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Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the San Francisco 49ers expect receiver Michael Crabtree to return from injury in time for the regular-season opener against Seattle on Sept. 11. That will likely be the first time Crabtree and fellow receiver Braylon Edwards play together in a game setting. Edwards: "Crab is real smooth. He has great hands. He always catches the ball away from his body. He's smooth in and out of routes. He's very smart. He's very similar to me, but I'm a little taller." Crabtree performed better than expected as a rookie after missing all of training camp and the first six weeks of the regular season. It's tough to believe he will have gone three seasons without experiencing a full training camp.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee outlines five things to watch during the 49ers' exhibition opener against New Orleans on Friday night. On Aldon Smith: "Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio tried to rein in expectations for first-round draft pick Aldon Smith this week, saying that the rookie still has plenty to learn. That's true. But Fangio's caution could not outweight the rave reviews Smith has received from teammates, particularly offensive teammates. Smith has two things you can't teach a rookie -- strength and ferocity. While he's not a starter, he's been getting just as much playing time with the first-team defense as OLBs Ahmad Brooks and Parys Haralson. The Saints have one of the better offensive lines in the league; how Smith fares against it will be an excellent first test."

Also from Barrows: The 49ers have picked up the pace at practice, according to defensive end Ray McDonald.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News says new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh wants "fanatical effort" from his team against the Saints. What might he expect for real games?

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers' new offense excels at disguising its intentions, forcing defenses to play a little more passively, according to defensive end Justin Smith.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times thought Leroy Hill stood out for the Seahawks during their exhibition opener against San Diego. O'Neil: "Hill could be the steal of Seattle's offseason. He has been Seattle's most athletic linebacker since he joined the team in 2005, and watching him back on the field Thursday was a reminder of the speed and violence he brings to the position. If two years of injuries and off-field injuries are behind him, he could be an absolute steal of a signing."

Also from O'Neil: Russell Okung felt "something kind of pop" in his ankle.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com singles out Thomas Clayton's 25-yard touchdown run as the play of the game for Seattle in its exhibition opener. Farnsworth: "Part of what made Clayton’s 25-yard run so impressive was how well not only the line blocked but also the receivers downfield." The way Clayton held the ball aloft and showboated into the end zone reminded me of the time Leon Washington celebrated during a long return against Carolina last season. Clayton got away with it. Washington did not.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks held out receiver Sidney Rice and running back Justin Forsett as precautions. Both could have played. Both have minor injuries. Playing without Rice or fellow receiver Mike Williams affected the options for Tarvaris Jackson and the first-team offense. Third receiver Ben Obomanu also did not play.

Also from Williams: Charlie Whitehurst was generally pleased with his play. Whitehurst: "I think I played OK for the first preseason game. You’re not going to be perfect. But you go out and get into a rhythm, and we did that in the third quarter, and it turned out good."

John Boyle of the Everett Herald says Seattle safety Kam Chancellor impressed in run support, while 6-foot-4 cornerback Brandon Browner made a couple plays on the ball with the No. 2 defense. Boyle: "Brandon Browner was impressive at cornerback with the No. 2 defense, coming up with a couple of pass breakups in one-on-one coverage, including one that prevented a TD late in the second quarter. Browner, who stands an impressive 6-foot-4, has been a star in the CFL for the past five seasons and is hoping to break into the NFL."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic offers thoughts on the Cardinals' exhibition opener against Oakland. Somers: "It appears than tight end Todd Heap suffered the only injury on the team: a sprained left thumb in the second quarter. The X-ray was negative and Heap said afterward he would have continued to play had it been a regular season game."

Also from Somers: Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt isn't too worried about acquiring another receiver. Whisenhunt: "Everybody wants to talk about the Number 2 receiver but we really don't get caught up in a No. 2. We run so many different packages where we involved three receivers, even four receivers, and there are a lot of times where we'll tailor specific packages to fit the individual strengths of the receiver."

More from Somers: The Cardinals went into their game with low expectations given the limited practice time.

Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic says Kurt Warner remains popular in retirement.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com said the Cardinals played better than anticipated. Urban: "The Cards went down the field early and often, with six completions of at least 20 yards. John Skelton relieved Kevin Kolb and completed 6-of-10 passes for 94 yards, and then Rich Bartel completed 4-of-9 for 69 yards."

Also from Urban: The Cardinals' receivers made plays.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Jim Hanifan, 77, is out as a Rams radio analyst. Caesar: "Hanifan, who was the rollicking, highly-charged analyst on Rams radio broadcasts until being removed two seasons ago when he was relegated to the more sterile environment of contributing to pre- and postgame programming, will be gone altogether this year on Rams game-day radio coverage other than a brief taped appearance." The station is expanding roles for Tony Softli and Rick Venturi.

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says rookie Lance Kendricks is getting plenty of work with the Rams, including as a starter. Kendricks lined up in the backfield and had one carry during a recent scrimmage. Kendricks: "I did a lot of motion and stuff in the backfield (at Wisconsin), but not as much as now. It's fun, but it's a challenge because you've got to read the defense on the move instead of being stationary. ... I'm just getting adjusted to reading the coverages. In college you don't have to read the coverages as much as in the NFL. You're kind of multi-tasking on the field."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that new Rams linebacker Ben Leber has experience playing strong and weak sides.

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com says the Rams approached this offseason seeking to upgrade their run defense.

Also from Wagoner: positive thoughts from Steven Jackson. Jackson: "Camp is going really good. We’re making some great strides. Sunday we had the scrimmage, I think we saw from a personnel standpoint where we’re going with it. Guys are getting comfortable with some of the language and the formations are different things that…we’ve only had a week to really be in. Guys are really learning at a fast pace and really looking forward to this first preseason game."

D'Marco Farr of 101ESPN St. Louis says there should be no doubting Jackson.

Former St. Louis Rams coach Dick Vermeil spent a recent three-day stretch in California with one of his close friends, former assistant Mike White.

The occasion: Vermeil's induction into the California Sports Hall of Fame.

"The whole essence of my acceptance was, I am a 'because of' guy," Vermeil said during a recent phone conversation. "Because I've had good coaches, because I've had good players, I'm now in three different state halls of fame. Because of Al Saunders, because of Mike Martz, because of Jim Hanifan, because of Mike White, because of Pete Giunta, because of John Bunting --"

Vermeil reeled off several more former assistants in rapid succession -- too many for me to write down all their names. All played a role in Vermeil's success with UCLA, the Philadelphia Eagles, Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. Some rank among his closest friends.

It is no surprise, then, that Vermeil is lending his name to the cause of assistants during an uncertain time for NFL employees at all levels. He envisions a day when assistants regain some of the ground they've lost even while salaries have risen in recent years.

"I hope somewhere down the road the owners do not create a problem they do not need to create," Vermeil said. "Right now, they are in deep negotiations with the Players Association. Those players are of very little value without coaches coaching them. If the coaches ever really solidified, there would be one more negotiation that they would have to go through to keep things running smoothly."

Right, I thought, but owners would have little trouble finding eager replacements. Hundreds of college coaches would jump at the chance to coach in the NFL, just as many current pro assistants did in years past. And they would likely accept whatever terms NFL teams offered, just as current assistants agreed to clauses that would reduce and/or suspend significant chunks of pay during a lockout.

Vermeil flatly rejected this line of thinking. The fire and intensity he brought to the sideline resonated in his response.

"Yeah, you know something?" he said. "You only have to lose a few good ones on your staff and you are losing your ass and you are still charging the same amount of money for the season ticket. You've got great coaches and some of those guys make a difference. They make a difference in winning and losing. A lot of people in the league have found out it's not easy to replace those guys."

Finding assistants is easy. Finding the best ones can be difficult. It's one reason teams replace them regularly. NFC West teams willfully replaced four coordinators this offseason alone. A fifth, Pat Shurmer, left the Rams to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Other assistants also came and went, as they always do.

Josh McDaniels (St. Louis), Ray Horton (Arizona), Vic Fangio (San Francisco), Tom Cable (Seattle) and Darrell Bevell (Seattle) stand out as the most significant hires to NFC West staffs this offseason.

"These guys to me are the guys that touch the product you put on the field -- more than the head coach, more than the owner, more than the president, more than the general manager, more than the personnel department, more than anybody else," Vermeil said. "I just have always felt the better frame of mind they are in, the better impression and the better communication and the better contact they make with the player that plays on Sunday. Therefore, the better the team plays."

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says the 49ers, having hired Trent Baalke as their general manager, might be favorites to land Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh. Kawakami: "The 49ers absolutely want him, and a high-ranking NFL source said Tuesday that team president Jed York remains more than willing to pay a premium price to get him. Now the 49ers have to finish the deal."

Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com says 49ers president Jed York was fibbing when he said he wanted to hire a strong general manager to run the team. Ratto: "Lies are like money, you see. When you spend one, it better be for something valuable, and making people think you want to divorce yourself from the football side without actually doing so is a wasted lie. A good lie is feigning non-interest in Jim Harbaugh if he wants that news kept quiet. That’s a tactical lie with known benefits. This was not. This was a smokescreen for Jed York’s benefit, so he could look for a moment like someone who understood the magnitude of the problem while all the time deciding he was the solution to it."

Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says the 49ers fell short when they hired Baalke. Cohn: "Jed rushed through this process just as he rushed through the disastrous hiring Mike Singletary, the joke head coach Jed subsequently needed to fire for not comprehending how to be a head coach. An owner who knows how to act like an owner interviews multiple candidates from winning teams. The operative phrase is “winning teams.” People from winning teams have a lot to offer."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Baalke and Mike Lombardi were finalists for the GM job.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains why he thinks the Rams should have given Steven Jackson more carries against Seattle. Miklasz: "Jim Hanifan and Rick Venturi also pointed out that when the Rams put the tight end in motion to attack Seattle's smaller defensive end (Chris Clemons), Jackson had two runs that picked up nearly 20 yards. Seattle likes to flip Clemons to the open side, away from the tight end. So the answer to that is to motion your tight end over to Clemons' side and ram him. Makes sense to me. Look, you can dismiss my questioning of this as the worthless whining of an idiot sportswriter. But I believe Coach Hanifan has established credibility. His evaluations of an NFL running game should be taken seriously."

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com says the Rams need to work on their inside run game.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch examines Pat Shurmur's candidacy for the Browns' head coaching job. Thomas: "Shurmur has never worked directly with Holmgren, but he got to know him as an assistant coach at Michigan State while his uncle, the late Fritz Shurmur, was on Mike Holmgren's Green Bay Packers staff in the mid 1990s. In addition, Pat Shurmur was on Andy Reid's staff in Philadelphia from 1999 through 2008. There's even more familiarity with the Browns, because Shurmur, Holmgren, Reid and Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo all are represented by the same agent -- Bob LaMonte. Another LaMonte client is Browns general manager Tom Heckert, who was in the Philadelphia front office during eight of Shurmur's 10 seasons with the Eagles."

Also from Thomas: a look at Sam Bradford's rookie season.

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams coaches deserve scrutiny.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Cardinals players are bracing for a different offseason, one in which they could be locked out by team owners. Center Lyle Sendlein: "I just think everyone will have to have a backup plan for working out. It’s our job. If you’re not going to be working out you might as well not come to camp. If you’re not doing something, somebody else is. That’s how I think of it."

Also from Urban: a look at the Cardinals' roster by position, with contract status and other details. Urban: "The problem is that the labor deal might not be done for a few months. The free agency period might have to be a very quick (Three weeks? Four weeks?) time frame late in the summer. There is no question until that CBA is figured out (and when), it is a complicated offseason."

John Boyle of the Everett Herald says Charlie Whitehurst and Matt Hasselbeck split reps in practice Tuesday as the Seahawks prepared to face New Orleans.

Liz Mathews of 710ESPN Seattle updates Seahawks-related roster moves. Mathews: "Both guard Chester Pitts (head) and tight end Chris Baker (hip) have been placed on season-ending injured reserve."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says it's easy for the Seahawks to adopt an us-against-the-world mentality as they head into the playoffs with a 7-9 record.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times checks in with Marshawn Lynch, who played a leading role in the Seahawks' playoff-clinching victory Sunday. O'Neil: "Lynch led Seattle with 573 yards rushing, marking the fifth consecutive season the Seahawks didn't have anyone gain 1,000 yards. Detroit is the only other team in the league that has gone that long without a millennium man. But on Sunday night, Lynch helped Seattle find its stride at precisely the moment the Seahawks needed to run the ball more than anything. Held to 22 yards rushing in the first half, Seattle racked up 119 in the second as Lynch didn't put the game on his back so much as he tucked it under his arm and refused to let go."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says Raheem Brock's father played for the Seahawks in the mid-1980s and was in attendance when Brock collected 2.5 sacks against the Rams. Brock: "It felt great to play in front of my dad. For my dad and my whole family to see this atmosphere and the 12th Man, and for us to go out there and play like we did, it’s a great feeling. Having my dad here just gets my adrenalin pumping even more. Just to know that he was going to be in the building and I was going to get to play in front of him, it had me pumped all week."

The latest in our periodic spins around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

101ESPN St. Louis: Jim Hanifan, part one

101ESPN St. Louis: Hanifan, part two

101ESPN St. Louis: La'Roi Glover

101ESPN St. Louis: reporter Jim Thomas

101ESPN St. Louis: running back Steven Jackson

101ESPN St. Louis: Steve Spagnuolo (video)

49ers

KNBR680: snapper Brian Jennings

KNBR680: Ronnie Lott

KNBR680: tight end Vernon Davis

KNBR680: Steve Young

KNBR680: Kurt Warner (video)

KNBR680: Mike Singletary

KNBR680: reporter Matt Maiocco

Cardinals

XTRA910: safety Adrian Wilson

XTRA910: punter Ben Graham

azcardinals.com: Ken Whisenhunt (video)

azcardinals.com: Cardinals Underground

azcardinals.com: In the Red Zone

Seahawks

710ESPN Seattle: The Huddle with Warren Moon, Darryl Tapp and David Hawthorne

710ESPN Seattle: Jim Mora

KJR950 Seattle: receivers Nate Burleson, Deion Branch and T.J. Houshmandzadeh

KJR950 Seattle: draft analyst Rob Rang

KJR950 Seattle: Seahawks Round Table

Young's interviews on KNBR are almost always interesting. He offered thoughts on Brett Favre, JaMarcus Russell, the Colts and more.

The latest in our periodic spins around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

101ESPN St. Louis: broadcaster Kevin Harlan

101ESPN St. Louis: executive Kevin Demoff

101ESPN St. Louis: Steve Spagnuolo

101ESPN St. Louis: Tony Dungy

101ESPN St. Louis: guard Richie Incognito

101ESPN St. Louis: analyst Jim Hanifan

101ESPN St. Louis: draft analyst Rob Rang

101ESPN St. Louis: running back Steven Jackson

49ers

KNBR680: reporter Matt Maiocco

KNBR680: reporter Matt Barrows

KNBR680: coach Mike Singletary

KNBR680: Ronnie Lott



KNBR680: Steve Young

Cardinals

XTRA910: safety Adrian Wilson

azcardinals.com: Cardinals Underground

Seahawks

710ESPN Seattle: coach Jim Mora

710ESPN Seattle: Robbie Tobeck

KJR950 Seattle: columnist Steve Kelley

KJR950: Seahawks Round Table

KJR950: linebacker David Hawthorne

If you find others, please pass along links.

The latest in our periodic spins around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

101ESPN St. Louis: Steven Jackson

101ESPN St. Louis: Kevin Carter

101ESPN St. Louis: Steve Spagnuolo (video)

101ESPN St. Louis: draft analyst Russ Lande

101ESPN St. Louis: reporter Jim Thomas

101ESPN St. Louis: analyst Jim Hanifan

49ers

KNBR680: reporter Matt Maiocco

KJR950 Seattle: blogger Kevin Lynch

KNBR680: Mike Singletary

Cardinals

XTRA910: cornerback Michael Adams

XTRA910: quarterback Kurt Warner

XTRA910: safety Adrian Wilson

azcardinals.com: Cardinals Underground

Seahawks

710ESPN Seattle: Jim Mora

KJR950 Seattle: receivers Deion Branch and Nate Burleson

KJR950 Seattle: kicker Olindo Mare

KJR950 Seattle: reporter Dave Boling

KJR950 Seattle: receiver Deon Butler

If you find others, please pass along links.

The latest in our periodic spin around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

XTRA910: fullback Mike Karney

101ESPN St. Louis: receiver Brandon Gibson

101ESPN St. Louis: defensive end Chris Long

101ESPN St. Louis: analyst Jim Hanifan

101ESPN St. Louis: running back Steven Jackson

101ESPN St. Louis: general manager Billy Devaney

49ers

KNBR680: center Eric Heitmann

KNBR680: nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin

KNBR680: snapper Brian Jennings

KNBR680: Carmen Policy

KNBR680: Mike Singletary

KNBR680: Ronnie Lott

KNBR680: reporter Matt Maiocco

49ers.com: Singletary video

(Read full post)

The latest in our periodic spin around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

101ESPN St. Louis: safety Oshiomogho Atogwe

101ESPN St. Louis: general manager Billy Devaney

101ESPN St. Louis: coach Steve Spagnuolo

101ESPN St. Louis: analyst Jim Hanifan

101ESPN St. Louis: linebacker James Laurinaitis

101ESPN St. Louis: La'Roi Glover

101ESPN St. Louis: reporter Steve Wyche

101ESPN St. Louis: Dennis Green

49ers

KNBR680: snapper Brian Jennings

KNBR680: Steve Young

KNBR680: Dan Bunz

KNBR680: Ronnie Lott

KNBR680: blogger Kevin Lynch

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The latest in our periodic spin around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

101ESPN St. Louis: analyst Jim Hanifan

101ESPN St. Louis: reporter Jim Thomas

101ESPN St. Louis: reporter Brian Stull

101ESPN St. Louis: Trey Wingo (on Steven Jackson)

101ESPN St. Louis: center Jason Brown

101ESPN St. Louis: La'Roi Glover

101ESPN St. Louis: tight end Daniel Fells

101ESPN St. Louis: defensive end James Hall

101ESPN St. Louis: guard Mark Setterstrom

101ESPN St. Louis: Steve Spagnuolo (video)

101ESPN St. Louis: Marc Bulger

49ers

KNBR680: Mike Singletary

KNBR680: Dashon Goldson

KNBR680: snapper Brian Jennings

KNBR680: reporter Matt Maiocco

KNBR680: Steve Mariucci

KNBR680: Steve Young

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says 49ers quarterback Alex Smith was more aggressive than usual in his comments after practice Monday. Smith indirectly said receiver Isaac Bruce and other veteran no-shows need to attend organized team activities (OTAs). Barrows: "That's about as powerful as anything that Smith has said -- to the media, at least -- since he was drafted in 2005. One of the criticisms of Smith is that he is too nice, that he doesn't have that certain jerk-ishness ... that seems to be a prerequisite for running a huddle. Perhaps this is an indication of no more Mr. Nice Guy from Mr. Smith." More edge from a quarterback can help as long as he's playing well enough to have credibility.

Also from Barrows: Jimmy Williams' release means former cornerback Reggie Smith will almost certainly remain at safety.

Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News thinks Williams' release could help Mark Roman earn a roster spot. Roman's health will be a key variable. 

Also from Brown: Jerry Rice is keeping busy in retirement, if you can call it that.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat provides an overview from 49ers practices. One note: "Two rookies are unable to participate because of a rule that prevents them from practicing with the team until graduation ceremonies are held at their respective schools. The two players are: offensive tackle Alex Boone [Ohio State] and defensive end Pannel Egboh [Stanford]."

The 49ers' Web site provides a transcript to coach Mike Singletary's news conference. Singletary wasn't happy with practice Monday.

Revenge of the Birds' Hawkwind lists where Cardinals players ranked on Sporting News' top 20 lists at each position. Larry Fitzgerald was the top receiver. Anquan Boldin was fourth-best receiver. Kurt Warner ranked eighth at quarterback. 

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says newly signed receiver Edward Gant gives the Cardinals' more depth at the position as OTAs begin Tuesday.  Boldin will not be participating, most likely.

Tim Klutsarits of examiner.com thinks the Rams' radio decision makers made a mistake in moving Jim Hanifan to the pregame and postgame shows. He thinks Hanifan's emotional reactions would work best as the third man in a three-man booth. Klutsarits: "I believe that Rams Radio did make the right decision in moving Hanifan out of the second position and placing D'Marco Farr into that role. Farr is developing into a very good broadcasting talent and is not only insightful, but very good at following the lead of the host and being concise. Hanifan, although very entertaining and very insightful in a different way, was not good at getting in and out in the time constraints of the game."

Dave Mahler of KJR radio in Seattle checks in with former longtime Seahawks receiver Bobby Engram. Engam, now with the Chiefs, says he wanted to finish his career in Seattle.

John Morgan of Field Gulls thinks the Seahawks will have a hard time fielding an elite defense. Morgan: "Jim Mora has never done anything like that as a coach, where his Falcons were average to below average every season. He never did anything like that as a defensive coordinator, where his 49ers were average to below average every season. Gus Bradley is pure Tampa 2, and if you see a Tampa 2 talent on this roster not named Tatupu or Tapp, give me a heads up. ... Maybe Bradley is an undiscovered genius, but there's no evidence of that, and it would be abnormal for a defensive minded head coach to hire a defensive mastermind to work beneath him. Mora, depressingly so, is supposed to be the defensive mastermind."

See also: In 2007, I touched on where Mora's defenses ranked when he was head coach, defensive coordinator, secondary coach and quality control coach. Note that Seattle's defenses ranked 15th (2007) and 30th (2008) with Mora coaching the secondary, although I wouldn't hold him accountable for those seasons. The 2009 season will mark our first opportunity to evaluate Mora as a defensive coach in Seattle.

Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com says rookie receiver Deon Butler continues to impress during offseason practices. Butler also has a new jersey number, switching from 85 to 11 because he wanted a sleeker look.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

MudaChainS from parts unknown writes: Mike, could you do a breakdown of what Anquan would have made through his first six years in the league had the Cards made him play out his rookie deal, then hit him with a restricted free agent tag with a first round tender and then slapped him with a franchise tag vs Boldin getting extended two years into his rookie deal?

I think you will find the results very interesting. Especially considering Boldin could have had a career-ending injury in his fourth year in the league. Huge fan and season ticket holder. Love the NFC West blog.

Mike Sando: Thanks, Muda. My kind of homework assignment.

To review, Boldin entered the NFL as a second-round choice in 2003. His rookie deal was set to expire after the 2006 season. The Cardinals renegotiated the deal before the 2005 season.

Boldin's four-year rookie deal was worth about $2.6 million. He would have graduated directly to unrestricted free agency had it matured, so there would have been no RFA tender (players need four accrued seasons to become unrestricted free agents if there is a salary cap and five in an uncapped year). The Cardinals could have named Boldin their franchise player for 2007 at a one-year price of $6.172 million.

Under that scenario, Boldin would have earned less than $8.8 million over the first five years of his career.

Thanks to the 2005 renegotiation, Boldin earned about $17 million over the first five years of his career. He earned another $2.5 million in salary last season. His deal pays $2.75 million in 2009 and $3 million in 2010. If forced to play out his deal, Boldin will have earned about $25 million in his first eight NFL seasons.

That sounds great until Boldin considers how much teammate Larry Fitzgerald is earning: $40 million over the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Former Redskins cap analyst Jimmy Halsell's latest post details the financial perils young players face when they renegotiate their contracts.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Jim Hanifan's removal from the Rams' radio booth has caused "quite a stir" among listeners. Caesar: "Gone will be his blistering criticism when players on the home team messed up, something that was immensely refreshing to listeners who endured a team that was 5-27 the last two seasons. Gone too probably will be the delay-system that was implemented on the broadcasts in case Hanifan became infuriated and uttered a word that he often used on the sidelines when he was coaching."

VanRam of Turf Show Times says Rams fans shouldn't write off sixth-round quarterback Keith Null as a wasted pick.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic cites an NFL source as saying Anquan Boldin's recent contract proposal to the Cardinals averaged just less than $10 million per year. Larry Fitzgerald is earning $10 million per season. Agent Drew Rosenhaus released a statement saying Boldin was not asking for that much. Rosenhaus told Somers that Boldin was not "just going to sit pat and look forward to another uncomfortable year like last year. We're going to continue to talk to the team about a new deal and continue to hope the team will be flexible for a trade."

Taylor Price of 49ers.com checks in with former tackle Harris Barton, drafted to replace Keith Fahnhorst. Barton: "Keith was a fantastic gentleman about it all. I swore if I was ever put in the same position towards the end of my career, I would be as gentlemanly as he was. Keith was great, as were other veterans on the offensive line like Randy Cross, Fred Quinlan and Bubba Paris." Barton played with the 49ers long enough to earn a spot on the wall reserved for players with 10 years' experience in the organization.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times examines Casey Greer's contention that teams with run-oriented offenses shouldn't rely heavily on Cover 2 defenses. I see no reason for the Seahawks to be a run-oriented team. Their personnel is geared toward the passing game and I think that will show up in how coordinator Greg Knapp calls the games, particularly if the team is functioning well at quarterback.