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The 1990 NFL draft class featured Pro Football Hall of Famers Cortez Kennedy and Emmitt Smith.

Sadly, that class also included Jeff Alm, who committed suicide following a traffic accident that killed his best friend, and Anthony Smith, who would be charged with murder in 2011.

No one could have anticipated fifth overall choice Junior Seau, 43, joining that second tragic list before taking his rightful place among Kennedy and Smith as Hall of Famers from that draft class.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com grew up in San Diego and covered the AFC West during Seau's prime years with the San Diego Chargers. Farnsworth: "I knew of Seau before I ever saw him play. In the fall of 1973, I was working for a newspaper in Oceanside, Calif., and covering the high school football team. Seau played at Oceanside High before becoming an All-American at USC. Just the mention of his name would create a silence of reverence in the locker room, especially from the players of Samoan decent. Whenever coach Herb Meyer needed an example while discussing a current player, he would evoke memories of Seau. Unfortunately, that’s all any of us are left with -- our memories of Tiaina Baul Seau, Jr."

Also from Farnsworth: Michael Robinson's plan to build on a Pro Bowl season.

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle thinks Visanthe Shiancoe would be an appealing option for the Seahawks at tight end.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic offers thoughts on the Cardinals' front-office changes involving Steve Keim and Jason Licht. Somers: "It's interesting, and I would think encouraging for the Cardinals, that both Keim and Licht were considered for general managers' jobs in the off-season. Keim interviewed in St. Louis, and Licht in Chicago. T.J. McCreight, one of the unsung workhorses in the organization, moved from pro personnel director to a job in the Colts' front office."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that former Rams kicker Josh Brown has signed with the New York Jets. Thomas: "Brown, 33, was deemed expendable in St. Louis after the Rams drafted Missouri Western State kicker Greg Zuerlein in the sixth round of the NFL draft Saturday. Fisher informed Brown he was being released later Saturday. With the Jets, Brown is expected to compete with Nick Folk for the kicking job."

Also from Thomas: a chat transcript with thoughts on the offensive line, and more. Thomas: "They did add Scott Wells at center, a former Pro Bowler, in free agency from Green Bay. They added G/T Quinn Ojinnaka and C/G Robert Turner in free agency. And they drafted Rokevious "Rock" (or he might spell it "Rok" _ I'll have to find out ) Watkins in the fifth round. Line coach Paul Boudreau is known for being able to develop talent. The belief is he'll get Saffold back up to par at left tackle and can straighten out Jason Smith's technique. For now, Ojinnaka, Turner, Watkins, and returning squad member Bryan Mattison will all be thrown in the mix competing for the left guard line."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers thoughts on the 49ers' crowded offensive backfield. Maiocco: "As Frank Gore begins his eighth NFL season and has 1,653 regular-season rush attempts, the 49ers finally have some quality depth behind him. It seems likely that Gore's play time will decrease this season with more players capable of filling in. ... Anthony Dixon played just 52 snaps of offense last season. Dixon must convince the 49ers' coaching staff that he's as serious about his football career as the other running backs on the roster. As the offseason begins, Dixon clearly has the most ground to make up in the battle to win a roster spot."

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News offers thoughts from current and former 49ers on Seau's passing.

Turning the second overall choice into six other picks helped set up the St. Louis Rams' future.

The trades St. Louis made also left the Rams with different options when they did select -- potentially lesser options in some cases.

Those are the trade-offs.

Tony Softli of 101ESPN St. Louis liked the Rams' approach overall, with one possible exception. Softli: "There was only decision during the draft that I really questioned. I have been on that side of the fence and recognize that the flow of the draft has some traps that you cannot avoid or sidestep. Having said that, the trade back from No. 45 to No. 50 smacked of perhaps overanalyzing things a bit too much. As a result, the Rams missed out on an opportunity to beef up their linebacking corps." Noted: Linebacker Mychal Kendricks went to Philadelphia at No. 46. Seattle took linebacker Bobby Wagner with the next pick. The Rams took running back Isaiah Pead at No. 50, two spots before Tennessee selected linebacker Zach Brown. The Rams need help at outside linebacker. Kendricks and Wagner are expected to play the middle with their new teams. I found it interesting that the Rams preferred Pead to LaMichael James, the running back San Francisco selected 61st overall.

Matthew Hathaway of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch updates the Rams' stadium situation, but neither party is making public key aspects of the process.

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks the 49ers' draft moves show the team plans for Alex Smith. Lynch: "Any inkling of flagging confidence was completely obliterated over draft weekend. Not only did head coach Jim Harbaugh once again reiterate that Smith was the team’s unquestioned starter, Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke surrounded Smith with foot-speed freaks in Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins and Oregon running back LaMichael James. Combine these dynamos with free agent signings Randy Moss and Mario Manningham and the message is clear -- Harbaugh is breaking the offense open and he obviously believes Smith can run this new wide-open attack." Noted: The 49ers are setting themselves up for life with or without Smith. Their confidence in him will reflect his performance and their alternatives.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers' selection of 5-foot-9, 193-pound safety Trenton Robinson reflects an emphasis on pass coverage and a complete departure from the thinking that went into Taylor Mays' selection.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com checks in with cornerback Brandon Browner, who joined Dave Brown, Shawn Springs and Marcus Trufant as the only Pro Bowl corners in team history. Farnsworth: "Five of his team-high six interceptions coming in the final six games, making him only the fifth player in franchise history to lead the team in his first season -- along with Brown (1976), Autry Beamon (1977), Darryl Williams (1996) and Earl Thomas (2010)."

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks sought speed and gave second chances when drafting this year.

Art Thiel of Sports Press Northwest reflects on the Seahawks' surprise selection of Bruce Irvin in the first round, offering this: "Pete Carroll, who knows more about Irvin’s past than anyone speculating on the draft, is betting a considerable portion of the Seahawks house that he can design a defensive role that maximizes Irvin’s biggest asset, speed, and minimizes his biggest liability, size. As to whether Irvin’s off-field actions turn him into the next Koren Robinson/Jerramy Stevens or the next Cortez Kennedy/Dave Brown, your guess is as good as anyone's. And no one's."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb is eager to atone for last season. Also, Michael Floyd's arrival as the likely starting flanker could give Andre Roberts extended playing time from the slot. Kolb says he thinks Roberts is a "special" player and should thrive from the slot.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com passes along thoughts from Roberts and Early Doucet regarding Floyd's addition. Doucet: "This isn’t new to me. I’ve seen it all, been through it all. Again, I think it’s a good pick for us. It gives us another big body on the outside like Fitz, and we will have more opportunities if they pay attention to those big bodies. It’s the business. I don’t have any bad blood toward the guy. I’m excited."

Andy from Des Moines, Iowa asks whether Pro Football Hall of Famers were disproportionately early draft choices.

Mike Sando: Yes, that is definitely the case. The Hall of Fame lists them by round. I also track this information. By my count, 143 of 188 drafted Hall of Famers were chosen in the first three rounds. That is 76.1 percent. That includes 94 first-round selections, 29 second-rounders and 20 third-rounders.

No players drafted after 1995 have been enshrined to this point.

Curtis Martin, named as part of the 2012 class, was a third-round choice in 1995. The previous six drafts have produced eight Hall of Famers, and all eight were first-round choices: Marshall Faulk, Willie Roaf, Cortez Kennedy, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders.

Later-round picks fared better long ago, when the draft had many more rounds. The NFL went from 17 to 12 rounds in 1977, then to eight in 1993 and seven the following year.

The chart below shows round-by-round distribution for drafted Hall of Famers since the 1983 class produced six Hall of Famers in the first round, the most for any first round.

Players drafted in first rounds tend to have more talent. They also tend to get every opportunity to succeed. The combination of those factors explains why more of them have found their way to Canton, in my view.

The San Francisco 49ers embraced Alex Smith as their starting quarterback one year ago, when most viewed Smith as a first-round draft bust.

Embracing him has only become easier after the team went 13-3 and reached the NFC Championship Game with Smith taking all the important snaps from center.

"We're all in lockstep as an organization that Alex Smith is our guy," coach Jim Harbaugh said. "It's well-documented. You saw the way he played this year. [He is a] tremendous leader on our football team.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the next step for Smith includes reducing the number of sacks he takes. Maiocco: "On Tuesday, Smith said on 'Chronicle Live' that in the coming weeks he will analyze where he needs to get better and be honest with himself. That's where I see Smith can get better -- a lot better. Perhaps with a full offseason to fully comprehend the offense, Smith will have a greater understanding of the angles he can exploit against certain defenses to get rid of the ball quicker and allow his receivers to make more plays."

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle offers thoughts on various 49ers other than Harbaugh coming up short for awards recently.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says it's way too early for anyone in Seattle to get excited about a Super Bowl coming to the Northwest. Williams: "The Seahawks aren’t the only northern city to show interest, as Washington, Denver, New England, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit are other northern markets that would likely want to be in the conversation for hosting a Super Bowl. Add to that group the fact San Francisco, San Diego and Minnesota are working on securing funding to build new or remodeled stadiums -- along with the NFL's recent tradition of offering Super Bowls to cities that build new stadiums -- and Seattle likely has an uphill climb of hosting a Super Bowl in the foreseeable future." Noted: The Seahawks have not submitted a formal bid for a Super Bowl. Seattle probably could have secured one years ago had the team's stadium, which opened in 2002, included a roof.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks would be wise to pursue Peyton Manning this offseason. Boling: "Risks? Sure, they’re numerous and obvious. But if there weren’t risks, he would never hit the market. And if he turns out to be even close to the Peyton Manning who was an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, it’s likely that no other single move could put the Seahawks in contention quicker than landing him."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com checks in with new Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy, who visited Seahawks headquarters Wednesday and went to lunch with several reporters who covered him during his playing days. Kennedy: "It hit me that I’m a Hall of Famer, but you still can't believe it because of the magnitude of the situation being in the Hall of Fame. When you get a call from Steve Largent congratulating you; you get a call from John Randle saying congratulations; Michael Irvin; Marshall Faulk; guys that I played with. That was very special."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic checks in with the Cardinals' new quarterbacks coach, John McNulty. McNulty: "I don't think the job is to replace Kurt Warner any more. It's not to go win the game every week, but I think it's to be more productive, to certainly not lose the game, and to make sure every time they're on the field we're in tune with exactly what needs to be done, from play to play. We have to know what these QBs are in tune with and what they'll be able to handle, mentally and physically, and gear it toward them. In the end, they need to perform better, so that will fall on me, that will really fall on all of us. But it ultimately falls on them."

Also from Somers: Hiring former Indianapolis assistant Frank Reich as receivers coach reinforces the idea Arizona could pursue Manning this offseason. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "I hired Frank because he's a good coach."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the team was close to hiring Todd Haley, but the lack of an opening for an offensive coordinator was a complicating factor.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Dave McGinnis' hiring in St. Louis was inevitable once Jeff Fisher became head coach. McGinnis: "Coaches in this league want to work for Jeff Fisher. The environment that you work in is very, very conducive to doing good things. He's very professional, but you have fun doing it."

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com says Fisher must build a program, not just a team. Gordon: "The task will be daunting, but Fisher inspires confidence within the football industry. This is why top assistant coaches are lining up to join this project."

Aaron Levine's report about the Seattle Seahawks hoping to bring a Super Bowl to the Northwest sent me back through notes to a 2002 interview with team owner Paul Allen.

The Seahawks were about to open their new stadium at the time, so it was natural to ask Allen whether the organization could bring a Super Bowl to Seattle.

"It is certainly do-able," Allen said at the time. "The league, there hasn’t been one in a northern city for some time. There is some talk of New York and Washington. Certainly, our hat is in the ring if they decide to look beyond cities like that."

The recent positive Super Bowl experience in Indianapolis would seem to help.

"I think probably it will be in another Northern city first," Allen said during that 2002 interview, "and if it’s a positive experience, hopefully some momentum will build."

CenturyLink Field is an open-air facility, however, and that could be a problem. The NFL sent the Super Bowl to Indianapolis knowing Lucas Oil Stadium would shield fans and players from inclement weather. Indianapolis is also a major-league destination for conventions. Skywalks connect downtown hotels.

Steve Rudman of Sports Press Northwest looks at Shaun Alexander's Hall of Fame credentials following Cortez Kennedy's induction. He compares Alexander's production to that for Curtis Martin, something I'll break out later on the blog.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com breaks out pertinent NFL dates and makes this notation about the Cardinals regarding free agency: "The Cards have four restricted free agents (guys who could leave, but the Cards, if they tender an offer, have right of first refusal): running back LaRod Stephens-Howling, linebacker Reggie Walker, safety Rashad Johnson and cornerback Greg Toler." Note: Re-signing unrestricted free agent Calais Campbell has to be the top priority as far as addressing players already on the roster.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch updates the Rams' search for a general manager. The 49ers' Tom Gamble is next up, with Minnesota's George Paton up for a second interview. Thomas: "Gamble will be the ninth candidate to interview for the job. The others: Paton; Joey Clinkscales, vice president of college for the New York Jets; Lake Dawson, vice president of player personnel for Tennessee; Brian Gaine, director of player personnel for Miami; Ryan Grigson, director of player personnel for Philadelphia; Ron Hill, vice president of football operations for the NFL; Steve Keim, director of player personnel for Arizona; and Les Snead, director of player personnel for Atlanta. Grigson has since been hired as general manager by Indianapolis."

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis says the Rams have signed an offensive lineman from the CFL.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com takes a look at how the 49ers' receivers performed in 2011. On Josh Morgan: "Morgan's rehab is ahead of schedule, and he should be able to participate in the entire offseason program. He is scheduled to be a free agent, and it would seem to make sense for the sides to agree on a contract for next season. In five games, Morgan caught 15 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown."

Eric Branch of the San Francisco 49ers looks at which draft choices the 49ers hold for 2012.

Greg from Seattle thought Victor Cruz's first-quarter non-fumble in the Super Bowl, rendered irrelevant by a penalty for 12 men on the field, resembled the forward-progress call involving Ahmad Bradshaw that hurt San Francisco during the 49ers' game against the Giants two weeks ago.

"The only discernible difference I saw was that there were two men involved on Bradshaw's fumble two weeks ago," Greg wrote. "If this week's play had been ruled a fumble while the Niners were not permitted even to challenge, I would have been outraged. Curious to hear your perspective."

Mike Sando: I had the exact same thought, but it was a fleeting one because of the penalty. The 49ers weren't necessarily victimized by a horrible call, in my view. It seemed like one of those unlucky ones, along the lines of the chop-block call against Frank Gore in Baltimore. I disagreed with the call against Gore and thought the 49ers caught a bad break on the Bradshaw ruling. The Cruz play looked similar when watching the game live. (Update: Gore chop block was obviously at Baltimore; I mistakenly wrote Philadelphia originally).

Former NFL officiating boss Mike Pereira, now a Fox analyst, offered this take: "Without this penalty, fans would have been left wondering why the play in San Francisco was ruled forward progress and this one wasn’t. In my opinion, both plays should have been ruled forward progress and not fumbles."

I dislike the forward-progress ruling when it's close. Rules require players making receptions to hold onto the ball through the conclusion of the play. Why not enforce the same standard for players running with the ball? If officials think forward progress has been stopped, then they should blow the whistle. Had the whistle blown when Bradshaw lost the ball? How about when Cruz lost the ball? If not, the play was live, right?

I'm open-minded on this, but that's how it looks from this angle.

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Bruce from Port Angeles, Wash., was among several writing to express satisfaction after seeing Cortez Kennedy become the second longtime Seattle Seahawks player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He appreciated whatever work was done in presenting Kennedy's credentials to the selectors.

Mike Sando: The Mount Rushmore of Seahawks history would include Steve Largent, Kenny Easley, Kennedy and Walter Jones, in my view. Shaun Alexander deserves consideration as well, but I think those other guys were the elite of the elite in the pure ability to dominate their opponents.

Easley, Kennedy and Jones played extremely physical positions, too, so their dominance was a cut above simply by the nature of their jobs. I tend to favor candidates who flat-out dominated even when two or three opponents at a time matched up against them. Kennedy fit that criteria.

Kennedy's candidacy suffered some from the Seahawks' struggles during the 1990s. The team kept hiring offensive-minded head coaches in an effort to fix that side of the ball, going from Chuck Knox to Tom Flores to Dennis Erickson to Mike Holmgren during Kennedy's tenure.

Holmgren's arrival in 1999 led to an 8-2 start and playoff appearance that season. Kennedy had 6.5 sacks and two interceptions that year, with three of those sacks during Holmgren's return to Green Bay on the Monday night stage. Overall, Kennedy appeared in prime time only five times during his career. For that reason, many of the selectors rarely saw him play.

One key to Kennedy's enshrinement was making sure the selectors had the relevant facts and testimonials before them. Presenting Kennedy was straightforward. His credentials made it so.

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Ted from San Carlos thought Wes Welker was taking far too much criticism for the pass he failed to catch with four minutes remaining in Super Bowl XLVI. He questioned whether I had even watched the game. "How could you blame Welker for that 'drop' when the pass was terrible? Brady had a wide-open Welker and made a bad pass. It would have been a GREAT catch had he caught it. This is on Brady."

Mike Sando: Welker blamed Welker. He is a credible source on the subject. The ball hit both of his hands.

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Suzy from Dallas says Welker "manned up" and took the blame for missing what would have been a "miracle" catch. "When you review the tape," she wrote, "please retract your entire story (like a man)."

Mike Sando: David Tyree made a miracle catch in Super Bowl XLII. Welker has a clear opportunity to make this catch. He is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Many sources, including the Boston Globe, have described this pass for what it was, a bit behind Welker, but catchable. If Welker had made that catch, people would not be talking about it in the vein they discuss Tyree's catch. Not even close.

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Andy from Syracuse was among several fans asking whether the 49ers' move to Santa Clara on game days will result in a name change.

Mike Sando: They will still be the San Francisco 49ers. Their headquarters have been in Santa Clara for years. The team's history and heritage is very important to team persident Jed York. Santa Clara is not that far away.

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Darren from Vacaville, Calif., did not like reading in our recent Super Bowl losers story the word "outclassed" to describe the Los Angeles Rams during their Super Bowl defeat to Pittsburgh following the 1979 season. "This team had the feared Steelers on the ropes," he wrote.

Mike Sando: I'm going to grant you this one. I actually did not write that part of the item. Jamison Hensley and I worked on that together. He wrote the part on the Rams. I saw it and did not disagree strongly enough to talk to him about adjusting it. It was a reasonable take given the Rams' status that season as a 9-7 team without its starting quarterback, Pat Haden.

Sorry, no Arizona Cardinals questions this time. There weren't any fresh ones atop the mailbag. My flight is making its way across the country. Figured I'd better file this while the laptop battery was strong, the wireless was working, etc.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Super Bowl provided a compelling diversion for NFC West fans. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming, which focuses on the Pro Football Hall of Fame class for 2012.

Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News kicks off the coverage by expressing shock over some of the candidates not enshrined this year. Tim Brown, Charles Haley and Eddie DeBartolo Jr. were three such candidates with strong Bay Area ties. Purdy: "Congratulations to the six new Pro Football Hall of Famers. But please pardon those of us who are out here in the tailgate area with the guys who didn't make it, sipping bewilderment beer and still scratching our scalps." Noted: I shared similar feelings before becoming a Hall selector a few years ago. Specifically, I wondered how in the world Cris Carter fell short. It seemed laughable at the time. Having been part of the process, it's much easier to see how these things happen. But there is still shock even among the selectors themselves over certain candidates not making it. We all have our own points of view. The key is to remember that worthy candidates get in eventually, but not all at once. And sometimes, having multiple players at the same position splits votes on the reduction from 10 to five players. That has happened at wide receiver recently, but in looking at the five modern-era finalists enshrined this year, I've got no problem with the group. The others can wait, just as this group did. Their time will come. Having five spots for 15 finalists inevitably means that some fans' favorite candidates will miss the cut in a given year.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune explains why he found Cortez Kennedy worthy of Hall enshrinement. Boling: "The Hall selection committee got this one right on Saturday afternoon by recognizing Kennedy as not only an elite defender, but a player who helped change the game as a force of destruction from the interior line."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com checks in with former Seattle linebacker Dave Wyman for thoughts on Kennedy making the Hall as an interior lineman. Farnsworth: "Usually the only people that notice players like that are other players or coaches, or anybody in the NFL that is looking at film. Those defensive tackles are in there doing all the dirty work that’s not really getting their names in the paper. But Tez, he did all that, plus he had all the numbers. He has great statistics for an inside player. It’s just too crowded and there are just too many bodies in there, so it’s just not physically possible most of the time to make plays in there. But Tez did it. Some guys are just able to make that jump to become better pros than they were in college, and those are usually guys who are Hall of Famers."

Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle links to audio for Wyman.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic offers thoughts on Hall finalist Aeneas Williams while offering insights into the process for enshrinement. Somers: "It often takes players several years to make it to the final 10. Williams did it in his first year as a finalist and his third year of eligibility."

Anwar S. Richardson of mlive.com checks in with Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald for thoughts on Calvin Johnson's next contract with Detroit. Fitzgerald: "He should (have a higher contract than Fiztgerald). He's at the top of the game right now. He's an extremely, extremely impressive talent. He has no weaknesses. I think that's what makes Calvin so impressive is to be around him. He's a really down-to-Earth guy." Noted: The contract Fitzgerald signed raised the bar for elite wide receivers. Johnson is one of the few with a legitimate case that he has earned at least as much as Fitzgerald commanded, even though Fitzgerald commanded his deal at a time when Arizona could not use the franchise tag on him for leverage.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch expects the Rams' games in London to continue as scheduled despite initial objections from the St. Louis stadium authority. Thomas: "The Rams are scheduled to play New England on Oct. 28 at Wembley Stadium. In an agreement announced late last month, the Rams are to play a regular-season home game in London in each of the next three seasons. But the CVC pointed out a week later that the lease terms prohibited the Rams from playing home games anywhere but the Edward Jones Dome. The contention over the London games came at a time when the Rams and the CVC were exchanging proposals over possible upgrades to the Dome as part of the lease agreement. If the Dome is not considered a 'first tier' facility, the Rams could break their lease after the 2014 season. As a result of that impasse, ticket sales for next year's game were temporarily postponed. But as a result of Sunday's developments it will be a short-lived postponement."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Over the past year, the San Francisco 49ers have hired Jim Harbaugh, drafted Aldon Smith, posted a 13-3 record, won a playoff game, placed an NFL-best nine players in the Pro Bowl, watched former owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. become a Hall of Fame finalist and secured funding for a new stadium.

Oh, and Harbaugh was named coach of the year Saturday night.

Those notable achievements should ease whatever sting the 49ers are feeling after DeBartolo failed to earn Hall of Fame enshrinement and Smith, coming off a 14-sack season, finished second to Von Miller in balloting for NFL defensive rookie of the year.

DeBartolo was a first-time finalist facing stiff competition from candidates the selectors had been considering for years, including Cortez Kennedy and Chris Doleman, enshrinees with ties to current NFC West franchises. Failing to make the cut doesn't necessarily mean a candidate was deemed unworthy. Sometimes it means there were simply five other candidates with greater appeal among the 15 modern-era finalists considered each year.

Smith, meanwhile, finished his rookie season with 14 sacks as a situational pass-rusher. He played about half the defensive snaps and did not start. Miller started 15 games and had 11.5 sacks while playing nearly 80 percent of the defensive snaps for Denver. Both were strong candidates. Smith seemed to gain on Miller late in the year.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thirteen modern-era NFL players were finalists for enshrinement Saturday in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Only one was named offensive or defensive player of the year during his career.

That was the Seattle Seahawks' Cortez Kennedy. His eight Pro Bowls, all-1990s selection and overall dominance made my job as his presenter quite simple. State the facts and let Kennedy's career do the talking. Picking the final five out of 15 modern-era finalists is always tough, however, because it usually requires leaving off worthy candidates.

The 43 other selectors and I met for more than seven hours before identifying Kennedy, Chris Doleman, Dermontti Dawson, Curtis Martin and Willie Roaf as the class of 2012. Jack Butler made it as a seniors candidate.

A few thoughts on the process and the results:

• This class made it through at a good time. Larry Allen, Michael Strahan, Jonathan Ogden, Warren Sapp, Bryant Young, John Lynch and Steve McNair become eligible for the first time in 2013. Shaun Alexander, Derrick Brooks, Marvin Harrison, Rodney Harrison, Tony Dungy and Mike Holmgren join the list in 2014. Isaac Bruce, Edgerrin James, Walter Jones, Junior Seau, Chris Samuels, Kurt Warner, Ty Law and Orlando Pace are among those eligible beginning in 2015.
• Former St. Louis Rams
  and Arizona Cardinals
  cornerback Aeneas Williams should feel great about cracking the final 10 in his first year as a finalist. Williams had 55 career interceptions and scored nine touchdowns. He was a big-time playmaker for bad and good teams alike.
• The situation at receiver remains a mess and it's not going to get easier with Harrison becoming eligible in a couple years. Voters are having a tough time deciding between Cris Carter and Andre Reed. Both made the final 10 this year. Reed made the final 10 last year as well. Having both crack the final 10 this year made it harder for one of them to break through. Voters were more likely to choose one wideout when forced to pick only five players.
• Former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. did not make the reduction from 15 to 10. I think it's tougher for voters to quantify how owners and even coaches -- think Bill Parcells, who missed the cut from 10 to five -- contributed to their teams' success. The discussions for Parcells (55-plus minutes) and DeBartolo (42-plus minutes) were more than twice as long as the discussions for other candidates. Hall bylaws prevented voters from considering the legal troubles and suspension that preceded DeBartolo's exit from the game.
• DeBartolo was a finalist in part because he hired Bill Walsh, promoted a winning culture, cared tremendously for his players and helped win five Super Bowls. He spent this weekend with former 49ers player Freddie Solomon, who is in the final days of a battle with cancer. The 49ers' renewed success this past season also reflected well on DeBartolo, who has become a tremendous resource for current team president Jed York, his nephew.
• Electing one pass-rusher (Doleman, who spent part of his career with the 49ers) to the Hall could give former 49ers and Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Charles Haley an easier time in the future. But with Strahan joining the conversation in 2013, Haley faces stiff competition again. Former Rams pass-rusher Kevin Greene did not make the final 10 despite 160 career sacks.

It's been a whirlwind day. Hall bylaws prevent me from sharing specifics about what was said in the room during the proceedings. The Hall also asked voters not to reveal their votes outright. I voted for five of the six players enshrined on the final cut and supported others. As always, however, reducing to only five in the end required leaving off candidates I hope will make it in the future.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Just a note to let you know I'm attending the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony and will post thoughts afterward.

Cortez Kennedy and Chris Doleman were among the enshrinees. Both played for current NFC West franchises.

Back in a bit.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Pro Football Hall of Fame voters are beginning to assemble for a day-long session to determine the 2012 class.

Eddie DeBartolo Jr., Cortez Kennedy, Kevin Greene, Aeneas Williams, Charles Haley, Chris Doleman and Jerome Bettis are among the 15 modern-era finalists with ties to current NFC West organizations. I will be presenting Kennedy's case to the selectors as the representative for the Seattle market.

We will discuss each candidate -- see them all here -- and then hold a series of votes. The first vote will reduce the modern-era finalists from 15 to 10. The second vote will reduce that group from 10 to five. From that group, those with an 80 percent approval rate gain selection.

The NFL Network is scheduled to announce results at 5:30 p.m. ET.

In the meantime, here are our Super Bowl predictions.

INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning's professional future likely does not hinge on the identity of his dinner partners.

Still, if Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald is indeed planning on grabbing a bite with the potential free-agent quarterback, Cardinals fans can feel a little better about their team's chances for landing Manning should he become available.

Fitzgerald has friendships with players throughout the league. He also has, at times, hinted that the Cardinals needed to make certain moves to improve their roster. A year ago, the Cardinals were reportedly consulting Fitzgerald on their choice of quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic offers this on Manning: "The Cardinals likely will be among many teams to express interest should the Colts release Manning some time in the next month or so. But I would think any team interested in paying huge amounts of money to acquire Manning would want to put him through a rigorous throwing session."

Also from Somers: Fitzgerald denies any plans to have dinner with Manning.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says a Fitzgerald-Manning meeting is on the schedule. Bickley also quotes Kurt Warner as saying the Cardinals let too many good players get away following their Super Bowl run. Warner: "Any time a team starts to do that, losing pieces they say are replaceable ... you don't replace great players. They don't come around a dime a dozen. You have to hold on to them. If you can't hold on to all of them, you have to make a committed effort to hold on to some of them and build around them. They still have Larry (Fitzgerald), of course, but you need more than that to win in this business. And that's the biggest lesson the Cardinals, and any team, can learn. It's very difficult to replace guys who are integral to a team's success."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com checks in with Cardinals players for thoughts on the Super Bowl. Daryn Colledge, formerly of the Packers: "You think about what it was it was like going through media day and training for that extra week and spending the week. You remember what it was like going through it with your guys. I have positive thoughts about it all because I won. It’s probably different than guys who did not win."

Also from Urban: thoughts on Larry Fitzgerald, Peyton Manning and other subjects. Urban: "Tom James of the Terre Haute Tribune-Star, who has covered the Colts for years, reported mid-day that Fitz and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning were expected to have dinner, which obviously caught everyone’s eye. Fitzgerald and Manning are friends — Fitz seems to be friends with pretty much every high-profile player there is — and so it could mean nothing about the future. But it’s hard to believe, with everything happening, the subject wouldn’t come up."

Mathew Hathaway of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch breaks down the proposal for Edward Jones Dome upgrades delivered to the Rams by the local stadium authority. Hathaway: "The Rams have until March 1 to accept or reject the CVC proposal, and until May 1 to make a counteroffer. The two sides would go into arbitration if a deal isn't struck by June 15. Without an agreement, the Rams would be free to relocate after March 1, 2015." Noted: Accepting the offer seems highly unlikely. We should expect the sides to go back and forth over the coming months.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers various Rams notes, including one from former Tennessee running back Eddie George about the nature of Jeff Fisher's offense. George: "Sure, a lot of what we did was based on the power running game, but Steve McNair didn't get to three Pro Bowls or win the league MVP award just by handing the ball off. We did a lot of damage with our passing game. He (Fisher) likes to take shots down the field."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Falcons' Les Snead interviewed with the Rams for their general manager's job.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com breaks down the 49ers' defensive line, noting that just about every player at the position performed at a high level. Maiocco on Isaac Sopoaga: "Sopoaga did an excellent job of clogging the middle and keeping offensive linemen from getting to the second level to block inside linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. The 49ers ranked third in the NFL, allowing just 3.2 yards a carry, on run plays up the middle. That is a direct reflection on Sopoaga's ability to hold the point and stand his ground against the power run game."

Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com offers thoughts on the 49ers' and Raiders' stadium situations. Ratto says the 49ers could not count on the Raiders to hold up their end in a joint-usage agreement. Ratto: "So it makes perfect sense that the 49ers are going their own way on a stadium, and that the NFL acknowledged this by freeing up the $200M in loans to help make that happen. Nobody knows what the Raiders are or what they want to be, and waiting around for them to discover that has proven far too expensive for all parties concerned."

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News provides details on the 49ers' new ownership situation. Kawakami: "Yu and Boston Celtics LP Mark Wan were coming on as separate 1 percent investors in the 49ers. I think both are officially co-owners now. According to an NFL source, Yu and Wan purchased the 1 percent shares for $8.5M apiece, putting a value of $850M on the 49ers franchise–interestingly, the same total as the stadium financing project. I also believe that Yu has an option to buy up to 5 percent over a period of time."

Howard Mintz of the San Jose Mercury News provides details of the 49ers' stadium funding and the reaction from Santa Clara. Mintz: "With the stadium project steamrolling forward, Santa Clara officials did move this week to remove the only potential roadblock, filing a lawsuit to keep stadium opponents from trying to put the project back on the ballot."

Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle says Seahawks receiver Mike Williams plans to cut weight for the 2012 season. Williams: "I've got to get better, I've got to get faster, I've got to get more explosive. I won't be playing at 240 this year. I'm going to go down and go a lot lower than that just to give myself the best chance."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says there's a decent chance the Seahawks and other teams with top running backs will use the franchise tag to keep them. He says DeAngelo Williams' five-year, $43 million contract could complicate negotiations. The franchise tag could cost about $7.7 million on a one-year basis.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com, mindful of Cortez Kennedy's status as a Hall of Fame finalist, says the voting process forces tough choices.

INDIANAPOLIS -- St. Louis Rams Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk has been on a roll this week, questioning the team's choice of offensive coordinator.

Faulk even wondered aloud whether Jeff Fisher would last long enough to fulfill his contract.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch passes along this comment from Faulk on Fisher: "We'll see. That's all I can say. We will see. Jeff had a long and illustrious tenure in Tennessee and Houston. How long is (owner) Stan Kroenke going to wait? Will they give him all five years regardless of how bumpy it is? If Jeff hits three of those 8-8 seasons, what do you do? That's a lot of money to be mediocre. You've got to deliver." Noted: I think the Rams would be quite pleased with three 8-8 seasons from Fisher after going 10-38 over the past three seasons. I can also see why Faulk might be skeptical. Faulk won big in St. Louis within a high-powered offense. Fisher prefers a more conservative approach.

Matthew Hathaway of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission (CVC) made its proposal to upgrade the Edward Jones Dome Wednesday, the deadline to do so. Hathaway: "The CVC plan to retain the Rams is such a closely guarded secret that even the Dome's owner -- the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority -- has been largely out of the loop. Officials with the authority have said they don't know what the CVC will propose should be done with the facility, and Ratcliffe said last week that it was not necessary for the authority's board to approve the CVC's offer to the Rams. The Rams, too, have indicated that the franchise likely will keep mum after receiving the CVC proposal today."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says former Raiders assistant John Fassel is the Rams' new special-teams coach. Thomas: "The Raiders had some of the league's best special teams units in 2009 and '10, leading the NFL in special teams takeaways and turnover differential in each of those seasons. In 2010, Oakland's Jacoby Ford had a breakout rookie season with three kickoff returns for touchdowns. Ford also had a 101-yard kickoff return for a score in 2011. But the Raiders' coverage units struggled in '11, yielding three returns for TDs and finishing last in punt coverage and 27th in kickoff coverage."

Jeff Fedotin of National Football Post says former Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu hopes to play in 2012 after resting a knee injury last season.

Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press profiles former Seahawks defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy. Reynolds: "He’s still a fan favorite in Seattle, and spends a good chunk of time during the season around the New Orleans Saints, for whom some of his closest friends and confidants work. His home is in a well-to-do community, with neighbors including U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, golfer Ian Poulter and famed coach Lou Holtz — someone Kennedy tormented at the height of the Miami-Notre Dame rivalry. Holtz got over it, apparently: He wrote the letter asking that Kennedy be approved to move into the gated community he now calls home."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers could have interest in DeSean Jackson if the receiver encounters a skeptical market and becomes available for a modest contract over the short term. Maiocco: "Jackson might not be in the mold of the big, physical receiver that coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke seem to like. And Jackson might not fit the blue-collar image that Harbaugh stressed. But I don't believe Harbaugh cares about reputation. He'd be open-minded about acquiring an exceptional talent who can help the team."

Also from Maiocco: a look at how the 49ers' linebackers fared in 2011. On Ahmad Brooks: "He played just about every snap this season at left outside linebacker, as he seemed to grasp Vic Fangio's defense well enough to handle his responsibilities against the run and the pass. Brooks recorded seven sacks and was third on the team with 46 quarterback pressures. Brooks typically moved to left defensive end in nickel situations when the 49ers would convert to a four-man line. He was also pretty solid against the run. He had 12 tackles for losses on the year."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic expects receivers coach John McNulty to remain with the Cardinals after Arizona prevented Tampa Bay from interviewing him for their vacant offensive coordinator's position.

Also from Somers: Former Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner offers thoughts on Peyton Manning's situation. Warner: "I don't think there's any question in mind, if there's a guy who can do something similar to what I did -- resurrect their career and go somewhere else and play at a higher level -- it's a guy like Peyton. Because you know he's going to work and you know he's going to set a standard. It's hard to do. You don't see many quarterbacks do it."

More from Somers: Ex-Cardinals receiver Roy Green was a two-way player long before New England's Julian Edelman attempted the feat. Somers: "Other guys would jog off the field and get a chance to go sit on the bench and get a chance to gather their thoughts. I was playing 30 to 35 plays on defense, then playing special teams, then you're right back in it (the game)."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Seven NFL figures with ties to current NFC West franchises head toward Saturday as finalists for the 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Cortez Kennedy, Eddie DeBartolo Jr., Kevin Greene, Charles Haley and Aeneas Williams spent all or much of their careers with franchises currently in the division. Jerome Bettis and Chris Doleman spent shorter stretches with current NFC West franchises.

I'll be among the 44 selectors trying to single out the five best candidates for enshrinement with the class of 2012.

710ESPN Seattle hosts Dave Grosby and Bob Stelton inquired about Kennedy's chances during our latest conversation Tuesday. That audio is here. In my view, more than five candidates deserve enshrinement in a typical year. That means worthy candidates must wait. Predicting how the voting will go becomes a futile pursuit.

The New York Giants drew favorable publicity during the lockout when they extended deadlines for renewing season tickets.

But in a twist reflecting the NFL's economic realities, the move actually put the team in a favorable position. Fans taking advantage of the extended deadline authorized the team to charge their credit cards when the lockout ended. The Giants had already collected large sums through one-time fees for seat licenses, so if any fan walked away from those licenses, the team could double up by selling new licenses to fans on waiting lists, creating even more revenue opportunities.

All of this comes to mind as the San Francisco 49ers sell tickets for their future stadium in Santa Clara.

Mike Rosenberg of the San Jose Mercury News says seat-license fees are leading some longtime fans to give up tickets their families have held for generations. Rosenberg: "This month, the team assigned current holders of some of its best season tickets 9,000 much costlier club seats in the new stadium -- and if they don't buy them by March 16, they lose the seats that in many cases have been in their families for generations. Buddies with four primo seats would need to pay a total of $145,000 to $190,000 to buy new club seats and season tickets over the first five seasons in Santa Clara. Their current seats at Candlestick would cost about $25,800 for a half-decade based on next season's ticket prices." Noted: Giants fans experienced the same choices when their team opened its new stadium. Several of them tailgating before their Week 2 game against the St. Louis Rams said the experience had negatively affected their relationship with the team.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com looks at free-agent receiver options for the 49ers while lauding Michael Crabtree. Maiocco: "Crabtree, who is signed through 2014, figures prominently in the 49ers' future -- and for good reason. In a passing offense that ranked 29th in the NFL at just 183.1 yards per game, Crabtree was 28th in the NFL among wideouts with a career-high 874 yards receiving. And he also scored major bonus points with the coaching staff for his determination and effectiveness as a blocker in the 49ers' offense." Noted: Crabtree's blocking was indeed fantastic. At one point, Crabtree resisted praise for that area of his game. Receivers known primarily for their blocking must not be producing all that much as receivers, the thinking goes. But Crabtree did make some important catches. I just haven't seen much evidence of progress in the on-field relationship/trust between Crabtree and quarterback Alex Smith. That's one area to monitor through the offseason.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee revisits Frank Gore's season. Barrows: "When Gore had the ball in his hands, he seemed to fine. But he often removed himself from games at the end of the season and in the playoffs. During a critical fourth-quarter drive against the Giants in which the 49ers ground attack appeared to be gaining the advantage against the New York defense, it was third-string runner Anthony Dixon who entered the game. He was tripped up on a potentially big run on 2nd and 4, and ended up gaining three yards. On third and 1, he was stopped for no gain."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch updates the Rams' search for a general manager. Joey Clinkscales and George Paton are under consideration. Thomas: "Arizona director of player personnel Steve Keim was scheduled to interview over the weekend, but his interview has been pushed back to this week. Contrary to recent reports, Houston Texans scout Mike Ackerley -- formerly with the Tennessee Titans -- is not a candidate for the Rams' GM job. Neither is another former member of the Tennessee scouting department -- Rich Snead. If Snead joins the Rams, it would be as a scout." Noted: The focus to this point has been on filling out the coaching staff. The team is looking for a GM to fit with coach Jeff Fisher, not to overhaul the team to the GM's liking. That makes the GM hiring anticlimactic, particularly after Fisher's hiring carried so much drama. There's a high likelihood the next GM will fit well because Fisher will be part of the hiring process. The tougher part is finding a GM with the right abilities from a personnel evaluation standpoint. More here.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times updates plans to tweak the Seahawks' uniforms. O'Neil: "A little birdie gave out a few hints the helmets will be darker, and there will be some feather trim. The helmets are not expected to go back to being silver."

Also from O'Neil: thoughts on Deion Branch's return to the Super Bowl.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com outlines the case for Cortez Kennedy as a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Former coach Dennis Erickson: "Cortez might’ve been as dominant a defensive tackle that's ever played. He was dominant when I had him in Seattle in the four years I was there, and he was dominant before I got there. I don’t know if you can see a defensive tackle who dominated a game like he did when he was with the Seahawks. … You knew he was going to make it in the Hall of Fame. Like I said, that position, to be dominant like he was just doesn’t happen very often. He was just dominant every time he played. There were never ups and downs with Cortez. What you saw is what you got, every week."

Craig Morgan of Fox Sports Arizona asks whether Kevin Kolb's concussion issues make him susceptible to suffering more of them in the future. A neurosurgeon he quotes put it this way: "There is substantial evidence that if someone is concussed, they have a higher likelihood of being concussed again. We don't know whether they are made more susceptible through their injuries or whether they're genetically predisposed to concussions because of the way their head is structured or the cushion around their brain, but the evidence is certainly there." Noted: Kolb suffered a concussion when opening the 2010 season as the Philadelphia Eagles' starter. He suffered another one early during a home game against San Francisco this season.