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NFL rosters turn over quickly. It's no shock to see a team's draft class disperse after five or six years.

Sometimes it takes a special player to thrive through injuries, coaching changes, temptations and other issues that can send a promising career in the wrong direction.

Calais Campbell is looking like that type of player. He has stayed relatively healthy, succeeded despite multiple changes in coordinators and commanded a lucrative second contract from the Arizona Cardinals.

Campbell, still only 25, is the longest-tenured second-round draft choice remaining with his original NFC West team. That seems difficult to believe, but much has changed since the Cardinals made Campbell the 50th overall choice in the 2008 NFL draft. Every other team in the division has changed head coaches multiple times. Those changes negatively affected quite a few players.

The chart shows NFC West second-round choices since 2007, excluding the class selected last month. Shading indicates players no longer with their original teams.

Eight of the 10 drafted from 2009 to 2011 remain with their teams. Taylor Mays and Cody Brown are the exceptions. Campbell is the lone second-round survivor among seven taken during the 2007-2008 drafts.

I've singled out five second-rounders to watch in the division:

• Colin Kaepernick, 49ers: Alex Smith projects as the starter for this season, but his contract provides flexibility for the team. Kaepernick could get a chance this season if Smith struggles or fails to remain healthy enough to start all 16 games for a second consecutive season.
• Ryan Williams, Cardinals: Williams spent much of his offseason at team headquarters rehabbing a serious knee injury. The team remains cautiously optimistic that Williams can become a game-breaking back. Coaches and scouts loved what they saw from him before the injury.
• Golden Tate, Seahawks: Tate started five games and dropped no passes last season. The Seahawks think Tate might be turning a corner after a rough start to his career. This is a pivotal season for Tate.
• Rodger Saffold, Rams: Saffold quickly emerged as the Rams' starting left tackle, showing promise as a rookie. His second season wasn't as smooth. A pectoral injury suffered while lifting weights required surgery. Saffold looks like a long-term starter even if it means sliding to guard at some point in the future.
• Lance Kendricks, Rams: Former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was a big supporter in the Rams' decision to draft Kendricks. McDaniels is gone. Kendricks remains in the Rams' plans, by all appearances. He was inconsistent as a rookie and still must find his bearings.

St. Louis and Arizona each used five second-round choices from 2007 to 2011. Seattle used four. San Francisco used three and has gotten relatively little from those selections, pending Kaepernick's potential emergence as the starting quarterback at some point in the future.

The Rams have gotten 118 starts from their five second-round choices during the five years in question. The Seahawks have gotten 99 starts, the Cardinals 74 starts and the 49ers 44 starts. Teams with weaker rosters and/or additional second-round choices would generally have larger totals.

The chart shows starts made only for the teams that selected each player. Some players have made additional starts for other teams.

Mario Haggan started 32 consecutive games for the Denver Broncos over the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Then Von Miller showed up.

A scheme change in Denver also marginalized the 32-year-old Haggan, who landed in St. Louis and could start for the Rams at strong-side linebacker. James Laurinaitis returns as the starter in the middle, with Jo-Lonn Dunbar penciled in as the starter on the weak side.

Linebacker was one position of great need for St. Louis that went largely unaddressed in the draft. The team used a seventh-round choice for Hawaii's Aaron Brown.

Haggan provides veteran depth, a short-term starting candidate and, potentially, veteran leadership.

The Scouts Inc. report for Haggan heading into last season read, "Haggan is much more effective coming forward than he is when dropping into space and may struggle in Denver's new defensive scheme. He shows good acceleration upfield as a pass-rusher and flashes a decent burst to close on the pocket. He needs work on his hand use as he tries to control and shed blockers. He can be inconsistent reading blocking schemes and locating the level of the ball."

What are the St. Louis Rams going to do at outside linebacker?

The team faces other questions coming off a 2-14 season, but that position went largely unaddressed in the draft. St. Louis emerged from the draft with five linebackers on its roster, leaving roughly six or seven spots to fill for training camp.

The Rams used a seventh-round choice for Aaron Brown, a weakside linebacker from Hawaii, but linebackers selected that late would generally project as special-teams contributors only if they earn roster spots at all.

Veteran Jo-Lonn Dunbar, signed from New Orleans in free agency, projects as one starter. Josh Hull, a seventh-round choice in 2010, projects as the other starter until the Rams can further address the position.

James Laurinaitis is a solid starter in the middle. He should fare better in 2012 playing behind recently acquired Kendall Langford (Miami Dolphins) and Michael Brockers (first-round draft choice). He cannot make every play from sideline to sideline, however. He needs help. The Rams desperately need speed on the outside.

After struggling through last season with aging stopgap options such as Ben Leber and Brady Poppinga, the Rams have gotten younger at the position, but they have not gotten appreciably better. Some of the players they cast aside in previous seasons -- Paris Lenon, Pisa Tinoisamoa and Will Witherspoon come to mind -- would have been better than the players St. Louis wound up relying on.

At one point in the draft, the Rams traded down from the 45th spot, coming away with running back Isaiah Pead and the 150th choice. Philadelphia and Seattle took inside linebackers with the 46th and 47th overall picks. The Rams could have drafted Nebraska's Lavonte David, who went to Tampa Bay at No. 58, but they thought Pead would bring greater value at another position of need.

Teams running 4-3 defenses selected only four projected outside linebackers from the third through fifth rounds, with Jacksonville selecting Nevada's Brandon Marshall at No. 142, eight spots before the Rams chose South Carolina guard Rokevious Watkins.

The bottom line was that St. Louis entered this draft with more needs than it could address with the available picks. Outside linebacker moves closer to the top of their priority list as the roster rebuild enters its next phase.

The NFL trend toward a state of (pass) happiness has not swept over the NFC West.

Go ahead and blame the quarterbacks, but realize, too, that the St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have sought run-oriented identities through their current head coaches.



The Rams' decision to draft defensive tackle Michael Brockers in the first round, understandable based on need alone, makes even more sense in a divisional context. The NFC West schedule delivers the Rams six games against Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore and Beanie Wells -- three physical backs coming off 1,000-yard seasons. The 49ers also added 260-pound Brandon Jacobs to their backfield.

The Rams ranked 31st in rushing yards allowed last season. They allowed 5.7 yards per carry on runs up the middle, including 3.2 before contact. Those figures were worst in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Brockers is 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds. Scouts Inc. rated him as exceptional or above average in every area except pass-rush ability, where his grade was average. Brockers' grades were exceptional for run defense and durability.

"He's what you want in a defensive tackle, especially in our division with the downhill runs and things like that," Rams general manager Les Snead told reporters Thursday night. "One person I know that’s smiling right now is (middle linebacker) James Laurinaitis."

Passionate responses from St. Louis Rams fans take priority around here for reasons obvious to those lurking in the comments sections.

If the past five seasons have squeezed life from some Rams fans, that is understandable. But there are still some survivors out there, and I'm betting k1joyce is one of them.

The earlier item about the Rams' total roster rebuild got k1joyce going. It was good to see.

"It is simply ignored that the Rams were 7-9 a year ago [2010 season]," he wrote. "I'd like to see any team weather the storm of injuries they had last year, but of course, that doesn't matter. They should win 6-8 games next year provided the draft gives them some decent players."

And this: "With Jeff Fisher at the helm, this team surprises Mike Sando and wins 6-8 games, provided 20 players don't end up on IR. ... You can't just go around looking at the record of the past five years and just continue to IGNORE that the Rams were 7-9 a year ago. While it is unlikely the Rams are over .500 this upcoming year, they are not as far away from being competitive as Sando would have you think."

A clarification seems appropriate here. I never said the Rams would be terrible. I said they were terrible last season and would have many new players this season, by design. They went into this offseason with 21 unrestricted free agents. They have not re-signed any of them. I'll be shocked if they re-sign more than one or two, if any.

Right there, we're talking about 40 percent of the final 2011 roster turning over. The team could welcome back seven or eight of the players finishing last season on injured reserve, helping continuity and supporting k1joyce's broader point.

But as I told k1joyce in the comments section of that previous item, the Rams being 7-9 in 2010 would mean more if they were bringing back a lot of the same players. Three-fourths of the starting defensive line will be new from 2010. Two-thirds of the starting linebackers will be new. The entire starting secondary could be new. At least three-fifths of the starting offensive line will be new. The receivers should be largely new.

"I just think, minus half the team on IR, they are better than what they were last year," k1joyce replied. "There is a solid core in place with Chris Long, James Lauranitis, Robert Quinn, Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson. Quintin Mikell and Darian Stewart will be the starters at safety. Cortland Finnegan is new, but Bradley Fletcher has played well when healthy, and Jerome Murphy could surprise some people at nickel."

There was more, including a note about Bradford playing well -- for a rookie, I would add -- with the receivers he had in 2010. But we should be able to settle this one without extending this discussion much further.

Again, I never said the Rams would be 2-14 again. I would simply say the evidence suggests they're in rebuild mode, starting with the fact that so many of their players from last season will not return -- by design.

The turnover since 2010 will be even more striking.

Seventy-six players played for the Rams at some point during the 2010 season. Twenty-three of them remain with the team, including restricted free agent Danny Amendola. Of the other 22, a handful project as potential starters: Bradford, Fletcher, Jackson, Laurinaitis, Long, Saffold, Stewart and Jason Smith. Mikell, referenced earlier, was not with the Rams until 2011.

I'll break down the turnover rates for rosters as the season approaches. The Rams are not finished.

Note: The 76 players from 2010 included all players with the Rams in some capacity, whether or not they played during regular-season games. That included some practice-squad players.

Gregg Williams' indefinite suspension from the St. Louis Rams will not stop the team from signing the defensive coordinator's former players.

Linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, signed Monday as an unrestricted free agent from the New Orleans Saints, gives the Rams a veteran linebacker fully versed in the system St. Louis plans to install.

Dunbar played 68 percent of the defensive snaps for the Saints last season. The team valued him for his ability to back up all three spots and start when needed. Dunbar also played extensively on special teams.

The Rams have zero quality depth at linebacker. Dunbar upgrades the position.

Scouts Inc. has called Dunbar a technically sound player with good instincts, but also one lacking ideal size and occasionally struggling to get depth in his pass drops.

James Laurinaitis returns as the starting middle linebacker in St. Louis. Dunbar, Josh Hull and Justin Cole are the other linebackers. The team could still draft for the position.

The Rams also re-signed quarterback Tom Brandstater. I'm not sure whether Kellen Clemens is in their plans. Starter Sam Bradford had been the only other quarterback on the roster.

Peyton Manning is expected to visit with the Arizona Cardinals after leaving the Denver Broncos.

That visit could begin Saturday night if suspicions are correct and Manning boarded this flight from Denver, as friend of the NFC West blog Dustin Holmes suspected.

That's as close to the NFC West as some would like Manning to come.

St. Louis Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis, speaking recently with Bernie Miklasz on 101ESPN St. Louis, called Manning "a nightmare to play against" and said he'd prefer to keep the free-agent quarterback out of the division. Laurinaitis also offered insight into one way a healthy Manning can give a defense problems.

"I was unfortunately a rookie trying to audible at the line of scrimmage," Laurinaitis said. "He will let that play clock run down to one second before he snaps it, three plays in a row, and you think the next play he's going to do the same thing, so you go up there, try to disguise and he snaps it with 24 seconds left on the play clock. He just messes with you the whole, entire game."

The chart shows how Manning fared against the NFC West when Indianapolis faced the division in 2009. The San Francisco 49ers held Manning without a touchdown pass that year. They took a 14-12 lead into the fourth quarter before the Colts scored the game-winning touchdown on a pass from running back Joseph Addai to receiver Reggie Wayne.

There are no indications Manning plans to sign with a team in the immediate future. We also do not know whether he plans to visit teams beyond Denver, Arizona and Miami.

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Not that the St. Louis Rams needed any prompting to reassess their roster, but it's time for an overhaul when a receiver likely to spend 11 career games on the roster emerges as a candidate to grace the "Madden 13" cover.

Brandon Lloyd is that receiver. The Rams acquired him during the 2011 season. They chose not to name him their franchise player. They appear likely to watch him leave in free agency, perhaps as early as next week.

No matter. Lloyd still appears with defensive end Chris Long as the Rams' candidates for the next Madden cover. Steven Jackson and James Laurinaitis would have been safer choices than Lloyd.

Marshall Faulk was the last Rams player to grace the cover.

Vernon Davis, Patrick Willis, Marshawn Lynch, Earl Thomas, Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Peterson, Long and Lloyd are NFC West candidates.

Sorry, Peyton Manning isn't an option in fan voting, which reroutes through Facebook

Willis, Thomas, Fitzgerald and Long were my choices from the NFC West. All but Willis was the longest-tenured player from his team (of the choices given).

Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Steven Jackson, Adrian Wilson and Larry Fitzgerald were among the current NFC West players I considered best qualified the ESPN.com/ESPN The Magazine's NFL Any Era team.

There were other less-accomplished players I felt fit the mold, including Chris Clemons, Chris Long, James Laurinaitis, etc.

But when ESPN shared with me an advance copy of the list, Smith's exclusion bothered me the most. Willis made it at No. 7, and rightly so. The top four positions have not yet been revealed, but No. 94 for the 49ers is not among them.

"If I could exchange myself today and give it to somebody else, I would give it to Justin and I would be off of it," Willis said of his Any Era selection. "Because honestly, he is who makes me who I am. This guy, he really makes my world a lot easier."

Anyone watching the 49ers closely during their recent postseason run got to see how Smith plays every week. Smith had 10 tackles, two sacks and nine quarterback hits in those games. He drove both opponents' left tackles straight backward into their quarterbacks, dragging down Drew Brees and mauling Eli Manning.

"He is no prima donna d-tackle," Willis said. "This guy is the real deal. He is not 400-and-some pounds and just sitting there like a big glob. He is not 270 pounds where he is just trying to swim a gap. This man is 300 pounds on the money and he is going to go right through you."

Smith has started 171 consecutive regular-season games. The way Smith's neck and head fill his helmet creates an old-school look.

"Those are the types of guys I want to play with," Willis said. "Hard-nosed guys. You get guys that just want to be pass rushers or you get guys who don't want to move. I don’t think you are a complete guy. Justin is a very complete d-tackle to me. Man, I’ll tell you what, he has been the heart and soul of this defense."

Five things I noticed while watching the San Francisco 49ers' final game of the 2011 regular season, a 34-27 victory over the St. Louis Rams in the Edward Jones Dome:

• Justin Smith's hidden impact: Parys Haralson stuffed Rams running back Steven Jackson for no gain on St. Louis' first play of the game. What did Smith have to do with the play? Well, the Rams assigned the left side of their offensive line to block Smith on the play. That left Haralson singled up against tight end Stephen Spach, who had lined up in the backfield. Haralson made a nice play. He gets credit for shedding Spach. Smith made Haralson's job a lot easier. Smith also applied the pressure that forced Jerious Norwood into an errant throw on a trick play. Cornerback Tarell Brown picked off the pass.
• Good trial run for Willis: The fact that Patrick Willis got through this game without aggravating his hamstring injury counts as a victory. Willis was rusty and sometimes not close to his usual self in this game. Better to shake off the rust in Week 17 than in a playoff game. At his sharpest, I suspect Willis would have chased down and punished Rams quarterback Kellen Clemens before Clemens could scramble for an 18-yard touchdown. Clemens was running across the yard-line numbers at the 17 when Willis, also positioned near the numbers, gave chase from the 9. Willis stumbled and fell in pursuit, giving Clemens a path to the end zone.
• Hat tip to Peelle, Gore: Alex Smith rolled right, cut back hard enough to slip, gathered himself and ran for a touchdown on third-and-goal from the 8. Good play by the quarterback? Yes, and also by his teammates. Tight end Justin Peelle and running back Frank Gore made the play possible. They alertly went into blocking mode and escorted Smith to the end zone. Peelle dove and chopped down James Laurinaitis at the 5. Gore took out linebacker Chris Chamberlain at the knees.
• Goldson dishing it out: Free safety Dashon Goldson has stood out all season for big hits. On third-and-18 in the third quarter, Goldson raced to the left flat and took out Jackson at the thighs, sending the 245-pound back airborne. This was a play made of mismatches. Willis ducked under fill-in offensive lineman Bryan Mattison at the line of scrimmage and was in Clemens' face too quickly, even for a screen play. The pass was a bit off-target. Goldson then outran Mattison to take out Jackson. Because Jackson was hunched over and reaching for the ball, his arm was vulnerable. Goldson smashed into the arm while making the tackle. Jackson suffered an injury to the arm and did not return.
• Third-down struggles. The 49ers converted 38 percent of their third-down chances, better than their season average of 29.4, which ranked 31st in the league. But the 49ers averaged only 2.5 yards gained on 15 plays of third-and-3 or longer. NFC playoff teams New Orleans (first), Green Bay (third) and Atlanta (sixth) ranked among the NFL's top six in third-down conversion rate this season. The New York Giants (14th) and Detroit Lions (20th) ranked lower.

All for now.

Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith, Charlie Whitehurst and Matt Flynn were among the quarterbacks making appearances in the latest NFC West chat. Tarvaris Jackson was in there somewhere, too.

Quarterbacks will remain a leading storyline with Smith in the playoffs, Whitehurst likely on his way out of Seattle, Jackson and Kevin Kolb likely returning to their teams and Seattle considering its options in the draft or, possibly, through a trade.

A few highlights:

Keith from Seattle asks whether the Seahawks might take a hard look at Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn, allowing them to use their first-round draft choice for a defensive end.

Mike Sando: That makes sense because Matt Flynn and Seahawks GM John Schneider were in Green Bay together. However, never during the Seahawks' pursuit of a QB previously -- think Charlie Whitehurst -- did Flynn's name ever come up. If Schneider came to Seattle thinking Flynn could be a starter, he presumably would have tried to acquire him, right? I have no knowledge that he ever did. That could be telling. Seattle's perceptions of Flynn might have changed in light of the way Flynn has played subsequently. That is possible. For now, though, it's more connecting of dots than anything.

Andrew from Seattle asks how the San Francisco 49ers' offense might be difference with Colin Kaepernick.

Mike Sando: It's funny you should bring this up. I was reading a Chuck Klosterman piece called "Speed Chess" yesterday and perked up when he referenced the Nevada offense among those that cared more about running a limited number of plays too quickly for the opponent to keep up than it cared about taking the time to get into the most favorable play before each snap. The 49ers with Alex Smith seem more deliberate. It think he's doing quite a bit before the snap to get the 49ers into favorable plays, particularly runs. That is where his experience and football smarts would come into play. Kaepernick has none of that experience and has not played in this type of offense. So, from that standpoint, the offense might not look the same (or, at the very least, Kaepernick would have some adjusting to do). That is my read based on limited information.

Paul from Tucson asks whether the St. Louis Rams would get a compensatory draft choice if they did not re-sign receiver Brandon Lloyd.

Mike Sando: Losing Lloyd to another team during the UFA signing window would help them in the compensatory equation. But if they signed some big-money free agents from other teams, those signings would work against whatever they might have gotten from Lloyd or any other UFAs signing elsewhere.

Mackay from Utah says he's taking heat for saying Arizona's Daryl Washington is better than San Francisco's NaVorro Bowman. He's a Cardinals fan seeking an second opinion.

Mike Sando: Great question, and a fair one. I also like Washington. You are not way off-base in saying Washington is better. We could probably find NFL people on both sides of that one. Bowman stood out playing for a superior defense. You can pick one of those guys and I'll take the other. Both are going to be on my all-division team for defense.

Bowman and Washington both appeared on the NFC West all-defense team along with Patrick Willis. The NFC West has good young talent at inside linebacker. James Laurinaitis has already made an impact in St. Louis. The Seahawks expect good things from K.J. Wright, who became a starter as a rookie in 2011 (and filled in at middle linebacker).

A look at my all-NFC West picks for the 2011 season, continuing with the defense:

• San Francisco 49ers rookie Aldon Smith defied categorization. I wasn't going to list him at the expense of every-down players at defensive end or linebacker. Neither was I going to leave him off the team after Smith collected 14 sacks. Smith commanded his own category as a situational pass-rusher. Consider that a compliment.
• Some St. Louis Rams fans I know will insist James Laurinaitis should show up among the linebackers. I wasn't going to list him above Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman or Daryl Washington. The Cardinals blocked Laurinaitis well while Beanie Wells set a franchise rushing record with 228 yards. The Rams ranked 32nd against the run most of the season, settling in at No. 31. Dallas' DeMarco Murray also set a franchise single-game rushing record against the Rams. Laurinaitis was not primarily to blame, obviously, but neither was he able to stem the bleeding. He remains a good player with a bright future, but this was not his year.
• The choices along the defensive line forced leaving off very good players such as Darnell Dockett, Ray McDonald and Red Bryant. Alan Branch also played well after leaving Arizona for Seattle. Chris Clemons' obvious strength as a pass-rusher and strong play against the run made him stand out. Insider subscribers might have noticed Clemons showing up third behind Jared Allen and Jason Babin on a list of most valuable sack artists. The piece ranked pass-rushers by the importance of their sacks relative to game situations.
• Seattle's Kam Chancellor was a narrow choice over Arizona's Adrian Wilson at strong safety. I had no problem with Wilson beating out Chancellor in Pro Bowl balloting. Wilson earned that recognition. He was a worthy choice. I do think Chancellor made a bigger impact from start to finish this season, and he did it for a defense that was far more consistent. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. agreed with me on that choice. An NFL scout I called for another opinion also gave Chancellor a slight edge. Both players were legitimate choices.
• The division has good, young prospects at cornerback. Arizona's Patrick Peterson will probably show up on this team next season. He was trending that way. The 49ers' Carlos Rogers was an easy choice. Seattle's Richard Sherman enjoyed a breakout rookie season and was even better, I thought, than teammate Brandon Browner, a first-alternate to the Pro Bowl.

The chart breaks down all-division choices from 2008-10, plus this season. Still to come: special teams. Let the discussions begin.

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A single tweet from a Philadelphia reporter trumped all the others I ran across after the NFL announced its Pro Bowl teams for the 2011 season.

"I have to say this one more time before I go to bed," Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News wrote. "49ers have more Pro Bowlers (8) than the entire NFC East (7). Not how I saw it in August."

The situation at cornerback was particularly illustrative. Carlos Rogers, a relatively cheap pickup by the San Francisco 49ers in free agency, is a Pro Bowl starter. Nnamdi Asomugha, the Philadelphia Eagles' prized offseason acquisition, is only a second alternate -- behind first-alternate Brandon Browner, a player the Seattle Seahawks signed from the CFL amid zero fanfare.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle provides perspective by noting that the 2011 49ers tied a franchise record with six Pro Bowl starters. Branch: "They also had six starters in 1971. San Francisco and New England, which also had eight players selected, have the most Pro Bowlers of any NFL team this season and the Niners' eight Pro Bowlers are their most since they had 10 in 1995."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com passes along reaction from 49ers players following their selection to the Pro Bowl.

Also from Maiocco: player-by-player review for the 49ers' defensive players from Week 16.

More from Maiocco: a look at the offensive players.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and the team's other Pro Bowl selections/alternates earned their standing on the strength of votes from coaches and players. Coach Pete Carroll on Chancellor and Browner: "As first-time starters, the fans wouldn’t really know them. But their peers have recognized the impact that they’ve had."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times takes a closer look at the range where the Seahawks figure to draft in the first round.

Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle passes along Carroll's thoughts on what Tarvaris Jackson could do better late in games. Henderson: "Specifically, Carroll pointed to a third-and-2 play on the final possession in which Jackson threw incomplete deep down the middle of the field. Carroll said throwing a check-down pass instead would have gained about 15 yards."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic checks in with the Cardinals' Pro Bowlers, including Adrian Wilson. Somers: "This is Wilson's fourth consecutive Pro Bowl selection and fifth overall. In early August, it didn't seem possible that he would play this season, much less make the Pro Bowl. Wilson suffered a torn right biceps muscle in training camp and missed the preseason. He didn't play well in the first month or so of the season, but then settled into coordinator Ray Horton's new scheme. Wilson thanked his teammates, the coaching staff and the rest of the organization for being patient while he returned from the injury."

Also from Somers: The Cardinals plan to bring back quarterback Kevin Kolb even though they could get out of his contract by declining to pay a $7 million bonus. Somers: "He's not going anywhere. The Cardinals traded away too much (cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, second-round pick in 2012) and committed to a five-year contract worth as much as $63 million. Kolb has missed six starts and most of a seventh game this season due to injury, but the Cardinals are too deep in this relationship to sever it after one year. And just as important, who takes over if Kolb is gone?" Noted: That last part is a key consideration. It's a little early to bail on such a significant investment under unusual circumstances.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com has this to say about John Skelton's slow starts and fast finishes: "It’s so odd, not that Skelton plays better at the end of games but that there is such a discrepancy on how much better he plays. Is it inexperience, or a lack of a full offseason of reps (since he got little as a rookie in his non-lockout offseason), as coach Ken Whisenhunt suggests? Maybe. But it’s hard to tell why Skelton suddenly gets all Brady in the final 15 minutes (yes, he is compared to Tebow, but Skelton usually is passing the ball better than Tebow late) when he can be very John Navarre before then."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Chris Long, Steven Jackson and James Laurinaitis have played well enough to receive Pro Bowl consideration. Thomas: "Laurinaitis is enjoying arguably his best NFL season, with 131 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions. But only two middle linebackers per conference earn Pro Bowl berths, and San Francisco's Patrick Willis and Chicago's Brian Urlacher -- this year's NFC Pro Bowlers -- are tough competition." Noted: I hadn't considered Laurinaitis seriously given the Rams' struggles on defense, particularly against the run. The Cardinals blocked him well while springing Beanie Wells for 228 yards. Some of the other inside linebackers in the NFC West -- Daryl Washington, NaVorro Bowman and K.J. Wright -- have sometimes stood out.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers thoughts on a report from San Diego suggesting Jon Gruden and A.J. Smith could come to St. Louis in leadership roles with the Rams. Miklasz: "My best guess is that the speculation is most likely originating from Los Angeles, home of off-the-books Rams adviser John Shaw, who is tight with Chargers' president/owner Dean Spanos."

Thoughts on the St. Louis Rams following their performance against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Edward Jones Dome in Week 15:

What it means: The Rams fell to 2-12 and remained tied with Minnesota for second in the projected draft order for 2012. The strength-of-schedule tiebreaker would come into play if both teams finished 2-14. The Rams held the tiebreaker heading into Week 15, but the situation was fluid heading into the final three weeks. The team is now 10-36 in two-plus seasons under coach Steve Spagnuolo.

What I liked: The Rams' defense was on its game from the beginning and put St. Louis in position to stay competitive throughout. Cornerback Josh Gordy picked off an Andy Dalton pass and returned it 30 yards. Chris Long added to his career-high sack total. Darian Stewart, James Laurinaitis, Quintin Mikell and others made aggressive plays against the Bengals' running game. Kellen Clemens' mobility and overall health at quarterback gave the offense a boost after Sam Bradford, named inactive for this game, struggled to play through an ankle injury previously. Danario Alexander's leaping touchdown grab in the final minutes brought the Rams within striking distance. Clemens passed for 229 yards and finished with a 95.7 NFL passer rating. Rookie Robert Quinn got his hand on an opponent's punt for the third time this season.

What I didn't like: The offense struggled again, and there were additional opportunities to question play calling. The Rams lost yardage on a toss to Steven Jackson on third-and-long. A week earlier, they ran five plays in a row from the Seattle 1-yard line before giving Jackson the ball. More than anything, the Rams couldn't seem to get a break. A questionable pass-interference call gave the Bengals a long gain. The Rams forced fumbles, only to have the ball bounce back into the Bengals' possession. It's been that kind of year for the Rams. Despite a mostly strong showing on defense, the Rams let A.J. Green beat them for six receptions covering 115 yards.

What's next: The Rams visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16.

Five things I noticed while watching the Seattle Seahawks' most recent game, a 30-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams in Week 14:

• McQuistan fared pretty well. Losing left tackle Russell Okung to a season-ending pectoral injury hurt the Seahawks' offensive line coming into this game, but backup Paul McQuistan got the team through this game without incident. McQuistan steered Rams defensive end James Hall out of the play on Marshawn Lynch's run around the left side to open the game. The team was fortunate McQuistan came out of this game healthy. He was pass protecting late in the second quarter when the Rams' C.J. Ah You flew into the back of his legs after rushing from the other side of the formation. Justin Forsett gained 11 yards on the third-and-7 play.
• Wright's monster game should have been better. Rookie linebacker K.J. Wright finished with eight total tackles, three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, one sack and one pass defensed. But he also dropped a pass Sam Bradford threw right to him with 9:43 left in the first quarter. At that point in the game, Wright had already taken down Steven Jackson for a 3-yard loss on a screen. Also in the first half, Wright shed Rams tackle Mark LeVoir to take down Jackson for a 1-yard loss.
• Seeing good things from Tate. Receiver Golden Tate has bounced back from a disappointing rookie season and underwhelming start to 2011. Two little things stood out about his performance Monday night. Tate helped out his scrambling quarterback by coming back to the ball for a 22-yard reception on third-and-11. Later, he cleared out cornerback Justin King on the perimeter to free Doug Baldwin for a first down.
• Good timing for trick play. The Seahawks tried a halfback pass on a second-and-1 play. The timing was perfect. Second-and-1 is close to a free play. Seattle had to like its chances of picking up third-and-1. While the timing was right, the execution and possibly the play design seemed lacking. If nothing else, at least future opponents have something more to consider in short-yardage situations.
• Kickoff coverage a little leaky. The Seahawks allowed 47- and 31-yard kickoff returns to Jerious Norwood, something to keep in mind as they prepare to face the Chicago Bears' Devin Hester on Sunday. Hester has been more dangerous on punt returns than on kick returns, but he does have a 98-yard touchdown on a kickoff return this season. The Seahawks allowed the Rams only one punt return for a single yard. Hester returned one against them for a touchdown last season.

A couple of other notes just missed the cut, one about how Tarvaris Jackson took shots from Chris Long and Eugene Sims on the same play without falling. Lynch's tackle-breaking ability also stood out, again. Lynch kept alive one play long enough for left guard Robert Gallery to get up off the ground following his initial block to make a second block before James Laurinaitis finally made the tackle.