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Jason Peters' injury hurt the Philadelphia Eagles and did no favors for the Arizona Cardinals.

The Pro Bowl left tackle was earning $12.8 million per year, a reflection of his obvious value to the Eagles. His injury thrust Philadelphia into the market for a free-agent tackle, leading the Eagles to reach agreement with the previously misnamed Demetress Bell, a player the Cardinals had targeted early in free agency.

Arizona is heading toward the draft with an obvious need at tackle. The Cardinals hold the 13th overall choice, but no pick in the second round. They re-signed veteran tackle Levi Brown, but the position remains unsettled.

Moving Brown back to right tackle would require finding a better prospect for the left side. That appears unlikely in the short term, even if the Cardinals use their first-round choice for a tackle. It's looking like Brown will man the left side heading into the season.

Who starts opposite Brown? Perhaps it's a draft choice. Former starter Brandon Keith has had injury problems and is unsigned. Jeremy Bridges is nearly 32 years old and appears most valuable as a spot starter, not a long-term answer. The team re-signed D'Anthony Batiste, a 30-year-old backup with 22 appearances and four starts in six seasons with six teams.

Bell, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, was the most promising young tackle available in free agency. The Cardinals were among several teams to meet with him this offseason. Bell, 27, was not a sure bet, however. A shoulder injury slowed him last season. Bell played in seven games, starting six. He has 30 starts over the last three seasons.

The San Francisco 49ers have options at quarterback over the next couple seasons.

Their new deal with Alex Smith could last one, two or three seasons. They could hand over the offense to Colin Kaepernick at any point along the way. Signing veteran Josh Johnson to a two-year deal Thursday gives the team depth behind Kaepernick if the team does transition away from Smith.

Johnson was not coveted in the market this offseason, but the fit with San Francisco should be a good one. He played for coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of San Diego, which means the 49ers know what they are getting. It also means Johnson will have a decent grasp of the offense, most likely.

Scott Tolzien is the fourth quarterback. He has eligibility for the practice squad.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says Harbaugh and Johnson enjoy a special bond. Branch: "Harbaugh saw something in Johnson nearly a decade ago when nearly no on else did. At Oakland Tech, Johnson, then 5-9 and 160 pounds, spend most of his time handing off to his cousin, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. No matter, the day after Harbaugh was hired at USD, he visited Johnson. The only other school to recruit him was St. Mary’s, which has since dropped its football program. Nearly a decade later, after throwing for 113 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in college, Johnson finds himself in a similar spot. In a four-year NFL career, he’s made five starts, thrown five touchdowns and 10 interceptions and posted a 57.7 rating. But now he’s back with the coach of whom he’s said 'he makes your strengths become your greatness and makes your weaknesses become your strengths.' "

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams have re-signed offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka. Thomas: "He probably will serve as the Rams' third tackle rather than as a starter, which means free-agent Adam Goldberg's six-year tenure with the team probably has ended. Ojinnaka, 6-5, 295, also can play guard. He spent four seasons with Atlanta, from his rookie season in 2006 through '09, so Rams general manager Les Snead and offensive line coach Paul Boudreau know him from their time with the Falcons' organization. In six NFL seasons, Ojinnaka has appeared in 58 games with 15 starts."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says re-signing D'Anthony Batiste makes sense because the Cardinals need depth at offensive tackle. Urban: "The Cards have a few representatives at Stanford’s pro day today -- including head coach Ken Whisenhunt -- and part of the Stanford attraction is projected first-round offensive linemen Jonathan Martin, a tackle, and David DeCastro, a guard. At this point, free agent tackle Demetrius Bell, who visited last week, has not signed anywhere. Multiple possibilities remain in play."

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle goes on camera to offer thoughts on the Seahawks' offseason to this point.

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times says Seahawks general manager John Schneider has demonstrated a strong feel for the draft. Kelley: "In the draft last year, they plugged two more offensive line holes, but they also found a starting linebacker, K.J. Wright, in the fourth round and a starting cornerback, Richard Sherman, in the fifth. They got starting corner Brandon Browner from the CFL, and signed undrafted free-agent receivers Doug Baldwin and Ricardo Lockett. They found players where other teams weren't looking."

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

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

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

Seattle Seahawks

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

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

UFA added: none

UFA lost: tight end John Carlson (27)

Franchise player: none

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

San Francisco 49ers

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

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

UFA added: none

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

Franchise player: safety Dashon Goldson (27)

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

Arizona Cardinals

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

UFA re-signed: none.

UFA added: Snyder (30)

UFA lost: cornerback Richard Marshall (27)

Franchise player: defensive end Calais Campbell (25)

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

St. Louis Rams

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

UFA re-signed: none

UFA added: cornerback Cortland Finnegan (28)

UFA lost: none

Franchise player: none

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

The chart below shows a general overview.

We're still a month away from NFL free agency, but with the Super Bowl behind us, we'll start sizing up players without contracts for 2012.

Expanding upon Brian McIntyre's lists, I've plugged in offensive and defensive snap-count numbers for NFC West free agents, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information.

The charts below cover the Arizona Cardinals' free agents. The final column shows what each player's previous contract averaged annually.

Re-signing defensive end Calais Campbell will be a top priority. I don't see the Cardinals letting him get away. They moved on from Antonio Smith a few years ago, but they did so with Campbell ready to take over. They would have a hard time replacing Campbell.

Cornerback Richard Marshall proved valuable on a one-year deal. Early Doucet was a primary threat on third down.

Overall, though, the Cardinals have a relatively modest group of unrestricted free agents.

Safety Sean Considine played extensively on special teams. I've listed him with the offensive and defensive UFAs, however.

The Cardinals' key specialists are without contracts. The team has turned over those positions in recent seasons.

The Cardinals can keep their restricted free agents, listed below, by making one-year qualifying offers to them, then matching any outside offers.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals have their full contingent of running backs against the New York Giants, a big boost for them after a rough week at the position.

Beanie Wells and LaRod Stephens-Howling are both active. Both missed the Cardinals' 13-10 defeat in Seattle last week, Wells with a hamstring injury and Stephens-Howling with a hand injury. The Cardinals need the threat of a running game to force tougher choices onto opposing defenses, particularly as it pertains to covering Larry Fitzgerald.

Inactive for the Cardinals: receiver Chansi Stuckey, receiver Stephen Williams, quarterback John Skelton, cornerback Korey Lindsey, tackle D'Anthony Batiste, tight end Jim Dray and defensive lineman Ronald Talley.

SEATTLE -- It's looking like the Arizona Cardinals' offense will run through quarterback Kevin Kolb to an even greater degree in Week 3.

Running back Beanie Wells, who suffered a hamstring injury in practice Friday, is among the Cardinals players named inactive against Seattle. Receiver Chansi Stuckey, quarterback John Skelton, running back LaRod Stephens-Howling, tackle D'Anthony Batiste, tight end Jim Dray and defensive end Ronald Talley are also inactive.

Chester Taylor will start in Wells' place. Stephens-Howling, slowed by a hand injury, could have helped in a situational role if active, but he does not project as an every-down runner.

Taylor and Alfonso Smith are the only halfbacks active for the Cardinals. Fullback Anthony Sherman is also active.

The Cardinals' depth at running back was already thin even when Wells was available. I did not expect the Cardinals' ground game to gain significant traction against Seattle's run defense in this game. Those expectations are firmer now.

With training camps winding down, I've found time to update rosters and put together team-by-team reference material for unrestricted free agency.

The names below match official NFL counts.

These are for players with at least four accrued NFL seasons whose contracts expired following the 2010 season. I've added comments for each team.

Arizona Cardinals

Re-signed (8): Ben Graham, Matt Ware, Hamza Abdullah, Ben Claxton, Lyle Sendlein, D'Anthony Batiste, Deuce Lutui, Stephen Spach.

New to team (7): Chansi Stuckey, Richard Marshall, Daryn Colledge, Nick Eason, Stewart Bradley, Floyd Womack, Jeff King.

Still unsigned (3): Alan Faneca, Jason Wright, Bryan Robinson.

Signed elsewhere (5): Steve Breaston (Kansas City), Gabe Watson (New York Giants), Ben Patrick (Giants), Trumaine McBride (New Orleans), Alan Branch (Seattle).

Comment: Sendlein, Colledge and Bradley were the big signings. Marshall provides needed depth at cornerback. Faneca and Wright announced their retirements. The Cardinals weren't aggressive in trying to re-sign the players they lost to other teams. The biggest move Arizona made, acquiring Kevin Kolb from Philadelphia, did not involve a UFA.

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San Francisco 49ers

Re-signed (4): Ray McDonald, Tony Wragge, Dashon Goldson, Alex Smith.

New to team (5): Braylon Edwards, Jonathan Goodwin, Donte Whitner, Carlos Rogers, David Akers.

Still unsigned (5): Brian Westbrook, Troy Smith, Demetric Evans, William James, Barry Sims.

Signed elsewhere (6): David Baas (Giants), Travis LaBoy (San Diego), Jeff Reed (Seattle), Aubrayo Franklin (New Orleans), Takeo Spikes (San Diego), Manny Lawson (Cincinnati).

Comment: Re-signing McDonald signaled Franklin's departure. Getting Goldson back on the relative cheap was a victory. The 49ers wanted to keep Baas, but not at the price he commanded. The team thinks NaVorro Bowman has a bright future in Spikes' old spot at inside linebacker. Lawson wasn't strong enough as a pass-rusher to stick around. Safety depth is improved.

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Seattle Seahawks

Re-signed (7): Raheem Brock, Junior Siavii, Brandon Mebane, Leroy Hill, Matt McCoy, Michael Robinson, Kelly Jennings.

New to team (8): Branch, Zach Miller, Robert Gallery, Jimmy Wilkerson, Atari Bigby, Sidney Rice, Tarvaris Jackson, Reed.

Still unsigned (7): Jay Richardson, Craig Terrill, Chester Pitts, Brandon Stokley, Ruvell Martin, J.P. Losman, Lawyer Milloy.

Signed elsewhere (8): Will Herring (New Orleans), Olindo Mare (Carolina), Matt Hasselbeck (Tennessee), Chris Spencer (Chicago), Jordan Babineaux (Tennessee), Sean Locklear (Washington), Amon Gordon (Kansas City), Ray Willis (Washington).

Comment: Adding Jackson as the starting quarterback was the most significant move for the 2011 season. Mebane was the most important re-signing for the longer term. Hill was a bargain relative to how he's playing right now. Miller and Rice were the types of young, talented players who rarely change teams in free agency. The Seahawks were outbid for Herring and Mare. Can street free agent David Vobora fill some of the void Herring left?

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St. Louis Rams

Re-signed (2): Adam Goldberg, Gary Gibson.

New to team (9): Daniel Muir, Quinn Ojinnaka, Harvey Dahl, Ben Leber, Zac Diles, Jerious Norwood, Cadillac Williams, Quintin Mikell, Mike Sims-Walker.

Still unsigned (5): Chris Hovan, Michael Lewis, Darcy Johnson, Clifton Ryan, Mark Clayton.

Signed elsewhere (4): Daniel Fells (Denver), Laurent Robinson (San Diego), Derek Schouman (Washington), Kevin Dockery (Pittsburgh).

Comment: Dahl and Mikell were the big additions. Clayton could return if and when his surgically repaired knee allows. Sims-Walker is a wild card. The team didn't flinch when any of its own UFAs signed elsewhere. Most of the moves made on defense were designed to improve St. Louis against the run. Remember that newcomer Justin Bannan was not a UFA. Denver released him.
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Kevin Kolb's arrival from Philadelphia gives the Arizona Cardinals renewed hope at quarterback and clear direction following Kurt Warner's retirement.

It provides a fresh start after a forgettable 2010 transition season for Arizona.

So much has changed for the Cardinals since their Super Bowl appearance following the 2008 season. Other rosters around the league have turned over since then, of course, but not every team was coming off a Super Bowl appearance.

Quite a few teams have sought change. For the Cardinals, it just happened.

Warner's departure, while easily the biggest change, was far from the only one. Between five and eight starters from that Super Bowl game project as starters in 2011, depending upon how many of the team's unrestricted free agents re-sign.

When Steve Breaston left the Cardinals for Kansas City this week, drawing attention to the cumulative effect of Arizona's roster upheaval, a Seahawks fan drew parallels between Seattle's post-Super Bowl decline and the Cardinals' plight last season.

"Don't misunderstand," Ricky Frey wrote on my Facebook wall, "I'm a Hawks fan, but it seems eerily familiar to watch this happen and know what happened to Holmgren/Mora. Writing on the wall?"

Not if Kolb has anything to say about it. Acquiring a relatively young, potentially ascending quarterback puts Arizona in position to avoid the decline Seattle experienced as a Matt Hasselbeck struggled with injuries while the roster around him withered away. The NFC West remains in transition overall, and the Cardinals know it.

"It’s obviously winnable, but it’s funny to think that everybody thinks you can just step in and win it," Kolb told reporters Friday. "You’re talking about NFL football teams here. I know last year 7-9 is what won it, but it doesn’t matter. ... The door is open, we know, and we’ll be ready to kick it in when it’s time, but it’s not going to be an easy task."

Larry Fitzgerald, Levi Brown, Darnell Dockett, Adrian Wilson and the recently re-signed Lyle Sendlein started for Arizona in the Super Bowl and remain starters in 2011. Another starter from that Super Bowl game, Gerald Hayes, was released this week. Three more are becoming unrestricted free agents: Deuce Lutui, Bryan Robinson and Gabe Watson.

Six Arizona starters from that game are retired or did not play last season: Mike Gandy, Warner, Edgerrin James, Terrelle Smith, Chike Okeafor and Monty Beisel. Seven more play for other teams: Reggie Wells, Leonard Pope, Anquan Boldin, Antonio Smith, Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle and the recently traded Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Some were role players. Others were tougher to replace.

Breaston was a backup on that team, but he played extensively as the third receiver and finished the season with more than 1,000 yards.

Kolb's addition headlined a flurry of transactions the Cardinals announced Thursday and Friday.

Sendlein, safety Hamza Abdullah, cornerback Michael Adams, tackle D'Anthony Batiste, center Ben Claxton, punter Ben Graham, fullback Reagan Maui'a and tight end Stephen Spach re-signed.

Five draft choices have signed. Guard Daryn Colledge, defensive end Nick Eason, tight end Jeff King, receiver Chansi Stuckey and linebacker Stewart Bradley have signed as free agents from other teams.

Re-signing Sendlein while adding Kolb, Colledge and Bradley suggests the 2011 team is still coming together, not necessarily falling apart.