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NFL teams can begin signing eight or fewer players to their practice squads once the players clear waivers Sunday.

Players on practice squads earn $5,200 per week for the 2010 season. The collective bargaining agreement sets the following parameters for eligibility:

• Players without an accrued season of NFL experience;
• Free-agent players who were on the 45-man active list for fewer than nine regular-season games during their only accrued season;
• Players who have not served more than two previous seasons on a practice squad.

According to the CBA, "A player shall be deemed to have served on a practice squad in a season if he has passed the club's physical and been a member of the club's practice squad for at least three regular-season or postseason games during his first two practice squad seasons, and for at least one regular season or postseason game during his third practice squad season."

What about bye weeks? More CBA: "A bye week counts as a game provided that the player is not terminated until after the regular-season or postseason weekend in question."

The first chart shows eligible players released by the Arizona Cardinals. Chris Johnson, Alfonso Smith and Mark Washington were waived/injured. Dean Muhtadi was released from injured reserve.

The second chart shows eligible players released by the Rams.

The third chart shows eligible players released by the 49ers (Brandon Long was released with an injury settlement).

The fourth chart shows eligible players released by the Seahawks (Jonathan Lewis was released with an injury settlement).

I'll provide a separate file breaking down each NFC West team's roster moves once they meet the 53-man limit.

In the meantime, a few odds and ends:

Arizona Cardinals

Traded guard Reggie Wells to Philadelphia; released tight end Anthony Becht; released linebacker Steve Baggs; released linebacker Monty Beisel; apparently informed receiver Max Komar he made the initial 53-man roster; apparently did not tell quarterback Matt Leinart about his status to this point; scheduled a news conference for 6 p.m. ET (but nothing significant on Leinart is expected at that time).

San Francisco 49ers

Released running back Michael Robinson, released fullback Brit Miller; released fullback Jehuu Caulcrick; released receiver Jason Hill; released receiver Kevin Jurovich; released offensive lineman Cody Wallace; released defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell; released tight ends Tony Curtis and J.J. Finley; released linebacker Bruce Davis; released cornerback Karl Paymah.

Seattle Seahawks

No known moves to this point; Seattle waited until Saturday to announce its cuts last season.

St. Louis Rams

No known moves to this point; the Rams also waited until Saturday last season.

Jon Robinson of ESPN.com checks in with 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, who loves his 99 rating on "Madden NFL 11." Willis: "It's truly an honor just to be in the game because when I was a kid, I used to created myself in 'Madden' and give myself all 99s. I feel like I should be a 99 in everything ... I didn't just want to be an 80 in this or an 80 in that. I was striving for that 99 in real life. So now to be in 'Madden' and see my character improve throughout the years to the point where now I'm a 99, it's really a blessing."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says 49ers fans did not boo quarterback Alex Smith's first pass of training camp -- unlike last season.

Also from Barrows: The 49ers want to go deep. Barrows: "So far, Smith and (Ted) Ginn haven't connected on anything deep, not in practices anyway. But Smith said that's because the passing game is adjusting to the speed and physicality of practices. Smith's arm has fully returned from the last surgery he had in 2008, and he says he and Ginn worked hard on building chemistry during the offseason."

Taylor Price of 49ers.com singles out one play from the morning practice: "Michael Crabtree turned in the play of the practice session with a tremendous over-the-middle grab in which he reached up and snatched Nate Davis’ pass out of the air in front of multiple converging defenders."

Also from Price: inside linebackers went against guards instead of running backs in Mike Singletary's nutcracker drill. Scott McKillop: "It was a harder challenge for us, but it will make us better. We’re in a situation where we need to work on leverage and using our hands to separate. It’s going to be difficult but it’s something that will make us a better player."

More from 49ers.com: a transcript featuring comments from Singletary. On Alex Smith: "I'm hoping he gets more comfortable as we go. I just think that as we’re out here we just have to continue to allow him the snaps that he needs to continue to get better. But he has the control of the offense, it’s just a matter of making sure that he takes the time to really see the whole defense and not just maybe sometimes look at the safety. You’ve got to see the whole thing."

More still from 49ers.com: Roger Craig's thoughts on Jerry Rice.

Ann Killion of CSNBayArea.com offers thoughts on Rice's impending Hall of Fame induction.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com singles out Brit Miller's big hit on Parys Haralson as a memorable play from 49ers camp.

Also from Maiocco: a look at how many reps key players received in the afternoon practice. Maiocco: "(Mike) Iupati got 19 valuable reps at left guard with (David) Baas out. Safety Reggie Smith, inside linebacker Scott McKillop and defensive end Demetric Evans worked with the first units in place of (Michael) Lewis, (Takeo) Spikes and (Justin) Smith. ... Alex Smith took 19 reps, completing 8 of 15. David Carr had nine reps and completed 2 of 7. (Nate) Davis took six snaps and completed 4 of 6."

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says Kentwan Balmer thinks improved health could help the 2008 first-round choice produce.

Also from Brown: Khalif Mitchell impressed in nutcracker drills.

David White of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers are missing nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin.

Phil Barber of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says fullback Brit Miller impressed at 49ers practice Monday. Also: "Taylor Mays, already enjoying the improved status of the second-team defense, made a pair of nice plays late in practice. He blanketed TE Joe Jon Finley on a short route, helping disrupt a pass from Alex Smith, and on the next play read a gadget play perfectly and was there to touch down the ball carrier."

Also from Barber: various 49ers-related notes, including one about Jason Hill making the catch of the morning practice. On Ted Ginn Jr.: "Ted Ginn looked good running one-on-one vs. DBs in a morning drill, beating Tramaine Brock and Karl Paymah twice on various routes -- one against Paymah on a deep touchdown throw from David Carr. But he wrapped up his day's work by dropping an easy ball that LB Keaton Kristick had batted right to him." If Ginn was consistent, the Dolphins probably would have kept him. The 49ers could use the threat of Ginn's speed, but it's an upset if he becomes a polished, consistent receiver.

More from Barber: surprise over the fact that Willis didn't dominate nutcracker drills the way he dominates during games. Willis' ability to avoid blocks and make tackles helps make him a special linebacker. The nutcracker drill is all about taking on blocks and overpowering opponents.

Note: I'm breaking out each team separately today because there's too much stuff for a single Around the NFC West file.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks have been dysfunctional in recent years and that hiring Pete Carroll is a step toward unification, according to CEO Tod Leiweke. Haven't we heard this before? Yes, we have. The team hired Tim Ruskell to work with Mike Holmgren in 2005, putting more distance between the organization and the dysfunction that marked the relationship between Holmgren and former president Bob Whitsitt. The big difference this time is that Seattle is hiring its coach and GM at the same time. That should help them function better together. Leiweke: "To be quite honest, there was not a harmonious relationship between Tim and Mike Holmgren. It's probably neither guy's fault, but we learned a lot there."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says Carroll, contract negotiator John Idzik and the as-yet-unhired general manager will report to Leiweke.

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com says Leiweke wasn't surprised to hear negative reaction following Carroll's hiring. Leiweke: "No, because when you lead with your chin, when you've had two years like we've had, when people see some dysfunction, when you have a legend like Mike Holmgren leave and you let a coach go after one year, it doesn't really set the table for a ticker tape parade for the next guy coming in. But what gets that right is winning. And Mr. Allen gave us the authority to go out and find the best coach we could and we think we have. And now we're going to find the best GM. And I'm confident it's going to result in what our fans most want, which is winning."

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals' game against the Packers was exciting for a lot of people, but not necessarily coach Ken Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt: "That's funny to say it's entertaining, because it's not entertaining when I'm seeing 88 [Jermichael Finley] and 85 [Greg Jennings] on the other side of the field catching the football and running around with it. It's rewarding when you win a game like that; it's devastating when you lose a game like that. Both teams made enough plays to win the football game. Fortunately, we made one more than them."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the NFL stands by the non-call of a potential face mask penalty against Cardinals cornerback Michael Adams on the final play of the game Sunday. Somers: "In a statement, an NFL spokesman pointed out that an 'incidental grasp' of the face mask is allowed. The rule reads that 'no player shall twist, turn, or pull the face mask of an opponent in any direction.'" More here.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says the Phoenix area is still buzzing over the Cardinals' victory. Bickley: "With an obscene overnight television rating (21.8) that trumped the Eagles-Cowboys on Saturday night, the game will do wonders for the Big Red brand. The relentless pace of the game felt like the historic Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, when a single break of serve spelled disaster for both sides. And it made one realize just how blessed we've been since joining the big leagues in 1998, when Arizona first fielded four major professional sports teams."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Kurt Warner values being part of two organizational turnarounds.

Howard Balzer of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat says the Rams have signed cornerback Marcus Brown, who had spent time of the practice squad. Balzer: "Brown joins defensive end Sean Conover, guard Mark Lewis and center/guard Drew Miller, who were previously signed after ending the season on the practice squad. Players whose practice-squad contracts expired and haven’t been signed are defensive tackle Chris Bradwell, tight end Eric Butler, linebacker Jay Moore and wide receiver Sean Walker."

Also from Balzer: a case for former St. Louis Cardinals coach Don Coryell as a Hall of Fame inductee. Former tackle Dan Dierdorf: "He simply changed the game. The NFL was a running league when he came to the Cardinals [in 1973]. Teams seemingly ran the ball out of obligation. Don wanted to throw the football, especially on first down."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers plan to interview Bobby April as a potential special-teams coach. Also: "The 49ers signed another practice squadder, tight end Joe Jon Finley, to a future contract. Finley essentially beat out Bear Pascoe, a sixth-round pick, to land a spot on the practice squad in the offseason. Coaches felt more confident in Finley should something have happened to either Vernon Davis or Delanie Walker. Given the importance of the tight end in the 49ers' offense, look for them to acquire a tight end who can block in the offseason."

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says April reportedly interviewed with the Steelers recently.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

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

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

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

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

The chart shows results for San Francisco.

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

The remaining 14 players are unsigned.

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

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

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The 49ers announced seven signings to their practice squad Sunday. Sixth-round choice Bear Pascoe, a player the team once envisioned as a smashmouth blocking tight end, was not one of the seven players. J.J. Finley was the only tight end signed to the practice squad.

The other six initial members of the squad: tackle Alex Boone, receiver Dobson Collins, fullback Brit Miller, defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell, receiver Dominique Zeigler and running back Kory Sheets.

It probably wasn't a good sign for Pascoe when coach Mike Singletary told reporters Saturday that the NFL game appeared too fast for the former Fresno State player.

Five of the 49ers' seven 2009 draft choices earned spots on the initial 53-man roster. A sixth, Michael Crabtree, remains unsigned.

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

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

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

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

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

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando


Reed Albergotti of the Wall Street Journal says Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Hill and Kurt Warner rank among the 10 most handsome quarterbacks in the NFL, based on research showing a relationship between facial symmetry and perceived attractiveness. Albergotti: "Scientific research overwhelmingly points to facial symmetry as an indicator of success. Studies show infants with more symmetrical faces are given more attention. Symmetrical workers also tend to earn more. Football is supposed to be egalitarian, of course. The players with the strongest and most accurate throwing arms should become the quarterbacks while the biggest, most powerful players should be linemen. Somewhere along the way, it seems, good-looking kids are steered toward the glamour position."


Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals want second-year cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to become more disciplined in adhering to his assignments. The Packers had fun at Rodgers-Cromartie's expense in the Cardinals' most recent exhibition game. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "I would say he's a young player that at times is undisciplined, and it's our job, and it's our defensive leaders' job, to get him on the same page. I think he was disappointed in the way he played, embarrassed, and he worked in practice a lot harder. Hopefully, that will translate to a better game. I still like the young man as a football player. He's got tremendous talent and we're going to continue to work with him to see if we can establish more consistency."


Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Whisenhunt's anger over his team's performance against the Packers has subsided. Expect the Cardinals' starters to get limited work in the final exhibition game.


Revenge of the Birds' Hawkwind tackles competition for spots on the Cardinals' roster.





Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers cornerback Nate Clements took notice upon seeing Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald posing shirtless on a magazine cover (left). "I thought you had to have abs for that," Clements joked. Brown: "Clements might want to be careful with his quips, considering he’s going to have to cover the coverboy in the 49ers’ regular-season opener in Arizona on Sept. 13. Fitzgerald is coming off a dazzling postseason and a trip to the Super Bowl; Clements is in his ninth season and still searching for his first postseason appearance. Moreover, Clements has endured some rough patches during the preseason games, including allowing a few big gainers against Dallas on Saturday."


Also from Brown: 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye would like to run the ball 60 percent of the time. More on that in a bit.


Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat projects the 53-man roster for the 49ers. He keeps J.J. Finley at Bear Pascoe's expense and expects the 49ers to pick up a free-agent fullback, which makes sense after the team lost Zak Keasey to injury.


Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers' starting offensive line worked together for the first time since left guard David Baas suffered a torn plantar fascia Aug. 4.


Also from Barrows: Nate Davis needs more reps to better grasp the 49ers' offense.


Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune forecasts the Seahawks' initial 53-man roster for the 2009 season. He puts Courtney Taylor and Ben Obomanu on the team at receiver, releasing Jordan Kent. Joe Newton is the choice over Cameron Morrah as the third tight end. Kyle Williams makes it at tackle.


Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says Michael Bumpus' release from the Seahawks shows how much more depth Seattle has at the position this season. Injuries forced Bumpus into the starting lineup for a game last season.


Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch doesn't hesitate to affix blame for the Rams' roster predicament. Miklasz: "These drafts were conducted by head coach coach Scott Linehan and GM Jay Zygmunt. Both are gone from Rams Park. Horrible personnel decisions were a substantial part of their demise, and the impact is still reverberating. The new regime of GM Billy Devaney and head coach Steve Spagnuolo inherited a stripped-down roster and will need plenty of time to clean up the mess caused by Linehan and Zygmunt."


Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo asked players to support the team's personnel decisions after St. Louis traded 2006 first-round choice Tye Hill to the Falcons for a 2010 seventh-round pick. Accepting so little in return for Hill suggests the Rams might have released him anyway. Spagnuolo stopped short of endorsing Jonathan Wade as a likely starter now that Hill is gone. Spagnuolo: "Wade's play has improved this preseason, but he's the first to admit he needs further improvement across the board. When asked what he liked about Wade, Spagnuolo sidestepped the question, perhaps another indication he's keeping his options open."


Also from Thomas: Joe Klopfenstein's excellent measurable skills never translated to production on the field.


More from Thomas: a chat transcript featuring questions about the Rams' depth at cornerback after the team traded Hill. Thomas: "I do question the depth behind Hill. Like the draft picks and free agents he has brought here, Devaney will be judged over time."


Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch backs the Rams as the new football leadership parts with high-profile players from the past, including Hill. Burwell: "The people whose fingerprints are on the crime of this century are long gone, and here was all the stark evidence why."


Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com translates the message Rams management sent through its recent moves. Gordon: "Everybody has to earn their job here. Hill’s first-round draft status didn’t help him whatsoever."

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Thoughts and observations after watching the 49ers' exhibition game against the Cowboys on Saturday night:

• Time to start scheming. The 49ers' pass rushers rarely seem to win one-on-one battles. Parys Haralson flashes occasionally, as when he forced Tony Romo into an interception Saturday night. Justin Smith's relentlessness pays off at times. But coach Mike Singletary was right during a conference call Sunday when he said the 49ers would have to rely on scheme to generate a strong pass rush. I charted Manny Lawson during the Cowboys' opening nine-play drive. Lawson made no impact as a rusher on seven pass plays. On the run plays, the Cowboys first blocked him successfully with a tight end, then pancaked him with a fullback.
• Love that run game. Lawson looked pretty good in pass-rush drills when I visited 49ers training camp. He was working against offensive linemen built for run blocking, not prolonged pass protection. The 49ers will have a hard-nosed running game this season. They will have the identity Singletary wanted to create. For example, that was Delanie Walker, known as a receiving tight end, lining up at fullback in the offset-I and throwing himself at Cowboys defensive end Anthony Spencer. Running the ball is a mentality. The 49ers have it.
• Need more from the QB. The 49ers look like a team that practices running the ball about 75 percent of the time. They look like a team that didn't commit to a starting quarterback until last week. The first-team offense ran the ball pretty well against the Cowboys, but the passing game needs work. "First and foremost," Singletary said Sunday, "it starts with the quarterback situation." Shaun Hill missed practice time last week. Singletary also pointed to injuries at left guard and right tackle. The 49ers will not beat good teams without improvement through the air.
  
• Rachal is still learning. Cowboys defensive linemen Jay Ratliff and Marcus Spears made plays against 49ers right guard Chilo Rachal. Ratliff beat him off the line cleanly for a sack. Spears sidestepped Rachal to foil a running play, causing Rachal to whiff. Working against such a talented defensive front can only be good for Rachal. It's easy to forget Rachal has started only six regular-season games.
• Picking Battle. Hill kept looking for veteran receiver Arnaz Battle, the player he recently singled out as having an outstanding camp. Battle suffered a shoulder contusion during the game. It was unclear if he would miss time. Josh Morgan remains the starter, but Battle could figure into the mix more prominently than once expected.
• Welcoming contact. Cornerback Shawntae Spencer, coming back from knee surgery last season, didn't shy from contact. He lowered his shoulder and drove his body into Marion Barber on one play. That seemed like a good sign for him.
  
• 49ers know running backs. From Frank Gore to Glen Coffee to undrafted rookie Kory Sheets, the 49ers have a knack for finding promising runners. Sheets flashed his athleticism with an over-the-top touchdown leap at the goal line.
• Rookie QB showed savvy. Nate Davis showed patience in waiting for J.J. Finley to come open in the red zone, he showed touch on screen passes and he led the 49ers' winning drive late in the game. What more could a team expect from a fifth-round rookie?

The 49ers have made their cuts on the roster reduction to 75 players. Their final exhibition game is Friday at San Diego.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The 49ers' roster appears most interesting at running back and receiver.

The more I think about how much the 49ers want to pound the ball on offense, the more I see them keeping two fullbacks on the Week 1 roster.

Zak Keasey's broken forearm prevents him from becoming part of the equation early, and it's tough to see a team waiting two months for a backup fullback to get healthy. Enter Bill Rentmeester. Formerly of the Chargers, Rentmeester offers what preseason touchdown machine Brit Miller does not: experience at fullback. For the sake of this roster exercise, I'll pencil in Rentmeester for Week 1.

The numbers at receiver figure to swell while the team waits for Brandon Jones to heal and Michael Crabtree to sign and get ready to contribute.

San Francisco 49ers Week 1 Roster Counts since 2003 QB RB WR TE OL DL LB DB ST Fewest 3 4 5 2 8 5 6 7 2 Most 4 7 7 4 10 9 8 11 4 Average 3.2 5.2 5.8 3.2 8.8 7.2 7.3 9.3 3.0 Currently on roster 4 8 12 4 14 9 12 14 4

The chart provides a framework for how many players the 49ers might keep at each position heading into the regular-season opener against the Cardinals.

Here's a quick look at which 49ers players I might keep on the cutdown to 53 players (I made one change, moving Cody Wallace into the group of offensive linemen at Joe Toledo's expense):

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The 49ers and Seahawks were the only NFC West teams to draft tight ends this offseason, and then only late in the draft.

The rest of the division has sought depth from the free-agent scrap heap. The 49ers didn't bring back Billy Bajema, but the Rams signed him. The Rams had long ago given up on Dominique Byrd, but the Cardinals signed him. The Seahawks signed John Owens from the Lions.

The 49ers' sixth-round pick, Bear Pascoe, could factor significantly in double-tight personnel groupings, perhaps at the expense of Delanie Walker. It's early to forecast where Seahawks seventh-rounder Cameron Morrah might fit in Seattle.

A quick look at NFC West tight ends, with less regard for the order, which figures to change significantly in some cases:

TE Cardinals 49ers Rams Seahawks 1 Stephen Spach Vernon Davis Randy McMichael John Carlson 2 Leonard Pope Delanie Walker Joe Klopfenstein John Owens 3 Ben Patrick Bear Pascoe Billy Bajema Cameron Morrah 4 Anthony Becht J.J. Finley Daniel Fells Joe Newton 5 Dominique Byrd -- Eric Butler John Tereshinski 6 Alex Shor -- -- --

The top three tight ends in the division, for my money:

1. Carlson: Very good receiver. Only getting started.
2. McMichael: Established veteran with some versatility.
3. Davis: Very good blocker, inconsistent receiver. Could be on the rise.

Davis arguably should rank higher than McMichael, but he has not produced the way McMichael has over the course of his career.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

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

I'll start with San Francisco.

Gone from the 49ers' 53-man roster and injured reserve list in the 58 days since the Super Bowl (13):

	Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
	J.T. O'Sullivan is a former 49er.

Offense

Jamie Martin, QB

J.T. O'Sullivan, QB

Billy Bajema, TE

DeShaun Foster, RB

Sean Ryan, TE

Bryant Johnson, WR

Jonas Jennings, T

Damane Duckett, T

Defense

Keith Lewis, S

Donald Strickland, CB

Roderick Green, LB

Ronald Fields, DL

Tully Banta-Cain, LB

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

I've updated the NFC West roided-out rosters to include moves made this week. Those are available for download.

I'll tack on a Steelers version in the next edition, scheduled for Super Bowl week. In the meantime, let's take a quick look at players NFC West teams have signed to future contracts. These players will become part of the 80-man rosters after the Super Bowl.

Arizona: punter Waylon Prather, quarterback Tyler Palko, running back Justin Green, guard Ben Claxton.

St. Louis: receiver Nate Jones, defensive tackle Willie Williams, receiver Joel Filani, receiver Travis Brown, running back Samkon Gado, defensive end C.J. Ah You.

San Francisco: tight end J.J. Finley, tackle Joe Toledo, receiver Mark Bradford, linebacker Justin Roland and kick returner Michael Spurlock.

Seattle: defensive back Marquis FLoyd, tight end Joe Newton, receiver Michael Bumpus, defensive tackle Kevin Brown, tight end John Tereshinski, long snapper Ryan Senser, receiver Mike Hass and Receiver Billy McMullen.