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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Cardinals in 2012:

Dream scenario (11-5): A full offseason of healing and playbook study lets Kevin Kolb prove the Cardinals knew what they were doing when they acquired him from Philadelphia in the offseason. There's plenty of credit to go around. The team's decision to reassign assistant coach John McNulty from receivers to quarterbacks becomes a popular storyline. There's no doubt Kolb's mechanics have improved, but talent and good health are what win football games.

Michael Floyd's addition through the draft makes the Cardinals' passing game nearly impossible to defend, particularly with second-year back Ryan Williams emerging as the game-breaking runner Arizona was convinced it had drafted. Adding young linemen for Russ Grimm to develop also pays off, particularly as the season progresses. Bobby Massie looks like a keeper at right tackle. On the other side, Levi Brown picks up where he left off last season, proving Arizona was right in re-signing him to a five-year contract.

The transformation on defense surprises even the Cardinals. Yes, Arizona made strides on that side of the ball while winning seven of its final nine games in 2011. But there was no way anyone could have expected Sam Acho to challenge Simeon Rice's season franchise record for sacks since 1982 (Rice had 16.5 in 1999). With a healthy Dan Williams at nose tackle and Acho pumping up an already-underrated pass rush, cornerback Patrick Peterson takes the next logical step in his development: picking off passes and returning them for touchdowns.

Winning at San Francisco in Week 17 delivers an 11-5 record and the NFC West title to Arizona, the team's third division crown in five years.

Nightmare scenario (5-11): No one can blame Gregg Williams or Jonathan Vilma for the concussion Kolb suffers in the Hall of Fame game against New Orleans to open the exhibition season. Some in the Cardinals' organization welcome the switch to John Skelton, but with Ryan Williams and Beanie Wells predictably battling knee problems, the offense becomes one-dimensional. That's tough for a team with Brown and a rookie starting at tackle. Kolb's return after a few weeks means as much as it did last season -- nothing.

By October, it's clear the Cardinals didn't do enough at tackle or outside linebacker to take the next step. Those offseason stories about a full offseason helping Kolb seemed justified at the time, but we should have known better. McNulty's coaching helps, but players revert to form under pressure, and Kolb is no exception. He wasn't going to develop instincts all of a sudden, was he? Aldon Smith's three-sack game against Arizona on Monday night in Week 8 doesn't seem so bad when Clay Matthews collects four of them the following week.

For the second time in three seasons, the Cards finish 5-11 after getting blown out at San Francisco in Week 17. The quarterback questions persisting upon Kurt Warner's retirement continue to linger. Watching Peyton Manning in the playoffs doesn't help.

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Rams in 2012:

Dream scenario (8-8): Sam Bradford takes every snap on offense for the second time in three seasons as the Rams protect their franchise quarterback with sensible play-calling. It's the sixth time a Jeff Fisher-coached team finishes 8-8, but no one is complaining after the Rams' 15-65 run over the previous five seasons. Trusting offensive line coach Paul Boudreau to salvage right tackle Jason Smith becomes one of the surprise success stories of the 2012 season, and a critical one for the Rams' efforts to re-establish Bradford.

Turns out the Rams were not fibbing when they suggested Brian Quick, the receiver they took in the second round, ranked up there with first-rounder Justin Blackmon on their board. The constant threat of Steven Jackson and Isaiah Pead out of the backfield creates favorable matchups for Quick and the Rams' underrated receivers. Bradford publicly downplays a Week 2 victory over Robert Griffin III and Washington, but it feels good to win at home against the player St. Louis could have selected second overall this year.

Watching Janoris Jenkins score on a fourth-quarter punt return in Patrick Peterson's house improbably stakes the Rams to a 6-5 record, stirring visions of the postseason. It's certainly sweet to finally win within the division again. The Rams lose to San Francisco the following week and ultimately finish the regular season with a respectable defeat at Seattle, but the season is a success by any measure.

Nightmare scenario (3-13): Road games against Detroit and Chicago in the first three weeks expose Bradford to significant punishment as Smith and the line struggle to find their bearings. Bradford doesn't want to talk about the ankle injury he aggravated at some point in the season's first month, but it's clearly a factor. Facing Cliff Avril, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Ndamukong Suh, Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan, Julius Peppers, Chris Clemons, Bruce Irvin, Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett, Cameron Wake and Clay Matthews in the first seven games leaves Bradford limping toward the bye week, his confidence shaken.

Jackson continues to plug away, but we've seen this movie before, and it doesn't end well for the Rams. The depth at receiver is indeed improved, but Bradford doesn't have any truly dynamic weapons. Quick understandably needs seasoning, but with Blackmon and Arizona's Michael Floyd challenging rookie receiving records, the Rams look bad for trading down. It's tough finding open receivers with Smith struggling at tackle, anyway.

First-round pick Michael Brockers and free-agent addition Kendall Langford upgrade the run defense, but life as an every-down defensive end is tough for Robert Quinn. The veteran outside linebackers signed as stopgaps represent only a minor upgrade from last season. Off-field issues dog Jenkins, and the defense fails to meet expectations. Critics conveniently blame Gregg Williams' suspension, but the problems are more complex than that.

The Rams head into the offseason with another high draft choice, one they'll almost certainly have to invest in a playmaker of some sort.

A look at the St. Louis Rams' offseason to this point ...

What went right: The Rams beat out the Miami Dolphins for coach Jeff Fisher and then hired the first general manager's candidate they interviewed, Les Snead. That seemed like a good way to open the offseason. ... The Rams found a willing trade partner and good value for the second overall choice in the 2012 draft. That was critical for their future once the team quickly determined Sam Bradford would remain the franchise quarterback. ... Cornerback Cortland Finnegan, the player St. Louis targeted most strongly in free agency, signed with the team quickly. ... Adding Pro Bowl center Scott Wells from Green Bay should give the offensive line needed leadership and personality. Wells will also make Bradford's job easier, in theory, by handling protection calls. ... The Rams addressed their weak run defense by adding Kendall Langford in free agency and Michael Brockers in the draft. ... St. Louis went from one of the oldest teams to one of the youngest, the logical way to go when rebuilding.

What went wrong: The NFL suspended newly-hired defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for the 2012 season and possibly beyond. The team was counting on Williams to instill the defensive swagger that led Williams astray in New Orleans. ... The Rams emerged from free agency and the draft without clear answers at outside linebacker, a position of obvious need. ... Owner Stan Kroenke has been unable or unwilling to allay fears the team is angling to leverage its way out of its stadium lease. The stadium issue continues to hang over the team, making it tougher, in theory, for fans to buy in fully. ... Moving one home game to London might help the Rams score points with the NFL and in global branding circles, but any coach will tell you eight home games are better than seven. ... Adding an elite offensive playmaker with the sixth overall pick would have been ideal for Bradford, but the Rams didn't see the value.

The bottom line: The Rams had more needs than they could reasonably fill in one offseason. They began to address quite a few of them, however, and they have the draft capital to continue the process over the next two seasons. We'll find out in a hurry how well Snead and the personnel department can draft in the first couple rounds.

Your turn: Any significant omissions here?

No doubt about it, the St. Louis Rams are in good position to install their defense without suspended coordinator Gregg Williams.

Their head coach (Jeff Fisher), assistant head coach (Dave McGinnis) and secondary coach (Chuck Cecil) have all been coordinators.

ESPN's Adam Schefter offers thoughts along those lines in the video above.

Another consideration: What might be the impact on play-calling during games? Coordinators tend to have their own styles, tendencies, preferences, etc.

Williams was supremely confident in his approach and it showed in his aggressive play-calling. He blitzed with abandon and was entirely unapologetic about it. New Orleans sent five or more pass-rushers on more than 50 percent of opposing dropbacks when Williams was the Saints' coordinator in 2011, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Cecil was less established while coordinating under Fisher in Tennessee. He called games more conservatively. The Titans sent five-plus rushers on about 30 percent of dropbacks in 2010, when Cecil was their coordinator.

McGinnis was linebackers coach under Fisher in Tennessee. He was a primary play caller as Arizona's defensive coordinator under Vince Tobin from 1996-2000, and his approach was more conventional.

Fisher has not been a coordinator since 1994.

So, while the Rams should be fine without Williams this offseason, replicating his approach on game days could be unrealistic.

The St. Louis Rams hired Jeff Fisher as coach for quite a few reasons.

They valued his experience, for sure.

"He's a great coach, he's a great teacher, he's a great leader," team owner Stan Kroenke said when the Rams introduced Fisher as their new head coach this offseason.

Bernie Miklasz asked specifically about Fisher's reputation as a teacher and developer of talent during our latest conversation on 101ESPN St. Louis.

The answer I provided could use some strengthening. After my mostly fruitless run through various online archives, Paul Kuharsky came through with a strong take based on first-hand observations. Paul covered the NFL and Fisher's Tennessee Titans for the Tennessean newspaper before becoming our AFC South blogger.

Paul's quick take on Fisher as a teacher:

"He is a good teacher and can be hands-on, particularly with punt returners and defensive backs. He didn't wander into individual periods or even special-teams periods very much. He worked with returners once in a while post-practice, but less frequently in his later years. I think he's a good teacher. He would talk about how 'we teach this when we talk about a penalty call' or 'we teach that the guy has to get his head across before he makes contact.'

"He had very specific things from the top down as far as their philosophy for doing this or that. He let his position coaches do most of that hands-on teaching stuff. He'll be far more hands-on with Janoris Jenkins than with anyone else. He'll talk about treating him the same as everyone else, and he'll baby him. The two most predictable picks in the draft after Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III were Jenkins and the Montana kid, Trumaine Johnson, who went to school with Fisher's son."

Fisher played defensive back and returned punts during his own career. That would explain his particular interest in those roles. He has been a defensive coordinator as well, and with Gregg Williams serving a suspension, it's possible Fisher could become more directly involved on that side of the ball. It might also be plausible, in my view, for Fisher to take more of a hands-on approach in his first year with the Rams. A coach might feel more comfortable stepping back after his program has been established.

Four days until the 2012 NFL draft. In the meantime, the mock drafts are piling up.

The chart below shows new projections from reporters covering the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams.

All three have the Rams and Seahawks drafting for defense. They all have the Arizona Cardinals drafting an offensive lineman and the 49ers drafting a pass-catcher of some sort.


I'll be participating in a live mock draft Monday at 1 p.m. ET, with trades permitted. Details to come.

Moving along ...

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic checks in with Ken Whisenhunt and Rod Graves regarding the Cardinals' draft options. Somers: "Addressing the offensive line in the first round makes considerable sense. The Cardinals haven't drafted a lineman the past two seasons. They haven't taken one above the fifth round since selecting Brown fifth overall in 2007. They have tried to plug holes with veterans at the end of their careers (guard Alan Faneca) and low-round picks they hoped would develop (right tackle Brandon Keith). The results have been mixed at best."

Also from Somers: Whisenhunt points to continuity with Graves and personnel director Steve Keim as keys to success in the draft.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com looks at whether the Arizona Cardinals need a stronger No. 2 receiver to pair with Larry Fitzgerald. Urban: "The Cardinals went to a Super Bowl with Anquan Boldin alongside Larry Fitzgerald, but one of the reasons the Cards were eventually comfortable with dealing Boldin was the success Fitzgerald and the passing game had even in games Boldin missed with injury." Noted: Kurt Warner was the constant.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune has the Seahawks selecting Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower in his 2012 first-round mock draft. Williams: "Hawks might move down to get Hightower, but he fills an obvious need and will be the team's quarterback on defense for the next 10 years."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times looks at the Seahawks' need for a linebacker, noting that general manager John Schneider says this draft has more good ones than the previous draft offered. Schneider: "It's completely different than it was last year. There's good numbers up there." Noted: Value could lead the Seahawks to draft a linebacker in the first round, but if there are more to be found throughout the draft, the team could have reason to draft early at a position featuring fewer talented prospects.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune explains why he thinks Melvin Ingram might have more appeal to the Seahawks than Luke Kuechly. Boling: "Carroll and his staff like to find players with unique skills and then develop ways to work them into a scheme. While Kuechly looks to be a conventional middle linebacker type, Ingram could be more of a fun toy for Carroll."

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle makes two observations after attending a charity event featuring most of the team: Team chemistry appears strong, and the Seahawks have become a much bigger team physically.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch projects LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne to the Rams with the sixth overall pick after teams picking among the top five selected Justin Blackmon and Trent Richardson, among others.

Also from Thomas: The Rams need help at defensive tackle, but none of the top three prospects appears worthy of the sixth overall choice. Thomas: "In a deep defensive tackle class, there should be multiple options for the Rams at the top of the second round and perhaps even at the top of the third."

More from Thomas: a closer look at Claiborne and the cornerbacks. Thomas: "From a pure coverage standpoint, there are those who feel Claiborne is a significantly better prospect than his much-ballyhooed predecessor at LSU, Patrick Peterson, who went No. 5 overall in the 2011 draft to Arizona."

More yet from Thomas: New Rams linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar has good things to say about Gregg Williams.

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com says HBO has interest in the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers as "Hard Knocks" alternatives to the Atlanta Falcons, who declined to participate. Noted: Tough to envision the 49ers accepting. Their football leadership has sought to close ranks.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com passes along thoughts from 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on GM Trent Baalke's suggestion the team has one player in mind for the 30th overall choice. Maiocco: "I think Trent's trying to be dramatic with you guys -- build the drama. There's several -- there's a lot of good guys. There are a lot of good guys we'd love to have at that pick. Having been through this once, most of the guys you recognize as great football players are going to be playing against you. That's just the fact of business. But getting the right guy, the right fit for our team, is what we're all focused on."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has the 49ers drafting receiver Stephen Hill with the 30th pick.

Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at history precipitating the 49ers' impending stadium move from San Francisco to Santa Clara.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says new 49ers running back Brandon Jacobs has great speed -- on the highway.

Phil Barber of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat outlines five positions to watch in the draft for San Francisco.

LZ Granderson's column makes a strong case for Gregg Williams' return to the NFL and (presumably) the St. Louis Rams for the 2013 season.

Granderson cites examples of players returning to the NFL following illegal or prohibited activity. He says Williams was suspended for actions commonplace enough for the Saints to let a documentary film crew record them.

"In March 2009, Donte' Stallworth got drunk, got in his car and hit a pedestrian, killing him," Granderson wrote. "He was convicted of manslaughter and was suspended by the league … but not for long. He was reinstated after missing a season and signed with the Ravens. He has a lifetime suspension of his Florida driver's license, but in March he signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots."

Williams is reportedly seeking a framework for reinstatement. The league has indicated it could issue conditions if and when allowing Williams back into the game.

"Commissioner Roger Goodell will review Coach Williams’ status at the conclusion of the 2012 season and consider whether to reinstate him, and, if so, on what terms," the NFL said in announcing Williams' suspension. "Commissioner Goodell said he will give close attention to the extent to which Coach Williams cooperates with the NFL in any further proceedings."

Williams has, by all accounts, cooperated.

News reports recently said Williams assisted tornado victims in Missouri. Other reports said certain San Francisco 49ers still thought highly of Williams, even though he encouraged New Orleans Saints players to injured various 49ers during the playoffs last season.

Those types of stories can help shape public perceptions. They could score points with Goodell. Williams has also accepted his punishment meekly, declining to pursue an appeal. That should help him, too.

There is no NFL merit badge for reinstatement, however. Giving Williams a clear path back to the NFL would give him an easy way out. I'm more inclined to think the league will make Williams sweat a little.

Gregg Williams' image rehabilitation took a couple steps forward this week, helping his case for eventual reinstatement from an indefinite bounty suspension.

The St. Louis Rams' would-be defensive coordinator reportedly helped out tornado victims early in the week. And even though audio tapes revealed him targeting specific San Francisco players for injuries before a playoff game last season, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and cornerback Carlos Rogers offered public support for him Wednesday.

Over time, these sorts of developments make it easier to envision Williams rehabilitating his image sufficiently for the NFL to strongly consider giving him another chance. We're still early in that process, of course.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Baalke reached out to Williams, his former co-worker with the Washington Redskins. Baalke called Williams a friend and said, "I don't view him any differently today than I did 20 days ago."

Also from Barrows: Baalke cites Malcolm Gladwell in explaining why quick draft-related decisions often are the best ones. Of course, those quick decisions are made after years of research. They're not hunches.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers will poll players before deciding whether to remain on the road between games against Minnesota and the Jets.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle passes along coach Jim Harbaugh's comments on Randy Moss staying away from the team until April 30. The 49ers expect Moss to arrive in time for on-field work and football-related preparation. The team remains in the conditioning phase of its program.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune says the Bears have reached agreement with former 49ers guard Chilo Rachal, an unrestricted free agent. The 49ers had decided to move on from Rachal this offseason.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers insights into the Rams' 2012 schedule. Miklasz: "A huge factor in schedule being so front-loaded with home games is the availability of the Dome. Because of other events booked into the convention center/stadium, several dates in the second half of the season were unavailable for scheduling Rams' home games. That's an issue. I'm sure this will be a point of negotiations in the discussions for a new lease agreement. Not that anyone realistically expects the rebuilding Rams to contend for a playoff spot this season, but to have a fighting chance they'll have to rack some wins early, and take advantage of having three of four at home before traveling to London. Because the schedule turns against them pretty quickly."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the recently re-signed Kellen Clemens already knows the Rams' offense from his days with Brian Schottenheimer and the New York Jets.

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com offers updates from Rams minicamps, with this info on the offensive line: "Jeff Fisher confirmed Wednesday that as it stands, Rodger Saffold will continue to work on the left side with Jason Smith on the right. For now, the open left guard job is being filled by a combination of Robert Turner and Bryan Mattison. Quinn Ojinnaka has been considered as well. Not that any of that means much of anything this early in the game. Much more will be known following the final veteran minicamp in June when the Rams have a full roster."

Also from Wagoner: Smith is back from his concussion.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals cleared room under their salary cap by restructuring their contract with veteran center Lyle Sendlein. Urban: "Sendlein’s cap number was supposed to be $3.25 million, and the move shrinks that number to $1.975 million. Fellow lineman Daryn Colledge did the same kind of thing earlier in the offseason. The Cards have been snug against the cap most of the offseason." Noted: The move means the cap number for Sendlein will rise for future seasons. The cap itself will not increase as much as once expected.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com rounds up various mock draft projections for Seattle, with the following thoughts from Nolan Nawrocki regarding cornerback Stephon Gilmore as one option: "Pete Carroll’s defense thrives on the size and physicality of its cornerbacks. Gilmore has the size desired to hem the line at a premium position of need, a prime reason why cornerbacks such as Gilmore and Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick could be drafted in the top 15."

Good morning. We're within one week of the 2012 NFL draft and there's much to discuss in the NFC West.

We've got Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest mock draft variation , former San Francisco 49ers guard Chilo Rachal finding work in Chicago, the 49ers breaking ground on their new stadium, Gregg Williams finding support in unexpected places and much more.

Here's the link for the NFC West chat. See you there at 1 p.m. ET.

A few simple requests for the San Francisco 49ers amid expectations the NFL will release its regular-season schedule Tuesday:

• Cut down on the 10 a.m. PT kickoffs for road trips to the Eastern time zone. The other Western teams have similar concerns. All know what it's like traveling across time zones for games requiring them to awaken when players' body clocks are telling them it's 5 in the morning. Unlike those other Western teams, the 49ers were successful enough last season to justify moving some of their Eastern games to later time slots, including prime time. There's something wrong if the 49ers emerge with another five or six games in the 10 a.m. PT slot.
• Avoid back-to-back road games against New England Patriots, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams or Minnesota Vikings. Every one of those trips is at least 1,590 air miles each way. One line of thinking says the NFL would not schedule East Coast trips in successive weeks against a team's will. That is something to consider with the 49ers, who won at Cincinnati and Philadelphia in back-to-back weeks last season, remaining in Ohio between games. Perhaps they would welcome another long getaway.
• Schedule that road game against the Saints for early in the season. That is when New Orleans figures to be most vulnerable to fallout from its bounty punishment. Interim coach Joe Vitt will miss the first six games. The Saints could also be without defensive players, depending upon how the league decides to punish players for their role in the bounty scandal. Audio tapes revealed former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams encouraging players to take out certain San Francisco players. The 49ers might as well realize maximum benefit from the sanctions against the Saints.
• No more cross-country trips on short weeks. Last season, the 49ers played a home game against Arizona, then flew across the country for a Thanksgiving game against Baltimore four days later. That was a brutal turnaround, especially so late in the season.
• Another home game late in the season might be nice. The 49ers have played three of their final five games on the road in each of the previous four regular seasons. That should even out over time.

Note: The chart shows the 49ers' road opponents. Their home schedule features the Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.

Highlights and interpretations from St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher's conversation Friday with "Mike & Mike in the Morning" on ESPN Radio:

• Bounty impact: Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' indefinite suspension affected the Rams as they began their voluntary offseason program April 2. Fisher: "We were behind a little bit as we began to install with our players because the offseason program started a couple weeks ago, but we're caught up now." Wait, coaches can install their schemes during Phase One of the offseason program? Yes, they can, but only in meetings, not on the field. More here.
• Taking back Williams: Fisher expects Williams to make a positive impact off the field before the league considers whether to let him coach again. Fisher was non-committal about Williams returning to the Rams, if cleared, but he did not discourage the notion. Fisher said the team would have to consider the possibility in concert with whatever the league decides.
• Challenging league report: The NFL's punishment report regarding the Saints' bounty program suggested opposing players indeed suffered injuries as a result. "A review of the game films confirms that opposing players were injured on the plays identified in the documents," it read. Fisher, while agreeing with the push to eliminate bounty-type systems, took a different view Friday: "I don't believe there was an injury associated with those type of things that was said in a meeting, but the point is, you just don't say it and that is where we have the problem."
• Player safety in general: Players are adjusting to new NFL rules to a degree that probably escapes most fans, Fisher said. "They are not launching any more through a defenseless receiver. Players are trying to stay away from the legs of the quarterback." We've pointed to penalty tendencies for Fisher's former teams in Tennessee. Most of information predates the NFL's emphasis on player safety. I'll be interested in seeing whether those tendencies change.
• High praise for Bradford: Fisher affirmed his commitment to Sam Bradford and said others in the league told him the quarterback has the potential to be the NFL's best at the position, a factor in Fisher's decision to take the job.

Those are a few of the highlights. The Rams got a two-week jump on their NFC West rivals' offseason programs because they have a new head coach.

My latest NFC West conversation with Bernie Miklasz focused on the St. Louis Rams' draft outlook, including the likelihood of trading down from the sixth overall pick.

My general feel: Don't do it. Get quality at the top of the draft.

101ESPN St. Louis has posted the audio.

Gregg Williams' prospects for an eventual return to the NFL was another subject we discussed.

One note: We referenced the upcoming NFC West chat, which has since been moved up 24 hours to Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.

A few notes on NFC West coaching staffs after the St. Louis Rams announced theirs for 2012 in a news release Tuesday:

• The Rams are not listing suspended defensive coordinator Gregg Williams on their staff. They did not mention him in the news release. They did not list a defensive coordinator. Coach Jeff Fisher and assistant head coach Dave McGinnis will presumably take the lead. Secondary coach Chuck Cecil has also been a coordinator.
• Williams' son, Blake, coaches the Rams' linebackers.
• The Cardinals have 3-4 fewer assistants than the other teams in the division. I've noticed that to be the case in recent seasons. Staff sizes can vary. Arizona has one more than the NFL listed for New England heading into the most recent Super Bowl.
• Every team in the division has an assistant head coach. Two serve as offensive line coaches. Another coaches special teams. Assistant head coaches might earn more money than they otherwise would, but the title does not distinguish them from other assistants in relation to hiring protocol. The title affords no additional protections against losing an assistant to another team, in other words.
• Paul Boudreau is the Rams' offensive line coach. His son, also named Paul, is assistant special teams coach. They are not Paul Sr. and Paul Jr., however. It's not yet clear how the Rams intend to differentiate between the two. Middle initials?
• Niners offensive assistant Michael Christianson is also coordinator of football technology.

The chart lists full-time assistants, not interns or administrative assistants. Strength-and-conditioning coaches aren't involved in football strategy, but I have listed them.

The New Orleans Saints' Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis and Joe Vitt won the potential for financial relief after appealing their bounty-related punishments to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The bulk of their appeals failed, however, affirming Gregg Williams' strategy as the right one for his situation.

Williams, now with the St. Louis Rams, decided against appealing, and for good reason:

• The contrition factor: Williams was the brashest and most flagrant violator of NFL rules. His eventual reinstatement depends upon the sincerity of his contrition. Appealing the commissioner's decision would have sent the wrong message on that front.
• Suspension length: The league handed down well-defined suspensions to Payton, Loomis and Vitt. Williams was suspended indefinitely. It would be tougher to appeal "indefinitely" than to appeal a set amount of games. The commissioner had already said he would review Williams' case following the 2012 season. Shortening that time frame would have been unrealistic. If and when Williams does return, he'll do so most effectively between seasons.

The best strategy for Williams will be to keep a low profile in the short term, cooperate fully with any future investigations and, eventually, to publicly explain the error of his ways.

Williams, though widely scorned at this point, will have opportunities to redefine himself through outreach programs and charitable works. Sports figures routinely draw from their own mistakes in advising others to take different paths.

This will be a tough transition for Williams, with no guarantees for success. His decision against appealing marked a small step in the right direction.

Darren Woodson and Tedy Bruschi recently discussed whether Gregg Williams' indefinite suspension from the NFL should become a lifetime ban.

Just about everyone should get a second chance, Woodson said, and Bruschi largely agreed.

Whether Williams deserves a second chance and whether he will get one are separate issues.

The NFL, faced with hundreds of player-safety lawsuits, has much invested in making an example out of Williams and the New Orleans Saints for their bounty-related violations. Fair or not, the league gains more legally and politically from a lifetime ban than from welcoming back the person most directly associated with bounties.

A recently released audio recording brought to life the allegations in a manner that further damaged Williams. After hearing the recording, I doubted whether Williams, now the St. Louis Rams' defensive coordinator, would ever coach again in the NFL.

But the backlash against Williams could fade over time. Woodson and Bruschi sounded amenable to the NFL clearing Williams following the 2012 season.