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With the San Francisco 49ers in the market for cornerback help and our offseason power rankings focusing on the position later Tuesday, I'll look back at the corners current NFC West teams have drafted over the last decade.

This is the second part in a series that began with a look at 15 classes of NFC West quarterbacks. Then as now, I'll break up the charts with narration from teams' perspectives.

These guys had better start early and challenge for Pro Bowls ...

Some prospects aren't ideal in one area or another, but they could shine in the right scheme ...

Still not too late to find decent starters ...

Last chance to find a likely contributor ...

Time to fill out the 80-man roster ...

Things to consider when weighing whether the Cardinals should accept less than a second-round choice in return for receiver Anquan Boldin:

• Cody Brown, Calais Campbell, Alan Branch, Deuce Lutui, J.J. Arrington, Karlos Dansby, Boldin, Levar Fisher, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Michael Stone and Raynoch Thompson were all second-round choices for the Cardinals since 2000.
• Rashad Johnson, Early Doucet, Buster Davis, Leonard Pope, Eric Green, Darryl Blackstock, Darnell Dockett, Gerald Hayes, Josh McCown, Dennis Johnson, Adrian Wilson and Darwin Walker were all third-round draft choices for the Cardinals since 2000.

Let's remove three of those players from the discussion -- Brown, Johnson and Doucet -- because they haven't been around long enough to evaluate.

That leaves us with 10 second-round choices and 10 third-round choices. Arizona's third-rounders produced more stars (Dockett, Wilson) but also far more complete busts (Davis, Blackstock, Johnson, Walker).

The second-rounders produced one star (Boldin) and more good players (Dansby, Campbell, Lutui, Vanden Bosch) without as many complete busts (Stone). Even the underwhelming second-round choices (Arrington, Thompson, Branch, Fisher) made contributions.

I don't think Arizona can get a second-round choice for Boldin under the circumstances. A third-rounder might be worth taking given that Boldin would likely be leaving after the 2010 season unless the team decided to name him its franchise player.

Darren Urban's item on the "final eight" rules provides a good opening to discuss what an uncapped year means for the Cardinals.

Basically, the final eight teams alive in the playoffs, including Arizona, will have a harder time signing free agents from other teams if the NFL and its players fail to extend the collective bargaining agreement. I don't think this is a huge deal, though, because rules will also dramatically reduce the number of players available in free agency. And remember, there haven't been many good players hitting the market, anyway.

Without a new CBA, players must have six years in the league, not four, to become free agents. Teams will also be able to use one franchise tag and two transition tags to restrict veteran players.

Pat Kirwan of NFL.com has done a good job explaining some of the implications here and here.

Last offseason, Arizona lost (and in some cases did not want back) Terrelle Smith, Eric Green, J.J. Arrington, Antonio Smith and the since-re-signed Monty Beisel in unrestricted free agency. The Cardinals added Bryant McFadden and Jason Wright as unrestricted free agents. The team re-signed unrestricted free agents Brian St. Pierre, Ben Graham, Kurt Warner, Ralph Brown, Clark Haggans, Bertrand Berry and the since-released Elton Brown, with Karlos Dansby re-signing as a franchise player.

The Seahawks, seeking to salvage their season at Arizona in Week 10, last won a road game against the Cardinals on Nov. 6, 2005.

Shaun Alexander carried 23 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns during a 33-19 Seattle victory at Sun Devil Stadium. The Seahawks, headed to Super Bowl XL after that season, picked off Kurt Warner three times and sacked him four times.

A couple things about these teams have changed since that game. I had some fun sifting through those 2005 rosters.



Players no longer with Seattle

Offense (20): Bobby Engram, Steve Hutchinson, Robbie Tobeck, Chris Gray, Joe Jurevicius, Jerheme Urban, Mack Strong, Shaun Alexander, D.J. Hackett, Maurice Morris, Leonard Weaver, Floyd Womack, Ryan Hannam, Jerramy Stevens, Peter Warrick, David Greene, Wayne Hunter, Darrell Jackson, Itula Mili, Josh Scobey.

Defense (18): Bryce Fisher, Chuck Darby, Marcus Tubbs, Grant Wistrom, Jamie Sharper, Kelly Herndon, Michael Boulware, Marquand Manual, Jimmy Williams, John Howell, Niko Koutouvides, Kevin Bentley, Isaiah Kacyvenski, Joe Tafoya, Rocky Bernard, Etric Pruitt, Rodney Bailey, Andre Dyson.

Specialists (3): Josh Brown, Tom Rouen, J.P. Darche.

Players still with Seattle

Offense (6): Walter Jones (injured reserve), Sean Locklear, Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Chris Spencer, Ray Willis.

Defense (6): Jordan Babineaux, Craig Terrill, D.D. Lewis, Lofa Tatupu (IR), Leroy Hill, Marcus Trufant.

---

Players no longer with Arizona

Offense (23): Bryant Johnson, Leonard Davis, Nick Leckey, Alex Stepanovich, Oliver Ross, Eric Edwards, Marcel Shipp, Adam Bergen, J.J. Arrington, Josh McCown, John Navarre, Reggie Newhouse, LeRon McCoy, Fred Wakefield, James Jackson, Obafemi Ayanbadejo, Harold Morrow, Jarrod Baxter, Adam Haayer, J.J. Moses, Elton Brown, Teyo Johnson, Reggie Swinton.

Defense (16): Langston Moore, Ross Kolodziej, James Darling, Robert Tate, Robert Griffith, David Macklin, Antonio Cochran, Darryl Blackstock, Orlando Huff, Eric Green, Antonio Smith, Lamont Reid, Quentin Harris, Isaac Keys, Lance Mitchell, Aaron Francisco.

Specialists (2): Scott Player, Nathan Hodel.

Players still with Arizona

Offense (5): Reggie Wells, Larry Fitzgerald, Kurt Warner, Jeremy Bridges, Anquan Boldin.

Defense (6): Chike Okeafor, Darnell Dockett, Bernard Berry, Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle.

Specialists (1): Neil Rackers.

Note: Thanks to spaumi10 for noticing that Aaron Francisco and Lance Mitchell were initially listed on offense. There was a little cutting and pasting involved with this entry. Missed those two. Thanks!

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says 49ers president Jed York is putting pressure on unsigned first-round draft choice Michael Crabtree by offering to meet with Crabtree and his agent. Maiocco: "Take this as a good sign that York is putting pressure on Crabtree's camp to talk. After all, negotiations and dialogue have been non-existent for most of the 50 days of this contract impasse. The 49ers want Crabtree on the team. Whether they had him rated as the top player on their board or not, there is no denying that Crabtree was not chosen within the first nine picks of the draft."

Also from Maiocco: a player-by-player breakdown for the 49ers against the Cardinals. Parys Haralson wasn't the only pass rusher to fare well. Manny Lawson and Justin Smith also caused problems for Arizona.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee provides quotes from the York interview on KNBR.

David Fucillo of Niners Nation takes a closer look at the 49ers' winning touchdown drive at Arizona. The drive featured concepts related to the forward pass.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams have agreed to terms with Paris Lenon and Ruvell Martin.

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com says the Rams remained sloppy even though they had a new coaching staff. Gordon: "The Rams have a new team president, a newly empowered general manager, a new coach and a mostly new coaching staff. Nearly half of the players are new this season, too. Yet the sloppiness remains in this organization, like a pesky virus or a mutant strain of cockroaches immune to bug spray. The Rams blundered their way to a 28-0 loss Sunday, continuing their futility against the NFC West in general and the Seahawks in particular."

Turf Show Times' ram_rod expects a more efficient effort from the Rams' offense in Week 2.

Tim Klutsarits of examiner.com revisits five key plays from the Rams' opening-game defeat.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic breaks down changes to Adrian Wilson's contract. The changes bought salary-cap relief for the Cardinals without taking money from Wilson. The added cap room buys flexibility for the team to cover incentive clauses and roster moves associate with attrition. Somers: "The additional room created by Wilson's restructuring doesn't mean the club is stepping up negotiations with receiver Anquan Boldin for a new contract, however. The Cardinals probably won't pursue that seriously until the season is over."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com cites a Scout.com report noting that the Cardinals have released seventh receiver Lance Long. Urban expects the team to sign a defensive player.

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com revisits two college-era quarterback runs by Seneca Wallace, who caught a pass from Matt Hasselbeck out of a Wildcat formation Sunday. Johns: "And just in case you're wondering, Wallace is obviously open to Wildcat formations or whatever gets him involved in the offense, but said as a quarterback he understands the flow of a game and doesn't ever want to interfere with Matt Hasselbeck's timing."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks brought back Derek Walker to their practice squad, as expected.

Also from O'Neil: a chat transcript. O'Neil: "The secondary looked good, especially Josh Wilson. He showed signs of being a playmaker the second half of last season, and he played well vs. the Rams. Granted, it's the Rams, and they might have the worst wide receivers in the league."

More from O'Neil: Matt Hasselbeck and Nate Burleson made adjustments to deal with the Rams' corner blitzes.

Adam Caplan of Scout.com says the Seahawks worked out cornerback Eric Green.

John Morgan of Field Gulls offers a few notes from the Rams' long drive against Seattle.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

49ers Player Released on Cutdown Pos. Current Team Capacity Brit Miller RB 49ers Practice Squad Kory Sheets RB 49ers Practice Squad Alex Boone OL 49ers Practice Squad J.J. Finley TE 49ers Practice Squad Dobson Collins WR 49ers Practice Squad Dominique Zeigler WR 49ers Practice Squad Terrail Lambert DB -- -- Matt Spanos OL -- -- Pannel Egboh DL -- -- Khalif Mitchell DL -- -- Bill Rentmeester RB -- -- Jacob Bender OL -- -- Kyle Howard OL -- -- Jay Moore LB -- -- Justin Roland LB -- -- Mark Washington LB -- -- Joe Toledo OL -- -- Bear Pascoe TE -- -- Maurice Price WR -- -- Eric Green DB -- --

The tough decisions teams face in reducing their rosters to 53 players sometimes aren't so tough.

"The 49ers released Kory Sheets!" loses some of its drama when Sheets quietly re-signs to the 49ers' practice squad after none of the other 31 NFL teams submit a waiver claim for him.

I've gone through the initial NFC West cut lists -- those players released at the 53-man deadline -- to see which ones have returned to their teams or caught on elsewhere.

The chart shows results for San Francisco.

The 49ers' initial cut list featured only one vested veteran, cornerback Eric Green. The other 19 players had practice-squad eligibility and the 49ers brought back six of them in that capacity.

The remaining 14 players are unsigned.

Offensive lineman Jacob Bender had a tryout with the Seahawks. The Jets showed interest in tight end Bear Pascoe, only to receive another tight end via waivers.

Sheets impressed during the preseason, but the 49ers were stacked at running back with Frank Gore and Glen Coffee. They valued the versatile Michael Robinson far too much to carry a rookie runner on their 53-man roster in his place.

Ex-49ers eligible for practice squad Pos. Jacob Bender OL Alex Boone OL Dobson Collins WR Pannel Egboh DL J.J. Finley TE Kyle Howard OL Terrail Lambert DB Brit Miller FB Khalif Mitchell DL Jay Moore LB Bear Pascoe TE Maurice Price WR Bill Rentmeester FB Justin Roland LB Kory Sheets RB Matt Spanos OL Joe Toledo OL Mark Washington LB Dominique Zeigler WR

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

NFL teams can begin forming eight-man practice squads once released players clear waivers this afternoon.

Every player the 49ers released on the reduction to 53 players -- minus cornerback Eric Green -- possesses eligibility for the practice squad. Tackle Alex Boone, guard Matt Spanos, fullback Brit Miller, defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell and running back Kory Sheets could make sense as options. The team will presumably keep one of the tight ends it released, Bear Pascoe or J.J. Finley. Cornerback Terrail Lambert could provide another option.

Some 49ers fans have expressed to me surprise over Sheets' release in particular. The depth San Francisco enjoys at that position made Sheets' release likely.

We likewise should not be surprised if backup running back Glen Coffee plays sparingly as a rookie. Like Sheets, Coffee showed promise during the exhibition games. But with offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye having already committed to Frank Gore as the workhorse back, there won't be many carries left over.

As long as Gore is healthy and his usually productive self, I think Coffee would have to break long runs when given opportunities to siphon significant carries in the No. 2 role.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Biggest surprise: The 49ers kept only four running backs, two tight ends and eight offensive linemen on the initial cutdown to 53 players, suggesting the team will consider adding players at those positions. This is a power running team, after all. The decision to release both Bear Pascoe and J.J. Finley was a bit of surprise. One of them was expected to serve as the third tight end. Undrafted free agent Diyral Briggs earned a spot at linebacker, edging out Jay Moore. Fullback Brit Miller, running back Kory Sheets and receiver Dominique Zeigler had made positive impressions with fans, but none enjoyed strong roster security. Their releases were not surprising in that context. Coach Mike Singletary had said the 49ers faced few significant roster decisions heading into the final exhibition game. The team did not cut any big-name players.

No-brainers: The 49ers' cut list ran 20 deep and also featured tackle Jacob Bender, tackle Alex Boone, receiver Dobson Collins, defensive end Pannel Egboh, cornerback Eric Green, guard Kyle Howard, cornerback Terrail Lambert, defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell, receiver Maurice Price, fullback Bill Rentmeester, linebacker Justin Roland, offensive lineman Matt Spanos, tackle Joe Toledo and linebacker Mark Washington.

What's next: The 49ers could use a veteran offensive tackle after Marvel Smith retired. They will presumably scan the waiver wire for a fullback. The team will also likely want to add a third tight end.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando



Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch liked what he saw from Rams rookie tackle Jason Smith. Burwell: "What I liked the most about what Smith did against the Chiefs was how quickly he learned from his mistakes. When he was over on the right side in the first quarter, the Chiefs stacked the linebacker and defensive end together and ran a looping stunt, with the end swooping around the blitzing linebacker to the inside. A few games ago, Smith had issues with these types of games that the defensive rushers played against the inexperienced rookie. Thursday night, it wasn't Smith who got fooled on the stunt. He stuffed his man at the line of scrimmage, but his tag-team partner, Adam Goldberg, reacted a hair late to the delayed inside rush."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says both teams were "offensively challenged" when the Rams and Chiefs played Thursday night. Thomas: "Bubble defensive ends Eric Moore and C.J. Ah You both had their moments rushing the passer. At running back, none of the backups made a definitive statement. In the battle for the No. 3 quarterback job, Brock Berlin got the better of it over Keith Null, although Berlin did throw a costly second-quarter interception and their final numbers Thursday ended up being very similar."

Also from Thomas: Donnie Avery got some work for the Rams, suggesting he'll be ready for the regular-season opener after recovering from a broken foot.

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the race between quarterbacks Berlin and Null for the No. 3 job in St. Louis is too close to call.

Steve Korte of the Belleville News-Democrat points to turnovers as a key for the Rams during the exhibition season. They forced 12 of them.

Brian Stull of 101ESPN St. Louis says the Rams' cornerbacks stood out against the Rams. Stull: "Jonathan Wade had sack, Justin King had an interception and Bradley Fletcher was in on several plays."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says some Cardinals players are concerned after the team failed to impress -- again -- in finishing the exhibition season with an 0-4 record. Also: "The Cardinals could well make most of their cuts on Friday, a day ahead of the deadline for teams to get to the 53-man maximum. After Thursday's game, I'd say cornerback Michael Adams is going to stick. He's competitive and plays well on special teams. I don't like the chances of tight end Leonard Pope or receiver Lance Long. Pope was the last tight end used on Thursday, I believe. I think the Cardinals will take their chances at releasing Long and re-signing him to the practice squad."

Also from Somers: The Cardinals' first-team offense scored one touchdown during the exhibition season.

More from Somers: Coach Ken Whisenhunt says the Cardinals' rookie defensive backs have a ways to go before they're ready. I thought Greg Toler showed promise.

Tim Klutsarits of examiner.com liked what he saw from the Rams' Victor Adeyanju. Klutsarits: "Adeyanju was all over the field against the Chiefs and while his production is going to be mostly against the run it looks like he might be a contributor rushing the quarterback this year as well."



Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says 49ers rookie Michael Crabtree wouldn't be able to contribute much in Week 1 even if he signed in the near future. Maiocco: "The 49ers have just three more significant practices before the start of the regular season. That's not a lot of time for a rookie wide receiver to get up to speed on what he missed while absent from training camp."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee makes the tough calls in projecting the 49ers' initial 53-man roster. He keeps Micheal Spurlock over Jason Hill and Bear Pascoe over J.J. Finley.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says cornerback Eric Green and others are fighting for roster spots with the 49ers.

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com recaps the Seahawks' performance against Oakland.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times quotes Seahawks coach Jim Mora as saying Ben Obomanu "showed up" on special teams against the Raiders. Obomanu also caught two passes for 58 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown grab.

Also from O'Neil: Olindo Mare might have won the kicking battle against Brandon Coutu. Also, Max Unger will open the regular season at right guard.

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times says Seahawks rookie Aaron Curry was on his game Thursday night.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune lists Seahawks injuries this way: "Receivers Jordan Kent (ankle) and Courtney Taylor (eye), safety Courtney Greene (knee), tackle Andre Ramsey (leg) and defensive end Derek Walker (hamstring) suffered injuries during the game."

John Morgan of Field Gulls credits Seahawks defensive line coach Dan Quinn for developing and using young talent.

2005 NFL Draft Round Players on Active Rosters Total Players Percent on Active Rosters 1 27 32 84.4% 2 25 32 78.1% 3 26 37 70.3% 4 23 35 65.7% 5 14 38 36.8% 6 18 40 45.0% 7 16 41 39.0% Totals 149 255 58.4%

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The quadriceps injury threatening Chris Spencer's future with the Seahawks sent me back through his 2005 draft class.

The first six players NFC West teams selected that year have not met expectations: quarterback Alex Smith (49ers), cornerback-turned-safety Antrel Rolle (Cardinals), tackle Alex Barron (Rams), Spencer, guard David Baas (49ers) and running back J.J. Arrington (Cardinals).

The next four players NFC West players selected -- Lofa Tatupu (Seahawks), Ron Bartell (Rams), Frank Gore (49ers) and Oshiomogho Atogwe (Rams) -- have either achieved Pro Bowl status or become front-line starters.

The Seahawks, Rams and 49ers each have four members of their 2005 draft classes on their active rosters. The Cardinals have two.

Even with Spencer out, the Seahawks arguably had the best 2005 draft of any team in the division, landing Tatupu, Leroy Hill, Ray Willis and Spencer.

The Rams found four current starters in Barron, Bartell, Atogwe and third-rounder Richie Incognito.

The 49ers found Gore and right tackle Adam Snyder, while Baas and Smith could wind up starting this season.

The Cardinals have only Rolle and backup guard Elton Brown to show for that 2005 class.

Tatupu and Gore are the only Pro Bowl players from the 2005 NFC West draft class.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Jason LaCanfora of NFL.com says the Rams brought in veteran running back Ahman Green for a tryout this week. The team has gone young for the most part this offseason, but the signing of veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas showed a willingness to bolster depth with established, if declining players.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch checks in with Rams fullback Mike Karney, who hopes to upgrade the position for St. Louis this season. Karney: "When you're running the ball -- and that's the first and foremost thing we're trying to establish here with our offense -- you can't have the fullback going one way and the running back going the other way, unless the play's designed that way. When I'm leading to the hole, I want (Steven Jackson) to know what I'm seeing. And I want to know what he's seeing. Because if a defense is playing a certain front, a guy's playing a certain way, or a certain technique, and I tell him: 'Look out for this; watch for this,' and he sees that, then he'll be able to hit the hole or make the cut he needs to make."

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams plan to use James Hall's versatility on the defensive line.

Also from Coats: The Rams are reaching out to kids on the first day of school.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says the 49ers might be able to trust rookie running back Glen Coffee more than expected. Coffee's pass protection makes him more viable as a candidate for playing time.

Also from Brown: Former Raiders kicker Joe Nedney is still kicking with the 49ers.

Taylor Price of 49ers.com breaks down the 49ers' defensive domination against the Raiders in practice Wednesday. Coordinator Greg Manusky: "The guys performed in a winning fashion today and they made some plays. I think they were just playing their techniques and they started having fun with it."

Kevin Lynch of Niner Insider also describes the Raider carnage. Cornerback Dre Bly: "I told Shaun (Hill), 'Why don't you feed us like that in practice?' That buffet was good."

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says Mike Singletary's passion for walking led him to "hoof it" for a 2-mile walk between hotels Wednesday.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat suggests the 49ers could re-sign injured fullback Zak Keasey after reaching agreement with him on an injury settlement.

Also from Maiocco: Hill appears to be in good position to win the starting job at quarterback.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee puts cornerback Eric Green's signing in context this way: "Remember that they lost one of last year's corners, Donald Strickland, to free agency, another, Walt Harris, to injury and converted Reggie Smith to safety. They added Dre Bly to replace Harris but could still stand to bulk up that unit."

Also from Barrows: an interview transcript featuring 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Cardinals receiver Onrea Jones is trying to make a strong impression in a training camp filled with talented receivers. Also, Beanie Wells was somewhat limited in practice after aggravating his ankle injury.

Also from Somers: He profiles second-year cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who wears a Toy Story backpack and drives a miniature car. Seriously. Says DRC: "I'm still a kid. I don't care how many years I've played or what profession I'm in. I'm going to be me and that's part of me, just being a kid." 

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin plans to play through the bitterness he feels toward the organization. Boldin: "I think the fans want me around. Since I've gotten back out here in Arizona, everywhere I go, from the mall to the grocery to the baseball game, the fans have been real supportive. I feel like the fans know that Anquan is going to play and give us everything he has, the same Anquan he's always been." The Cardinals will pay $5.4 million to Boldin this season, or $317,647 per week during the 17-week regular season.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Matt Leinart feels good about his future as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Leinart's record as a starter is 7-9 -- not great, but also close to the winning percentage Bears savior Jay Cutler (17-20) has posted in the NFL.

Also from Urban: Cardinals offensive lineman Brandon Keith is better prepared to play if called upon.

Gregg Bell of the Associated Press says Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill is awaiting word from the NFL on his punishment for an offseason arrest. Hill is contesting the charge.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says rookie receiver Deon Butler shined during practice Thursday.

Also from O'Neil: an "exhaustive" injury update.

More from O'Neil: The Seahawks could be without Walter Jones and Marcus Trufan
t when the regular season opens. Coach Jim Mora on Jones' knee surgery, scheduled for Thursday: "We don't think it's anything significant, but we just want to make sure."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck isn't worried about Jones' health. Hasselbeck: "Maybe if it was somebody else, but he's just done it so many times -- no OTAs, no minicamp, no training camp, Pro Bowl. It's what he does. It's almost better (because) you know he's not going to get hurt out there. That's just how it's been out there."

John Morgan of Field Gulls says Trufant might be the "single most indispensable" defensive player for the Seahawks. Morgan: "A use of zone coverage will somewhat hide his absence, but by pushing Josh Wilson into the starting lineup, Seattle weakens its starting cornerback tandem and especially its nickel defense. Kelly Jennings could sub for Wilson at right cornerback on nickel downs, allowing Wilson to slot into nickelback. At right cornerback, Jennings would cover or team to cover its opponent's number one receiver. Kelly Jennings could play in half of Seattle's downs and most of its highest leverage downs against its opponent's best recceiver. Receivers like Reggie Wayne, Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson."

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The 49ers made room on their roster for cornerback Eric Green by reaching an injury settlement with injured fullback Zak Keasey.

Green played with the Cardinals last season. The Dolphins released him Wednesday. A third-round choice of the Cardinals in 2005, Green has started at least eight games in each of the last three seasons. He gives the 49ers another corner with experience.

Green visited the 49ers as a free agent in March before signing with the Dolphins. Here is the Scouts Inc. report on Green:

Green is a four-year player who started nine games last year for the Cardinals. He's been in and out of the starting lineup every year so far and has yet to play all 16 games in a season. He's a good overall athlete with good size. He is more effective playing from an off position than up in bump and run. He has good foot quickness to pedal and gain depth in zones. He does a good job reacting to routes, reading the quarterback and keeping leverage on receivers.

Green understands zone discipline and spacing. He has good quickness to plant and drive with efficient footwork in transition. He shows good anticipation at times, but needs to stay focused and avoid the occasional lapses in concentration. His ball skills are average and he has only come up with two interceptions in four years.

In man coverage, he has good hips to turn and run, but lacks good deep speed or the ability to make up ground quickly. Some of the faster receivers in the league can separate vertically, if he has to turn and cover deep areas of the field. He gives good effort in run support, but still lacks some tackling technique to wrap up consistently.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The first stage in the process of determining compensatory choices for the 2010 draft passed quietly with the June 1 deadline for NFL teams to make qualifying offers to unrestricted free agents. No team extended an offer to a UFA candidate. That means no additional UFA signings this offseason will influence compensatory choices.

The compensatory formula is complex. AdamJT13 has come close to solving it. Basically, the NFL awards additional draft choices to teams that lost free agents more valuable than the free agents teams signed. Values are determined by salaries and on-field contributions.

I had pulled a list of free agents NFC West teams added and lost when I noticed AdamJT13 had already done it on his blog. He notes that it's not yet known whether NFL teams extended qualifying offers to any UFAs. I can provide a small assist here by confirming that no teams extended qualifying offers to any UFAs.

A team-by-team look at the early compensatory picture in the NFC West:

Arizona: The Cardinals added two UFAs from other teams and lost four. They paid $5 million per year to cornerback Bryant McFadden. They lost defensive end Antonio Smith to a deal worth $7.1 million per season. How much those players play and at what level they perform could prove influential. And if former Cardinals cornerback Eric Green enjoys a bounce-back season with the Dolphins, that could improve Arizona's compensatory ledger.

St. Louis: The Rams do not appear to be in strong position in the compensatory race. Center Jason Brown, added from the Ravens at $7.5 million per season, should more than cancel out the Rams' three UFA losses (offensive linemen Brett Romberg, Nick Leckey and Brandon Gorin). The Rams also added Kyle Boller, James Butler and Billy Bajema.

San Francisco: The 49ers also do not appear to be in strong position in the compensatory race. Additions Brandon Jones, Marvel Smith, Demetric Evans and Moran Norris could play quite a bit. The players San Francisco lost -- Bryant Johnson, Ronald Fields, J.T. O'Sullivan, Donald Strickland, Bajema and Sean Ryan -- appear unlikely to cancel out the additions.

Seattle: I would like to hear AdamJT13's analysis on the Seahawks' compensatory situation. The team spent $8 million per season for receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh and nearly $4.4 million per season for defensive tackle Colin Cole. The team lost defensive tackle Rocky Bernard ($4 million), running back Maurice Morris ($2.1 million), fullback Leonard Weaver (nearly $1.8 million), receiver Bobby Engram ($1.25 million) and offensive lineman Floyd Womack ($1 million) among its seven departures.

AdamJT13 was good about helping out when I asked for his input earlier this year. Here's hoping we hear from him again.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

A quick look at 53-man rosters from Feb. 1, date of Super Bowl XLIII, provides a reference point for seeing how NFC West teams have changed so far this offseason.

I'll continue with Arizona.

Gone from the Cardinals' 53-man roster and injured reserve list in the 58 days since the Super Bowl (9):

Offense

Pat Ross, C

J.J. Arrington, RB

Terrelle Smith, FB

Jerame Tuman, TE

Scott Peters, OL

Defense

Eric Green, CB

Monty Beisel, LB

Antonio Smith, DE

Special teams

Nathan Hodel, LS

(Read full post)

Arizona Cardinals 2009 UFA Watch Pos. Status Kurt Warner QB Re-signed Brian St. Pierre QB Re-signed Clark Haggans LB Re-signed Ben Graham P Re-signed Bryant McFadden CB Added Jason Wright RB Added Bertrand Berry DE UFA Terrelle Smith FB UFA Ralph Brown CB UFA Elton Brown OL UFA Scott Peters OL UFA Antonio Smith DE Texans J.J. Arrington RB Broncos Monty Beisel LB Chiefs Eric Green CB Dolphins

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Kurt Warner and Karlos Dansby won't be leaving the Cardinals this offseason.

That means Arizona accomplished its two primary goals for the offseason, even if the Warner negotiations took a detour. (Dansby signed his one-year tender as a franchise player.)

The chart shows which unrestricted free agents the Cardinals have re-signed, added and lost since the signing period opened Feb. 27. We can also see which of their own free agents remain unsigned. I'll update the other NFC West teams as the day progresses.

Several Cardinals fans have expressed to me concern about possibly losing Bertrand Berry. Older veterans sometimes do wind up signing late. The Cardinals will also presumably look for pass rushers in the draft.

Arizona brought back Berry at a discounted price last season. He wound up playing more than Clark Haggans and nearly as much as Travis LaBoy.

Arizona did not "lose" Antonio Smith, J.J. Arrington, Monty Beisel and Eric Green so much as the Cardinals watched them leave. Yes, they would have liked to keep Smith, but they figured he wouldn't fit into their budget for the position.

Signing Bryant McFadden was a bonus. That move puts the Cardinals in position to field a strong secondary for years to come, health permitting.