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Chris Draft's release from the St. Louis Rams before the 2009 opener came as a bit of a surprise.

The veteran linebacker spent that season with Buffalo, went to camp with Washington in 2010 and was out of the league last season.

Draft was needed far more elsewhere last season. His wife, Keasha, was dying of lung cancer. Draft had proposed to her following her diagnosis. The website for Draft's foundation links to remembrances.

Jeremy Schaap's piece, available in the video above, tells their story.

The Rams' offseason roster overhaul has failed to produce immediate improvement in the standings.

The natural question is whether the organization went too far in pushing out higher-priced veterans.

I suspected they might have gone too far when they released linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa. I also thought they might have been premature in parting with Orlando Pace despite the tackle's steep salary and history of injuries.

The reality, though, is that the Rams got it right.

They have gone from being a bad, old team with significant salary-cap problems to being a bad, young team with a much brighter salary-cap future.

The younger players finding their way this season have a chance to help the team in the future. That wasn't the case in 2008, when losing got old, literally.

The Rams have the third-youngest roster in the league. They had the third-oldest last season. Their offense has moved the ball much better than I would have anticipated. A glaring lack of playmakers has turned the red zone into a dead zone, preventing the Rams from scoring enough points to compete on the scoreboard. But I think it's safe to say the Rams have the most promising young offensive line in the NFC West.

This team needs to find playmakers in the draft, plain and simple.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Kraig writes via Facebook: Sando, you pity the Rams, but you ridicule the Seahawks. You're a believer in the new 49er formula, although not always its execution. The Cards are an enigma, but undeniably talented. Interesting. But kicking the Seahawks when they're down is starting to stand out. What gives?

Mike Sando: Expectations frame the analysis. The Rams were a 2-14 team rebuilding. They parted with Torry Holt, Orlando Pace, Drew Bennett, Trent Green, Anthony Becht, Corey Chavous, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Brian Leonard, Gary Stills, Jason Craft, Ricky Manning, Fakhir Brown, La'Roi Glover, Dane Looker, Travis Minor, Dante Hall, Nick Leckey, Brett Romberg, Chris Draft and others. This was a total roster overhaul. I thought the Rams might have gone too far with a couple of these moves, but once the moves were made, the expectations were set accordingly.

With a new head coach and a younger roster, the Rams were going to struggle for a while. I thought 0-7 was likely and said so on the blog. The fact that the Rams are 0-6 is bad, but not a shock. It's Year 1 of a total rebuild. The Seahawks did not see themselves in the same light. Holding them to the same standard as the Rams would have been a bigger insult to the Seahawks than holding them accountable as I have tried to do.

Seattle thought injuries were pretty much to blame for a 4-12 record. The team thought Walter Jones would be fine this season. The team thought depth at tackle would be fine after re-signing Ray Willis. I thought the team needed to do more to shore up the position. Sean Locklear had missed a few games in the past, Willis has had knee issues and Jones was coming off surgery at age 35. I questioned whether the team could stay healthy in predicting a 7-9 record when schedules came out, upgrading the outlook slightly when Matt Hasselbeck seemed to pass a few injury-related milestones.

The outlook for Seattle darkens when we consider advanced ages for some of these injured players. Jones and Patrick Kerney are into their 30s. Both needed to play at a high level for Seattle to succeed. The fact that both are dealing with injury problems should surprise nobody. It was entirely predictable even if there was a chance both might beat the odds.

I think it's an even worse sign for Seattle if we start judging them with the same standards applied to the Rams. It's not that bad.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic sizes up the 49ers under Mike Singletary. Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle said he saw a different 49ers team after Singletary took over last season. Rolle: "They were a lot more disciplined, a lot more consistent. And their attitude, their aggressiveness was at a serious tempo. We always expect a fight with them, but they had a different eye of the tiger that day."

Also from Somers: The Cardinals will raise an NFC championship banner before kickoff Sunday.

More from Somers: The Cardinals are protecting receiver Anquan Boldin's sore right hamstring.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals named the following team captains: Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald on offense; Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson and Darnell Dockett on defense; and Sean Morey on special teams.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times profiles Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and family. Young son Henry likes the Bengals thanks to the bedtime story Hasselbeck concocted.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says Hasselbeck has put to rest questions about his health heading into the regular season. Farnsworth: "The Seahawks are feeling pretty good about the prospects of bouncing back from their 4-12 record last season because Hasselbeck is looking more like the QB who passes for 3,330-plus yards and 22-plus touchdowns in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007."

Also from Farnsworth: New starting safety Jordan Babineaux was the player of the day Thursday. Farnsworth: "Babineaux intercepted two passes – returning one for a touchdown – and also got his hands on two others. He also rocked the running back as he was coming through the hole with a solid hit and closed nicely to limit a receiver to a short gain."

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com checks in with Seahawks rookie linebacker Aaron Curry, who isn't afraid to ask questions. Curry: "Some days I'll be the reason we're in there so late (in meetings)," he said. "I don't want any stone going unturned. If I have a question or don't understand it completely, I'm not comfortable with myself. I couldn't go to practice knowing I didn't ask the question I should have asked."

Art Thiel of seattlepi.com boldly -- or not so boldly -- forecasts a 9-7 record for the Seahawks.

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times says Seahawks rookie quarterback Mike Teel spent Sept. 11, 2001, wondering if his father, a police officer, would come home. Teel: "I remember it like it was yesterday."

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com says David Vobora's versatility appealed to the Rams. Wagoner: "When injuries struck during the season, Vobora’s role on special teams expanded to his first career start at middle linebacker. In that game against the Dolphins, Vobora made 10 tackles and became the first Mr. Irrelevant to start a game since linebacker Marty Moore did it in New England in 1994."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch fills in blanks on the Rams' desire to clear salary-cap room via releasing Chris Draft. Thomas: "Before the start of training camp, they were roughly $12 million under the cap. But after signing their draft class, assembling a practice squad, hiring replacements for three players on the injured reserve list, and reaching an injury settlement with Eric Moore, they currently are only $4.5 million under the cap. There are a couple of players on the Rams' roster with easily reachable incentives in their contracts that will eat up almost all of that remaining cap space."

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch casts Draft's release in the context of failed past Rams management, noting that the team has $22 million in salary-cap charges for players no longer on the roster.

Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News visits with Shaun Hill and other 49ers for an in-depth look at what went wrong when the 49ers visited the Cardinals for a Monday night game last season. Hill: "In hindsight, it’s third down. I could have just spiked it. At the same time, this was my first game with (then-coordinator Mike) Martz. I certainly wasn’t going to go against one of his play calls. I wasn’t thinking that. He’s called a lot of great games in his life."

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat checks in with 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye. Maiocco: "Probably during the team's Saturday night meeting at the team hotel in downtown Phoenix, Raye will present his offensive players with the script of the opening 12 plays of the game."

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle checks in with 49ers cornerback Shawntae Spencer. Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky: "Shawntae's a physical player. He's got quickness and speed and he's got great eyes, and he can jam guys at the line of scrimmage. That's why he won the job."

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Former Rams linebacker Chris Draft, speaking during an interview with 101ESPN St. Louis, cast himself as a principled fighter and defender of justice in his decision to refuse a paycut at the expense of his job.

I think Draft put it best when he said, "The unfortunate thing is when it's business for them, it is all too personal to me."

Draft repeatedly wondered why the Rams would ask him to accept a paycut without asking others to take one. That is not the type of question I would expect from a 10-year NFL veteran out of Stanford. The answer should be self-evident. The cold reality is that the Rams valued $300,000 in salary-cap savings more than they valued Draft at this stage of his career, and they were willing to release him if he disagreed. That value judgment existed independent of the other players on the team.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams' decision to release linebacker Chris Draft three days before the regular-season opener surprised me. What were the Rams thinking? Coach Steve Spagnuolo may or may not answer that question when he meets with reporters later Thursday. My own thoughts:

Draft

• Was this move money-related? Yes and no. The Rams asked Draft to reduce his salary from $1.225 million to $900,000. The difference would be insignificant from a cash standpoint, even for a team trying to trim expenses. If saving cash were the sole motivation, the Rams could have found more inviting targets. But if the team viewed Draft as a marginal starter with little more value than, say, newly re-signed linebacker Quinton Culberson, the difference could mean more from a salary-cap standpoint. The team has been tight against the cap all offseason. This is the type of move a rebuilding team makes with an eye toward the long term, not just Week 1.
• Was Draft going to start Sunday? I thought so. But if the Rams were willing to cut Draft, they clearly did not value him as a starter. Draft has played significantly fewer than half the Rams' defensive snaps over the last two seasons. The Rams wanted Culberson to start heading into last season.
• Why cut Draft now? As a veteran, Draft would have been eligible for termination pay -- up to his full 2009 salary -- if he had spent Week 1 on the 53-man roster. The Rams weren't willing to carry a $1.225 million salary for a 33-year-old linebacker who didn't factor into their long-term plans or help on special teams. They could have saved more than $700,000 against the cap by reducing his salary to the veteran's minimum.
• What's the scouting report on Draft? Scouts Inc. calls him "a descending athlete who should only be in backup role at this point. His ability to read and react is above average. He has the intelligence to learn all three LB assignments where he can provide good depth across the board from a game planning perspective should a starter go down due to injury. Draft shows little hesitation reading his keys. He just lacks the speed and burst needed to make plays consistently in space. He has a solid grasp of zone concepts and defensive coverage assignments. He shows good zone spacing and the ability to anticipate after reading the QB. Overall, a descending backup whose instincts are sharp but age is a concern with him at this point."
• What about Culberson? Scouts Inc. says he has "good size with below-average speed. He is a backup who has good strength and hand use playing the run. He has good reactions with the ability to play off contact. He is missing top burst and speed in the open. He can deliver a physical hit in tight quarters and does a good job of wrapping up in traffic. He has adequate movement in his pass drops. Culberson is more of a short-area athlete in coverage than a rangy type LB that can cover lots of ground. Overall, he is an adequate backup and part-time starter if needed."
• Was cutting Draft a good move? It's probably an inconsequential one for the long term. In the short term, the Rams appear worse at linebacker. I think Draft and the previously released Pisa Tinoisamoa would have been among the five best linebackers on the team. They are both gone. Depth suffers as a result.

In the end, this move affirms the long-term approach St. Louis is taking. The organization made a bottom-line value judgment on an older player.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

So much for the Chris Draft Show on 101ESPN St. Louis.

The Rams released Draft, presumed to be a starting linebacker, in a surprise move. The veteran linebacker refused a pay cut earlier in the week, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Draft was scheduled to earn $1.225 million in salary this season.

The Rams are rebuilding, obviously, and that means getting younger. But releasing a veteran starter three days before the season opener strikes me as the type of move that can backfire in the locker room, at least short term.

The Rams' linebackers minus the 33-year-old Draft feature Will Witherspoon, James Laurinaitis, Chris Chamberlain, David Vobora and Larry Grant. Re-signing Quinton Culberson could be one option. Update: The team did re-sign Culberson.

I thought the Rams were already thin at linebacker after releasing Pisa Tinoisamoa, who subsequently signed with the Bears. If nothing else, this move shows that the Rams viewed Draft far differently than thought.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

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

49ers

KNBR680: Keena Turner

KNBR680: Coach Mike Singletary

101ESPN St. Louis: Gary Plummer

Cardinals

azcardinals.com: Ken Whisenhunt

Seahawks

KJR950: John Randle

Rams

101ESPN St. Louis: linebacker Chris Draft

710 ESPN Seattle: D'Marco Farr

As always, please leave links to additional audio in the comments section. I'll add items as needed.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams' roster requires additional study after a thorough house-cleaning this offseason. With so many new faces, I feel less familiar with the Rams than with the other teams in the division. This initial look at the roster will hopefully help bring some focus.

Donnie Avery's injury and overall health concerns at receiver could influence how many players the Rams carry into the season at the position.

Marc Bulger's broken pinky shouldn't affect the roster as long as he recovers on schedule. Teams must reduce to 75 players by Sept. 1 and 53 players by Sept. 5. Those initial 53-man rosters sometimes change by Week 1 kickoffs. For that reason, I've been focusing on Week 1 rosters when setting baseline expectations for each position.

St. Louis Rams Week 1 Roster Counts since 2003 QB RB WR TE OL DL LB DB ST Fewest 2 5 5 2 9 8 5 8 2 Most 3 7 6 4 10 9 7 11 3 Average 2.8 5.5 5.5 3.0 9.2 8.3 6.3 9.7 2.7 Currently on roster 4 7 10 5 15 13 9 14 3

T
he chart provides a framework for how many players the Rams might keep at each position heading into the regular-season opener against the Seahawks.

Here's a quick look at which Rams players I might keep on the cutdown to 53 players:

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Rams fans apparently shouldn't worry much about injuries to cornerback Tye Hill and linebacker Chris Draft. Both are on the field this afternoon.

Hill did not finish the morning practice after experiencing swelling in his surgically repaired knee. Draft was held out as a precaution after absorbing a thumb to the throat. The Rams wanted to make sure the injury was "only" a bruise and not something more serious.

I'll be transcribing interviews and watching practice this afternoon. Some have asked me how Marc Bulger and the Rams' offensive line are looking. Bulger tends to look very good in practice no matter what. I think he'll be fine if the Rams protect him, which depends on that line. There's no question the Rams should be better on their line. I tend to think Jason Smith will move into the lineup and grow into a long-term starter, even if he suffers some growing pains.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The Rams practiced in pads Tuesday morning, perhaps their final practice with live tackling before they get into the preseason routine.

A few things I noticed:

• Coach Steve Spagnuolo is everywhere. He bounces from one positional group to another, sometimes running 50 yards at a time between stations. He offers personal instruction in some of the defensive groups, particularly the secondary. Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher received one-on-one instruction from Spagnuolo in this practice.
• Linebacker Will Witherspoon was easily the most impressive linebacker. He caused problems rushing the passer and taking down running backs behind the line of scrimmage. Veteran linebacker Chris Draft sat out this practice after taking a thumb to the throat. The Rams are having the injury checked out as a precaution.
• Linebacker Larry Grant picked off a Marc Bulger pass near the goal line and would have had a big return. Grant also blew up a running play, stuffing Kenneth Darby. The early camp reports about Grant making a positive impression held true.
• The Rams change up their personnel at tight end frequently. I'm not sure if they were just resting starter Randy McMichael, but there were times when he wasn't part of double-tight end groups. McMichael is the most established receving threat at the position. He did drop a pass Tuesday, though.
• Cornerback Tye Hill had some problems with swelling in his surgically repaired knee, Spagnuolo said. I watched receiver Nate Jones beat Hill for a touchdown despite relatively tight coverage. The Rams would like Hill to contest such plays more aggressively. "Compete!" was an order heard often in drills pitting cornerbacks against receivers. In this case, Hill was hurting. He did not finish practice.
  
• Injured receiver Donnie Avery took off his walking boot for some conditioning drills, including while laying on his back and raising a medicine ball held between his ankles.
• Keenan Burton and Tim Carter were getting work at flanker, with Laurent Robinson at split end.
• The Rams' West Coast offense uses the same terminology for personnel groups as the one Mike Holmgren ran in Seattle for nine years. The Seahawks have new terminology this season.
  
• Derek Stanley is practicing without a sleeve or brace on his surgically repaired knee. The coaching staff would like him to continue working on ball security and finishing plays. Spagnuolo praised Stanley for his progress in those areas.
  
• Running back Samkon Gado is getting extra work while an ankle injury limits fullback Mike Karney. Gado willingly slammed into middle linebacker James Laurinaitis while lead blocking for Steven Jackson. The staff has been pleased with Gado's versatility, although Gado did muff a kickoff late in practice.
• Second-year defensive end Chris Long did not stand out during one-on-one pass-rush drills. Left tackle Alex Barron seemed to handle Long effectively. Backup defensive linemen Eric Moore, Victor Adeyanju and Ian Campbell blew past backup offensive linemen Renardo Foster, Daniel Sanders and Eric Young, respectively. Hollis Thomas badly beat center Tim Mattran, while Gary Gibson beat guard Roger Allen III.
• First-round choice Jason Smith continues working with the second-team offense at right tackle. He handled Campbell in one-on-one pass rush. Smith did not work against starting defensive ends in that drill Tuesday.
• Defensive end Leonard Little would have had a free shot on Bulger when the first-team offense faced the first-team defense in modified live drills (I say modified because tackling was live for running plays, not passing plays, while quarterbacks were off-limits to contact, as usual). Right tackle Adam Goldberg wasn't necessarily to blame for Little racing into the backfield untouched. He blocked to the inside.

The Rams have a special-teams session scheduled for this afternoon. Also, I'll be speaking with Bernie Miklasz of 101ESPN at about 1:20 p.m. CT. Listen live.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Thanks to those who kept the NFC West chat moving this morning. Full transcript here. A few highlights below.

Scott (Milwaukee): Just saw that Eugene Parker told the Niners that [Michael] Crabtree will sit out and re-enter the draft. How dumb is that reasoning? Do you think this just a negotiating ploy? Crabtree is already falling out of favor with fans, and im sure the NFL as whole. All for a guy who hasnt played a down. Thoughts?

Mike Sando: Michael Crabtree would lose money going that route. It makes no sense financially in terms of waiting a full year before pocketing the money. Also, would Crabtree go earlier than 10th next year after sitting out one offseason and a full regular season?

Katie (Washington): How long do you think it will take Aaron Curry to make a deal with the 'Hawks and finally show up at camp?

Mike Sando: I'm seeing no signs of movement with these first-round choices. The Rams gave a pretty good deal to Jason Smith in an effort to get him into camp. The Raiders paid a premium for Darrius Heyward-Bey. It's a little bit of a mess at the top of the round, the sort of thing that can be hard to predict.

SprungOnSports (Long Island): Will Kurt Warner's hip be a lingering problem throughout the season? It's hard for someone that old to come back strong from major surgery?

Mike Sando: This surgery did not qualify as "major" by NFL standards. The expectation is for Warner to be fine this season. He was the one who mentioned the pain he is experiencing post-surgery. Otherwise we probably would not know about it.

Stuart (Memphis, TN): Hey Mike, one of those silent Rams fans here! I think the weakest position on our team is linebacker. What can the Rams do to help shore it up before the season and how do you see the position battle playing out?

Mike Sando: You and I see the Rams' roster the same way on this one. The team has resisted signing a veteran backup. Go ahead and write Will Witherspoon into the starting lineup. That is a given. I expect James Laurinaitis to work his way in there sooner than later. And then Chris Draft is probably the third guy. I've read good things about Larry Grant in this camp. Next week takes me to St. Louis and I'll have a chance to size them up first hand.

Also, be sure to check out John Clayton's report from Rams camp.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams players aren't complaining about physical morning practices in pads. Also, rookie first-round choice Jason Smith worked at left tackle for the first time since camp opened, albeit with the second and third teams.

Also from Thomas: a chat transcript in which he defends Chris Draft as a "good, solid performer" among Rams linebackers. Also, former 49ers linebacker Larry Grant is enjoying a strong camp in St. Louis. If rookie James Laurinaitis supplants Draft at middle linebacker, Grant could challenge Draft for the starting job on the strong side, Thomas suggests.

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams 2006 first-round choice Tye Hill is healthy and making a run at realizing his potential as a cornerback. Hill was the first of four cornerbacks drafted in 2006. Seattle's Kelly Jennings was fourth.

Lindsey Willhite of the Daily Herald says former Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa is learning the Bears' defense. Defensive coordinator Bob Babich: "He's a playmaker. He's just a playmaker. It's great to have him around. He has a great personality and he's brought a lot to the [linebackers] room."

Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers cornerback Dre Bly hardly enjoyed his final season with the Broncos. Bly: "It was miserable. It wasn't good at all. Defensively, we were awful. The d-coordinator [Bob Slowik], not to blame anything on him, but we didn't really have the personnel for what he was trying to run. We were too soft in coverage. And when you have two corners like me and Champ [Bailey], you can't be soft in coverage."

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says 49ers tight end Bear Pascoe welcomes feedback, even the harsh variety, from tight ends coach Pete Hoener. Unfortunately, Hoener was not allowed to provide feedback about Pascoe for this story, per club policy.

Also from Maiocco: Linebacker Ahmad Brooks is getting a chance to make an impact. Coach Mike Singletary: "We feel he is a guy who is going to continue to grow and make plays. He is out there all over the place making plays. So it is very exciting."

More from Maiocco: Veteran receiver Isaac Bruce pays close attention to position coach Jerry Sullivan.

Taylor Price of 49ers.com says 49ers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky isn't worried about the offense's ability to complete passes in practice.

Also from Price: checking in with 49ers cornerback Terrail Lambert.

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle sizes up the 49ers' receivers minus Michael Crabtree. Crumpacker: "Unrestricted free agent Brandon Jones has excelled in the early days of camp, Josh Morgan is looking more and more like a No. 1 receiver, old man Isaac Bruce still has gas left in the tank, Dominique Zeigler and Jason Hill have both had their moments and Arnaz Battle has a talent for sticking around. That's six capable receivers right there. Crabtree makes seven. When the roster of 53 is set Sept. 5, one or two good receivers will be out of work." The most likely scenario, in my view: Keep six receivers, with Zeigler as the odd man out.

Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks the 49ers should pay Crabtree the same money seventh overall choice Darrius Heyward-Bey received, just to get Crabtree into camp. Would that work within the rookie pool? I haven't seen the contract to know.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says Seahawks backup safety C.J. Wallace keeps popping people in practice. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Craig Terrill confirms that he wasn't stuck in a block of ice.

Also from O'Neil: Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane is happy to have slimmed down, though he misses the Triple Stack burger from Wendy's. I once ate three Big Macs in about five minutes. Would not recommend it.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks' defense appears to be grasping coordinator Gus Bradley's scheme against the run. Also, left guard Rob Sims continued his strong play, while defensive lineman Cory Redding stepped up.

John Boyle of the Everett Herald praises Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu for holding an extended autograph session after practice.

Doug Farrar of Scout.com checks in with Tom Marino for a scouting report on new Seahawks cornerback Travis Fisher. The review is generally favorable. 

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Cardinals tight end Ben Patrick appreciates his teammates' support after incurring a four-game NFL suspension. Patrick: "It was huge, because that was one of my main concerns, that my teammates would look at me differently. It took a long time for me to even come back around the guys. During a team meeting I had a talk with all the guys, and they told me they had my back."

Also from Somers: Calais Campbell's development is critical as the Cardinals replace former defensive end Antonio Smith. Somers:
"Successful NFL franchises, such as the Steelers, have allowed good players to leave via free agency, counting upon younger, cheaper players to replace them. Campbell's performance this year is a small test of the Cardinals' acumen in personnel decisions."

Revenge of the Birds' Hawkwind sizes up the Cardinals' candidates in the return game. Becoming more prominent as a receiver seemed to negatively affect Steve Breaston in the return game last season. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says Lofa Tatupu was the Seahawks' player of the day Sunday. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley: "He's really stepped up the last couple of days in training camp, and today he had quite a few plays he was making. I'll bet that he'll make a big jump now from here on out. Just because you see he has such a good understanding." 

Also from O'Neil: Can the Seahawks fix what has been ailing their offensive line over the past three seasons?

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says newly signed Seahawks cornerback Travis Fisher was a little rusty in his first practice, as one might expect. Also, T.J. Houshmandzadeh did something he almost never does: drop a pass.

John Morgan of Field Gulls isn't expecting much from Fisher in Seahawks camp, giving him only an outside shot at competing for the dime role.

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com says retired Seahawks center Robbie Tobeck positioned his boat near the team's waterfront practice facility and heckled Walter Jones for missing practice to rest back spasms. Jones and Tobeck were very close as teammates. They used to smoke cigars and watch the Sopranos together on Sunday nights.

Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com says Matt Hasselbeck completed 10 of 12 passes to six receivers during the final two team periods Sunday.

Also from Farnsworth: Seattle got bigger in the middle of its defensive line.

Jim Trotter of SI.com predicts a 10-win season for the Seahawks after visiting their training camp. Seeing Jones without a knee brace following surgery could be a good sign.

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams linebacker Chris Draft is fighting hard for a starting spot. Draft wants to stay in the middle, where he can make defensive calls, but rookie James Laurinaitis is expected to play there sooner than later.

Also from Coats: Ron Bartell, Leonard Little and Tye Hill are among those feeling the effects of training camp.

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com offers a few observations from Rams camp. Gordon: "Fans attending the open session saw Jason Smith block through the whistle with great enthusiasm. He and Richie Incognito were one-upping each other on the right side of the offensive line, at the expense of their teammates on the other side of the ball. Although new nose tackle Hollis Thomas is in terrible physical shape, he proved stout on the other side of the line. He claims to be in the 'ballpark' of 340 pounds, but that is a huge ballpark."

Steve Korte of the Belleville News Democrat says Steven Jackson appears ready for training camp, as Steve Spagnuolo can vouch.

Also from Korte: The Rams set a physical tone as the new coaching staff watched closely.

More from Korte: Hilarious comments from center Jason Brown on his exchanges with quarterback Marc Bulger. A sampling: "Mainly it's him getting to know my rear end, and him being comfortable with his hands underneath my rear end. He's checking my oil every day."

Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis is a defensive leader at age 24. He isn't always a vocal one, however. Teammate Jeff Ulbrich thinks Willis can become the type of leader Bryant Young was for so many years.

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says receiver Brandon Jones has gotten off to a good start in 49ers training camp, catching a couple of deep balls.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says 49ers offensive lineman Alex Boone exceeded his expectations during pass-rush drills.

Also from Barrows: The 49ers are taking things slowly with tackle Marvel Smith, who has been sharing second-team reps at right tackle behind Adam Snyder.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News takes a closer look at the "nutcracker" drill Mike Singletary has implemented to foster toughness.

The 49ers' Web site provides video featuring Sunday practice MVPs Vernon Davis and Ahmad Brooks. Brooks is getting more prominent work while Parys Haralson recovers from injury.

Also from the 49ers: 30 photos from practice.

Taylor Price of 49ers.com says Josh Morgan's one-handed reception despite tight coverage from safety Dashon Goldson was easily the best play of training camp so far.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says Davis leads the team in receptions during 7-on-7 drills.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Ken Whisenhunt is excited about taking over play-calling duties on offense following Todd Haley's departure to the Chiefs. "I'll be a lot better than Todd," Whisenhunt joked.

Also from Urban: Larry Fitzgerald is leading by example.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic checks in with Cardinals rookie Greg Toler and Toler's older brother, who tried to provide guidance for his younger sibling.

Also from Somers: Beanie Wells says he is "definitely disappointed" about suffering an ankle injury during his first training camp practice. Wells: "I've been going through the injury thing quite awhile now, and [Saturday] was just a fluke. I don't think an ankle sprain is nothing too major. If I get on top of it, I think it will go away quickly."

More from Somers: a few notes, including one about how the secondary played well Sunday.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Rams fans and 49ers fans might be interested in knowing that Larry Grant was working with the St. Louis starters at strongside linebacker, with Chris Draft at middle linebacker and Will Witherspoon on the weak side, according to Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The 49ers drafted Grant in the seventh round last year. The Rams signed Grant from the 49ers' practice squad in November.

The Rams' situation at linebacker is one I very much want to monitor this season. The assumption is that second-round choice James Laurinaitis will become a starter sooner rather than later, with Draft moving to the strong side. I wouldn't read much into opening-day camp lineups. Coach Steve Spagnuolo will probably give multiple linebackers chances to work through the rotation as the staff evaluates personnel at the position.

Still, if you had told me six months ago that Grant would open training camp with the starters and Pisa Tinoisamoa wouldn't be on the roster, I would have been skeptical.

While Grant was getting work in St. Louis, however briefly, another former 49ers linebacker was commanding attention in New England. I don't know if Tully Banta-Cain will earn a roster spot with the Patriots, but with Mike Vrabel in Kansas City, there's a chance.

Belichick: "I think Tully is the same player as he was when he was here. I spent some time with Tully both when we signed him in the spring and then in the spring camps and even in training camp. I think we are really trying to define his role and the things that we want him to focus on first.

Tully is a pretty talented player and he's a versatile player and he's done a lot of things for us. He's played in the kicking game. He's played outside linebacker. He's played defensive end. He's played on the edge in a lot of sub situations and he can do all those things, but we really tried to narrow the focus for him a little bit going into camp. I'm not saying he won't be required or asked to do all those things, but we want to try to concentrate on fewer things to start with and then build on that base, so I think he's working hard on that.

I think athletically, physically he's pretty much a similar player to what he was when we had him a couple years ago in terms of his weight, his strength, his speed, his quickness. I'd say pretty much about what they were.