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There's always the UFL if the Detroit Lions aren't there to embrace NFC West castoffs.

I counted nine former NFC West players among the 60 chosen in the 2010 UFL draft Wednesday (story here).

Tony Parrish's love for the game might be admirable and it's his business how he wants to earn a living. As someone who admired his contributions to the 49ers years ago, though, I had a hard time picturing the former ball-hawking safety, out of the NFL since 2006, playing out his career with the Las Vegas Locomotives at age 34.

Parrish won a UFL championship with Las Vegas last season.

The chart breaks out UFL choices with NFC West ties. Former Cardinals coach Dennis Green is coaching the Sacramento Mountain Lions. Each team was allowed to protect 20 holdovers from last season heading into the 2010 draft.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams have lost starting defensive tackle Gary Gibson to an injured left leg.

I do not have details, but Gibson left on a cart. He's been a good player for the Rams this season and a bit of a surprise.

Gibson was leading Adam Carriker for the starting job even before Carriker went on injured reserve. Depth at tackle suffers if Gibson misses an extended period. The team already released Hollis Thomas, who signed with Carolina.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams have released veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas, their oldest player.

The team was carrying 10 defensive linemen on its 53-man roster, tied for most in the league. Thomas had played sparingly in the first three games.

David Vobora's four-game suspension could create a need for a linebacker, special-teams player or both.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando


Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Cardinals backup quarterback Matt Leinart suffered a shoulder injury against the Packers while throwing for 360 yards in the second half.


Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic says analysts aren't buying into the Cardinals this season, although ESPN's Chris Berman likes Arizona on simple grounds. Berman: "When you can score 30 points a game against most teams, that's a nice thing to have in your hip pocket."


Darren Urban of azcardinals.com makes a 53-man roster projection for the Cardinals. He puts tackle Oliver Ross on the bubble. My overall impression of Ross was favorable when he subbed for Mike Gandy at left tackle against the Packers.


Revenge of the Birds' Hawkwind wonders if there's still a small chance Beanie Wells could challenge Tim Hightower for the starting job at halfback in Arizona.



Kris Anderson of 49ers.com profiles pass-rusher Parys Haralson.


Kevin Lynch of Niner Insider checks in with cornerback Shawntae Spencer, a veteran surprise for the 49ers this summer.


Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat still thinks Michael Crabtree will sign with the 49ers before the regular-season opener, though he's less sure than before.


Also from Maiocco: Cornerback Nate Clements explains recent preseason struggles by saying he's working on weaknesses in his game. Also, coach Mike Singletary challenged players following a poor practice session.


Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the evidence points to Dre Bly starting at right corner even though defensive coordinator Greg Manusky says Spencer and Tarell Brown are still competing.


Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News hasn't seen enough from Shaun Hill, Crabtree or Manny Lawson to think the 49ers have solved their problems.


Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News said during a chat that 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan isn't impressed by the crop of veteran free-agent tackles. The 49ers want to see which tackles teams release on the reduction to 53 players.


David Fucillo of Niners Nation makes another 53-man roster projection. He wonders what Maiocco meant when he suggested the 49ers would add a fullback not currently on the roster. Translation: The 49ers will probably sign a veteran fullback from the pool of players available following the reduction to 53 players. There simply weren't many fullbacks available when the 49ers decided to give linebacker Brit Miller a try at the position. They added Bill Rentmeester when he came available, but they'll consider other options.


Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times points to the Seahawks' depth at defensive end to explain why the team moved Michael Bennett to defensive tackle.


Also from O'Neil: a look at position battles still undecided heading into the Seahawks' final exhibition game. Defensive line tops the list.


Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune looks at the race between Seahawks kickers Brandon Coutu and Olindo Mare.


Also from Williams: a look at Bennett's conversion to defensive tackle. Williams: "Bennett has stepped up his game in his first year as a pro. He’s recorded two sacks and four tackles for loss in three preseason games for Seattle, and is solidly in the conversation" for a spot on the initial 53-man roster.


John Morgan of Field Gulls sees Ben Obomanu and Courtney Taylor competing to be the Seahawks' fifth receiver.


Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams must clear 21 roster spots by Saturday. Running back Samkon Gado: "I was talking to my roommate [Phil Trautwein], who is a rookie. And I just told him if you're going to play in this league, you've got to be prepared to be cut. I've been cut I think six or seven times in five years. It's just the nature of the beast. You do the best that you can. And a lot of times, it's not really up to you. It's not really how well you played or how poorly you played. It's just there's not a need for you. So I think the best thing to do is just continue working hard. There's going to be someone out there who has a need for you, and I think I'm a wonderful example of that."


Also from Thomas: Five things to watch in the Rams' final exhibition game of the 2009 season. Thomas: "Teams traditionally keep four defensive tackles. The Rams have five bona fide roster candidates in Adam Carriker, Gary Gibson, Clifton Ryan, Darell Scott and Hollis Thomas. Who's the odd man out? And should 2007 first-round pick Carriker, who's on the second-team defense coming off an ankle injury, be worried?"


Turf Show Times' VanRam wonders if Eagles receiver Reggie Brown could be in the Rams' plans.


Tim Klutsarits of examiner.com outlines five things to watch when the Rams face the Chiefs in their final exhibition game. Cornerback play tops the list after St. Louis traded Tye Hill.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says Marvel Smith's expected retirement leaves the 49ers' offensive line worse off than it was when last season ended. Maiocco: "It is believed that the 49ers are holding out hope Smith will reconsider his decision and still be able to fill a role as a backup at both offensive tackle positions." The 49ers should be OK if Adam Snyder plays a full season. They would be in trouble if Barry Sims opened the regular season as a starter. With Sims starting Saturday night, the 49ers might need Vernon Davis to help protect.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis grew up a Cowboys fan in a big way.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the first half was an "embarrassment" for the Cardinals against Green Bay. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "Guys came in here and didn't really care about the game. Green Bay came in here on a mission, and that was to prove they were a good football team. They said publicly they thought this would be a good mark for them, because they thought we were a good football team, but we weren't a very good football team tonight."

Also from Somers: Beanie Wells' performance provided a rare bright spot for the Cardinals.

More from Somers: While Whisenhunt was close to seething, the Packers felt great about their performance. Somers: "After getting four sacks last week, the starting defense failed to get to Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. He had too much time to throw, completing 14 of 19 for 258 yards and three touchdowns. In one half."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Whisenhunt was "extremely disappointed" in his team's performance. Urban: "The Cards' starting defense, which hadn't allowed a point, was run over in the first half, allowing a stunning 357 yards."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune offers keys for the Seahawks heading into their game against the Chiefs. A little more from the running game would help.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times profiles Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Said Monte Kiffin: "I knew he was going to be a coordinator, and someday a head coach. With some people, you can just feel it. He's outstanding."

Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com says the team expects its zone-blocking scheme to hit stride after six or seven games. Offensive cooridnator Greg Knapp: "It's the same transition I went through in Atlanta and the same transition I went through in Oakland. It's not going to happen as fast and as much as it was talked about. It will take -- I don't know -- five, six, seven games into the season before the guys finally get comfortable with it."

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com sizes up Michael Bennett's chances for earning a roster spot on the Seahawks' defensive line.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Kyle Boller's gritty play has earned respect from Rams teammates. The quarterback bounced up quickly following a crushing hit against the Bengals, then assured teammates the team was about to score. He was right. Guard Richie Incognito: "Oh, he's a tough kid. He popped right up. He got right back in the huddle and he kept going. It didn't even faze him. I would've taken a second to shake that bad boy off; he took it right on the chin."

Also from Thomas: a look at which players might earn spots on the Rams' 53-man roster. He places defensive tackle Hollis Thomas on the bubble.

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Jason Smith is taking small steps toward the Rams' starting lineup. Smith: "I never look at my draft status or what (outside) people think. I feel that I'm progressing at a steady pace."

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams' roster requires additional study after a thorough house-cleaning this offseason. With so many new faces, I feel less familiar with the Rams than with the other teams in the division. This initial look at the roster will hopefully help bring some focus.

Donnie Avery's injury and overall health concerns at receiver could influence how many players the Rams carry into the season at the position.

Marc Bulger's broken pinky shouldn't affect the roster as long as he recovers on schedule. Teams must reduce to 75 players by Sept. 1 and 53 players by Sept. 5. Those initial 53-man rosters sometimes change by Week 1 kickoffs. For that reason, I've been focusing on Week 1 rosters when setting baseline expectations for each position.

St. Louis Rams Week 1 Roster Counts since 2003 QB RB WR TE OL DL LB DB ST Fewest 2 5 5 2 9 8 5 8 2 Most 3 7 6 4 10 9 7 11 3 Average 2.8 5.5 5.5 3.0 9.2 8.3 6.3 9.7 2.7 Currently on roster 4 7 10 5 15 13 9 14 3

T
he chart provides a framework for how many players the Rams might keep at each position heading into the regular-season opener against the Seahawks.

Here's a quick look at which Rams players I might keep on the cutdown to 53 players:

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The Rams practiced in pads Tuesday morning, perhaps their final practice with live tackling before they get into the preseason routine.

A few things I noticed:

• Coach Steve Spagnuolo is everywhere. He bounces from one positional group to another, sometimes running 50 yards at a time between stations. He offers personal instruction in some of the defensive groups, particularly the secondary. Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher received one-on-one instruction from Spagnuolo in this practice.
• Linebacker Will Witherspoon was easily the most impressive linebacker. He caused problems rushing the passer and taking down running backs behind the line of scrimmage. Veteran linebacker Chris Draft sat out this practice after taking a thumb to the throat. The Rams are having the injury checked out as a precaution.
• Linebacker Larry Grant picked off a Marc Bulger pass near the goal line and would have had a big return. Grant also blew up a running play, stuffing Kenneth Darby. The early camp reports about Grant making a positive impression held true.
• The Rams change up their personnel at tight end frequently. I'm not sure if they were just resting starter Randy McMichael, but there were times when he wasn't part of double-tight end groups. McMichael is the most established receving threat at the position. He did drop a pass Tuesday, though.
• Cornerback Tye Hill had some problems with swelling in his surgically repaired knee, Spagnuolo said. I watched receiver Nate Jones beat Hill for a touchdown despite relatively tight coverage. The Rams would like Hill to contest such plays more aggressively. "Compete!" was an order heard often in drills pitting cornerbacks against receivers. In this case, Hill was hurting. He did not finish practice.
  
• Injured receiver Donnie Avery took off his walking boot for some conditioning drills, including while laying on his back and raising a medicine ball held between his ankles.
• Keenan Burton and Tim Carter were getting work at flanker, with Laurent Robinson at split end.
• The Rams' West Coast offense uses the same terminology for personnel groups as the one Mike Holmgren ran in Seattle for nine years. The Seahawks have new terminology this season.
  
• Derek Stanley is practicing without a sleeve or brace on his surgically repaired knee. The coaching staff would like him to continue working on ball security and finishing plays. Spagnuolo praised Stanley for his progress in those areas.
  
• Running back Samkon Gado is getting extra work while an ankle injury limits fullback Mike Karney. Gado willingly slammed into middle linebacker James Laurinaitis while lead blocking for Steven Jackson. The staff has been pleased with Gado's versatility, although Gado did muff a kickoff late in practice.
• Second-year defensive end Chris Long did not stand out during one-on-one pass-rush drills. Left tackle Alex Barron seemed to handle Long effectively. Backup defensive linemen Eric Moore, Victor Adeyanju and Ian Campbell blew past backup offensive linemen Renardo Foster, Daniel Sanders and Eric Young, respectively. Hollis Thomas badly beat center Tim Mattran, while Gary Gibson beat guard Roger Allen III.
• First-round choice Jason Smith continues working with the second-team offense at right tackle. He handled Campbell in one-on-one pass rush. Smith did not work against starting defensive ends in that drill Tuesday.
• Defensive end Leonard Little would have had a free shot on Bulger when the first-team offense faced the first-team defense in modified live drills (I say modified because tackling was live for running plays, not passing plays, while quarterbacks were off-limits to contact, as usual). Right tackle Adam Goldberg wasn't necessarily to blame for Little racing into the backfield untouched. He blocked to the inside.

The Rams have a special-teams session scheduled for this afternoon. Also, I'll be speaking with Bernie Miklasz of 101ESPN at about 1:20 p.m. CT. Listen live.

Age rank NFC West Elder Pos. Team Age 1 Kurt Warner QB Cardinals 38 2 Isaac Bruce WR 49ers 36 3 Joe Nedney K 49ers 36 4 Olindo Mare K Seahawks 36 5 Damon Huard QB 49ers 36 6 Ben Graham P Cardinals 35 7 Hollis Thomas DT Rams 35 8 Walter Jones OT Seahawks 35 9 Bryan Robinson NT Cardinals 35 10 Oliver Ross OT Cardinals 34 11 Leonard Little DE Rams 34 12 Barry Sims OT 49ers 34

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Count Rams defensive end Leonard Little among those thankful the team signed run-stuffing
defensive tackle Hollis Thomas.

"Oh yeah," Little told reporters in St. Louis, "I am not the oldest guy on the team no more, so that is good.

"Me and him talk about that, too. I'm like, 'I'm glad you signed because you are a little bit older than me, so you can be the grandpa around here now."

Not to worry, Leonard. You're not even one of the 10 oldest players in the NFC West (Oliver Ross is one month older).

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers are going back to basics at training camp, starting with blocking and tackling. Crumpacker: "[Mike] Singletary said both morning and afternoon practices will be in full pads for the first two weeks, which is sure to elicit groans from the players. Under previous 49er coaches, players usually wore shorts and shoulder pads in the afternoon and contact was minimal." Sounds like players could be at increased risk for injury.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat blames agent Eugene Parker for Michael Crabtree's unsigned status and draft-day slide to No. 10.

John Cote of the San Francisco Chronicle provides details from a 3,000-page impact report for the 49ers' proposed stadium in Santa Clara. Cote: "Noise from a new football stadium for the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara would significantly affect nearby neighborhoods, but traffic would only be a real problem on the few occasions NFL games are played on weekdays, according to a draft environmental study."

KNBR radio in San Francisco provides audio from 49ers kicker Joe Nedney's recent interview. Nedney: "This is a really good team right now and we are playing with a purpose."

Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers tight end Vernon Davis plans to avoid fighting during practice, an issue for him in the past.

David Fucillo of Niners Nation looks at position battles at 49ers camp. Damon Huard isn't part of the equation because Singletary said it's a two-man race between Shaun Hill and Alex Smith.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says rookie Michael Ray Garvin impressed during conditioning tests as the Cardinals reported for camp. Some veterans paced themselves, but all 80 players passed.

Also from Somers: Anquan Boldin isn't complaining at camp this year. Boldin: "How I feel ain't going to change a thing. So, it don't make no sense to sit here and harp on it." 

More from Somers: Cardinals nose tackle Alan Branch is in better shape. If he plays well this season, the team might be able to move Bryan Robinson to end.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com contrasts Boldin's current tack to the one he took last summer. Night and day.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch checks in with new Rams defensive tackle Hollis Thomas, no relation. Hollis: "I like beating up on people, that's the only way I can explain it. Take out the frustration. You [media] guys might write something that frustrates me, so I might take it out on the guy that's in front of me next play."

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams rookie Chris Ogbonnaya worked overtime Thursday as the only running back available to practice. Also, Craig Dahl picked off Kyle Boller during practice.

Steve Korte of the Belleville News-Democrat says rehabbing receiver Derek Stanley sees special teams as his ticket to a roster spot. 

Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com says the team has high hopes for training camp and for defensive tackle Brandon Mebane in particular.

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks accomplished just about everything they set out to do during free agency, from landing T.J. Houshmandzadeh to drafting Aaron Curry. But a few concerns persist.

John Morgan of Field Gulls singles out 10 storylines for the Seahawks at training camp. Jordan Babineaux's challenge to Brian Russell at free safety makes the top five.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune provides a transcript from Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell's conversation with reporters Thursday. Backup running back Justin Forsett appears better suited than expected for the new one-cut running game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Rams Players Age 30 and Older Pos. Age Hollis Thomas DT 35 Leonard Little DE 34 Chris Draft LB 33 James Hall DE 32 Marc Bulger QB 32 Todd Johnson DB 30 Josh Brown PK 30 Ronald Curry WR 30 Randy McMichael TE 30

Newly signed defensive tackle Hollis Thomas becomes the oldest player on the Rams' roster. At 335 pounds, he also carries the highest listed weight among Rams players.

The Rams have parted with a long list of older players this offseason. Thomas projects as a situational run-stuffer. The Scouts Inc. report on Thomas described him this way, in part:

Thomas is primarily a run-stopper who often comes off the field in passing situations. He doesn't have a lot of speed and is missing burst and athleticism as a pass-rusher. As a run defender he is built low and does a good job of playing with leverage. Has good lower-body strength to play stout, with good awareness to locate and make plays in a short area. Shows good reactions and can stack it up quickly, showing good hand use and pad level. When taking on double-teams he will get narrow with his shoulders and try to split the mesh.

Provides a small target for combo blocks but will start to lose ground when attacked low. Has some success penetrating off the ball when attempting a quick swim move. Is missing overall quickness to run down [plays] or make tackles in space once he sheds or clears.

Overall, Thomas has limited pass-rush variety but is tough and physical against the run, playing low and using veteran recognition skills.

Thomas was with the Eagles when Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo was there. He presumably has familiarity with the defensive system Spagnuolo is implementing in St. Louis.

Pending additional moves, the Rams' defensive tackles now include: Thomas, Darell Scott, Clifton Ryan, Antwon Burton, Willie Williams, Adam Carriker and Gary Gibson.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Unsigned NFC West Draft Choice Pos. Team Rd. Pick Jason Smith OT STL 1 2 Aaron Curry LB SEA 1 4 Michael Crabtree WR SF 1 10 Beanie Wells RB ARI 1 31 Max Unger C SEA 2 49

The Rams' agreement with second-round choice James Laurinaitis leaves five NFC West draft choices without deals, based on the latest reports.

The Rams will need to clear room on their roster to accommodate Laurinaitis and first-round choice Jason Smith. I noticed this morning that the team was no longer listing Kirston Pittman on its roster. The Rams will presumably make an announcement detailing any moves they make.

Note: The team has also reportedly added veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas.