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Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe checks in with Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who offers thoughts on an unusual offseason -- and on his contract situation in particular. Hasselbeck said he feels as though the Seahawks want him back, that he is not upset talks failed to produce an agreement and that he understands the labor situation's complicated negotiations for most potential free agents. Hasselbeck: "I think it’s genuine, I think it’s sincere that they want me back, it’s just a matter of how badly. I know that I would like to be there, I think I can help them keep going on what we’re building there, it’s just a matter if it fits into the new agreement and how they want to do things and whatever else they look at." Sounds like Hasselbeck has a good grasp of the big picture and isn't caught up in the emotional aspect of negotiations. That is best for all parties.

Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says the 49ers and Alex Smith would benefit from moving in different directions. Cohn: "The Niners and Smith are like an unhappy couple that spends years in couples therapy never working anything out because the marriage was a dud from Day One. If the 49ers re-sign Smith he would be a bridge to the new guy they draft next week -- Christian Ponder, Jake Locker, whomever. But would he be a good bridge or would he collapse and plop into the swirling waters below? I say he’s collapsible. He’s already gotten two head coaches fired. Granted, Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary did a lot to get themselves fired, but their insistence on Smith was a deal breaker and a job ender, for sure." He'll get no argument from Roddy White.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says Smith would have re-signed with the 49ers by now if remaining with the team were his priority. Maiocco: "If Smith had his sights set on returning to the 49ers, why wouldn't he have signed a new deal before March 3 and then started organizing workouts with his teammates in the Bay Area? Smith has already passed up a golden opportunity to step up as a leader among his peers during the lockout." Smith was smart to wait. How the 49ers address the position in the draft will shape whatever role he was going to have with the team. His value goes up if the 49ers fail to address the position seriously. His options elsewhere become more appealing if the team makes a bold move to shore up the position.

Also from Maiocco: Prince Amukamara and Robert Quinn could be options for the 49ers at No. 7 if Von Miller and Patrick Peterson are not available.

More from Maiocco: Receiver Julio Jones was scheduled to visit the 49ers.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has the 49ers trading back to No. 10 and selecting Quinn with the 10th overall choice, acquired from Washington, in his latest mock draft.

Lynn DeBruin of the Associated Press explains why former 49ers quarterback Steve Young is having a hard time getting a ski cabin built for his father. DeBruin: "Young owns the land but not the water rights. Salt Lake City owns water rights in the canyon dating back to a court ruling more than 120 years. And the city isn't about to begin selling its precious resource or permits to build housing in its watershed."

Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic thinks the Cardinals should use the fifth pick in the 2011 NFL draft for Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, if possible, in part because of his accuracy. Boivin: "It's too hard to ignore the fiasco last season that saw the Cardinals go through four quarterbacks. Chew on this for a minute: Seventy-nine quarterbacks threw passes in the NFL last season. In the category of quarterback rating, the Cardinals' foursome ranked 59th (Derek Anderson), 63rd (John Skelton), 67th (Richard Bartel) and 73rd (Max Hall). Accuracy was the deal-breaker. Anderson completed 51.7 percent of his tries, Hall 50 percent and Skelton 47.6. Bartel was the leader of the group at 57.1, but he attempted only 28 passes."

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch asks whether or not St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke can devote enough attention to the team after becoming majority owner of Arsenal recently. Miklasz: "Kroenke's style can work with the Rams. He can keep his distance and still field a winning team as long as he has a sharp management team in place. Having an aggressive, hands-on owner doesn't ensure success. (Just ask the Washington Redskins, owned by Daniel Snyder. Or the Dallas Cowboys of Jerry Jones since Jimmy Johnson left as coach-GM in the early 1990s.) Truth is, it's just too soon to know how all of this will play out in St. Louis." The Rams could do much worse than having a stable owner with deep pockets and the sense to let football people do the football work.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks back at the Rams' 2008 draft and says Chris Long's emergence has changed perceptions. The team's defensive coaching staff at the time preferred LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, but general manager Billy Devaney and then-coach Scott Linehan wanted Long. Thomas on Long: "He enjoyed a breakout 2010 campaign, and his disruptive play went beyond his career-high 8½ sacks because he also had team-high totals of 16 quarterback hits and 21 QB pressures. He was in the backfield a lot. Coupled with a near-career year by right end James Hall, the Rams improved their sack total by 18 over '09 -- tying Detroit for the largest increase in the league."

Tony Softli of 101ESPN St. Louis offers thoughts on players drafted with the 14th overall choice, the first-round pick held by the Rams this year.

The NFL levied fines this week against two defensive players for hits on NFC West quarterbacks in Week 11:

• $7,500 against Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey for his fourth-quarter hit on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson. Officials flagged Dorsey on the play. The league fined him for striking Anderson in the knee area.
• $5,000 against Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Adam Hayward for a first-quarter hit on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Troy Smith. Officials flagged Hayward on the play. The league fined him for striking Smith in the head area.

The league did not fine Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Raheem Brock for his disputed hit on New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Brock and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll disputed the call. The league's decision against fining Brock supports their claims.

Tom from Orange County, Calif., writes: Mike, longtime Rams fan. Thanks for the coverage. Trade question for you: What do you think about Adam Carriker and the 33rd pick to Kansas City for Glenn Dorsey? Both players have not lived up to expectations and are playing out of position. Each could use a change of scenery.

Dorsey gives the Rams the potential game-changing tackle that they need, and justifies the Sam Bradford pick at No. 1. Carriker gives Kansas City the end the Chiefs need in the 3-4, and what is turning out to be a very valuable 33rd pick. Thanks for taking the question.

Mike Sando: Good thinking, Tom. I don't know if the Rams would value Dorsey high enough to make that move, but if they thought he could basically be close to Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, why not? The quick reaction would be to dismiss any such comparisons, claiming Suh and McCoy are much better prospects. But a lot of prospects look better before they line up against NFL players week after week. Dorsey was considered a top-five talent when he entered the draft.

Here is what Scouts Inc. said about Dorsey when he was coming out of college:

"A squatty defensive tackle prospect with a thick build and very good quickness. Anticipates the snap well, explodes out of his stance and generally will win one-on-one battles with his initial burst. He plays with a non-stop motor. Stays active, using swim and rip moves to get off of blocks when necessary. Displays good upper-body power and the ability to knock linemen back on their heels with initial pop. Does a fine job of locating the ball once he's in the backfield and flashes good change-of-direction skills for his position. A powerful tackler when he can line up a hit. Also does a better job of taking on blocks in the run game than he gets credit for. He can be washed out by some bigger OL, but generally does a good job of staying low and holding his ground when asked to."

Durability concerns were singled out as the primary weakness. Dorsey has played in 31 of 32 games with the Chiefrs, starting 30 of them. The Scouts Inc. report said Dorsey would fit best in a one-gap scheme that would allow him to get upfield and disrupt offenses. The Rams are running that type of scheme. The Chiefs are not. You're right in suggesting that Carriker could fit better at end in a 3-4 scheme. Durability is a big concern with him, but that 33rd overall choice would have to tempt the Chiefs.

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Michael From Lynchburg, Va., writes: Why or what is Seattle waiting on? They need running backs, defensive backs, offensive linemen, a wide receiver, but no movement. Is the draft going to be their best bet?

I have been a fan since 1983, and since then I have seen draft pick after draft pick be a bust. Thomas Jones would have been good for us. Chester Taylor could have helped and Brandon Marshall would definitely be an upgrade from Deion Branch and Nate Burleson. I think Darren Sharper or Antrel Rolle would have been good for us, or Anquan Boldin at wide receiver. I would just be happy with some kind of movement.

Mike Sando: It's human nature for fans to crave action once the signing period begins, but a lot of money has been spent foolishly in free agency over the years. The Redskins will be paying a $21 million bonus to Albert Hayensworth shortly and he might not even fit the scheme they are implementing.

It's also human nature for general manager and coach to undervalue the players they inherit. The Seahawks' previous leadership might have been more aggressive in keeping Burleson. I also think former general manager Tim Ruskell would have been more aggressive in free agency. That doesn't mean being aggressive in free agency would have necessarily served the team well, however.

This was a very weak free-agent class packed with aging, declining veterans. As I tweeted Saturday, there were 156 unrestricted free agents left and 139 would be 30 or older come September.

Seattle did finally add a tight end in Chris Baker (not a UFA, but rather a player whose contract was terminated). I thought the Seahawks might have been a little more aggressive in this signing period, given their needs and coach Pete Carroll's desire to improve quickly. But I also realize Carroll and general manager John Schneider want to go young. That's tough to do through free agency when so many of the younger players failed to hit the market as UFAs thanks to the current labor situation.

The team will probably sign an offensive lineman or two. Ben Hamilton could make sense. He lost his job in Denver largely because the Broncos were changing to a scheme that did not fit him. The Seahawks are adopting the scheme Hamilton ran for years.

The Marshall situation could take time to play out. There's no sense in the Seahawks bidding against themselves. They can afford to wait on that one, probably.

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Edward from Tempe writes: Sando, you mentioned in your NFC West Draft Watch that selecting Alan Branch in 2007 was a mistake; he was the first selection in the second round that year. He missed a few games his first year but then played the remainder. He might not be what the Cardinals had hoped, but do you see him more now as a situational position player? I mean, he has shown some signs of life this past year, so maybe not all is lost.

Mike Sando: Drafting Branch didn't give the Cardinals a reliable nose tackle. The pick was a "mistake" from that standpoint. He did show some promise playing defensive end. All is not lost. And when you look at the players drafted immediately after Branch that year -- Paul Posluszny, Arron Sears, Kevin Kolb, Eric Weddle, Zach Miller, Justin Blalock, John Beck, Chris Houston, Tony Ugoh, Drew Stanton -- it's not like all were home runs.

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Scott from Maryland writes: Do you think the Niners could trade away their 17th pick this year and first-rounder next year to the Browns for their first-rounder? If the Rams take Sam Bradford, there could be a good chance that Eric Berry falls to the Browns' pick. However, the Browns have so many holes and Mike Holmgren is familiar with the Niners. I think it could benefit both teams.

Mike Sando: Would that be the best use of draft capital for the 49ers, though? They would have no first-rounder in 2011, just to move up 10 spots? I wouldn't give away that future pick.

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Joe stationed in Germany writes: Sando, love the blog. One of the best sources of info on the net. Please keep up the great work. With the Colts releasing Ryan Lilja, can the 49ers maybe use him? I know we really need an offensive tackle, but seems they are in need of depth and talent on the offensive line over all. I Think Lilja has proved the injury is better after a full season of starting and he has experience. My only concern is that the Colts were not a running team, but he has got to be a good pass protector. That and I was hoping for something better than David Carr for us in the free agency. Just some thoughts. What do you think?

Mike Sando: Thanks for the support, Joe, and your service. Lilja doesn't fit the 49ers' profile for offensive linemen because he's a smaller guy, listed at about 290 pounds. I just don't see him fitting what they want. At quarterback, the 49ers decided to trade what they knew -- Shaun Hill -- for a bit of a wild card in Carr. I understand their desire to shake up the position. They had tried Hill and decided he wouldn't be the starter. Could they have done better than Carr? I'm with you a little bit. Not expecting very good things from him.

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Cal from Daly City, Calif., writes: What are the NFL rules on signing multiple restricted free agents? if a team wanted to, could they sign two RFAs, both with a first-round tender attached? If so, how do they work out the draft picks involved?

Mike Sando: A team could sign more than one RFA only if it had its own first-round choice and a better first-round choice available as compensation.

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Blazzinhawk from Spokane, Wash., writes: Why not trade Deion Branch and the 14th to denver for Brandon Marshall and a third-rounder? Sounds good to me.

Mike Sando: My initial thoughts also focused on a way for Seattle to recoup a third-round choice, given that the team does not own one. Your proposal would allow the Broncos to get back their own first-rounder as well. Your proposal assumes the Broncos would do such a deal. I think Seattle might be waiting to see if the price is lower.

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Eri from Los Angeles writes: What would you say percentage-wise is the Rams' chances of landing Michael Vick? And why do I hear Donovan McNabb as an option for the Rams as well?

Mike Sando: Looks like the Vick-to-St. Louis chatter has gone away. I wonder if the pending ownership change has diminished the team's interest. On McNabb, I still do not believe Andy Reid wants to trade him.

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Jerry from Mishawaka, Ind., writes: Mike, I've read that Denver is not negotiating with any team to trade Brandon Marshall. If that's the case, then Seattle should find a team from the 12 to 23 range to trade the sixth overall pick to for that team's first-round pick and a second- or third-round pick, depending on the value of that team's first-round pick.

Then sign Marshall to an offer sheet. Denver gets the pick it wants for him, Seattle comes out on top with Marshall and the Seahawks don't have to pay the cash for a sixth overall player, plus Seattle still has three picks in the first three rounds , and the team that got that sixth pick could get a player to replace what they lost.

Green Bay comes to mind in this scenario becaause most GMs like to work out trades with their former teams. Also, Green Bay could use the sixth overall pick to draft a defensive end to replace Kampan. What are your thoughts?

Mike Sando: The effort is appreciated, but there would be a few problems with such a scenario. One, rules require teams to possess their own pick or a better pick in the relevant round before signing a restricted free agent. Two, most teams would rather pick 12th through 23rd instead of sixth. Third, Green Bay in particular wouldn't want to move up that high, in my view. Their general manager, Ted Thompson, seems to prefer moving back to add picks (the Packers have drafted a league-high 51 players since Thompson took over in 2005).

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Michael from Midland, Texas writes: Hey Sando, As an avid 49ers fan in the heart of Cowboys country, I just want to thank you for your solid coverage of the 9ers. I just wanted to bounce some ideas off of you in terms of draft/free agent acquisitions.

By my way of thinking, the 49ers have three key needs to make them a playoff contender: right Tackle, inside linebacker to pair with Patrick Willis and a cornerback to start opposite Shawntae Spencer. I know a lot of talking is being made of finding a dynamic return man, but I consider that more of a luxury than an absolute need.

Anyway, enough preamble. My actual question is, what do you think are the chances of the 49ers emerging from the first two rounds of the draft with some combo of Trent Williams/Bruce Campbell/Mike Iupati, Eric Berry/Taylor Mays and Devin McCourty/Kareem Jackson?

Also, do you know if the 49ers are taking any looks at Larry Foote or Pisa Tinoisamoa? Seems like either of those guys would be a good fit at will linebacker for the 49ers and we could probably get them relatively cheap.

Mike Sando: Thanks for the support. Good questions, too. Would Foote be better than Takeo Spikes at this point? That could be a consideration. Tinoisamoa seems too small to fit in a 3-4 defense. He goes about 230 pounds.

I could see Williams and possibly even Iupati. Berry would seemingly be gone by the time the 49ers selected. Mays could be there, but I'm not sure where teams are going to value him. He seems like a higher-risk player, but the measurables could appeal from a pure personnel standpoint.

The corners you mentioned sound promising. Jackson would be the bigger of the two, and that could be important to the 49ers. San Francisco is past due to draft a cornerback somewhere relatively early. General manager Scot McCloughan's teams haven't drafted a cornerback in the first two rounds since 2003 (Marcus Trufant, when McCloughan was with Seattle).

Don't forget about quarterback as a potential need, too. Alex Smith and David Carr aren't exactly perennial Pro Bowl players.

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Mike from Seattle writes: Hey Mike, just wanted to say keep up the good work and I really appreciate on how quickly you update your stuff. Well, I have a quick question that you can clear up for me. I thought Mike Holmgren was hired to be the president of football operations, and he retained the current coaching staff. I was just curious why he made a trade for Seneca Wallace, unless he wants him at Wildcat. I was just wondering why there are articles that was written that Holmgren wanted Seneca because he knows the offense.

Mike Sando: I keep forgetting that Holmgren isn't coaching the team and I have a feeling I'm not the only one. Holmgren is a coach at heart. I even asked him at the combine how in the world he would be able to watch another coach run practice. He joked about having hired two security guards to restrain him in case his instincts take over and he feels the urge to run out there and blow a whistle.

Holmgren does want the Browns to run his offense. His offensive coordinator in Seattle, Gil Haskell, is already onboard in Cleveland. One of his other trusted offensive coaches, Keith Gilbertson, is also there. None of us should be surprised if Holmgren is coaching the team in another year or two.

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Ryan from Puyallup, Wash., writes: Hey Sando, here's a kicker question for ya. Are the Cardinals planning on moving on from Neil Rackers? he's a free agent and I figured the cardinals would have resigned him. Minus the playoffs, where I belive his groin injury was still affecting him, he is a really good, reliable kicker. You think that they are just planning on drafting a kicker in the late rounds?

Mike Sando: The Cardinals would probably go in another direction if Rackers demanded a lucrative deal. Coach Ken Whisenhunt was clearly not happy with Rackers' injury situation in the playoffs, indicating he thought Rackers was healthier than Rackers wound up being. Re-signing Rackers does not appear to be a priority, although I think he could come back for the right price.

The trade conversation initiated Tuesday picked up momentum quickly and hasn't slowed.

"Deion Branch to Kansas City for Glenn Dorsey," youthcraze suggested.

"Anquan Boldin to Miami for picks and/or Joey Porter," Primeau1203 wrote.

"Brandon Jones and a third-round pick to Cleveland for Joshua Cribbs and a fourth-round pick," daddyleek125 wrote in offering one of three suggestions for the 49ers.

"I'm in St. Louis," killah2 wrote, "and we don't have many blockbuster players to offer. Given our No. 1 draft slot and the possibility of drafting Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, my first thought is to offer Adam Carriker. ... Given that the St. Louis receiving corps was basically the Philadelphia practice squad, I'd look for a team who could offer a wide receiver."

The trade market has a chance to be much more interesting than usual this offseason as teams head into the March 5 signing period without a salary cap in place. In past years, cap considerations restricted trades in general and player-for-player trades in particular, especially those involving prominent players.

Take away the cap, however, and the cap considerations disappear. With players needing six accrued seasons instead of four to become unrestricted free agents, the UFA market will be weak, leaving trades as an even more appealing avenue for player acquisition.

That is my thinking, anyway. No one is quite sure how things might play out.

"The truth of the matter is that with the uncertainty of the uncapped year and possible work stoppage ahead [in 2011], I am not sure we will see much movement at all in the way of trades," miked2300 wrote.

Now that we've allowed for the possibilities, let's indulge the original concept: singling out one reasonably conceived trade to benefit each NFC West team, with an emphasis on player-for-player trades, not just trades involving players for draft choices.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Seahawks' victory over the Rams leaves St. Louis in the lead for the No. 2 overall choice in the 2009 draft.

The next two weeks will probably affect the eventual order at the top of the draft, but here's how the top 10 would shake out at present, according to the league:

1. Detroit (0-14)
2. St. Louis (2-12): The last five players drafted second overall were Chris Long (Rams), Calvin Johnson (Lions), Reggie Bush (Saints), Ronnie Brown (Dolphins) and Robert Gallery (Raiders).
3. Kansas City (2-12)
4. Cincinnati (2-11-1)
5. Seattle (3-11). The last five players drafted fifth overall were Glenn Dorsey (Chiefs), Levi Brown (Cardinals), A.J. Hawk (Packers), Cadillac Williams (Bucs) and Sean Taylor (Redskins).
6. Oakland (3-11)
7. Cleveland (4-9)
8. San Francisco (5-9): The last five players drafted eighth overall were Derrick Harvey (Jaguars), Jamaal Anderson (Falcons), Donte Whitner (Bills), Antrel Rolle (Cardinals) and DeAngelo Hall (Falcons).
9. Jacksonville (5-9)
10. Green Bay (5-9)

The Rams would be picking second overall for the second year in a row. They've addressed the defensive line early in recent drafts. This might be time to help the offensive line. Orlando Pace certainly worked out well for them as an early pick.

The Seahawks haven't picked in the top five since selecting Shawn Springs third in 1997. They also picked up Walter Jones (sixth overall) that year.

The 49ers last picked among the top eight when they selected tight end Vernon Davis sixth overall in 2006.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle compares 49ers coach Mike Nolan to a guy "being given a wedgie by a crane operator." Left unsaid: Ratto is operating the crane, and quite ably, too. This is a rollicking read. The way Ratto sees things, Nolan can't win unless 2005 No. 1 overall draft choice Alex Smith wins the starting QB job and plays well. Almost any other scenario could make Nolan vulnerable. As noted here previously, and again in the chart below, every QB drafted first overall since at least 1967 has started in his fourth NFL season. Smith is looking to avoid becoming an exception to the rule.

Meanwhile, Tom FitzGerald of the Chronicle notes that 49ers owner John York huddled with Nolan following practice. York was predictably vague when reporters stopped him afterward. They asked about Nolan's job security. York wasn't going to go there.

Also from FitzGerald: a story on J.T. O'Sullivan's reemergence as a candidate for the 49ers' starting job. This is turning into theater. I'm half-expecting Jim Plunkett, Steve Spurrier and Norm Snead to take reps with the 49ers in the coming days.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals think rookie tackle Brandon Keith could one day become a starter on their offensive line (see last note in story). Keith is a seventh-round choice from Northern Iowa. The Cardinals have drafted eight offensive linemen this decade and all eight remain in the league. Reggie Wells is probably the best among those who remain with the team. Leonard Davis seems to be better in Dallas. I'll throw in a bonus chart below showing summary information for the Cards' OL picks this decade.

 

The Associated Press describes Glenn Dorsey's injury in Chiefs camp. Some thought the Rams should have taken Dorsey second overall instead of Chris Long. Others wondered if Dorsey's injury history might make him a risky choice. Every NFL player gets hurt, so we shouldn't read too much into Dorsey's sprained knee. Yet.

Aaron Fentress of the Oregonian describes the Seahawks' pecking order at receiver. After the top three -- Bobby Engram, Nate Burleson and Deion Branch, in no particular order -- Fentress lists Courtney Taylor and Ben Obomanu. He then places Jordan Kent, Logan Payne and undrafted free agent Michael Bumpus as candidates for the sixth spot. I could see Engram, Burleson, Branch, Taylor, Obomanu and Payne if Seattle keeps six. The team has kept between four and seven receivers on its last five opening-day rosters, an average of 5.2 per season. Keeping six would make sense depending on Branch's health.

Jose Romero of the Seattle Times, making a rare appearance on the Belleville News-Democrat's site, says the Seahawks' young receivers generally stepped up during the scrimmage. Coach Mike Holmgren is putting pressure on them to emerge as the fourth, fifth and possibly sixth receivers.