (Washington State), running back Steven Jackson (Oregon State), fullback Mike Karney (Arizona State), guard Mark Lewis (Oregon), receiver Jordan Kent (Oregon) and unsigned restricted free agent safety Oshiomogho Atogwe (Stanford).

San Francisco (11)

Safety Taylor Mays (USC), safety Dashon Goldson (Washington), cornerback Karl Paymah (Washington State), linebacker Keaton Kristick (Oregon State), guard Brian De La Puente (California), guard Chilo Rachal (USC), center Eric Heitmann (Stanford), tackle Adam Snyder (Oregon), receiver Kyle Williams (Arizona State), snapper Brian Jennings (Arizona State) and receiver Jason Hill (Washington State).

Seattle (26)

Linebacker Reggie Carter (UCLA), receiver Mike Williams (USC), cornerback Josh Pinkard (USC), receiver Reggie Williams (Washington), receiver Mike Hass (Oregon State), receiver Michael Jones (Arizona State), running back Justin Forsett (California), cornerback Marcus Trufant (Washington State), cornerback Walter Thurmond (Oregon), cornerback Roy Lewis (Washington), safety Will Harris (USC), running back Louis Rankin (Washington), fullback Ryan Powdrell (USC), linebacker Lofa Tatupu (USC), defensive end Dexter Davis (Arizona State), guard Max Unger (Oregon), center Jeff Byers (USC), guard Mike Gibson (California), receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Oregon State), tight end Anthony McCoy (USC), tight end Cameron Morrah (California), defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (California), defensive end Lawrence Jackson (USC), LenDale White (USC), Lawyer Milloy (Washington) and defensive end Nick Reed (Oregon).

The 49ers have 39 of their own draft choices on their roster, five more than the league average, with 34 entering the NFL under Mike Nolan (20) or Mike Singletary (14).

This is largely a home-grown team.

The chart lists 49ers draft choices still with the team, broken down by drafted round.

Andy Lee, Shawntae Spencer and Isaac Sopoaga remain from the Dennis Erickson draft classes. Eric Heitmann and Brian Jennings remain from the Steve Mariucci classes (another player, cornerback Keith Smith, was drafted by the Lions when Mariucci was their head coach.

Why haven't the 49ers been more active in free agency? One reason: They like their current draft choices more than they did a few years ago, so they see less need to cover for draft mistakes.

Steven Jackson is the only Rams draft choice since 2000 to appear in a Pro Bowl.

That is bad.

The chart shows NFC West draft choices since 2000 with Pro Bowls on their résumés, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Pro Bowl counts include appearances made for teams outside the division.

For example, 2001 Seahawks draft choice Koren Robinson earned Pro Bowl honors as a return specialist in Minnesota. Thomas Jones never did much for Arizona, but he blossomed elsewhere.

Niners draft choice Julian Peterson earned Pro Bowl appearances with Seattle and San Francisco, but he's listed with the 49ers because they drafted him.

The Cardinals drafted a division-leading nine Pro Bowl players. Their first-round choices averaged 11th overall during the decade.

The Seahawks drafted seven Pro Bowl players. Their first-round position averaged 20th overall.

The 49ers drafted six. Their first-round position averaged 18th overall.

The Rams averaged 17th overall in the round with a range of very early and very late selections.

The latest in our periodic spins around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

101ESPN St. Louis: executive Kevin Demoff, part one

101ESPN St. Louis: Demoff, part two

101ESPN St. Louis: coach Steve Spagnuolo

101ESPN St. Louis: Steve Young on Kurt Warner

101ESPN St. Louis: general manager Billy Devaney, part one

101ESPN St. Louis: Devaney, part two

KFXX Portland: potential No. 1 overall choice Ndamukong Suh (via sportsradiointerviews.com)

49ers

KNBR680: Ronnie Lott

KNBR680: Brian Jennings

KNBR680: Mike Singletary

Cardinals

XTRA910: safety Adrian Wilson

XTRA910: quarterback Kurt Warner

XTRA910: defensive tackle Gabe Watson

XTRA910: receiver Steve Breaston

azcardinals.com: Cardinals Underground

WJOX Birmingham: linebacker Karlos Dansby (via sportsradiointerviews.com)

Seahawks

710ESPN Seattle: Pete Carroll

710ESPN Seattle: quarterback Matt Hasselbeck

KJR950 Seattle: receiver Nate Burleson

KJR950 Seattle: cornerback Josh Wilson

KJR950 Seattle: guard Rob Sims

KJR950 Seattle: Jim Mora

101ESPN St. Louis: Warren Moon

101ESPN St. Louis: Brock Huard

A few of the 49ers interviews are from last week. I didn't see new ones and I did not post audio links for last week.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says it's time to trade pregame storylines for the real thing when Green Bay visits the Cardinals in the wild-card round. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "I think we showed last year our potential and what we can do, but I think we've done it more consistently this year, which, to me, makes you a better football team. When you can show up and win in all facets and do it more consistently, that shows a better football team."

Also from Somers: Anquan Boldin appears likely to test his injured ankle in pregame warm-ups before the team decides whether he can play.

More from Somers: a look at key stats and variables in the Packers-Cardinals game. The Packers are plus-24 in turnovers this season. Somers: "It's an astounding number, keyed by 30 interceptions. The Packers don't commit many turnovers themselves, just eight fumbles and eight interceptions. The running backs have carried 374 times without losing a fumble. The Packers don't beat themselves much, in other words, so the Cardinals can't afford to be careless with the ball. If so, the Packers offensive will capitalize and this game could turn ugly."

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic raises questions about how long Kurt Warner will continue playing. Bickley: "As kickoff nears, Cardinals fans will become jittery, nervous. There's a lot on the line, maybe even a window of opportunity. But most will take great comfort in their quarterback and wouldn't trade him for anybody in the NFC. Warner has the experience. He has proven himself over and over in pressure situations. He has been to three Super Bowls, and delivered each time. He rates a big edge over the blossoming Aaron Rodgers, who never has participated in a playoff game."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com suggests injuries were bound to strike the Cardinals at some point.

Brian Jennings of the 49ers picks the Packers to beat the Cardinals in a game that could be a blowout, he thinks, if Green Bay can force a couple of turnovers. Jennings: "If the Cardinals can win the turnover battle, they could win this game. Another thing I can’t overlook is Ken Whisenhunt and his coaching staff. They do a great job of preparing their team for the playoffs. But in the end, I’m going to go with Green Bay. I like the Packers to win 27-23. The game is being played indoors, so I think both teams will probably be able to score a lot of points. If the Packers get a couple of turnovers, it could be a blowout. I think the Packers are really the only team out of the wild-card round that can play in the Super Bowl this year."

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says the 49ers and Browns talked about a potential Josh Cribbs deal before the trading deadline, but the sides could not agree on compensation. Maiocco: "Would the 49ers be interested if Cribbs hit the trade market? I'm sure they would. But at what price, I do not know. But let's not get too carried away with disgruntled Cribbs' trade demands. Heck, the trade period does not open until March."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers have spoken with Larry MacDuff about their opening for special-teams coach. MacDuff coached for the 49ers from 2003 to 2006. Bobby April could be another candidate to coach the 49ers' special teams after Al Everest's firing.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks have indicated "president" is not one of the titles "in play" for Pete Carroll. O'Neil: "Carroll will not have final say over all football decisions as it relates to personnel. The Seahawks have told the Fritz Pollard Alliance that -- if Carroll is hired -- he's not the ultimate authority on draft choices and trades. Carroll is going to serve as final authority on the 53-man roster. The Seahawks specified this to the Fritz Pollard Alliance as well."

Also from O'Neil: Drew Bledsoe, Lawyer Milloy and Lawrence Jackson vouch for Carroll. Bledsoe: "I can't speak highly enough of Pete as a coach and as a person. I really would have loved to have played for the guy for a bunch of my career."

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune isn't convinced Carroll would be the right person for the job in Seattle. Boling: "If a deal comes together as reported, five years for as high as $35 million, with possible dual titles of head coach and franchise president, Carroll has two immediate requisites: 1) Put together an all-star staff of assistants, most with NFL experience, and 2) hire an indefatigable GM with a track record of personnel success in the NFL."

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times says the Seahawks could promote pro personnel director Will Lewis to be their general manager.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams' special teams showed progress under Tom McMahon. Thomas: "The Rams' league-wide rankings in net punting (second), punt coverage (fourth) and kickoff coverage (22nd) were the highest for the team in the decade. (That's right, a No. 22 ranking on kickoff coverage was a single-season best for the Rams from 2000 through 2009.) The Rams' ranking in kickoff returns (11th) was their second-highest ranking of the decade; gross punting (fourth) was third-best; and punt returns (eighth) was fourth-best."

Also from Thomas: Rams cornerback Ron Bartell says he knew the Rams were not going to succeed right away. Bartell: "I got into it for the long haul. So I knew it was going to take time. ... We still have the right people in place. I totally, firmly believe that. I think I made the best decision for me. I still think we can get this thing turned around."

NFC West teams know how to do special teams even when they're faking it.

The Rams claimed their lone victory after kicker Josh Brown threw a touchdown pass to Daniel Fells against the Lions on a fake field goal.

The Seahawks were no match for the Cardinals in Week 6 except when they found tight end John Carlson for a 41-yard gain on a fake punt.

More conventionally, Cardinals punter Ben Graham tied the single-season record for punts downed inside the 20 (fittingly, 49ers punter Andy Lee set the record in 2007). As good as Graham was this season, Lee was the one earning a Pro Bowl berth -- even though Seattle's Jon Ryan and St. Louis' Donnie Jones also deserved consideration.

The Cardinals badly needed a spark at Tennessee when LaRod Stephens-Howling broke free for a 99-yard kickoff return.

Seahawks kicker Olindo Mare set a franchise record for consecutive field goal tries without a miss. He also ranked fifth among NFL kickers in touchback percentage at 31.8 (the Cardinals' Neil Rackers was next among NFC West kickers at 21.5, ranking 11th).

These and other factors came into consideration when I settled on the all-division team of specialists for the 2009 season.

There were some tough decisions.

The 49ers' Michael Robinson is probably the best all-around special-teams player in the division, but Stephens-Howling made a strong impression helping Graham match the inside-the-20 record. He posted one of the finest single-game efforts in memory against the Titans when he downed three punts inside the 10 and also had the 99-yard touchdown return. Stephens-Howling led the Cardinals' in special-teams tackles and helped their kickoff coverage team improve significantly from last season.

The Rams' Danny Amendola was consistently the best return specialist on punts and kickoffs, but Stephens-Howling broke the 99-yarder. All four punters enjoyed strong seasons.

"I would suggest Amendola as both PR and KR and LaRod Stephens-Howling as general special-teamer," Yuma81 wrote in the comments when we discussed the subject last week. "Amendola has more kickoff returns and a higher average. Stephens-Howling has been a standout on punt and kickoff return coverage."

Amendola ranked tied for second in the NFL with five kickoff returns of at least 40 yards. He tied for third with five punt returns of at least 20 yards. No one in the division had more returns.

I combined the punt and kickoff return positions and added a second spot for a general special-teamer, allowing Robinson and Stephens-Howling to earn the recognition they deserved.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says defensive end Calais Campbell expects to play Sunday despite undergoing surgery to repair an injured thumb. Urban: "When I asked if he planned to play, I got that look that said it may have been the dumbest question I could have asked (and maybe it was). Campbell, as coach Ken Whisenhunt said Monday, can play with it casted and that’s what he plans to do. He also didn’t seem worried it would affect his play. The best part, he said, was that even though he probably wouldn’t get to practice much if at all, the fact the Cards already got to prepare for the Packers last week puts him ahead of the game."

Also from Urban: Brian St. Pierre cherished the first regular-season touchdown pass of his career.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Larry Fitzgerald's contract does not include incentives for additional receptions, yardage or touchdowns. Fitzgerald was padding his stats against Green Bay in Week 17.

Also from Somers: Matt Leinart's spotty play in spot duty should concern the Cardinals. Somers: "Kurt Warner, 38, presumably will retire after the 2010 season, his last year under contract. That plan could change, of course, but that's the timeframe under which the Cardinals are operating. The club has to find out whether Leinart can play. And the fact that the question remains is troubling."

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals' agitation extends to how coach Ken Whisenhunt feels about Packers counterpart Mike McCarthy. Bickley: "Whisenhunt has been agitated by McCarthy tactics in the past. He felt the Packers' coach game-planned for an exhibition contest against the Cardinals in August, a game in which the Packers went deep and led 38-10 at halftime. A needless embarrassment, in other words. After sleeping on Sunday's loss, Whisenhunt's attitude hadn't changed much. He reiterated his regret for playing Anquan Boldin too long. He made it clear that he was rewarding Fitzgerald, ceding to a player who is (thankfully) driven by great personal ambition (fame and money). And then he struck back at the Packers. He made it clear that McCarthy was doing nothing different on the other sideline, allowing Aaron Rodgers to throw the ball continually on the opening drive of the second half, even though the Packers led 26-0."

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams will evaluate their own players before determining which college prospect to draft first overall. Also, linebacker James Laurinaitis received no votes as the defensive rookie of the year. Brian Cushing won the award with 39 of 50 votes.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Ndamukong Suh appears to be the clear-cut choice with the first overall pick.

Also from Thomas: a chat transcript featuring thoughts on the draft. Thomas: "I think Suh would help the run defense and the pass defense. Just with his inside push, he should force the QB out of the pocket more often, leading to more sacks by Chris Long and whoever the other DEs are. The Rams definitely need a starting weakside LB. And it would be nice to see another pass rusher added to the mix. I'd feel better about CB if I knew for sure that Bradley Fletcher would be ready for opening day. (The early assessments at Rams Park are optimistic on Fletcher.)"

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers thoughts on the Rams' offense: "Over the past three seasons the Rams have averaged only 14 points per game, which ranks them dead last in the NFL among the 32 teams. I’m not saying Spagnuolo or offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur can be counted on to rebuild this offense and make it terrific again; we don’t know enough, either way. But you’d have to be fairly fruit loops to believe that the coaches should have gotten a lot more points out of the talent they had to work with at WR and QB in 2009."

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com wonders whether the Giants' collapse on defense could help the Rams by making available players familiar with Steve Spagnuolo's defense.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says all was quiet in the locker room after players dispersed for the offseason.

Also from Farnsworth: awards for the Seahawks' most impressive players this season. Bruce DeHaven emerges as assistant coach of the year. Farnsworth: "The Seahawks’ special teams really were this season, so the nod goes to the coach in charge of those units. Getting record-setting seasons from Ryan and Olindo Mare was enough, but the Seahawks also ranked among the best in the league in opponents’ average starting spot after kickoffs (24.2 yard line) and punt return average allowed (7.5)."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks could be competing with Mike Holmgren's Cleveland Browns if they hope to hire the Eagles' Tom Heckert as general manager. The perception that Holmgren beat the Seahawks to a favored candidate would not make the Seahawks look good.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says the 49ers' struggles in the return game factored into Al Everest's dismissal as special-teams coordinator.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Everest was in the final year of his contract. A team spokesman confirmed Everest's firing.

Also from Barrows: a look at college prospects from Georgia Tech and Iowa, with insights from draft analyst Rob Rang.

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers were mostly solid on special teams except for that punt return game. Crumpacker: "Otherwise, the 49ers were solid on special teams, especially up the middle with flawless long snapper Brian Jennings, holder/punter Andy Lee and kicker Joe Nedney. Lee finished second in the league to the Raiders' Shane Lechler in gross punting average. Nedney converted 17 of 21 field-goal attempts."

David Fucillo of Niners Nation offers thoughts on Alex Smith as the 49ers' quarterback. Fucillo: "The number some folks like to point to is his career high QB rating and the fact that is surpasses that of QBs like Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler. I think that, combined with the fact that he had two of his best rating performances the last two games of the season, would hopefully rope in the last few folks who think it's some kind of phenomenal statistic. I remain stuck on two things (some might say excuses/reasons for optimism) when it comes to Alex Smith. The first is the issue of his offensive line and the second is the idea of having an OC for two straight seasons."

The latest in our periodic spins around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

101ESPN St. Louis: Jim Hanifan, part one

101ESPN St. Louis: Hanifan, part two

101ESPN St. Louis: La'Roi Glover

101ESPN St. Louis: reporter Jim Thomas

101ESPN St. Louis: running back Steven Jackson

101ESPN St. Louis: Steve Spagnuolo (video)

49ers

KNBR680: snapper Brian Jennings

KNBR680: Ronnie Lott

KNBR680: tight end Vernon Davis

KNBR680: Steve Young

KNBR680: Kurt Warner (video)

KNBR680: Mike Singletary

KNBR680: reporter Matt Maiocco

Cardinals

XTRA910: safety Adrian Wilson

XTRA910: punter Ben Graham

azcardinals.com: Ken Whisenhunt (video)

azcardinals.com: Cardinals Underground

azcardinals.com: In the Red Zone

Seahawks

710ESPN Seattle: The Huddle with Warren Moon, Darryl Tapp and David Hawthorne

710ESPN Seattle: Jim Mora

KJR950 Seattle: receivers Nate Burleson, Deion Branch and T.J. Houshmandzadeh

KJR950 Seattle: draft analyst Rob Rang

KJR950 Seattle: Seahawks Round Table

Young's interviews on KNBR are almost always interesting. He offered thoughts on Brett Favre, JaMarcus Russell, the Colts and more.