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With the San Francisco 49ers in the market for cornerback help and our offseason power rankings focusing on the position later Tuesday, I'll look back at the corners current NFC West teams have drafted over the last decade.

This is the second part in a series that began with a look at 15 classes of NFC West quarterbacks. Then as now, I'll break up the charts with narration from teams' perspectives.

These guys had better start early and challenge for Pro Bowls ...

Some prospects aren't ideal in one area or another, but they could shine in the right scheme ...

Still not too late to find decent starters ...

Last chance to find a likely contributor ...

Time to fill out the 80-man roster ...

JaMarcus Russell's demise as an NFL player is back in the news, shining light upon the perils of investing millions in unproven prospects.

The 2007 NFL draft was about more than Russell, of course.

That draft also produced Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Darrelle Revis and Lawrence Timmons among the top 15 choices.

For as much criticism as the Arizona Cardinals have taken for selecting tackle Levi Brown fifth overall, Brown has started 59 regular-season games, second only to Willis (63) among NFC West draft choices that year. He has also started six playoff games, including a Super Bowl, and coach Ken Whisenhunt expects good things from him.

I've put together a couple charts showing what NFC West teams have gotten from their draft choices that year. More on those in a bit.

First, I've taken a team-by-team look at the players selected, whether they remain with their original teams and how many games each has started for his drafted team.

The 49ers had the best draft among NFC West teams. They also had the most draft capital to work with, selecting twice in the first round. The Seattle Seahawks had no first-rounder that year thanks to the Deion Branch trade, so expectations were lower.

Arizona Cardinals

Total picks: five

Still with team (4): Brown (59), Steve Breaston (26), Ben Patrick (20), Alan Branch (3)

No longer with team (1): Buster Davis (0)

Comment: The Cardinals had fewer total selections than any team in the division. Hitting on Breaston in the fifth round was outstanding, but the Cardinals haven't gotten enough from their top three selections that year. Branch never panned out as a second-rounder. Davis, the third-rounder, didn't make it out of camp. Whisenhunt takes pride in making roster decisions with less regard for draft status. He wasn't going to give Davis or anyone a free pass. That's admirable, but in the bigger picture, Arizona still came up short in this draft.

San Francisco 49ers

Total picks: nine

Still with team (5): Willis (63), Joe Staley (50), Ray McDonald (9), Dashon Goldson (34), Tarell Brown (5)

No longer with team (4): Jason Hill (2), Jay Moore (0), Joe Cohen (0), Thomas Clayton (0)

Comment: Former general manager Scot McCloughan gets credit for selling former coach Mike Singletary on Willis as an elite prospect. That seems odd given Singletary's background as a Hall of Fame linebacker, but the 49ers got the right guy, so the "how" part matters less. That one selection makes this draft the best in the division for 2007. Staley is the starting left tackle. McDonald has been a solid rotation player. Goldson became a starter. All in all, this was a strong draft.

Seattle Seahawks

Total picks: eight

Still with team (2): Brandon Mebane (53), Will Herring (7)

No longer with team (6): Josh Wilson (24), Steve Vallos (8), Mansfield Wrotto (5), Courtney Taylor (4), Jordan Kent (1), Baraka Atkins (0)

Comment: Not having a first-round selection severely hurt this class' overall potential. Wilson seemed like a solid selection in the second round given the playmaking value he offered, but multiple changes in organizational leadership left him on the outside in terms of fit. Mebane was a solid choice in the third round. Vallos and Wrotto remain in the league elsewhere.

St. Louis Rams

Total picks: eight

Still with team (1): Clifton Ryan (27)

No longer with team (7): Adam Carriker (25), Brian Leonard (7), Jonathan Wade (6), Dustin Fry (0), Ken Shackleford (0), Keith Jackson (0), Derek Stanley (0)

Comment: This draft was a disaster for the Rams and made worse by massive organizational changes. On the bright side, the Rams might not have been in position to select Sam Bradford first overall in 2010 without selecting so many non-contributors in 2007.

Now, on to the charts. The first one takes a round-by-round look at the number of starts each team has gotten from its 2007 selections. I have used dashes instead of zeroes to show when teams did not have a selection in a specific round.

The second chart divides the number of starts by the values of the selections each team held, using the draft-value chart.

For example, the value chart said the Seahawks' picks that year were worth 669.2 points, far less than the picks for other NFC West teams were worth. Using this measure, Seattle got more bang for its buck if we valued all starts equally (and we should not value them all equally, but we can still use this as a general guide).

Some of the choices were compensatory and could not be traded, so the chart would not have valued them for trading purposes. I assigned values to them for this exercise, however, because we were not considering the picks for trading purposes.

The St. Louis Rams can probably forget about landing the highest-rated cornerback in the 2011 NFL draft.

They're drafting too late for a realistic shot at LSU's Patrick Peterson, who apparently knows this, and the position isn't one of great need for the Rams, anyway.

Before taking a look at cornerbacks the Rams have drafted since moving to St. Louis for the 1995 season, I'll pass along thoughts on the position from coach Steve Spagnuolo, who addressed his secondary over breakfast at the NFL owners meeting last month:

"Real happy with the way Bradley Fletcher overcame his knee injury. I do think it affected him early in the season. As you guys know, when you have the ACL, his knee injury was pretty extensive, you come back and it takes the whole year. I'm really looking forward to him this coming year.

"Jerome Murphy, rookie, I thought he came on at the end, so that is helpful. Ron Bartell, this will be the third year for him in this system, so that is real helpful. Justin King will bounce back. He battled injuries. It was a pull or a groin. We have some guys there to work with that will help us. We're OK. You would like to add a guy at any position."

That final sentence came off as obligatory -- what coaches say when leaving open the possibility for something unexpected.

The Rams have drafted only one cornerback, Tye Hill, in the first round since moving to St. Louis. They haven't drafted one higher than 65th overall over the past four drafts. The team could still draft one relatively early, but it's an upset if the Rams use the 14th overall choice for one.

OK, one last item on the defensive pass-interference front.

Our weekly look at penalty leaders focuses on defensive pass interference calls against NFC West players since Oshiomogho Atogwe entered the league in 2005.

Some of the players with higher totals have simply spent more time in the division. Longevity favors them appearing in the chart below. I wanted to break out the totals anyway because Atogwe, flagged memorably in Week 10, had incurred only three such calls previously in five-plus seasons.

Thanks to ESPN Stats & Information for the numbers.

Roster turnover is a leading topic for discussion in Seattle following the release of T.J. Houshmandzadeh in particular.

I've addressed the subject in depth across the division -- first May 26 and again July 30 -- and it's worth another look now that teams have reduced to 53 players for the regular season.

This time, I'm going to break down the changes by position, listing players no longer on the active roster at each main position group (with new players in parenthesis). Departures outnumber replacements because some players finished last season on injured reserve, meaning they were not part of the 53-man roster.

Some players no longer on the active roster remain with the team (they could be suspended, deemed physically unable to perform or part of the practice squad).

St. Louis Rams (34 off roster)

Defensive back: Eric Bassey, Quincy Butler, Danny Gorrer, Clinton Hart, Cordelius Parks, David Roach, Jonathan Wade (added Kevin Dockery, Jerome Murphy, Darian Stewart)

Defensive line: Victor Adeyanju, Adam Carriker, Leger Douzable, Leonard Little, LaJuan Ramsey, James Wyche (added Jermelle Cudjo, Fred Robbins, George Selvie, Eugene Sims)

Linebacker: K.C. Asiodu, Paris Lenon (added Na'il Diggs, Josh Hull)

Offensive line: Roger Allen, Alex Barron, Ryan McKee, Mark Setterstrom, Phillip Trautwein, Eric Young (added Renardo Foster, Hank Fraley, Rodger Saffold)

Quarterback: Kyle Boller, Marc Bulger, Keith Null, Mike Reilly (added Sam Bradford, A.J. Feeley, Thaddeus Lewis)

Running back: Samkon Gado, Chris Ogbonnaya (added Keith Toston)

Special teams: Ryan Neill

Tight end: Randy McMichael (added Mike Hoomanawanui, Fendi Onobun)

Wide receiver: Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Brooks Foster, Jordan Kent, Ruvell Martin (added Mark Clayton, Dominique Curry, Mardy Gilyard)

---

Seattle Seahawks (33 off roster)

Defensive back: Jamar Adams, Deon Grant, Ken Lucas, Josh Wilson (added Kam Chancellor, Kennard Cox, Nate Ness, Earl Thomas, Walter Thurmond)

Defensive line: Lawrence Jackson, Patrick Kerney, Cory Redding, Nick Reed, Darryl Tapp, Craig Terrill (added Kentwan Balmer, Raheem Brock, Chris Clemons, Dexter Davis, Junior Siavii, E.J. Wilson)

Linebacker: Leroy Hill, Lance Laury, D.D. Lewis (added Matt McCoy; note that Hill is suspended for the first regular-season game)

Offensive line: Trevor Canfield, Brandon Frye, Walter Jones, Damion McIntosh, Rob Sims, Steve Vallos, Ray Willis, Mansfield Wrotto (added Stacy Andrews, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Ben Hamilton, Russell Okung, Chester Pitts, Tyler Polumbus)

Quarterback: Mike Teel, Seneca Wallace (added Charlie Whitehurst)

Running back: Justin Griffith, Louis Rankin, Tyler Roehl, Owen Schmitt (added Quinton Ganther, Michael Robinson, Leon Washington)

Special teams: Kevin Houser, Jeff Robinson (added Clint Gresham)

Tight end: John Owens (added Chris Baker, Anthony McCoy)

Wide receiver: Nate Burleson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh (added Golden Tate, Mike Williams)

---

Arizona Cardinals (24 off roster)

Defensive backs: Ralph Brown, Bryant McFadden, Antrel Rolle (added A.J. Jefferson, Trumaine McBride, Brandon McDonald, Kerry Rhodes)

Defensive line: Jason Banks (added Dan Williams)

Linebacker: Monty Beisel, Bertrand Berry, Cody Brown, Karlos Dansby, Gerald Hayes, Chike Okeafor, Pago Togafau (added Paris Lenon, Cyril Obiozor, Joey Porter, Daryl Washington; Hayes can return from the physically unable to perform list after six games)

Offensive line: Mike Gandy, Herman Johnson, Reggie Wells (added Alan Faneca, Rex Hadnot)

Quarterback: Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre, Kurt Warner (added Derek Anderson, Max Hall, John Skelton)

Running back: Justin Green, Dan Kreider (added Jerome Johnson)

Special teams: Neil Rackers (added Jay Feely)

Tight end: Anthony Becht (added Jim Dray)

Wide receiver: Anquan Boldin, Sean Morey, Jerheme Urban (added Andre Roberts, Stephen Williams)

---

San Francisco 49ers (24 off roster)

Defensive backs: Dre' Bly, Walt Harris, Marcus Hudson, Mark Roman (added Phillip Adams, Tramaine Brock, William James, Taylor Mays)

Defensive line: Kentwan Balmer, Derek Walker

Linebacker: Scott McKillop, Jeff Ulbrich, Matt Wilhelm (added NaVorro Bowman, Travis LaBoy)

Offensive line: Tony Pashos, Chris Patrick, Cody Wallace (added Alex Boone, Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati)

Quarterback: Nate Davis, Shaun Hill (added David Carr, Troy Smith)

Running back: Thomas Clayton, Glen Coffee, Brit Miller, Michael Robinson (added Anthony Dixon, Brian Westbrook)

Special teams: Shane Andrus, Ricky Schmitt

Wide receiver: Arnaz Battle, Isaac Bruce, Jason Hill, Brandon Jones (added Ted Ginn Jr., Kyle Williams, Dominique Zeigler)

---

The first chart shows how many players are back -- at least for now -- from Week 17 rosters and injured reserve lists. Seattle has the fewest number back with 26.

The second chart shows how many players each team has shed since Week 17 last season. This counts players who were on injured reserve. Teams with lots of players on injured reserve had more players to lose.

The market for Oshiomogho Atogwe appears undefined roughly 12 hours into the former Rams safety's life as a free agent.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said his team isn't interested. Rumblings from Miami and San Francisco suggest those teams aren't suitors. The Redskins do not sound particularly interested.

Of course, Miami wasn't considered the most likely destination for receiver Brandon Marshall before the Dolphins acquired him, as one acquaintance noted. Stuff could be swirling beneath the surface in the absence of visible evidence.

ESPN.com's John Clayton pointed to the Detroit Lions as a potential suitor last week. The Lions seem to love collecting former NFC West players. How many do they currently employ? Thanks for asking.

Maurice Morris, Nate Burleson, Rob Sims, Julian Peterson, Bryant Johnson, Shaun Hill, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Jonathan Wade, Marquand Manuel, Will Heller, Roy Schuening, Jahi Word-Daniels and Trevor Canfield come to mind.

The Lions have also collected former NFC West head coaches, from Steve Mariucci to Scott Linehan to Mike Martz.

Bad teams aren't the only ones churning their rosters during the offseason.

The defending NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals have parted with 15 of the 53 players on their Week 17 roster from last season. Only the rebuilding Seahawks have parted with more -- 16 -- among division teams this offseason. The Rams have parted with 11. The 49ers, seeking continuity as they try to build on an 8-8 season, have parted with only three.

The first chart shows how many Week 17 starters and backups have returned to each NFC West team.

The second chart shows how many Week 17 starters and backups have left each NFC West team.

I'll first list the players by team.

Seattle (16): receiver Nate Burleson, quarterback Seneca Wallace, linebacker Lance Laury, defensive end Cory Redding, guard Trevor Canfield, quarterback Mike Teel, tackle Damion McIntosh, linebacker D.D. Lewis, snapper Jeff Robinson, fullback Justin Griffith, cornerback Ken Lucas, safety Deon Grant, defensive end Darryl Tapp, guard Rob Sims, tight end John Owens and defensive end Patrick Kerney.

Arizona (15): linebacker Pago Togafau, safety Antrel Rolle, receiver Jerheme Urban, receiver Sean Morey, kicker Neil Rackers, linebacker Bertrand Berry, fullback Dan Kreider, cornerback Ralph Brown, quarterback Brian St. Pierre, defensive end Jason Banks, receiver Anquan Boldin, linebacker Karlos Dansby, quarterback Kurt Warner, cornerback Bryant McFadden and linebacker Chike Okeafor. Note that Rolle did not start in Week 17.

St. Louis (11): defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey, cornerback Jonathan Wade, receiver Ruvell Martin, quarterback Mike Reilly, defensive end Leonard Little, safety Clinton Hart, snapper Ryan Neill, running back Samkon Gado, linebacker Paris Lenon, tackle Alex Barron and tight end Randy McMichael.

San Francisco (5): receiver Arnaz Battle, cornerback Marcus Hudson, quarterback Shaun Hill, safety Mark Roman and cornerback Dre Bly.

The third chart shows what happened to players who were on injured reserve in Week 17.

I'll first list by team the players who were on IR but are no longer with their teams.

San Francisco (5): tackle Tony Pashos, punter Ricky Schmitt, linebacker Jeff Ulbrich, cornerback Walt Harris and running back Thomas Clayton.

Seattle (4): running back Tyler Roehl, tackle Walter Jones, snapper Kevin Houser and tackle Brandon Frye.

St. Louis (3): quarterback Marc Bulger, defensive tackle Adam Carriker and safety Eric Bassey.

Arizona (2): tackle Mike Gandy and fullback Justin Green.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Falling

Veteran cornerbacks. The 49ers appear to be moving on without 35-year-old Walt Harris and 32-year-old Dre' Bly. Their newest corner, William James, is younger (30) and has far fewer games on his odometer. The Seahawks have not re-signed 31-year-old corner Ken Lucas, who started six games for them last season and 106 games in eight previous NFL seasons. Lucas visited the Titans this offseason, but Tennessee signed 27-year-old Rams and Falcons castoff Tye Hill. Seattle drafted cornerback Walter Thurmond, 22. The Cardinals went younger at corner this offseason by trading Bryant McFadden, 28, while hoping Greg Toler, 25, takes over for him in the lineup. The Rams got younger at the position by parting with Jonathan Wade, 26, and drafting Jerome Murphy, 23.

Rising

NFC West storylines. The banter between Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett and 49ers tight end Vernon Davis indulged fans of both teams. Division rivalries are fun, anyway, and this is definitely a rivalry. Some 49ers fans like to point to the team's storied past while dismissing the Cardinals as a long-floundering franchise. That thinking is fine if we're on a field trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's outdated in this context. The Cardinals have won the last two division titles. They swept the 49ers in 2008. The 49ers swept the Cardinals last season. Both teams have ascending Pro Bowl-caliber players -- Dockett and Davis among them. Both have young first-round quarterbacks trying to salvage their careers. Good stuff.

Adam Carriker's trade from the Rams to the Redskins -- rumored for weeks and now a done deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter -- reflects what happens when teams change coaching staffs. The Rams and Redskins swapped fifth-round choices.


The move reunites Carriker with former Rams interim coach and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, now with the Redskins. I never sensed the Rams' current leadership disliked Carriker, but neither was the leadership ever personally invested in Carriker's career. Haslett has a better feel for what Carriker can become. Perhaps Carriker will fit better at defensive end in the Redskins' 3-4 scheme than at defensive tackle in the Rams' 4-3. A shoulder injury prevented Carriker from playing last season, perhaps hastening his departure.

The Rams made Carriker the 13th player chosen in the 2007 draft. His departure leaves restricted free agent Clifton Ryan, a fifth-round choice, as the only 2007 Rams choice still with the team. The current leadership previously traded second-round choice Brian Leonard. Other members from that class -- Jonathan Wade, Dustin Fry, Ken Shackleford, Keith Jackson and Derek Stanley -- are also gone.

Victor Adeyanju and Mark Setterstrom are the Rams' only 2006 choices still with the team.

The dismantling continues in St. Louis.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune takes an in-depth look at Seahawks coach Pete Carroll through the eyes of policemen and others outside the NFL. Boling: "Carroll used his position and visibility to create a nonprofit organization, A Better L.A., that helped involve corporate and monied entities. It brought together government and law-enforcement agencies, and helped support and fund the critical liaisons with the community. He began showing up in the neighborhoods in the middle of the night for face-to-face talks with gang members. And the most important thing … he didn’t make a splash and run. He committed."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks' courtship of Brandon Marshall could take time.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times passes along a quote from a Bengals beat reporter shooting down Cincinnati's alleged interest in Marshall as a smokescreen. Agreed.

Also from O'Neil: a look at players who have visited, are scheduled to visit or are reportedly scheduled to visit the Seahawks. Marshall, Dwan Edwards, Tyler Brayton, Ben Watson, Ben Hamilton, Chris Baker, Mike Bell and William James make the list.

John Morgan of Field Gulls says the Seahawks should play it cool on the Marshall front in an effort to drive down the price. That is exactly what will happen, in my view.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams could complete a deal with free-agent defensive tackle Fred Robbins by Monday, according to Robbins' agent.

Also from Thomas: Former Rams cornerback Jonathan Wade is scheduled to visit the Lions.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams' methodical approach to free agency is a tough sell for a skeptical fan base. Miklasz: "The Rams are stuck in a strange and unenviable spot right now. The franchise doesn't have an owner. Oh, Chip Rosenbloom and sister Lucia Rodriguez technically maintain ownership, but they're on the way out after having sold majority control to Shahid Khan. But Khan still must gain league approval before taking over and the process might take two months or more. So the team is in transition, in between bosses. And it's awkward."

Howard Balzer of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat quotes Rams general manager Billy Devaney on Marc Bulger, Richie Incognito and Matt Ware. The Rams have no plans to sign Incognito or Ware, contrary to rumors. Devaney on Bulger: "I don't care what anybody says [about Bulger]. This is a helluva kid. He’s a pro’s pro and understands everything. We told him as soon as there’s clarity and we have a feel for how this will play out, he’ll be the first person to know. It could be anything, and he understands that. Our position right now is that he’s still a member of the Rams and if that ever changes we’ll be up front with Marc."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill is "considering his options" after the team signed David Carr. Those options are limited because the 49ers control his rights.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says Alex Smith has lost every quarterback competition in which he has participated since joining the 49ers. What does that mean now that Carr is on board? Kawakami: "I would also guess that Scot McCloughan, Mike Singletary and Jimmy Raye are looking to add a little spice to the QB spot in training camp, with Carr getting a shot to unseat Alex Smith if possible. (Carr might not have come here unless he thought he had a real shot at the No. 1 spot.) But remember, Smith isn’t too good in summer-camp battles."

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, initially critical of the team's interest in Carr, tweeted nice things about the quarterback once Carr signed. Damage control.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic recaps Anquan Boldin's career with the Cardinals. Larry Fitzgerald: "I'm going to miss him. Understatement of the day. Big part of what we were able to accomplish here, a dear friend, but I'm happy for him and his family."

Also from Somers: a look at a wild few days for the Cardinals, with thoughts on the contract clauses that have given the team trouble recently. Somers: "Owner Bill Bidwill was against voidable clauses, a commonly used contract element throughout the NFL. Bidwill has since dropped his objections to voidable years, and the trade for (Kerry) Rhodes brought some fans in off the ledge. But the Cardinals could face the same problem next year. Quarterback Matt Leinart, now the starter, was drafted a year after (Antrel) Rolle. Leinart's salary is due to increase nearly $5 million in 2010, to $7.36 million, and he's due a $5.5 million roster bonus. The Cardinals will have to make a decision about his future early in 2011."

More from Somers: Joey Porter and Larry Foote would be interesting additions if Arizona decided to sign either linebacker. Both played with current Cardinals linebacker Clark Haggans in Pittsburgh.

The Rams have tendered their restricted free agents as follows:

• Oshiomogho Atogwe, FS, right of first refusal. The team must upgrade its $1.226 million offer to nearly $7 million guaranteed in June if Atogwe is unsigned and the Rams want to retain his rights.
• Clifton Ryan, DE, second round.
• Alex Barron, OT, second round.
• Victor Adeyanju, DE, original round (fourth).
• Craig Dahl, S, right of first refusal.

The Rams can match any offers these players receive. All but Atogwe and Dahl would return a draft choice as compensation if the Rams decided against matching.

Eight players will become unrestricted free agents after the Rams declined to make RFA offers: safety Eric Bassey, long snapper Ryan Neill, cornerback Jonathan Wade, running back Samkon Gado, wide receiver Ruvell Martin, guard Mark Setterstrom, tight end Daniel Fells and defensive tackle Gary Gibson.

The minimum RFA offers exceed $1 million. Some of those eight players could conceivably return for less.

The team also retained rights to defensive end C.J. Ah You, cornerback Quincy Butler, running back Kenneth Darby, linebacker Larry Grant, wide receiver Jordan Kent, tackle Ryan McKee, safety David Roach and linebacker David Vobora.

Arizona Cardinals

Unrestricted free agents: TE Anthony Becht, LB Monty Beisel, LB Bertrand Berry (retired), LT Jeremy Bridges, CB Ralph Brown, LB Karlos Dansby, LT Mike Gandy, FB Dan Kreider, WR Sean Morey, LB Chike Okeafor, K Neil Rackers, NT Bryan Robinson, QB Brian St. Pierre, S Matt Ware.

Restricted free agents: SS Hamza Abdullah, WR Steve Breaston, G Ben Claxton, FB Justin Green, LG Deuce Lutui, TE Ben Patrick, C Lyle Sendlein, TE Stephen Spach, WR Jerheme Urban, NT Gabe Watson.

Franchise player: none

What to expect: The Cardinals generally do not pursue marquee free agents from other teams. That trend figures to continue. The Cardinals have too many of their own free agents to re-sign for them to worry about chasing other teams' castoffs. We might see Arizona plug the roster with a few lower-tier free agents. They had success doing that last offseason, particularly with Becht at tight end. Dansby leads the list of 2009 starters expected to depart. Arizona is reportedly interested in quarterback David Carr.

St. Louis Rams

Unrestricted free agents: QB Kyle Boller, DE James Hall, SS Clinton Hart, LB Paris Lenon, DE Leonard Little, LS Chris Massey, TE Randy McMichael.

Restricted free agents: S Eric Bassey, S Craig Dahl, TE Daniel Fells, LS Ryan Neill, DT Clifton Ryan, CB Jonathan Wade, DE Victory Adeyanju, FS Oshiomogho Atogwe, T Alex Barron, RB Sam Gado, DT Gary Gibson, WR Ruvell Martin, G Mark Setterstrom.

Franchise player: none

What to expect: The Rams could be in the market for a veteran quarterback such as Chad Pennington. Beyond quarterback, coach Steve Spagnuolo said the Rams could use a little more seasoning in the form of veteran role players. The Rams will remain a young team, but they could add some experience. The team parted with players fitting that profile last offseason, but most had inflated salaries. The ones St. Louis adds this year figure to carry lower price tags in most cases. The Rams have said they want Little and Hall back. McMichael figures to be gone.

Seattle Seahawks

Unrestricted free agents: WR Nate Burleson, FB Justin Griffith, LS Kevin Houser, LB D.D. Lewis, CB Ken Lucas, T Damion McIntosh, S Lawyer Milloy, DE Cory Redding, LS Jeff Robinson.

Restricted free agents: T Brandon Frye, WR Ben Obomanu, LB Lance Laury, G Rob Sims, G Chris Spencer, DE Darryl Tapp.

Franchise player: K Olindo Mare

What to expect: The Seahawks are a little difficult to figure. Their owner has the money to bankroll aggressive spending if Seattle chooses to go that route. Coach Pete Carroll surely realizes the team could use talent upgrades. The new general manager, John Schneider, comes from the Ted Thompson school of personnel. Thompson's aversion for free agency is well established, although Schneider has characterized himself as slightly more aggressive. The problem, of course, is finding good players on the market. Burleson will hit the market. He could return if the price is right. Carroll has said nice things about Redding, who should be affordable.

San Francisco 49ers

Unrestricted free agents: WR Arnaz Battle, CB Dre Bly, CB Walt Harris, T Tony Pashos, FS Mark Roman, T Barry Sims, LB Jeff Ulbrich (retired), LB Matt Wilhelm.

Restricted free agents: LG David Baas, LB Ahmad Brooks, CB Marcus Hudson.

Franchise player: NT Aubrayo Franklin

What to expect: The 49ers have largely turned their back on free agency now that they feel better about their roster. I would expect the team to lay low again when the signing period begins late Thursday night on the West Coast.

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams are showing the strains associated with prolonged futility. Burwell: "Eventually, the losing wears you down. You look out there and see that there are so many holes to fill, so many things to improve, so many injuries to overcome, so many weird things like swine flu to cope with, so much of a gigantic talent gap between you and a playoff team like the Cardinals that the adversity has to get to you."

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers a postgame Rams report card featuring a "B" grade for the Rams' defensive line and lower grades for the other positional groups. Coats: "Strong outings by Chris Long, Victor Adeyanju and rookie Darell Scott. LaJuan Ramsey forced a fumble when he sacked Kurt Warner. Long had a sack and two quarterback hits. Pretty good showing vs. the run. Cards averaged just 3.4 yards on 32 carries."

Also from Coats: a closer look at rookie quarterback Keith Null's performance.

More from Coats: Chris Ogbonnaya, Roger Allen and Cord Parks made their regular-season NFL debuts. Allen couldn't wait to call his fiance after the game. Allen: "I've set foot on an NFL field. It feels amazing to finally get in there and help the team."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says former Rams starter Jonathan Wade has fallen so far that the team isn't even using the cornerback in its dime defense. The Cardinals used four wide receivers to help break open the game in the second quarter. Ken Whisenhunt: "I felt like it was the best personnel group matching up against them because of their injuries and losing some players in the secondary. We thought it might be the best way to give us the advantage."

Also from Thomas: Null struggled against the Cardinals. Running back Steven Jackson wasn't there to help carry the load, sitting out for the first time this season. Jackson: "The back was just giving me a lot of problems. It wasn't loosening up. There was pain down my leg. So it was all clear signs telling me that I wasn't ready to go. Signs that I wasn't having in previous weeks."

Howard Balzer of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat says the Rams' lack of talent jumped out Sunday. Balzer: "Consider that of the 45 players active for Sunday’s game, 30 entered the league as either a sixth- or seventh-round draft pick or an undrafted free agent. That includes four sixth-round picks, 10 seventh-rounders and an astounding 16 players that went undrafted. Of the eight players inactive, five were undrafted, meaning 35 of 53 players entered the league after the fifth round."

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers' decision to evaluate younger players over the final two weeks will not extend to quarterback, for obvious reasons. Coach Mike Singletary: "It would be different if Alex Smith was a proven player. I want Alex to get all the playing time he can. It's important for us and him. Every situation he can possibly be in, I want him to learn every lesson he possibly can. I want to see every drop of everything he has."

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says the 49ers will find playing time for offensive lineman Cody Wallace, a player they would like to evaluate.

Also from Maiocco: 49ers president Jed York anticipates no major changes during the offseason. York: "If there's a Hall of Fame quarterback on the market, we'd explore that possibility. But I don't think you're going to find any Hall of Fame quarterbacks on the market."

More from Maiocco: York assesses Smith's growth at quarterback. York: "I see a guy improving every time he steps on the field. I'm glad we went out to Philly to play an important game, and he didn’t play great and he didn’t play terrible. It’s more the opportunity to play in games like that because he’s going to be in games like that in the future, and Alex is going to grow from that experience."

Taylor Price of 49ers.com says the team has refocused on winning its final two games despite having no postseason prospects.

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals' Ben Graham looks like a Pro Bowl favorite at punter in the NFC. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "When you talk about a punter, you don't really think about the kind of effects they can have on a game, other than maybe changing field position. But you look at what our guy has done with his plus-20 punts and even the ones inside the 10, it's phenomenal. It's incredible. Our punter has helped us win games and for that, he's been a real weapon for us."

Also from McManaman: The Cardinals expect to sell out their game against the Rams in Week 16.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says outside linebacker Will Davis moved well during his first practice back from injury.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com compares Beanie Wells to Ottis Anderson. Ron Wolfley: "He has a lot higher gear than Ottis I think ever dreamed of having, and that’s not a slam on Ottis. But Beanie has that same kind of coo-coo-cachoo, I call it, that little hiccup where those hips just ‘boom’ and break you down. He can embarrass you. He can embarrass you in front of your family, he can embarrass your wife who is watching you because this man can run right over you. And that makes his moves in the open field that much better." Only 9,567 yards separate the two. Seriously, though, Wells has an outside shot at 1,000 yards this season. He has 706 yards with two games remaining.

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com says Matt Hasselbeck jokingly asked for his money back on the retirement motorcycle Seahawks players bought for Mike Holmgren. Hasselbeck on what it would have meant if Holmgren had returned to the team as an executive: "He'd be up on the third floor with all the important people. We're down here on the first floor, so I don't know how much that would have affected what we do. But we might want to get our retirement motorcycle money back."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says Seahawks nose tackle Colin Cole has a point to make against his former team when Seattle visits the Packers. Cole: "Not that this is a vengeance thing, but we’re in a great situation to make it so this team doesn’t get an opportunity to go into the postseason, and if we can make that happen and play spoiler to somebody and make someone’s Christmas not as happy, that’d be awesome."

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks' offensive line improved during a 24-7 defeat to the Bucs, unlikely as that sounds. Rookie Max Unger played pretty well after moving to center. The Seahawks blocked pretty well. Hasselbeck's struggles overshadowed the progress. Coach Jim Mora on the line: "The way they played Sunday was much more like the way we wanted them to play. That gives us cause for hope, and that was a good sign that came out of an otherwise dismal day. So, if we can build on that, it will be good."

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams remain noncommittal on which quarterback will start against Arizona. Coach Steve Spagnuolo: "We haven’t made that decision yet. I did want to see (Kyle Boller) today. It looked like he moved around all right. We’ll kind of wait. We may go a little while before we decide. It’s been a while since he’d been out there, so he needs a couple of days to kind back into the swing of things." Can there be any justification for not taking another look at Keith Null?

Also from Coats: It's been a tough season for Rams cornerback Jonathan Wade. A starter to open the season, Wade was not even active in Week 15. Wade: "It's tough to take. I'm not the coach. I continue to go and give it everything I have. What happens on Sunday, happens on Sunday. I just do as I'm told."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Null admires Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner. Null: "I definitely looked up to Kurt Warner. I think he's a great guy on and off the field. Great Christian man -- that's what I definitely look up to the most about him. He gives God the glory for everything he does. He's definitely been one of those guys that I've loved watching play."

Jim Rodenbush of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat says the Rams have named Victor Adeyanju one of their captains for Week 16. Spagnuolo: "You go back and look at the tape, and it may not show up in a stat, but he pressured the quarterback a couple of times and he plays with tremendously great effort. I love Victor. I thought he did a nice job."

Steve Korte of the Belleville News-Democrat draws parallels between Null and Warner. Null: "Our stories are really similar in that fact. We both bagged groceries for a time. Mine was only two weeks, though."

ST. LOUIS -- Kurt Warner's injury status will be the primary focus when I head down to the Cardinals' postgame media sessions momentarily.

Warner absorbed what the team called a "blow to the head" late in the second quarter. He stayed in the game for five additional plays as the Cardinals finished a touchdown drive. He did not return after that drive.

Backup Matt Leinart had trouble getting much going in the second half even though he inherited an offense that was running the ball effectively.

The Rams did a poor job capitalizing until it was almost too late. And when they did have a chance to force a potential tie, receiver Brandon Gibson dropped a pass in the end zone, bailing out Leinart and the Cardinals. Update: Upon further review, the pass might have been tipped.

This game illustrated Warner's value and how much ground the Rams still must make up from a talent standpoint.

Warner watched the second half from the sideline and remained in uniform. If he is not injured seriously, the Cardinals all but wrapped up the NFC West title by opening a three-game lead over the 49ers in the division. Looking down on the field as I write, Warner is holding hands with the Rams' Jonathan Wade and Keith Null as part of the postgame prayer circle.

Arizona is 7-3 for the second season in a row. The Cardinals are 5-0 on the road. They should be able to get to nine or 10 victories, which should be enough to defend their division title.