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The first instinct regarding NFL injuries is to assess how they'll affect a team on game days.

How injuries affect the players should count for something, too -- especially with an injury as potentially serious as the one St. Louis Rams cornerback Ron Bartell suffered during Week 1.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says there's no question Bartell's 2011 season ended Sunday. The question now is whether the broken bone in Bartell's lower neck will heal well enough for Bartell to resume his career. Thomas: "Bartell, 29, expects to go on the injured-reserve list today. He said the C7 bone in his lower neck has two fractures, the result of being hit by an Eagles player in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 31-13 loss to Philadelphia. He won't need surgery but will spend the next two to three months wearing a brace that extends from his rib cage to his neck." Bartell says he has a chance to heal fully because there was no displacement. With Bartell out and fellow corner Bradley Fletcher hurting, the Rams brought in Fred Bennett, Rod Hood, Nathan Jones and Robert McClain for workouts.

Also from Thomas: Rams first-round pick Robert Quinn was surprised to be named inactive for the opener. He'll be active in Week 2 after defensive lineman C.J. Ah You suffered a wrist injury requiring surgery.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks are signing fullback Eddie Williams off the Browns' practice squad because they needed depth and special-teams help after losing Michael Robinson to injury. Backup tight end Dominique Byrd will be the odd man out for now.

Also from O'Neil: The Seahawks' offensive line remains a work in progress. O'Neil: "Seattle has spent its past two first-round selections on offensive lineman, choosing Russell Okung in 2010 and James Carpenter this season. Max Unger -- a second-round choice -- is at center, while this year's third-round selection, John Moffitt, is playing right guard. ... Draft pedigree is no guarantee that those players will live up to the potential the team sees in them. The litany of busts who never develop into effective starters speaks to that. But it's also true that one regular-season game after a lockout-shortened offseason is hardly an accurate forecast for what kind of players Carpenter and Moffitt will turn into." Noted: A trip to Pittsburgh in Week 2 puts this young line in a brutally difficult position.

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic focuses on Kevin Kolb's ability to find tight ends during the Cardinals' regular-season opener. Kolb: "I've always relied on my tight ends a lot, and when I came here and got with these guys, man, there's a lot of talent there. We're going to continue to use them. They obviously have the playmaking ability, so we'll look forward to putting the ball in their hands a lot more." Noted: The Cardinals did not invest all that money in Larry Fitzgerald so he could serve as a decoy to free up Jeff King and Todd Heap. Expect the Cardinals to find ways for Fitzgerald to get more involved.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says linebacker Stewart Bradley needs time to reprogram himself as he transitions from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme. Somers: "Even the basic techniques are drastically different. In the Eagles defense, Bradley often would cover receivers man to man in certain situations and schemes. That sometimes meant turning his body and running with receivers. Now coaches are telling him to stay squarely facing the offense." Noted: There's no question the lockout set back Bradley's efforts to get comfortable in a new system. It's also surprising, at least to me, that he hasn't made the transition more quickly. Bradley said during training camp he had long wanted to play in a 3-4 defense that would let him become more of a playmaker.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com tells the story of a Cardinals fan's recovery from a random shooting. Urban: "The Taylors were about to leave when Jason, overhearing a couple of men talking about the military, told them he had always wanted to join the military, probably with the Marines. One of the men, Jeremiah Pulaski, a 24-year-old Army veteran who had just returned from duty in the Middle East, suddenly pulled a gun and shot Taylor. Pulaski fled, but was shot and killed later that night by police."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers his postgame look at every 49ers defensive player from Week 1, noting that defensive ends Justin Smith and Ray McDonald dominated. Maiocco on Smith: "Started at right defensive end, and was equally as dominant as McDonald. Smith finished with four tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries . . . . Used a spin move against left tackle Russell Okung to throw Jackson for a 9-yard sack in the first quarter. . . . While working against rookie left guard James Carpenter, Smith got a got his left arm around Jackson for the sack late in the fourth quarter to force the punt that Ted Ginn returned for a touchdown and the final points of the game."

Also from Maiocco: a player-by-player look at the 49ers' offense, with special emphasis on what went wrong on the six plays when Frank Gore went nowhere or lost yardage.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers finally found a third tight end, adding Justin Peelle.

Good morning.

Let's get started with Liz Merrill's piece exploring one NFL player's search for his brother, and a most improbable discovery. Xavier Omon of the San Francisco 49ers plans to meet his half-brother, Ogemdi Nwagbuo of the San Diego Chargers, for the first time when their teams play Thursday night.

"It started, of all places, on Facebook," Merrill writes. "Delorise Omon, Xavier's mom, was catching up with an old acquaintance on the computer last winter. The man informed her that Chris Nwagbuo, Xavier's biological father, had died in 2004, and that one of his sons -- a half-brother of Xavier's that he'd never met -- just happened to play football, too. For the San Diego Chargers."

Omon's father abandoned him, one brother died in a car accident and another committed suicide. It's tough not to root for Omon as he fights for a roster spot with the 49ers. He's been in camp with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks previously after not getting a single Division I scholarship offer at the college level.

Moving along ...

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com ranks Frank Gore as the top running back from the NFL's 2005 draft class. Noted: That was also the year Arizona used a second-round choice for J.J. Arrington.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee runs through 49ers position battles.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News does not find room for 49ers safety Colin Jones on his projected 53-man roster. Jones has played extensively on special teams this summer.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com explains why tight end John Carlson required season-ending surgery. Carlson tried to rehab his shoulder after suffering a torn labrum, but the shoulder did not respond well enough to continue without surgery. Carlson: "I felt like I had a great offseason of training. Our offseasons are normally devoted to OTAs and minicamps, and those things are great for developing offenses. But the individual training sometimes is lacking and I felt like I had a great offseason in that respect. So it’s really disappointing to have to miss this year." Noted: Carlson's contract with the Seahawks expires following the 2011 season, at which point he'll be eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks plan to play their starters, perhaps more than usual, in the fourth and final exhibition game Friday night. The team rested seven starters in its final exhibition game last season. Coach Pete Carroll: "I don't care about tradition in the fourth preseason games. That matters nothing to me. We'll do what we've got to do."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic runs through the Cardinals' roster with an eye toward which players are likely to earn spots on the initial 53-man roster. Somers: "A month ago, it was questionable whether outside linebacker Joey Porter was going to make the club. But he took a pay cut, played well in the preseason, and no one behind him has stepped up. Clark Haggans starts on the other side, and Paris Lenon and Daryl Washington are on the inside. Sam Acho and O'Brien Schofield give the club two young players to develop. Stewart Bradley could start at any of the four spots and likely will be used in sub packages. He easily could end up starting." Noted: Porter has played at least 14 games in 12 consecutive seasons, collecting at least five sacks in each of the past 11. The Cardinals thought he played too many snaps last season, a fair assessment given Porter's age (34 this season). Arizona's defense was on the field an average of 33:46 last season, its highest average since at least 1991. Think about that. The Cardinals have had some horrible offenses over the past couple decades, but none possessed the ball fewer minutes per game than the 2010 version. That will change with improved quarterback play.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com offers up his 53-man projection for Arizona. He's keeping Anthony Sherman over Reagan Maui'a at fullback, Reggie Walker over Quan Sturdivant at linebacker, DeMarco Sampson over Isaiah Williams at receiver and Marshay Green over Fred Bennett at cornerback.

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com checks in with newly re-signed Rams receiver Mark Clayton, who is happy to be back with the team. Clayton underwent season-ending knee surgery in 2010. Clayton: "I am stronger than I have been. My speed is great. I think I’ll be faster than I was before. But now it’s working the little muscles in the background to get those right. That’s the big thing. That’s kind of what I have been focusing on."

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis takes a look at the Rams' salary-cap situation. Balzer: "Of the current top 51 Rams players, only 28 have cap charges of $1 million or more. Having said that, selecting in the top two picks of three straight drafts has resulted in those players -- quarterback Sam Bradford, tackle Jason Smith and defensive end Chris Long -- counting a combined $37.765 million (31.5 percent) against this year's cap. That total jumps to $43.128 million in 2012, the final year of Long's contract, and when the cap isn't expected to increase significantly." Noted: Extending contracts can lower cap numbers in the short term. Without examining all the cap implications, getting something done with Long heading into the final year of his deal would seem to make sense. He's a core player, an ascending player and a low-risk investment.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

HOUSTON -- Top 49ers free-agent acquisition Brandon Jones is among the players inactive for San Francisco against the Texans in Week 7.

Fellow receivers Jason Hill and Micheal Spurlock are also on the inactive list.

It is Michael Crabtree's time, in other words. Crabtree, Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan and Arnaz Battle are the receivers for the 49ers.

Also inactive for the 49ers: offensive lineman Cody Wallace, defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois, safety Reggie Smith, safety Michael Lewis and quarterback Nate Davis, who did not make the trip.

Inactive for the Texans: safety Nick Ferguson, receiver Glenn Martinez, cornerback Fred Bennett, linebacker Jamie Winborn, guard Tutan Reyes, tight end Anthony Hill and defensive tackle Frank Okam. Dan Orlovsky is the third quarterback.